Why do clocks in advertising mark 10:10?

Why do new watches and watches in advertising usually mark 10:10? Many conjectures have been made in this regard. We will try to explain the real reason for 10:10.

First things first, and let's leave the myths out. There are a lot of people out there who think that clocks in advertising and store ads show the time when Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King died. In fact, Lincoln was shot at 10:15 p.m. and died the next morning at 7:22 p.m., JFK was killed at 12:30 p.m. and declared dead at 1 p.m., and Martin Luther King was shot at 6:01 p.m. and declared dead one hour later at 7:05 p.m. JFK was shot at 6:01 p.m. and declared dead one hour later.

Another theory says that it was at 10:10 the time an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, or in Nagasaki, and that such time is in the memory of the victims who survived. The truth is that the bomb 'Fat Boy' fell on the first city at 11:02 in the morning, local time; and the bomb 'Little Boy' was dropped on Nagasaki at 8:15 in the morning, local time.

But what was the real reason for establishing such a time? Simple aesthetics. The 10:10 position gives the watch a series of benefits:

-The hands do not overlap, so they are full and clearly visible and their style can be admired.

-The arrangement of the hands is symmetrical, which is more pleasant than an asymmetrical position, making the product more attractive to customers.

-The manufacturer's logo, usually in the middle of the dial on the 12 o'clock frame, is not only visible, but is very well framed by the hands.

-Additional elements on the cover (such as the date window) are usually placed close to 3, 6, or 9, so that they are not hidden by the hands.

According to Timex people (who set the time of their clocks at 10:09:36 exactly), the old standard configuration used was 8:20, but this made the cover seem to frown. To give it a "happier" face, the time was set to a smile (sometimes you can still see the 8:20 arrangement on some watches when the manufacturer's logo is on the bottom of the cover above 6).

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When was television invented?

Television was invented much earlier than you might think. The first electrical transmission of television images was the work of JL Baird, who built his first television system in 1926. JL Baird was born in Helensburgh, Scotland.

The first person to appear on television was a young office boy from the building where Baird worked. The boy was paid about 60 cents for his appearance.

The first transmission of television images did not begin until 1935, in Germany. The first television broadcast in the United States did not occur until six years later, in 1941.

In 1949, there were one million television sets in this country, and by 1959, there were 50 million sets. During the 1960s, color television became popular. And by 1980, about half of all television sets in the United States were in color.

SOME FACTS ABOUT TELEVISION

• The first couple seen on TV together in a bed was Mary Kay and Johnny Steen.
• The first toilet ever seen on TV was in "Leave It To Beaver".
• One in four Americans has appeared on television.
• In every episode of Seinfeld there is a representation of Superman somewhere.
• Scottish inventor John Logie Baird made the first public television show in 1926 in Soho, London. Ten years later there were only 100 television sets in the world.
• In the U.S. there are more television sets than landlines.
• The first television newscast was started by the BBC in November 1936.
• Number of hours a day an average American spends watching television: 4 hours
• Percent of U.S. households with at least one television set: 98%

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How do you raise a helicopter?

The astonishing manoeuvrability of a helicopter is attributed to its main rotor, the large horizontal propeller that rotates in the upper part of its body. The rotor blades are like wings. By simply changing its angle, a pilot can go in any direction or even float or stand still.

If the pilot wants to go up or down, or stand still in one place, he has to keep all the propellers at the same angle. But if you want to go forward or backward or turn completely, what you do is tilt the rotor in the corresponding direction.

The ancient Chinese made flying toys, specifically a kind of "flying spinning top" that traveled through the air like a helicopter, with propellers made of feathers!

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How does a periscope work?

A periscope is constructed and functions similarly to a telescope, with a long tube containing a mirror at each end. The mirrors are mounted on the tube so that they are parallel to each other at a 45° angle to the axis or imaginary centerline of the tube.

In more advanced periscopes, additional lenses have been added to enlarge the image. Underwater periscopes are even more complicated. They have reflective prisms on the top and bottom of the tube, with two telescopes and several lenses between the two ends, and an eyepiece on the observer's side. The underwater periscope also has a thick, rigid waterproof cover and can withstand water pressure at great depths.

In addition to submarines, war tanks also use periscopes to search for enemy targets. Both vehicles have a periscope that can be raised or lowered, as well as turned in a 360° circle.

Periscopes can also be built so that they see around corners!

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How do refrigerators cool?

The principle behind refrigeration is that the faster a liquid evaporates, or becomes a gas, the faster it cools what it touches. And a liquid that evaporates quickly enough to cause water to freeze is HFC-134a gas, which is used in most electric refrigerators today.

Here's how it works: HFC-134a starts as a liquid in a storage tank at the bottom of the refrigerator. A compressor, or electric pump, pushes HFC-124a from the tank, under high pressure, into pipes that wind around the top of the freezer.

There, the pipes, as well as the surrounding area, are cooled by freezing the water in ice bucket trays. This is done in the evaporator by absorbing any heat found in the refrigerator.

Because of the heat it has absorbed, HFC-124a is now converted to a gas. This gas is then pumped by the compressor to the bottom of the refrigerator in a condenser. At this location, an electric fan blows through the condenser pipe, freezing the HFC-134a gas, and converting it back into a liquid, ready to start the cycle again.

Gas coolers work a little differently. Instead of an electric pump, they use a small flame to move the liquid to the freezing zone. And instead of HFC-134a, the gas cooler uses a mixture of ammonia and water.

Eskimos use refrigerators to prevent food from freezing!

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How does neon gas work in an advertisement?

A rare, colourless, odourless gas was discovered in 1898 by two British chemists, Sir William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers. They called it neon, which is the Greek word for "new". Neon is found not only in our atmosphere, but also in the gases trapped inside the Earth.

Because neon is a first-class conductor of electricity, possessing an amazing ability to generate light that can be seen at great distances, it is frequently used in airplane lights, lamps, and advertisements.

The bright red luminous signs we see outside stores and theaters are simply glass tubes in the form of letters or numbers, filled with neon gas. For blue neon signs, a few drops of mercury are added to the gas.

Neon lamps are built by removing all the air from the glass tubes and filling them with neon. When a lamp is turned on, an electric current is sent from one electrode at one end of the tube, passing through the gas, to a second electrode. This electric current makes the neon gas glow fiery red. Neon luminaires do not have filaments like those found in incandescent lamps, on the contrary, in neon lamps it is the gas that is illuminated.

The neon gas is obtained when the air becomes a liquid at high pressure and temperatures of about -200 ° C. The gas that leaves the liquid behind is the neon. Although neon is expensive to produce, it takes very little to create that bright light. Only one liter of neon gas is required to fill 60 to 90 meters of glass tubes.

Some pilots report having spotted neon beacons at a distance of 32 kilometers, when there is no other visible light!
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How does the air conditioning work?

An air conditioning machine controls more than the temperature of the interiors. It also controls the amount of moisture, movement, and purity of the air. We have come to rely on air conditioning systems to keep us comfortable during the summer months.

The machine used to generate air conditioning works similarly to a kitchen refrigerator. Both rely on a fast-evaporation liquid to quickly cool what comes in contact with it.

When an air conditioner switch is turned on, fresh air passes through a filter to remove dust, and an electric motor begins to circulate refrigerant from a compressor through tubes or coils. While the refrigerant is being pumped through the coils, it absorbs the heat from the coils, cooling them together with the air around them.

The added heat causes the refrigerant to evaporate into a gas. At this point, an electric fan blows cold, clean air through the air conditioning vents in the room. The refrigerant becomes a liquid again when it returns to the compressor. This cycle continues indefinitely until the system is shut down.

Since the 1940s, all new buildings, factories and many private properties have been designed to include air conditioning. Boats, airplanes, offices, restaurants, theaters and shops make use of this constant flow of pleasant, purified air.

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What is air conditioning? How does A/C work?

Facts about A/C for kids

In winter, houses are heated with stoves or radiators. On the other hand, in summer, the interior temperature of a house can be produced by means of an air conditioning system.

Air conditioning consists of giving it the desired purity, temperature and hygrometric degree. In excessively hot or cold climates, air conditioning installations are indispensable. They allow life and activity to be normal, despite the rigours of the outside temperature. Air cooling is obtained by projecting air from special refrigeration systems inside the premises. In public places (showrooms, department stores, hotels, etc.), air conditioning provides users and customers with an undeniable sense of comfort.

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Radar facts for kids

Interesting facts about radar for kids

Radar is an instrument that can discover at a distance an airplane that flies in the middle of the night. It can serve as a guide and help you land when visibility is poor.

Radar can be a guide or a spy. Its rotating antenna sends out waves which, after hitting an obstacle, return to their starting point. The time elapsed between the moment of the emission of the waves and that of the return makes it possible to determine the distance at which the object is; and the continuous launching of waves, to reconstruct its trajectory. In aerodromes and ports radars are used that reproduce on a screen the situation of the traffic. Airplanes and ships use radar to detect any obstacles they may encounter on their route.

Antena radar

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Computers of today

Pascal calculating machine

   In the 1600's, the French scientist Blaise Pascal had invented a machine that could perform arithmetical calculations. The idea intrigued scientists and engineers for the next 300 years. However, the necessary machinery was too large and cumbersome to have many applications.

   It was not until the 1950's that machines capable of storing and processing information quickly and compactly were developed. These computers rapidly made an impact on society and were improved from year to year. They not only operated ever more quickly, but they required a smaller and smaller amount of space to store gigantic amounts of information.

   By the mid-1980's computers performed many varied functions. They guided the flights of spacecraft and recorded every airline reservation in the world. They drew maps, kept accounts, and printed newspapers. Computers also played games with children, controlled the flow of fuel to a car's engine and solved complex mathematical questions. Problems in every field could be tackled that would have been considered impossible 60 years earlier.

What is a Vacuum cleaner?

The Vacuum Cleaner is an apparatus for removing dirt from household articles by means of suction, or a combination of brushing and suction. It was first used in 1901, when it consisted of a pump and a long pipe with a nozzle on the end that was to be applied to the article to be cleaned. The power of these vacuum cleaners was furnished by gasoline or electric motors, which were too large for portable use, and were mounted on trucks or carts which stood outside the house where the apparatus was being used. Later, these units were installed permanently in large buildings, and small, portable machines for home use came to be made in 1909. In many modern types the vacuum cleaner has been combined with the best parts of the old carpet sweeper.

Vacuum cleaner

Science and technology in the Renaissance

  The interest in observation and measurement took many forms during the Renaissance. Sailors had long been concerned about their exact location at sea. They used the stars to determine where they were. Their skills improved enormously with the invention of the compass. Perhaps the most detailed observations of the 1500's were of the human body. In 1543 the anatomist Andreas Vesalius produced a magnificently illustrated book containing the latest observations.
  Observation also led to inventions. A fertile inventor was Leonardo da Vinci, who made suggestions ranging from improved machines, with ratchets and gears, to possible ways of flying. Engineering skills were also required to build and maintain a press like the one in this printing shop.

Leonardo's flying machine

What is an invention?

An invention is something new which has been thought up or developed by experiment. Airplanes, telephones, light bulbs, wheelbarrows, and shovels are inventions. An inven­tion is distinct from a discovery, which is the finding of something that has long existed but has not been known before.

What is a Geiger counter?

The Geiger counter is an electronic device by which radiations from an electronic tube affect the balance within tube and produce a clicking sound whenever rays from outside radiactive material approach the tube. It is used in detecting uranium.

The device is also called a Geiger-Müller counter.

Geiger counters are also used for measurements in industry, health physics, geology and other diverse fields.

Gas Engine - little facts

The gas engine is an internal combustion engine, as distinguished from a steam engine; its power is generated in a cylinder. Gasoline or crude oil is a common fuel. Experiments by Froschman, Lenoir and the German, Otto, 1860-5. marked the beginnings of the gas engine. The gasoline engine employs a carburator for mixing the gasoline and air; then the mixture enters a cylinder, where it is ignited by an electric spark; this explosion drives the piston, which communicates the energy to a wheel or shaft.      

What is a galvanometer?

The galvanometer is a instrument made to detect the presence of an electric current and to register its direction and strenght; based on the discovery by Oersted that a magnetic needle is deflected by electricity flowing through a conductor; the machine consists of a coil composed of several turns of insulated copper wire, a small magnet hung at its center, and a pointer; the earlier galvanometer had needle free to turn; later models use a fixed needle with a movable coil.

The galvanometer term, originated from the name of Italian scientist, Luigi Galvani, who designed the first manual of this instrument.

Complex machines

Machinery consists of complex machines. Such complex ma­chines may be defined as two or more simple machines connected together. There are six simple machines: the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw. These simple machines are all used to help men do different kinds of work—to lift, carry, turn, pulí, and cut. A combination of any of the sim­ple machines is a complex machine. Most complex machines are designed to do special kinds of work.

One of the complex machines easiest to understand is the gear. A gear is made up of two simple wheel and axle machines placed next to one another. When one turns, it causes the other to turn. Usually the wheels are of different sizes and have teeth cut into their edges to prevent slipping. The smaller gear turns faster, with less turning force, trian the larger gear, which then has more turning force. Every time the small gear turns all the way around, the large gear turns only part way. The large wheel and its axle are turning more slowly but can lift something heavier or turn something too difficult for the axle of the small wheel. By cutting the edge of the gears at an angle, the axes of rotation of the two gears can be at an angle with each other rather than being along the same direction. In this way, a force in a vertical direction can be changed to one in a horizontal direction. Gears are used in watches, automobiles, outboard motors, trains, and many other complex machines.

How Does a Camera Work?

old camera

There are amazing pictures of Newton, George Washington, Beethoven, and other famous men of earlier times. But these pictures are paintings, not photographs. Photographs became possible only a little more than one-hundred years ago after the camera was invented.

A camera is a light-tight box. Light can come into it only when a shutter is pulled away from a small opening at the front. Then the light shines in through a lens in the opening. The lens throws a picture of what is in front of it on a film or a plate at the back of the box. This film or plate is coated with a chemical sensitive to light.

Fortunately a camera lens can throw on a plate or film a small picture of a very large object. Otherwise, we could not take pictures of big buildings or clouds or crowds of people. After a picture is taken, the plate or film has to be developed.

A camera may cost only a few dollars or it may cost hundreds of dollars. One big difference between a cheap camera and an expensive one is in the quality of the lens. The best lenses are very expensive because they are very carefully ground.

Moving picture cameras are much like other cameras. They simply take one pic­ture after another very rapidly.

Refrigerators facts

• The first refrigerators weren't developed until the middle of the nineteenth century.
• Refrigerators were first used by the meat-packing and brewing industries.
• In 1748, William Cullen showed that compressed gas could cool the air.
• In 1855, American inventor, John Gorrie developed the first functional refrigerator.
• The first widely popular refrigerator line was Kelvinator, which had close to 80 percent of the market by 1923.
• A refrigerator maintains a temperature a few degrees above the freezing point of water.
• Current refrigerator models that qualify as Energy Star models use fifty percent less electricity than the same size and type of refrigerator used in 1993.
• Optimum temperature range for perishable food storage is 37 to 41 °F (3 to 5 °C).
• Most freezers operate around temperatures of −18 °C (0 °F).
• A refrigerator is sometimes referred to as an "icebox" or more commonly as "fridge".
• Most domestic refrigerators weigh between 91 kg (200 pounds) and 200 kg (450 pounds), with some models weighing up to 397 kg (875 pounds).

Some facts about slot machines

• Slot machines (Fruit machines in British English) are the most popular means of playing in casinos today in the United States.
• Slot machines are also known as one-armed bandits.
• In regular US casinos some seventy percentage of the total earnings come from slot machine operations.
• The slot machine pays off based on patterns of symbols visible on the front of the machine when it stops.
• Other gambling games only supplement what slot machines already heftily provide for.
• The first slot machine was invented in 1887 by Charles Fey of San Francisco, California.
• Slot machines are concentrated mainly in five states were these devices are permitted by the federal government: number one is Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Maryland.
• Near to eighty-five percent of the total slot machine action in the US will be seen by the Quarter and Nickel machines.