Improbable Research podcast #1 savors a peer-reviewed study about improved packaging for large hollow chocolate bunnies. The study is: ‘Designing and Testing an Improved Packaging for Large Hollow Chocolate Bunnies,’ Gerald W. Greenway and Raul Enrique Garcia, TAPPI Journal, 80 (8), 1977, pp. 133-139 . The authors were at The Package Sealing Laboratory, at the School of Engineering, at the University of Missouri-Rolla. Here’s a […]
Tag: engineering
Applying bacteria to solve the Burnt Pancake Problem
The Burnt Pancake Problem — a mathematical problem whose history Simon Singh recently put in context, in an article in The Guardian — can be attacked by using bacteria. This paper explains how: “Engineering bacteria to solve the Burnt Pancake Problem,” Karmella A. Haynes [pictured here], Marian L. Broderick, Adam D. Brown, Trevor L. Butner, […]
Some vexed machines
Donald Simanek compiled a long, yet undoubtedly very, very partial list of patents for machines that do not and, by their nature, cannot work as described. (Thanks to investigator Timmy Barton for bringing it to our attention.) Here’s one item: 1857 [No. 1330] Peter Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau of London, Agent. Hydraulic motor. The “bucket […]
Engineering analyses of Noah’s ark
Noah’s ark, if it existed, was an impressive piece of engineering. Here’s one detailed analysis of just how impressive: “The Impossible Voyage of Noah’s Ark,” Robert A. Moore, Creation/Evolution Journa , issue 11 (Winter 1983) Moore goes into considerable detail. He also laments the loss to humanity of the engineering expertise that must have gone into […]