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Ingenium: Five Machines That Changed the World
Ingenium is medieval English vernacular for “an ingenious contrivance.” In this fascinating book, physicist Mark Denny considers five such contrivances—the bow and arrow, the waterwheel, the counterpoise siege engine (including the trebuchet), the pendulum clock anchor escapement, and the centrifugal governor—and demonstrates how they literally changed the world. Interweaving an entertaining narrative with diagrams, equations, and drawings, Denny shares the history of each device, explains the physics behind it, and describes how it was used, how it evolved, and why it is significant in today's world.

Consider the bow and arrow, which transformed warfare by allowing soldiers to attack their enemies at a safe distance. Or the waterwheel, which enabled Old World civilizations to grind grain, pump water, and power machines during a period of extreme labor shortages. Medieval warriors engaged in an early form of biological warfare by using the trebuchet to launch dead animals or plague-ridden corpses over enormous fortress walls. The pendulum clock forever enslaved modern humans to the clock by linking the accurate measure of time to the burdens of schedules, deadlines, promptness, and tardiness. And the centrifugal governor gave rise to an entire branch of modern engineering science: feedback control.

Reflecting on the inventors of these ancient machines and the times in which they lived, Denny concludes with thought-provoking observations about inventors, inventiveness, genius, and innovation. Whether you dream of making a better mousetrap or launching pumpkins into the stratosphere, Ingenium will tickle your fancy.

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Ingenium: Five Machines That Changed the World
Ingenium is medieval English vernacular for “an ingenious contrivance.” In this fascinating book, physicist Mark Denny considers five such contrivances—the bow and arrow, the waterwheel, the counterpoise siege engine (including the trebuchet), the pendulum clock anchor escapement, and the centrifugal governor—and demonstrates how they literally changed the world. Interweaving an entertaining narrative with diagrams, equations, and drawings, Denny shares the history of each device, explains the physics behind it, and describes how it was used, how it evolved, and why it is significant in today's world.

Consider the bow and arrow, which transformed warfare by allowing soldiers to attack their enemies at a safe distance. Or the waterwheel, which enabled Old World civilizations to grind grain, pump water, and power machines during a period of extreme labor shortages. Medieval warriors engaged in an early form of biological warfare by using the trebuchet to launch dead animals or plague-ridden corpses over enormous fortress walls. The pendulum clock forever enslaved modern humans to the clock by linking the accurate measure of time to the burdens of schedules, deadlines, promptness, and tardiness. And the centrifugal governor gave rise to an entire branch of modern engineering science: feedback control.

Reflecting on the inventors of these ancient machines and the times in which they lived, Denny concludes with thought-provoking observations about inventors, inventiveness, genius, and innovation. Whether you dream of making a better mousetrap or launching pumpkins into the stratosphere, Ingenium will tickle your fancy.

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Ingenium: Five Machines That Changed the World

Ingenium: Five Machines That Changed the World

by Mark Denny
Ingenium: Five Machines That Changed the World
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Ingenium: Five Machines That Changed the World

Ingenium: Five Machines That Changed the World

by Mark Denny

Overview

Ingenium is medieval English vernacular for “an ingenious contrivance.” In this fascinating book, physicist Mark Denny considers five such contrivances—the bow and arrow, the waterwheel, the counterpoise siege engine (including the trebuchet), the pendulum clock anchor escapement, and the centrifugal governor—and demonstrates how they literally changed the world. Interweaving an entertaining narrative with diagrams, equations, and drawings, Denny shares the history of each device, explains the physics behind it, and describes how it was used, how it evolved, and why it is significant in today's world.

Consider the bow and arrow, which transformed warfare by allowing soldiers to attack their enemies at a safe distance. Or the waterwheel, which enabled Old World civilizations to grind grain, pump water, and power machines during a period of extreme labor shortages. Medieval warriors engaged in an early form of biological warfare by using the trebuchet to launch dead animals or plague-ridden corpses over enormous fortress walls. The pendulum clock forever enslaved modern humans to the clock by linking the accurate measure of time to the burdens of schedules, deadlines, promptness, and tardiness. And the centrifugal governor gave rise to an entire branch of modern engineering science: feedback control.

Reflecting on the inventors of these ancient machines and the times in which they lived, Denny concludes with thought-provoking observations about inventors, inventiveness, genius, and innovation. Whether you dream of making a better mousetrap or launching pumpkins into the stratosphere, Ingenium will tickle your fancy.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780801885860
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date: 05/30/2007
Edition description: 20
Pages: 200
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.78(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Mark Denny is a theoretical physicist who has worked in academia and industry. He is the author of numerous books, including Lights On! The Science of Power Generation, Making Sense of Weather and Climate: The Science behind the Forecasts, and Making the Most of the Anthropocene: Facing the Future.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Timeline
Introduction
1. Bow and Arrow
2. Waterwheels and Windmills
3. Counterpoise Siege Engines
4. Pendulum Clock Anchor Escapement
5. Centrifugal Governor
6. Inventiveness
Further Reading
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

A wonderful combination of history and physics. It is superbly written and contains a wealth of fascinating details. After the historical insights, the physics is explained in a user-friendly, nontechnical way. Denny's wry humor is fun to read and made me laugh out loud.
—Mark Kidger, author of Astronomical Enigmas

Mark Kidger

A wonderful combination of history and physics. It is superbly written and contains a wealth of fascinating details. After the historical insights, the physics is explained in a user-friendly, nontechnical way. Denny's wry humor is fun to read and made me laugh out loud.

— Mark Kidger, author of Astronomical Enigmas

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Science & Technology
History
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World History - General & Miscellaneous
Science & Technology
History
Applied Science
World History
General & Miscellaneous World History
Physics Experiments
World History - General & Miscellaneous

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