DISCOVERIES AND INNOVATIONS

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- JUNE 1, 2024

“Change is the only constant." That phrase dates back to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He also said: "Everything changes and nothing remains still; and you cannot step twice into the same stream." We live in a world where discoveries and innovations are part of our past, present, and future.

For instance, almost everyone has used a fax machine in the last thirty years or so. However, did you know that the “facsimile machine” was invented in 1843? That's the same year the first wagon train headed west on the Oregon Trail. 

The original fax machine only sent text messages.  “It worked by attaching a stylus to a clock pendulum that sent information along a telegraph line, which was recreated by a similar device at the other end.” This led to the modern fax machine. There are still forty-three million fax machines in operation today. (https://historyfacts.com/science-industry/fact/the-fax-machine-was-invented-while-people-were-traveling-the-oregon-trail/)

Another invention has a sweeter history. Most of us have tasted a PEZ candy, but they were originally created  in 1927 to help people quit smoking. Peppermint PEZ Drops never caught on. Even when they were put in a dispenser, people were uninterested. “In 1957, PEZ replaced the mint pellets with fruity ones and targeted a new demographic: children. They released a Halloween dispenser that featured a three-dimensional witch’s head atop a rectangular case. A Popeye version was licensed in 1958, and since then PEZ has gone on to produce some 1,500 different novelty-topped dispensers.” (https://www.interestingfacts.com/fact/623922316fd7b70008ed52be) 

The PEZ dispensers have become iconic, but a present-day innovation may revolutionize the packaging of snacks. The British Crisp Co.'s new chip bags are made of paper coated in a plastic alternative that's touted as being completely biodegradable. The bag coating doesn't break down into microplastics and is recyclable. And it costs the same as existing materials." (https://www.yahoo.com/news/snack-company-releases-first-kind-113500551.html)

Another present-day invention comes from some students. “The challenge before Johns Hopkins University engineering students: Take a leaf blower, but make it quiet. Make it work as powerfully as ever, but do not allow it to emit the ear-piercing caterwaul. The students did it. Their improved leaf blower drops the overall noise level by nearly forty percent.”

The blower is ready for the real world. The Stanley Black & Decker company notes: “This is ready to be mass manufactured.” See a demo at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISgHpUDeLBw&t=8s.

But wait! There's more. “The student team expects their solution could be adapted to quiet other similarly loud appliances like vacuums and hairdryers.” (https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/05/14/quieter-leaf-blower/)

Quieter appliances could make it easier to enjoy a restful sleep. Some students at Northwestern University are studying a possible enhancement to sleep – pink noise.  “You may have heard of white noise used to mask background sounds. Now, it has colorful competition. There’s a growing buzz around pink noise, brown noise, green noise — a rainbow of soothing sounds.” 

Say what? “The high frequencies of white noise can sound harsh. Pink noise turns down the volume on those higher frequencies, so it sounds lower in pitch and more like the natural sound of rain or the ocean. Brown noise sounds even lower in pitch, giving it a pleasing, soothing rumble.”

Colorful noises is a concept that could be utilized in the future. “If Northwestern’s research pans out, it could lead to a medical device to improve sleep or memory through personalized pulses of pink noise. But many scientific questions remain unanswered. There’s still a lot of work we have to do.” (https://apnews.com/article/pink-brown-white-noise-sleep-focus-concentration-f5f24dad1effb09c1cf8b607bd22ebc7)

Then there are things that meld together the past, present, and future. An example of this is the transfer of data that zooms all over the planet's internet structure every day. Think about it. How would your life change if this data exchange came to a skidding halt? 

Now, how much of that data would you guesstimate flows through high tech machines like satellites? The answer is almost none. Modern commerce depends on something a bit older.  There are some 800,000 miles of fiber-optic cables running through our oceans that keep the world as we know it chugging along. They carry ninety-nine percent of the planet's data. Should they all fail at once, satellites would keep less than one percent of things going. Modern civilization would cease to function." (https://www.newser.com/story/349248/the-internet-as-we-know-it-depends-on-22-ships.html)

Scary? There's more. These cables are kept intact by just twenty-two ships  (in the whole world).  This secretive global network of ships are at the ready to repair the cables when they break.” (https://www.theverge.com/c/24070570/internet-cables-undersea-deep-repair-ships)

While the big brains are concentrating on things that most of us can't comprehend, we normal thinkers can have some fun doing experiments of our own. 

For example, camels and giraffes walk a certain way. “The walking sequence is both right feet first, followed by both left feet, so they move half of their body forward at once.” 

These are two of the only three animals that walk this way. The third one is a common household pet. One of these could be strolling through your home right now. Can you spot this creature? The answer is a cat. (https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cats-giraffes-and-camels-all-have-this-1-thing-in-common-and-i-am-in-awe_uk_664c76fee4b0f45dcbad44e0)

They also have some enhancements to their gait. ““Each paw hits the ground at a different point in the stride, which is known as a four-beat gait. Most of the cat’s weight is centered on the front paws while walking. Additionally, that dainty little pitter-patter walk that cats do is due to them walking on their toes, as opposed to their whole feet.” 

Finally, a while back I told you about the Falcon Cam atop Michigan State's Spartan Stadium. I said I'd let you know when the chicks hatched. Well, three white fluff balls have emerged. Wow, do they make a racket when it's feeding time. See at: https://www.youtube.com/live/8zpv33K7SNo?si=FNGvkxuL_hIlo-Eu. Feel free to laugh and smile. 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.