100 Amazing Inventions
96. Who invented the parachute?
The word parachute comes from the French words 'para' and
'chute'. Used together, they mean 'to shield a fall'.
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| Parachute |
Parachutes had been first imagined and sketched by Leonardo
da Vinci. They were reinvented in 1783 by a French chemist, Louis
Lenormand, who also was the first to make a parachute jump.
The material of the parachute has changed a lot since it
was invented. But the basic design was not changed until the 1930s.
Originally made from canvas, parachutes were later fashioned from
silk.
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| Parachutes |
Today, parachutes are made from 'rip-stop' nylon
that is woven with extra thick thread at regular intervals, creating a
pattern of small squares. This structure keeps tears from
spreading.
97. What is artillery?
Artillery:
The word artillery is used in a wide sense, though its prime
meaning is nay engine used for the discharge of large projectiles in war.
Soldiers who operate such weapons, and fight in such regiments are called
'gunners'. Weapons under 'modern artillery' include cannon, artillery such
as the howitzer, mortar, and field gun and the rocket artillery.
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| Artillery |
In the 19th century, artillery made the decisive split
between lighter and more mobile pieces that stayed with the troops, and
much larger weapons which were deployed to cause heavy damage to the
enemy.
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| Artillery |
The 1999 Kargil war with Pakistan saw the extensive use
of heavy artillery especially the Bofors L-39 guns by the Indian
Army.
98. What does the term mortar mean?
Mortar:
A mortar is a muzzle loading indirect fire weapon that fires
shells at low speed, short ranges and high arcing ballistic
trajectories.
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| Mortar |
The chief advantage a mortar section has over an artillery
battery is its small numbers and mobility. It is able to fire from the
protection of a trench.
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Mortar carried in car |
A mortar is simple, and easy to operate. It can be
carried by one or more men, or transported in a vehicle. An infantry
mortar can also be mounted and fired from a mortar carrier built for
this purpose.
99. What are the features of a naval mine?
Naval Mine:
A Naval Mine is a self contained explosive device place in
water to destroy ships or submarines. They are deposited, and left to wait
until they are triggered by contact with an enemy ship. Naval mines can be
used offensively, to hamper enemy ships or lock them into a harbour or
defensively, to protect friendly ships and create safe zones.
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Inside a Mine |
Mines can be laid in many ways: by purpose built mine
layers, submarines, or airplanes and even by dropping them into a harbour
by hand. Their flexibility and cost effectiveness make mines attractive
weapons in asymmetric warfare.
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Mines Under Water |
A single mine along a shipping route can stop for days
until the entire area is swept. International law requires nations to
declare when they mine an area, in order to make it easier for civil
shipping to avoid the mines.
100. Why was the invention of the printing press a revolutionary one?
Printing Press:
Around six hundred years ago, books were handwritten.
Johannes Gutenburg was the man who saved people the trouble of writing books
by hand, by inventing the printing press. Gutenburg started his invention by
making metal letters. He arranged them into a sentence, and pressed pieces
of paper against the letters that ink on them, with his hands. However, the
ink did not come out evenly on to the paper, so he decided to make a
press.
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Type Writer |
Gutenburg took some existing technologies and some of his
inventions to come up with the printing press in the year 1450. One key
idea he came up with was moveable type. Rather than use wooden blocks to
print ink on to paper, Gutenburg used moveable metal pieces to quickly
create pages. He made innovations all the way through the printing
process enabling pages to be printed much more rapidly.
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| A Lady Using a Type Writer |
The invention of the printing press spread quickly
through out Europe, and soon thousands of books were being printed on
printing presses. The Printing press made books cheaper and more
plentiful. It made it possible for even middle class people to buy
books, and spread knowledge and education like never before.