Ruth Belville

Ruth Belville

Author: David Rooney

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13:

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An account of the Belville family, who from 1836 to 1940 ran a business delivering time to London subscribers by way of an eighteenth-century pocket watch called 'Arnold'.


The Clocks Are Telling Lies

The Clocks Are Telling Lies

Author: Scott Alan Johnston

Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP

Published: 2022-01-15

Total Pages: 166

ISBN-13: 0228009642

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Until the nineteenth century all time was local time. On foot or on horseback, it was impossible to travel fast enough to care that noon was a few minutes earlier or later from one town to the next. The invention of railways and telegraphs, however, created a newly interconnected world where suddenly the time differences between cities mattered. The Clocks Are Telling Lies is an exploration of why we tell time the way we do, demonstrating that organizing a new global time system was no simple task. Standard time, envisioned by railway engineers such as Sandford Fleming, clashed with universal time, promoted by astronomers. When both sides met in 1884 at the International Meridian Conference in Washington, DC, to debate the best way to organize time, disagreement abounded. If scientific and engineering experts could not agree, how would the public? Following some of the key players in the debate, Scott Johnston reveals how people dealt with the contradictions in global timekeeping in surprising ways – from zealots like Charles Piazzi Smyth, who campaigned for the Great Pyramid to serve as the prime meridian, to Maria Belville, who sold the time door to door in Victorian London, to Moraviantown and other Indigenous communities that used timekeeping to fight for autonomy. Drawing from a wide range of primary sources, The Clocks Are Telling Lies offers a thought-provoking narrative that centres people and politics, rather than technology, in the vibrant story of global time telling.


The Alchemy of Us

The Alchemy of Us

Author: Ainissa Ramirez

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2021-04-06

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 0262542269

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A “timely, informative, and fascinating” study of 8 inventions—and how they shaped our world—with “totally compelling” insights on little-known inventors throughout history (Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sixth Extinction) In The Alchemy of Us, scientist and science writer Ainissa Ramirez examines 8 inventions and reveals how they shaped the human experience: • Clocks • Steel rails • Copper communication cables • Photographic film • Light bulbs • Hard disks • Scientific labware • Silicon chips Ramirez tells the stories of the woman who sold time, the inventor who inspired Edison, and the hotheaded undertaker whose invention pointed the way to the computer. She describes how our pursuit of precision in timepieces changed how we sleep; how the railroad helped commercialize Christmas; how the necessary brevity of the telegram influenced Hemingway’s writing style; and how a young chemist exposed the use of Polaroid’s cameras to create passbooks to track black citizens in apartheid South Africa. These fascinating and inspiring stories offer new perspectives on our relationships with technologies. Ramirez shows not only how materials were shaped by inventors but also how those materials shaped culture, chronicling each invention and its consequences—intended and unintended. Filling in the gaps left by other books about technology, Ramirez showcases little-known inventors—particularly people of color and women—who had a significant impact but whose accomplishments have been hidden by mythmaking, bias, and convention. Doing so, she shows us the power of telling inclusive stories about technology. She also shows that innovation is universal—whether it's splicing beats with two turntables and a microphone or splicing genes with two test tubes and CRISPR.


The Clockwork Conspiracy

The Clockwork Conspiracy

Author: Sam Sedgman

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2024-02-01

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1526665409

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'Clever, inventive and a cracking read' – Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl A locked-room mystery packed with rooftop chases, hidden codes and mind-bending science, The Clockwork Conspiracy is a must for fans of the Adventures on Trains series and Sharna Jackson's High Rise mysteries. Aspiring inventor Isaac Turner lives with his dad, the horologist in charge of Big Ben. But when his father vanishes from the belfry on the night the clocks go back, leaving behind only a smashed pocket watch and a cryptic message, Isaac determines to find him. Hunting a trail of clues through London's landmarks, Isaac uncovers a sinister plot in the gears of government and embarks on a race against time to save his father – and time itself. 'An ingenious mystery full of fascinating facts. Sedgman has cracked the code for an absolute triumph of a book' – A.F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief 'The Clockwork Conspiracy offers a captivating and perilous adventure that surprises and delights at every turn' – Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island 'A smart and pacey thriller. Time well spent' – The Times 'A taut, tense mystery with perfectly-timed plotting, this is guaranteed to make the time fly' - Maz Evans, author of Who Let the Gods Out? 'A gripping mystery delivered with panache' – The Observer 'A thrilling story from start to finish' – Inis Magazine 'Action-packed with twisty turns and a gripping plot' – Daily Mail 'THE CLOCKWORK CONSPIRACY is a fiendishly clever contraption, featuring brilliantly savvy characters and a well-wound plot that ticks along like – what else? – clockwork' - Andy Sagar, author of Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup 'A thrilling locked-room mystery, with a plot as beautifully engineered as clockwork' - Pari Thomson, author of Greenwild: The World Behind the Door 'An action-packed, thrilling adventure' – The Week Junior 'A rapid adventure, combined with an encyclopaedic focus on a particular subject – and an ability to make it sing' – The Telegraph 'I predict this will be a very popular addition to any library, home or classroom' – Books for Keeps


Empires and the Reach of the Global

Empires and the Reach of the Global

Author: Tony Ballantyne

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 0674281292

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Empire was not fabricated in European capitals and implemented “out there.” Imperial systems affected the metropole as well as the farthest outpost. Empires and the Reach of the Global shows how imperialism has been a shaping force not just in international politics but in the economies and cultures of today’s world.


THE TIME BANK and the Lost Tick-Tock Moments

THE TIME BANK and the Lost Tick-Tock Moments

Author: DANDY AHAOMA AHURUONYE

Publisher: Dandyahuruonyebooks.com

Published: 2024-09-01

Total Pages: 131

ISBN-13:

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Step into a world where time is not just a concept but a currency! “THE TIME BANK and the Lost Tick-Tock Moments” invites you on an extraordinary adventure filled with whimsy, wonder, and a touch of make-believe. Meet Lunara, a spirited young girl with a mind brimming with brilliant ideas. When she stumbles upon the enigmatic Time Bank, she discovers that every tick and tock of the clock holds immense value. But there’s a twist – some precious moments have gone missing, and it’s up to Lunara to retrieve them. Join Lunara as she navigates through a labyrinth of laughter, a whirlwind of wit, and a tornado of tickles. Each chapter is a delightful blend of humour and heart, promising to keep readers of all ages enchanted and engaged. Perfect for those who cherish the charm of a well-told tale, “THE TIME BANK and the Lost Tick-Tock Moments” is more than just a book – it’s an invitation to rediscover the ding in every moment. Don’t miss out on this captivating journey that will leave you counting both your blessings and your seconds!


Science for the Nation

Science for the Nation

Author: P. Morris

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-01-05

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0230283144

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An engaging study of a great national institution. Essays explore the changing roles of museums and the perceived public role of a museum of science and technology. Illuminates the ways in which we think about the collecting and display of objects and the often difficult relations between the state, business and industry, and museum funding.


Biomaterials

Biomaterials

Author: Jozef A. Helsen

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2010-11-04

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 3642125328

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Replacement of a failing hip joint or other defective organs in the human body by artificial ‘spare parts’ has significantly improved our quality of life. These spare parts have to meet a wide spectrum of mechanical, chemical and design requirements. In this book, the properties and selection of materials for such `spare parts’ are deduced from case studies at the start of each chapter. Hard tissue replacements (joints, long bones, dental), soft tissue (heart valves) and tissue engineering are included. The chapters also detail the three generic classes of materials: alloys (including shape memory alloys), ceramics & glasses and polymers. Separate chapters are devoted to the toxicity of implants, the metals zirconium(-zirconium oxide), tantalum, niobium and metallic glasses, soluble metals and Rapid Prototyping techniques for the fabrication of custom made prostheses. The book concludes by a chapter on water as water is always ‘there’ and conditions the interaction between body and implant. Water is the very matrix of life on earth. A peculiarity of the book is its ‘perspective view’, meaning that the authors looked behind the present biomaterials’ décor and included historical backgrounds (real and mythological), future developments, and the relation to nature (plants and geology).