Entrepreneurial Spirit
Modern Civilization
It has been said that modern civilization could not have been built upon any such foundation as the words of Jesus. That may be true. Quite imaginably it is also true that what could be built upon his words would be a better thing than modern civilization is. —W. R. Bowie (1928)
The Idea
“… The power of an idea lies, not in its certainty but in its vividness and in the number of people who believe in it …” —Sumner and Keller, quoting Lippert (1927)
The Maple Tree’s Role in Abolishing Slavery
After the Revolution, Americans looked at the maple tree in a new light. To the eminent Philadelphia patriot and physician Benjamin Rush, maple sugar seemed perfectly tailored to the new republic. Here was a commodity that could compete in a global market, bolstering the independence of yeoman farmers, and demonstrating the superiority of free labor. … Read more
Ownership in the Age of Isms
You Have Two Cows Capitalism CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull -and build a herd of cows. AMERICAN-STYLE ANARCHO-CAPITALISM: You don’t have any cows. The bank will not lend you money to buy cows, because you don’t have any cows to put up as collateral. The price of … Read more
Computers in 1892
In 1892, the U.S. government placed a help-wanted ad in The New York Times. The person sought was “a computer.” To be considered, the successful candidate would be required to pass an algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and astronomy exam.
Manufacturing in the USA
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 18.6 million manufacturing jobs in January 1981 when the Conservative Messiah first took office. During the last full year of the George W. Bush administration, that number had declined to 13.4 million manufacturing jobs. Now, the current administration is blamed, by those with the attention span … Read more
Skiing on Saturn’s Moons
Bored with Vermont and Colorado? Enceladus [en-SELL-ah-dus] has snow with grain finer than talcum powder, only a fraction of a millimeter in size, it is perfect for skiing. Because Enceladus reflects almost 100 percent of the sunlight, it is one of the brightest objects in our solar system and, the surface temperature is extremely cold, … Read more
Light Fields vs. Conventional Photography
Click around on the picture . . . Light field cameras will unleash capabilities that were never before possible with conventional 2D digital cameras. Focusing a picture after it’s taken, re-orienting the scene by shifting the perspective view, and even switching between 2D and 3D views are all made possible through light field technology. Aevia … Read more
Lighting the Homes of the Poor
A social entrepreneur of the Philippines has come up with an ingenious solution for lighting problems in the low income areas. He uses plastic bottles to lighten up the dark homes of poor. The solution is green and cheap.