Laying on the couch with my doggies, watching TV, trying to chill out… Off the ceiling or the back of the couch a bark scorpion falls onto my glasses – which I am wearing…
Things look bigger when they are seen through your eye from a quarter inch away, and a scorpion, waving its tail in anger is no different. Now I’m generally not one to panic unless it involves a spider; however; imminent sting by bark scorpion on the eyeball apparently is now added to the list.
In panic I swatted away the scorpion, along with my glasses. I have 20/600 vision, so things 20 feet away appear 600 feet away. Basically, without my glasses all I see are colors. A much more impressionist view of the world than even Monet when he was going blind in his later years.
So, I tried to feel around for my glasses blindly, hoping I did not put my hand on the scorpion. I found my glasses as I fell over the coffee table, making the fake portion of my leg and hip bend backwards against the real part of my bone. (I have osteonecrosis from asthma meds, so I’m an android now, a topic for later…). This hurt. By hurt, I mean pain on a scale of 10 of 10, yelling out screaming, can’t put any weight on my left leg.
Bone dies from steroids used for asthma
They stick parts like this in me to replace the dead bone
The spiky part in the marrow of my bone hurts like you would think. The top I also have mesh and other junk in me. That is what the scorpion twisted out of place.
Crawling now in pain, desperately looking for the scorpion now that I’m re-equipped with glasses for vision, I can’t find it. 20 to 30 minutes, still can’t find it after moving everything in my living room. I have removed all clothing except my underwear and combed my hair several times and looked in the mirror to make sure it is not still crawling on me. Finally, I decided to crawl myself, up to a chair and sit down.
5 minutes later, I see a scorpion. I’m not really sure if it’s the same one, but I hope it is. In my haste to swat it off my eyeball, I failed to remark any distinguishing features. I stagger across the floor, yelling in pain, grab the flyswatter, reach the offending arachnid and swat it as hard as I can. It’s on carpet of course, and I hit it so hard, if flies away to God knows where. I repeat my early search and hair combing. Nothing.
I decided to go to bed at some point, not knowing for sure. I woke up unable to walk. Percocet here we come – prescription of course. It took several to stand even with my cane. I planned on skipping work, but events kept me from it. Letting the dogs out, I look around and see a dead scorpion on its back on a dog toy. I pick up the toy, dust the carcass into the trash and hope it’s all been the same scorpion.
Thank God for modern pain killers. Seriously, Percocet, Oxycontin, Morphine and Dilaudid make bone death bearable.
My day at work was painful. Sadly, an understatement. Midway through I began to wonder if I had just aggravated my bones or actually broke something. Driving home I forced myself to concentrate on the road, not the pain, which was harder than I thought it would be.
The good news is my leg is finally feeling better and there were no more visitations by the little sting tail demons tonight.
Luminescent solar concentrators (LSC) produce electricity by focusing sunlight on a small area, which works in a similar way as setting fire to dry leaves using a magnifying glass.
However, the problem is that they are quite large and not so attractive, as they have the function, but lack beauty. There have been attempts to integrate solar concentrators with windows, but, as a result, they altered the color and transparency of the glass.
Now, material engineers at Michigan State University have designedtotally transparent solar concentrators, which could be built into windows without blocking the light and disturbing the view, or even used on smartphone screens.
“No one wants to sit behind colored glass,” said the lead researcher of the study Richard Lunt in a press release. “It makes for a very colorful environment, like working in a disco. We take an approach where we actually make the luminescent active layer itself transparent.”
The researchers achieved this by developing a system that diverts wavelengths invisible to the human eye. In particular, the concentrator absorbs light in the ultraviolet and near infrared spectrum and then transmits it in the infrared.
After this, the light is directed to the photovoltaic cells, which generate electricity. Since we are not able to perceive the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, the material remains transparent and looks to the human eye like ordinary glass.
The new technology is very promising but needs some improvements in terms of efficiency. The solar concentrator developed by the scientists of Michigan State University reaches only about 1% of solar conversion efficiency. However, they hope to increase it to 5%, as there are some non-transparent luminescent solar concentrators that are operating at an efficiency of about 7%.
Of course, there are other solar technologies that are far more effective, such as conventional solar panels that are typically installed on the roofs of the buildings, which absorb a wider range of wavelengths and thus reach 15-40% of solar conversion efficiency.
At the same time, the transparent technology has the potential to be used in a variety of applications, including commercial and industrial use.
As Lunt said, “It opens a lot of area to deploy solar energy in a non-intrusive way. It can be used on tall buildings with lots of windows or any kind of mobile device that demands high aesthetic quality like a phone or e-reader. Ultimately we want to make solar harvesting surfaces that you do not even know are there.”
French architect Jacques Rougerie has envisioned a giant floating city which bears a striking resemblance to a manta ray. He discusses his love for the ocean in an interview, where he calls himself a “mérien,” a term he coined which translates to “one belonging to the sea.” His dream is for likeminded individuals to populate his City of Mériens, to conduct research on the surrounding ocean.
Rougerie is no stranger to aquatic design. His SeaOrbiter vessel is currently in production, and is planned to make visits to the City of Mériens via its large inner lagoon. The 3,000 foot by 1,600 foot structure can house 7,000 researchers, professors, and students and will be equipped with laboratories, classrooms, living quarters, and space for leisure activities and sports.
The city would be completely self-sustaining, as well, running on marine energy and producing no waste whatsoever. If the idea of a structure dedicated to understanding and caring for the oceanic environment isn’t enough, the fact that it is designed to have low to no impact on said environment is even more exciting.
Rougerie describes his love for the sea in an interview with the radio station French Inter: “I feel very, very good underwater. I feel different. Another type of imagination is awakened in me as soon as I am underwater.” It is his hope others who share this awe and reverence will continue to study and protect Earth’s precious seas.
Inscriptions on the walls of the ritual bath. (Shai Halevy, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority)
Archaeologists digging for ruins ahead of a new construction project in Jerusalem made an incredible discovery—that immediately began to vanish. During the last hours of a “salvage excavation” two months ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority stumbled upon a 2,000-year-old ritual bath when a stone suddenly disappeared into a black hole, reports Haaretz.
That hole turned out to be the remains of the bath, accessible by a stone staircase, which includes an anteroom with benches and a winepress. Carved into a natural stone cave, the bath itself wasn’t so unusual, but the graffiti that covered the plaster walls was.
Archaeologists were therefore horrified to find the Aramaic inscriptions and paintings in mud and soot, dating to the Second Temple era from 530BC to 70AD, per Discovery News, disappearing within hours of their discovery.
“The wall paintings are so sensitive that their exposure to the air causes damage to them,” the IAA says, per Ynetnews. Crews quickly removed and sealed the plaster so the graffiti, along with a few carvings, can be preserved.
Archaeologists say the Aramaic inscriptions are particularly special as few such writings have been found, though the script is hardly legible now. They guess at a few words, including what translates to “served” and the name “Cohen.” Still, the inscriptions back up the argument that Aramaic was commonly used at the time and perhaps even the language of Jesus.
The plaster also holds drawings of a boat, palm trees and other plants, and what might be a menorah—portrayals of which were then considered taboo. An IAA rep says graffiti in baths may have been “common, but not usually preserved.” (Another recent find: the remnants of a “treasured landmark” destroyed by the Nazis.)
The wristwatch is one of the oldest pieces of technology we still use en masse. Dating back to the 1600s, it’s been around forever, and with smartwatches, it’s here to stay.
But some old inventions are more obscure… and mind blowingly crazy!
1. The Baby Stroller/Scooter
For mothers who don’t have the energy to walk and push (read: all mothers). Notice that there’s no baby in there. Hmm…
2. Goggle Umbrella
Admit it. You’ve always wanted to hold your umbrella that low down. In order to make this possible, here, from Japan, is the goggle umbrella
3. The shower hood
Every woman’s dream is to have a nice hot shower, without having to wet their hair. However, I’m not sure the sound of water hitting plastic is much better.
4. Cigarette holder for two
For the romantic smoker. Some may think it’s more intimate to pass the cigarette from one mouth to the other. But they haven’t tried smoking at the same time.
5. Smoke 2 Cigarettes at once
You could share one cigarette between two. Or two cigarettes between… 1. This was for the classy lady who needed a bit more tar in her life.
6. Suspended baby carrier
Early feminists must have been proud of this display of a man sharing the load. These two are ice-skating, proving that a couple can do fun things with their baby, without getting angry at each other.
7. Baby gas-mask pram
Those were tough times. As bad as you think things are, just be thankful your baby doesn’t need this pram.
8. Bed Piano
For the bedridden pianist. This was basically the equivalent of making music on your Macbook while sick in bed.
9. Cigar Protector
People were really dedicated to smoking back in the day. The cigar protector made sure that nothing – not even the rain – could get in the way of some grimy lungs.
10. Pipe sharer
Another romantic piece of smoking paraphernalia. These two men may have found it difficult to kiss, but at least they could share a pipe.
11. Dimple Maker
Now you can get plastic surgery to make dimples – it just requires a small nip and tuck in the inside of your cheeks. Back then, they had knobs.
12. Dog Restrainer
I think many dog owners have wanted one of these for their wild pooch. This small dog doesn’t seem like the target market though.
13. Chain Smoker
Wow, people loved smoking. We’ve had two men sharing a pipe, and a woman with two cigarettes at once. This device takes the cake for self-destruction.
14. Extendible Ears
Sort of like in Harry Potter, but not really at all. This invention from Japan makes things louder (and then softer as everyone you love leaves you).
15. Face protector
Hate getting rain or snow in your face, but don’t mind looking like a platypus? This one’s for you.
16. Folding Bridge
A nifty way of keeping unwanted people from crossing you moat. Also, probably a nice way to spend a Sunday morning with the kids, extending your folded bridge to get to Church on time.
17. Longest RV Ever
This is another invention that extends. One of the biggest problems you hear about RVs, is that people can’t get their whole extended family inside. So that they can enjoy a nice holiday with 30 lovely and now very close relations.
18. Hair dryer
This may look insane, but before the modern hairdryer, long hair was a disaster to wash. Especially in winter. I have no idea how it works, but it’s creative use of a stocking.
19. Ice-Mask for hangovers
This beautiful piece will switch one problem for another, that just might be worse. To be fair, there still isn’t a good cure for the hangover.
20. Portable hat radio
And you thought it was inconvenient to carry a walkman around. In wartime, radio was the only source of information, so we can forgive this man for wanting it on him at all times. And yes, I assume that all old photos were taken during wartime.
21. Gas mask for horses
See. Old photo, wartime.
22. Tires for the tacky
Illuminated tires were good for one thing only, and that was to give this lady light in order that she could do whatever it is she was doing.
23. Inbuilt coffee machine
We still don’t have coffee machines in our cars. The reason is that you need a lot of power to boil water – like, a lot. Your kettle is the reason for your high electricity bills. Tea is ruining your life!
24. Tubey life-”jacket” thingy
The kids in the photo still haven’t lived this one down. From what I heard, after this made the rounds, they went into their rooms, never to come out except to be occasionally humiliated.
25. Fruit-Pain Measurer
I don’t know why anyone thought this was a good idea. Even if we could measure the pain fruit would feel if it was human, numbers would mean nothing until we got fruit to talk and tell us how they’re feeling.
26. Parallel Parking
We need the equivalent of this today. Parking is such a disaster, that when I get offered one I take it. Even if I’m not going there.
27. Portable Sauna
So that you don’t have to use the one at gym, and sit around with sweating naked people. Also, it’s portable, meaning you can sneak it into your office and do work from there.
28. Radio Pram
People really loved their radios. I’ll just assume it was wartime, and they needed to know where the nearest bunker could be located at all times. For the safety of the baby, y’know.
29. Lying-down reading glasses
The age-old problem of how to read comfortably. Basically, divert your eyesight. Still doesn’t solve the problem of your fingers getting numb or sweaty – it’s always one or the other.
30. Camera with a revolver
To make the NRA’s mouth water. Again, I have to assume that somewhere, people were killing each other for sport, and this was the only way to stay safe. And get photo evidence of your kill in the bargain.
31. Suspended Baby Cage
And you thought Michael Jackson was bad. Look, he held his kid out a window, but at least he didn’t lock it up in a cage and suspend it there.
32. Tire brooms
Popped tires must have been a common problem, for someone to have come up with this makeshift solution. This looks more likely to work as part of a Canadian sport than to protect tires from debris.
33. Walk dogs while driving
If you care about your dogs health, but not your own, you can take all of them for a walk without standing up. There are so many things that could go wrong here, I’m glad there’s not an “after” picture.
34. Wooden Bathing suits
Really? Someone thought this was a good idea? Maybe they had a lot of wood lying around, and not much else. Maybe it was… you guessed it… wartime.
35. Faxed newspaper
Because the news was so important. This is the 1930s precursor to the Huffington Post. Could you do without it? I couldn’t.
36. Amphibious Bicycle
For land and water. I can’t see this guy going into water dressed like that, but maybe he was worried about flooding. This is the sort of bike you don’t need to lock up.
37. Bulletproof glass
This is still a thing, so no need to scoff. I wouldn’t like to be the man it’s tested on though. Even today, bulletproof glass isn’t perfect.
38. Car with pedestrian shovel
In case you hit a pedestrian, he would be safe. And he’d get a free ride. So it’s a win for everyone.
39. Early GPS
It’s a piece of paper that scrolls as you go. Clever, but I can’t imagine it’s much use if you make a wrong turn.
40. Electrically heated jacket
Made for police. I’m uncomfortable with an electrical blanket, so I can’t imagine wearing one of these without being sure of sudden death.
41. Ice Sailboat
In the 1600s, there were those that believed a new ice-age was coming. This boat was designed to sail on ice in addition to water.
42. One-wheeled motorcycle
Two wheels are for babies. Safety is never an issue with motorcycles. If you can’t take the risk, drive something with four wheels. At least that’s what the creator believed.
43. Breast washer
Some babies won’t drink from anything that’s not spotless. This French creation ensured that even the fussiest infant could eat.
44. Cigarette case
Another cigarette invention. As much as they loved smoking, they had far too much paraphernalia for their own good.
45. Feet Bikes
Like those roller shoes that kids used to wear. Except for adults. Crazy adults.
46. Isolator
For scary writers who don’t want to see anyone ever.
47. Poker Face
The perfect answer to your total giveaway face. These are now illegal everywhere, as they are thought to bring horror movies to life.
48. Swim Mask
Yet another mask to give you nightmares. If you need this to swim, you’d better get your own pool.
Which is your favourite? Are there any more crazy inventions from the last few millennia we’ve missed?
Michael Bradley - Time Traveler 