The Trinity Test Atomic Bomb Detonation (1945)

 

The Trinity test was the first time a nuclear weapon was detonated. This was truly the beginning of the Atomic Age. Humankind had unleashed nuclear power and would grapple with the consequences of nuclear arms races. Manipulation nuclear fission and chain reactions created one of the most lethal weapons in the world. After the detonation, public health was negatively effected. When an atomic bomb is used nuclear fallout remains. The residents of New Mexico close to the radius of detonation found radioactive debris in crops, land, and water. There remains footage of the detonation, which provides a glimpse into the power of the explosion. When citizens realized the disturbance, the US government lied and said it was accident. No attempts were made for evacuation or warnings. The increase in radiation resulted in higher rates of cancer and infant deaths. Further damage to the environment came from uranium mining. As more nuclear tests were being done during the Cold War, fallout spread throughout Nevada. Even if a person was not vaporized by an atomic bomb survivors would fall victim to disease.  

The Large Hadron Collider Is Back In Operation

 

After three years of shutdown for upgrades the Large Hadron  Collider is back in operation. This is the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator. Located in Switzerland, this technology allows physicists to explore the subatomic universe. Further experiments might reveal information about dark energy and dark matter. The Large Hadron Collider accelerates particles to the speed of light. These collisions that happen provide information about subatomic particles. The Higgs boson was verified by the Large Hadron Collider in 2012. What was once only predicted by mathematics can be confirmed by technology and experimentation. The upgrades could result in the discovery of more particles. The injectors got improvements. This part of the particle accelerator feeds beams of particles into the collider. The facility requires a large number of superconducting magnets. This helps harnessing large amounts of energy and with movement of protons for collision. The new engineering upgrades means that the name will be changed. More work is planned for 2028. Then LHC will be called High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider. The Large Hadron Collider has gone through a series of runs and upgrades. During each hiatus more improvements are made. The operation periods include Run 1 ( 2009-2013), Run 2 (2015-2018), and currently Run 3. The Large Hadron Collider is under the supervision of the European Council for Nuclear Research(CERN) . There is speculation that new experiments with the Large Hadron Collider  could discover another fundamental force. 

Lasting Machine Schematic (1883)

 

The lasting machine was an invention created  by Jan Ernst Matzeliger (1852-1889) . This machine  brought major changes to the production of shoes. Matzeliger had his lasting machine patented in 1883. The image above is the original schematic. Jan Matzeliger was born in Suriname and later emigrated to the United States. At an early age he demonstrated talent for mechanics. His interest grew leading him to make inventions of his own. One problem in the 19th century was the production of shoes. Shoes were at a time made by hand. To replicate the same size a mold had to be from either stone or wood. That was known as a last. The last would be the basis for the shoe size and shape. The biggest challenge was joining the soles to the upper shoe. The machine that Jan Matzeliger created was able to solve the problem of slow shoe production. Now a shoe producer could produce more in a day and not be concerned about errors in the molding of the shoes. Matzeliger did most of his engineering work in Lynn, Massachusetts. He moved there in 1877  with an interest in the town's growing shoe industry. Starting off as an apprentice, Cordwainers are shoemakers that produce them from leather. Matzeliger noted that the lasting process was not as efficient as it could be. Using his skills that he gained as a mechanic, began building a machine to aid in production. Prior to coming to America Jan Matzeliger worked as a mechanic on a Dutch East Indies merchant ship. The lasting machine that he made reduced the cost of footwear. This enabled more shoes to be produced. A total of  700 pairs of shoes could be made in a day. Jan Matzeliger lasting machine became a major success. The Consolidated Lasting Machine Company was formed in 1889 with Matzeliger having a large portion of the stock. Unfortunately, he did not live to enjoy his success contracting tuberculosis. Jan Matzeliger continues to be remembered as one of the important black inventors. Without the lasting machine modern shoe production would not have been possible.