Comments on: 1600 Years Before the Steam Engine There Was the Steam Engine http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/ A collection of Damn Interesting things Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:49:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: agent_000 http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/#comment-26403 agent_000 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:26:26 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=135#comment-26403 Is it just me or would that engine be really inefficient? Seems that there'd be a lot of energy lost to heat on top of that jetting the steam into air would provide little thrust compared to a turbine (which allows the air to be compressed, right?) and another part of me doubts the jets would be very powerful to begin with. Also, the tendency of the engine to throw very hot steam everywhere could hardly help its case for vehicular use. That being said, I love old inventions like this, and wonder at how the world could be if they were used to their potential. (Also, I wonder what we have today that will give people from the future that thought...) and jyk1014- first, money had intrinsic value (ie gold and such) so it was in a literal sense worth what it was considered to be worth. However, when only rare metals are used for currency, one can't effectively increase the amount of currency in an economy to match rising populations. This further increased the gap of wealth between rich and poor. Paper currency allows more money to flow through an economy. They're only worth killing for, or worth much of anything for that matter, if people believe that they are valuable. (I've heard that without the shared illusion of money, a dollar bill would have a real value of around 2-3 cents) Is it just me or would that engine be really inefficient? Seems that there’d be a lot of energy lost to heat on top of that jetting the steam into air would provide little thrust compared to a turbine (which allows the air to be compressed, right?) and another part of me doubts the jets would be very powerful to begin with. Also, the tendency of the engine to throw very hot steam everywhere could hardly help its case for vehicular use.

That being said, I love old inventions like this, and wonder at how the world could be if they were used to their potential. (Also, I wonder what we have today that will give people from the future that thought…)

and jyk1014- first, money had intrinsic value (ie gold and such) so it was in a literal sense worth what it was considered to be worth. However, when only rare metals are used for currency, one can’t effectively increase the amount of currency in an economy to match rising populations. This further increased the gap of wealth between rich and poor. Paper currency allows more money to flow through an economy. They’re only worth killing for, or worth much of anything for that matter, if people believe that they are valuable. (I’ve heard that without the shared illusion of money, a dollar bill would have a real value of around 2-3 cents)

]]> By: jyk1014 http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/#comment-26365 jyk1014 Sun, 26 Dec 2010 12:42:02 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=135#comment-26365 i gotta say, whenever the topic of inventions pop up, i just can't help but wonder how money was invented and what the hell people at the time were thinking to make sheets of fancy paper be worth killing for. i gotta say, whenever the topic of inventions pop up, i just can’t help but wonder how money was invented and what the hell people at the time were thinking to make sheets of fancy paper be worth killing for.

]]> By: lizdini http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/#comment-24004 lizdini Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:17:16 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=135#comment-24004 [quote]Stead311 said: "First post… a few months later… But i will say that it is amazing when you look back how much we have actually copied from earlier civilizations. The Greeks had machinery that used complex gears and other such devices… yet we were in awe with ourselves in the 1800's… some industrial revolution… merely a subchapter in the book of redundency."[/quote] They did use gears, but not at all as fine or small or as useful as the ones that came later. [quote]Stead311 said: “First post… a few months later…

But i will say that it is amazing when you look back how much we have actually copied from earlier civilizations. The Greeks had machinery that used complex gears and other such devices… yet we were in awe with ourselves in the 1800′s… some industrial revolution… merely a subchapter in the book of redundency.”[/quote]

They did use gears, but not at all as fine or small or as useful as the ones that came later.

]]> By: ValiantDefender http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/#comment-23828 ValiantDefender Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:34:01 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=135#comment-23828 This article hits a nerve with me. I love figuring out how stuff works, but I have to say. Does anyone know if this design actually generated any power? (not electrical, but horses) Also, what of this automatic arrow launcher and sliding doors?! I've thought up several inventions over the years. Some I've seen come out on the markets and others I've found other people hold patents for... too bad the patent system is so easy to prospect an idea. This article hits a nerve with me. I love figuring out how stuff works, but I have to say. Does anyone know if this design actually generated any power? (not electrical, but horses) Also, what of this automatic arrow launcher and sliding doors?!

I’ve thought up several inventions over the years. Some I’ve seen come out on the markets and others I’ve found other people hold patents for… too bad the patent system is so easy to prospect an idea.

]]> By: DanThinksDances&femaleGspot http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/#comment-22624 DanThinksDances&femaleGspot Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:37:43 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=135#comment-22624 Enter your reply text here. OK I invented the "fart" and I'm taking credit for it. Got to go, that sticks! Enter your reply text here. OK

I invented the “fart” and I’m taking credit for it.

Got to go, that sticks!

]]> By: Merciless http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/#comment-15495 Merciless Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:23:55 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=135#comment-15495 <p>I've seen a replicated model of this on Discovery or History channel. Truely amazing what inventions these brilliant minds in the past conjured up, and now we realize their potential. Now if these "inventors" these days can make more useful things instead of bigger, faster, stronger ways of blowing things up.</p> I’ve seen a replicated model of this on Discovery or History channel. Truely amazing what inventions these brilliant minds in the past conjured up, and now we realize their potential. Now if these “inventors” these days can make more useful things instead of bigger, faster, stronger ways of blowing things up.

]]> By: Drakvil http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/#comment-11656 Drakvil Mon, 08 Jan 2007 06:02:03 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=135#comment-11656 <p>Heh, the invention didn't go anywhere because there was no one else around with the imagination to find a practical use for it at the time. No one else could think around the current way of getting things done. At least these days we have people that will think of good uses for important inventions, even if most of them are motivated by greed instead of helping humanity. (not the inventors, the people who find uses for the inventions - although these days the inventors are also thinking of ways to use their creations).</p> Heh, the invention didn’t go anywhere because there was no one else around with the imagination to find a practical use for it at the time. No one else could think around the current way of getting things done. At least these days we have people that will think of good uses for important inventions, even if most of them are motivated by greed instead of helping humanity. (not the inventors, the people who find uses for the inventions – although these days the inventors are also thinking of ways to use their creations).

]]> By: Mez http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/#comment-8808 Mez Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:24:04 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=135#comment-8808 <p>Imagine what would have been achieved if Hero and Leonardo Da Vinci had been able to team up!</p> Imagine what would have been achieved if Hero and Leonardo Da Vinci had been able to team up!

]]> By: Stead311 http://www.damninteresting.com/1600-years-before-the-steam-engine-there-was-the-steam-engine/#comment-7848 Stead311 Wed, 09 Aug 2006 17:38:58 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=135#comment-7848 <p>First post... a few months later...</p><p> But i will say that it is amazing when you look back how much we have actually copied from earlier civilizations. The Greeks had machinery that used complex gears and other such devices... yet we were in awe with ourselves in the 1800's... some industrial revolution... merely a subchapter in the book of redundency.</p> First post… a few months later…

But i will say that it is amazing when you look back how much we have actually copied from earlier civilizations. The Greeks had machinery that used complex gears and other such devices… yet we were in awe with ourselves in the 1800′s… some industrial revolution… merely a subchapter in the book of redundency.

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