1. In the beginning of the video, Scott makes a funny remark about how he was the opposite of Dean Kamen: Scott is the comic book artist son of an inventor father, while Dean is the inventor son of a comic book artist father. This got me thinking, "Who's Dean Kamen? And what did he invent?" After doing a bit of research, I found out that Dean invented the Segway PT, which is an electric, self-balancing human transporter with a complex, computer-controlled gyroscopic stabilization and control system. The device balances on two parallel wheels and is controlled by moving body weight. Dean's father, Jack, was an illustrator for Mad magazine and Weird Science comics.
2. Scott makes a reference to Charles Babbage and how his steam-driven computers were never built. I found out that Baggage is considered a "father of the computer" and is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer that eventually led to more complex designs. Babbage directed the building of steam-powered machines that achieved some success, suggesting that calculations could be mechanized. His machines were among the first mechanical computers, but they were not actually completed, largely because of funding problems and personality issues.
3. Scott mentions the story of the Scorpion and the Frog, which I originally thought was one of Aesop's Fables. After doing some research, I found out that this story is attributed to various West African and European folktales, and is often misidentified with Aesop's Fables. Oh. So I guess I'm not the only one who thinks that.
Great. I did think it was one of Aesop's fables too. Awesome now I have learned something from you. I found this story to be insightful. Very similar to real life though.
ReplyDeleteBTW they did sort of look like "Drag Queens." LOL