Today in History for 26th July 2016

#KevinSpacey Birthday Today  – what else happened?

Historical Events

1309 – Henry VII is recognized King of the Romans by Pope Clement V
1891 – Henry James’ “American” premieres in London
1903 – 1st automobile trip across the United States (SF-NY) completed by Horatio Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker
1946 – Aloha Airlines began service from Honolulu International Airport
1964 – US union leader James Hoffa sentenced for fraud
1994 – Cambodia’s Red Khmer surprise attack on train, kills 13

 

Famous Birthdays

1829 – August Beernaert, Belgian premier (1884-94) (Nobel-1909)
1927 – M H W Wells, CEO (Charterhouse Japhet)
1957 – Hart Hanson, American television writer and producer
1959 – Kevin Spacey, actor (Dad, Henry and June, Darrow), born in South Orange, New Jersey
1965 – Jim Lindberg, American musician (Pennywise)
1974 – Dan Konopka, American musician (OK Go)

 

Famous Deaths

1677 – Michael Franck, composer, dies at 68
1826 – Freidrich Wilhelm Weis, composer, dies at 82
1867 – King Otto of Greece (b. 1815)
1995 – Laurindo Almeida, composer/guitarist, dies at 76
2005 – Jack Hirshleifer, American economist (b. 1925)
2015 – Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, dies in a coma at 22

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How does Etch a Sketch Work?

Etch A Sketch is a game that many of use grew up with.

 

Especially for the many of us that are creative in nature, I have also found that many puzzle fans also love retro toys.  In this neat video which is very technical you will be amazed that its just not the case of turning the knobs – which will suit all us geeks that like to know the inside and outs of everything.

 

How does an Etch a Sketch Work?

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Jog When You Tackle Puzzles

#Exercise Can improve your #Memory

Many scientific studies have shown that routine exercise and staying physically in shape can improve memory and slow down normal age related memory decline. There are several reasons why this might be the case.

First, a healthy cardiovascular system is better able to deliver a steady supply of oxygen rich blood to the brain. This increased blood flow can lead to increased numbers of synapses. These extra synapses act like a cognitive reserve that can help to delay the onset of common memory disorders.

A second benefit for physical exercise is that it decreases cholesterol and hypertension which can damage the tiny blood vessels in your brain and cause memory problems.

A third benefit comes from the proper regulation of blood sugar levels in the body, which can be improved by loosing weight. It has been shown that improved blood sugar regulation can result in better memory. In one study, people with poor blood sugar regulation were discovered to have a smaller hippocampus, which is essential for good memories.

Lastly, during exercise the brain releases neurotrophins which strengthen neurons and encourage new growth.

A minimum of thirty minutes of exercise each day is the recommended amount necessary to stay in good physical shape. Here are some simple suggestions for ways to add a little exercise into your daily life: take the stairs instead of the elevator, ride your bike to work, jog on a treadmill while watching TV.

 

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What am I Riddle – Wait

Can you guess what I am? #Riddle

 

I’m never there when you need me,

For me you’ll have to wait,

I’ll provide a wealth of knowledge,

But always just too late,

What am I?

 

Answer Below

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HINDSIGHT

 

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Moving Clock Face Optical Illusion

Watch the Clock and what do you see

Move your eyes away slightly and it has a mind of its own!!

 

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Smile and Laughing Therapy

A smile and Laugh a day keeps the stress away

If you are having a hard time getting motivated to do something and you need a pick me up, try smiling or laughing out loud.

When you smile or laugh, your brain gets fooled into thinking that it is happy, and releases the corresponding neurochemicals.

It may sound silly, but it can actually improve your mood and get you thinking more creatively.

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The UKs Speaking Clock

Time to find out about the speaking clock

The service has a long and storied history and even today in the age of near ubiquitous smartphones and the internet it’s still called an astounding thirty million times per year.

Prior to the introduction of the UK speaking clock service in 1936, it’s noted that people wanting to know the time who didn’t have a clock or watch handy would simply call the exchange operator and ask, resulting in operators spending much of their time doing this, instead of routing calls.

With exchange operators being inundated with calls from people just wanting to know the time, it was evident from almost the moment telephones were first introduced and made available to the British public in the last years of the 19th century that an automated speaking clock system was needed.  Unfortunately, the technology to record human voices wasn’t widely commercially available until around the mid-1920s. Even then, it would take until the mid-1930s for the Post Office, who controlled the telephone system in the UK at the time, to begin designing a machine that would accurately tell you the time audibly.

The speaking clock machine eventually constructed by the Post Office was relatively large and contained “state of the art” technology including using several electric motors, glass discs, various valves, and photocells. This system was evidently good enough that the service wasn’t upgraded until 1963, nearly three decades after it was originally introduced.

Ethel Cain and the Speaking Clock Machine

With the system designed, a voice was needed.  As such the Post Office held a competition to “the girl with the golden voice”. No men were considered for the role as the telephone orientated jobs were still seen as a strictly female gendered profession back then.  The winner of the contest would not only become the voice of the speaking clock, but also be given a prize of 10 guineas or about £700 today, a somewhat paltry sum given the billions (after adjusting for inflation) the service has earned in the ensuing decades since its genesis.

The woman chosen for the gig was one Ethel Jane Cain, a telephonist.

Of course lots has changed since then and things has become a little more modern, but I will leave yourselfs to do some of your own research if you want to know more.

 

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