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Macleod Sawyer

@macleod / macleod.tumblr.com

Roboticist ∧ Technician macleodsawyer.com
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macleod

The purpose of humanity isn't to work more, it's to work less and have more leisure. This is what sets us apart. We must develop, build, and automate away all the mindless monotony of the day so that we can choose to happily work on the hard problems of life.

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macleod
Welcome!

On this blog you will find: Science, history, and philosophy at its core. Other areas you will likely be able to find on here are:

  • Technology —"antique, retro, modern, computational, circuitry, industrial, hardware, software, etc.
  • Robotics — real and fictional: I am a roboticist and run an industrial robotics laboratory developing modular platforms — DNX Industries.
  • Science-Fiction — solarpunk, cyberpunk, futurism, and occasionally steampunk - Books, shows, movies, all of it. Have a suggestion? Please send it!
  • Design — all forms of art and design, including industrial design, user interfaces, machinery, fonts, fashion, and more.
  • Other general thoughts — reality is often diverse, strange, and progressive in nature.

I've been here since 2009, and this blog since 2012. It's gone through nearly as many phases as I have gone through lifetimes. You'll find a bit of everything here and there. No regrets (lots of regrets, I was a teenager using this blog...).

My personal website can be found at macleodsawyer.com. I have a curated selection of writings there.

Use the tags below to see various areas of this blog.

#mine#science#history#robotics#dnx#addition#news#pin
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jennytwosheds
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macleod
Thailand will become the first nation in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage after the kingdom’s Senate approved a marriage equality bill on Tuesday, with supporters calling it a “monumental step forward for LGBTQ+ rights." The Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of passing the bill following a final reading, with 130 senators voting in favor. Only four members opposed the bill. The bill still requires endorsement from the king before marriage equality can become reality in Thailand, but this process is considered a formality. The law will then come into effect 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.
Source: CNN (June 18, 2024)
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William Thomson's Tide Predicting Machine, 1872 (London)

Tide-predicting machine designed by William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin), built by A. Légé & Co., 20 Cross Street, Hatton Gardens, London, 1872. The machine is a mechanical analogue computer which traces the tidal curve for a given location, by combining ten astronomical components. It is the first working machine of Thomson’s design, based on his application of harmonic analysis to tidal phenomena.

Each of the ten components has a shaft with an overhead crank which carries a pulley pivoted on a parallel axis adjustable for the range applying to that place. The shafts are geared together so that their periods are broadly proportional to the periods of the tidal constituents. On each shaft the crank can be turned and clamped in any position corresponding to the epoch of tide required. The machine was able to draw the tidal curves of one harbour for one year in about four hours.

#science#history#marine#technology#tech#1800s#19th century#willian thomson#tides#oceans#water#steampunk
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Thailand will become the first nation in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage after the kingdom’s Senate approved a marriage equality bill on Tuesday, with supporters calling it a “monumental step forward for LGBTQ+ rights." The Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of passing the bill following a final reading, with 130 senators voting in favor. Only four members opposed the bill. The bill still requires endorsement from the king before marriage equality can become reality in Thailand, but this process is considered a formality. The law will then come into effect 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.
Source: CNN (June 18, 2024)
#news#Thailand#lgbtq#pride month#pride#equality#Asia
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steampunktendencies

A 19th Century Technological Marvel: The First Production Typewriter!

The Malling-Hansen Writing Ball, invented in 1865 by Danish genius Rasmus Malling-Hansen, is a true marvel of technological innovation. Only 180 units were made, and just six remain today.

With its unique design placing vowels on the left and consonants on the right, this revolutionary machine is a treasure from the 19th century.

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