Thot of Aristotle

"We suppose ourselves to possess unqualified scientific knowledge of a thing, as opposed to knowing it in the accidental way in which the sophist knows, when we think that we know the cause on which the fact depends, as the cause of that fact and of no other, and, further, that the fact could not be other than it is. Now that scientific knowing is something of this sort is evident — witness both those who falsely claim it and those who actually possess it, since the former merely imagine themselves to be, while the latter are also actually, in the condition described. Consequently the proper object of unqualified scientific knowledge is something which cannot be other than it is."

— Aristotle, Posterior Analytics (Book 1 Part 2)

The Statue Of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from the people of France, conceived and designed as a monument to a great international friendship. But its significance has broadened and for many people throughout the world it has become the recognized symbol of liberty.

Historical Notes:

Construction of the Statue began in France in the year 1875, by sculptor Auguste Bartholdi. The final completion date of the individual sections was in June of 1884, and it stood in Paris until it was dismantled in early 1885 for shipping to the US. Engineering of the structure's assembly was done by Gustave Eiffel.

The French frigate "Isere" transported the Statue from France to the United States. In transit the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates.
(The pedestal was designed by architect Richard M.Hunt in 1877. Construction of the pedestal began in 1883 and was completed in 1884, and final assembly of the statue & pedestal was completed in 1886)
On October 28, 1886 President Grover Cleveland accepted The Statue on behalf of the United States and said in part: "we will not forget that liberty here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected".

Physical Details:

There are 25 windows in the crown which comprise the jewels beneath the seven rays of the diadem. The tablet which the Statue holds in her left hand reads, in Roman numerals, "July 4, 1776" the day of America's independence from Britain.

                                        Standard

Height from base to torch              151' 1"    

Foundation of pedestal to torch        305' 1"    

Heel to top of head                    111' 1"    

Length of hand                         16' 5"    

index finger                           8' 0"      

Circumference at second joint          3' 6"      

Size of fingernail                     13"x10"   

Head from chin to cranium              17' 3"      

Head thickness from ear to ear         10' 0"      

Distance across the eye                2' 6"       

Length of nose                         4' 6"      

Right arm length                       42' 0"     

Right arm greatest thickness           12' 0"      

Thickness of waist                     35' 0"     

Width of mouth                         3' 0"       

Tablet, length                         23' 7"      

Tablet, width                          13' 7"      

Tablet, thickness                      2' 0"       

Height of granite pedestal             89' 0"     

Height of foundation                   65' 0"     




Weight of copper used in Statue - 200,000 pounds (100 tons)

Weight of steel used in Statue -  250,000 pounds (125 tons)

Total weight used in Statue -     450,000 pounds (225 tons)

Copper sheeting of Statue is 3/32 of an inch thick (2.37mm)

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza , also called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops, is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, Egypt in Africa, and is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Visibly all that remains is the underlying step-pyramid core structure seen today. Many of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base of the Great Pyramid. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.

Construction Theories of Pyramid of Giza

There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place. The disagreements center on the method by which the stones were conveyed and placed. A recent theory proposes that the building blocks were manufactured in-place from a kind of "limestone concrete". In addition to the many theories as to the techniques involved, there are also disagreements as to the kind of workforce that was used. One theory, suggested by the Greeks, posits that slaves were forced to work until the pyramid was done. This theory is no longer accepted in the modern era, however. Archaeologists believe that the Great Pyramid was built by tens of thousands of skilled workers who camped near the pyramids and worked for a salary or as a form of paying taxes until the construction was completed. The worker's cemeteries were discovered in 1990 by archaeologists Zach Haw ass and Mark Lerner. Vernier posited that the labor was organized into a hierarchy, consisting of two gangs of 100,000 men, divided into five Zea or phyla of 20,000 men each, which may have been further divided according to the skills of the workers.

The Great Wall of China

History of Wall of china

The Great Wall of China is not a continuous wall but is a collection of short walls that often follow the crest of hills on the southern edge of the Mongolian plain. Overall, the wall extends about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers).

A first set of walls, designed to keep Mongol nomads out of China, were built of earth and stones in wood frames during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE).

Some additions and modifications were made to these simple walls over the next millennium but the major construction of the "modern" walls began in the Ming Dynasty (1388-1644 CE).

The Ming fortifications were established in new areas from the Qin walls. They were up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) high, 15 to 30 feet (4.6 to 9.1 meters) wide at the base, and from 9 to 12 feet (2.7 to 3.7 meters) wide at the top (wide enough for marching troops or wagons). At regular intervals, guard stations and watch towers were established.

Since the Great Wall was discontinuous, Mongol invaders had no trouble breaching the wall by going around it, so the wall proved unsuccessful and was eventually abandoned. Additionally, a policy of mollification during the subsequent Ch'ing Dynasty that sought to pacify the Mongol leaders through religious conversion also helped to limit the need for the wall.

Through Western contact with China from the 17th through 20th centuries, the legend of the Great Wall of China grew along with tourism to the wall. Restoration and rebuilding took place in the 20th century and in 1987 the Great Wall of China was made a World Heritage Site. Today, a portion of the Great Wall of China about 50 miles (80 km) from Beijing receives thousands of tourists each day.

Formula 1 Car The Art & Technology

The software to integrate the data from the sensors, and to manage the gearbox, comprises some half -a-million lines of line of code, which took some 20 person years to write. The gearbox can have up to seven different speeds - and if the timing of the changing of the gears is off by even a few thousandths of a second, the gearbox will self destruct.

It takes a lot of money and brain power to roll one of these F-1babes out onto the track. For example, Mclaren have a budget of about $500 million per year, and employs 350 people.