Harry T. Roman's Blog, page 12

Happy Birthday Thomas Edison-February 11th

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It’s time to celebrate the birthday of the world’s greatest inventor, a man who gave us many presents-recorded sound, motion pictures, the light bulb and electric power system, and R&D labs.

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“I love apple pie – If not apple, how about some rhubarb pie?”

Edison taught us about electric vehicles 100 years ago and would be cheering us on right now as we learn how to plug our cars in at night – helping to clean the air too. Tom was a big environmentalist, as was his lovely wife Mina.

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Mina Edison driving her Tom [“dearie” as she called him] around in her 1911 electric vehicle.

He had a family too … here they are … Madeleine, Charles and Theodore, in order.
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“Life’s most soothing things are a child’s goodnight and sweet music…”

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The Edison family on the back porch of their lovely, Victorian style home at Glenmont

Below, Tom and Mina shortly after their marriage in 1886–she 19, he 38– a lasting marriage. Mina was a devoted mother, home executive, philanthropist, environmentalist/horticulturist, and public relations asset to Tom and his business. Tom proposed to her in Morse code, tapped out on her hand; she accepting, also in Morse code, tapped out on his hand! He wrote her many love letters.

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“A man’s best friend is a good wife.”

Happy Birthday Tom! We will never forget you.

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“I never did a day’s work in my life, it was all fun.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.

 

Thomas Edison Admires Transparent Solar Panels

What is it? Michigan State University scientists have developed a transparent solar panel that can be used as a window.

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A transparent solar panel

Why does it matter? Clear solar panels could be used to tap the sun’s power in buildings, cars and even tech devices. There are 5 to 7 billion square meters of glass surfaces in the United States, according to the researchers, who say these clear panels have the potential to provide approximately 40 percent of the country’s current energy demands. Besides making new power-generating window panels, the technology could be also used to retrofit existing windows.

How does it work? The MSU team used organic molecules as their secret sauce to create a thin material similar to plastic that captures the sun’s ultraviolet and near-infrared light. Once collected that energy moves to the edge of the window panel, where solar cells converts it to electrical energy.

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Dr. Richard Lunt at MSU

“Highly transparent solar cells represent the wave of the future for new solar applications,” said lead engineering researcher Richard Lunt. While the transparent panels are far less efficient than normal solar panels, buildings have a lot more surface area where they could be deployed. “Ultimately, this technology offers a promising route to inexpensive, widespread solar adoption on small and large surfaces that were previously inaccessible,” Lunt said.

Check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH04P2fXVgs

Widespread use of highly transparent solar applications, together with the conventional roof-top solar systems we see today, could nearly meet U.S. electricity demand, drastically reducing the use of fossil fuels. Today, only about 1.5 percent of electricity demand in the United States and globally is produced by solar power. Moving global energy consumption away from fossil fuels will require innovative and cost-effective renewable energy technologies like this. The work at MSU is funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Edison on solar energy – “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. I wish I had more years left.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Thomas Edison Admires Tesla Electric Semi Truck

Better keep an eye on that rear view mirror. Something very new and different could be gaining on you. Tesla is not just about cars. Say hello to the Tesla electric semi truck, a vehicle with attitude, speed and range.

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Sleek, futuristic and fast this Tesla semi truck

Think you could handle it? Aerodynamics that rival some of the fastest automobiles; zero to 60 mph in 20 seconds–with an 80,000 pound pull; and capable of 65 mph on a 5% grade. This baby can go 500 miles on a single charge; with Tesla talking about introducing “megachargers” at truck stops that in 30 minutes can give you another 400 miles of range. This streamlined beauty also can operate in a semiautonomous mode, so it and other trucks can “convoy” their way across the landscape.

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Inside the cab. No gears or shifting necessary….one speed…rapid!

Big name companies are putting down $5,000 deposits for first dibs on the production models to become available in 2019. Names like Ryder, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, J.B. Hunt Transport Systems, Anheuser-Busch, and Sysco top the list of first buyers. Expected base price for the futuristic semi is $180,000-$200,000. Various press reports suggest Musk may be sitting on as many as 1200 orders for the new truck-with big name companies ordering over 100 trucks at a time each.

Initial expectations are the trucks will be cheaper to operate than diesel machines and possible less costly than rail transport. And of course there will be no emissions, a big standards concern for traditional trucks and locomotives. Tesla is also offering a one million mile breakdown-free promise.

All in all, Tesla is projecting a $200,000+ savings in fuel costs over conventional trucks, and a 2 year payback. That certainly will get some serious attention from companies operating big truck fleets. Experts believe Tesla will have some interesting competition in the near future as electric fever grips the trucking industry.

Are you hearing this Tom Edison? Look what your ideas back in the early 1900s for battery powered transportation have become.

Thomas Edison said, “If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves …”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Inventors … Start Your Engines! Thomas Edison Pitch Contest–Jan. 12, 2018

Want to see your students in the Spring 2018 winner’s circle to accept an award for their invention and creative pitch at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park [TENHP] in West Orange, NJ? Want them to see the place where America’s fabulous and still vibrant innovation journey began?

First thing you must do is register them to be a part of the 8th annual invention and pitch contest. It all starts on 1/12/18 and this website tells you everything you need to know www.thomasedisonpitch.org.

Here are some of the amazing sights at TENHP they will see if they are one of the final competitors in this national contest.

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Edison’s desk where he managed things

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His combination office and library

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First motion picture studio, the Black Maria

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Edison’s legendary machine shop

Give your students a chance to experience team based innovation, just like Edison pioneered in his invention factory and R&D lab. This is exactly what STEM is all about. Inspire those young minds in your classroom. Maybe someday, like Edison, they will change the world.

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I’ll be waiting for you at TENHP!

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Thomas Edison said, “The world owes nothing to any man, but every man owes something to the world.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Thomas Edison Battery Building Coming Back to Life

Built in 1913, the Edison battery manufacturing facility dominated the Thomas A. Edison industrial landscape at his legendary West Orange site. His batteries were used all over the world in a myriad of applications–probably Edison’s most successful and maybe his most profitable product. Constructed from the same Edison Portland Cement formulation he used to build all his West Orange buildings (and the same formulation he sold to NYC to build Yankee Stadium), the landmark building is now being lovingly converted to apartments to be named Edison Village.

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Old battery building shown at right of main gate and invention factory

Prism Capital Partners in 2016 launched construction for Edison Village, encompassing 21 acres on Main Street, in the heart of West Orange Township’s Downtown Redevelopment Area. The first phase of the project is highlighted by the adaptive reuse of the Historic Thomas Edison Battery Building and will contain approximately 334 residential units, 18,400 square feet of retail and a 630-space parking structure.

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Prism artist rendering of renovated portion of battery building and commercial store fronts-

Prism is now in discussions with the Edison Innovation Foundation to incorporate an Edison motif into the building which can include the licensing of artifacts, photos and other Edison materials, and can also involve potentially new Edison invoking objects. Use of available space in the renovated building for special Edison presentations and gatherings is also being discussed.

Thomas Edison said, “I never did a day’s work in my life, it was all fun.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Thomas Edison and Christmas

Our beloved national holiday bears quite a relationship with Thomas Edison. He being the originator of Christmas lights; first at his Menlo Park labs in 1880 as a publicity stunt; and as a way to get the visiting aldermen of New York City interested in having Edison electrify their Wall Street area (which he ultimately did in 1882). At Menlo Park, Edison strung decorative lights around the facility at night to bedazzle his visitors.

Later in 1882 with a friend and business partner, Edward H. Johnson, the first formal Christmas tree light string was shown on a tree at Johnson’s home. Today, we would not even think about a Christmas tree without lights.

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First electric tree lights decorate the 1882 Christmas tree at the home of Edward H. Johnson . The walnut-size red, white and blue bulbs were specially made by Edison’s staff.

Every holiday season, Edison’s beautiful home at Glenmont is filled with happy grown-ups and kids who take tours through the mansion, re-living the Victorian-era Christmas season. Curatorial staff also display some vintage Christmas cards sent to the Edison’s.

Enjoy the photos below…and Merry Christmas!

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Looking from the dining room into the family den where the main Christmas tree was normally located–with original children’s gifts shown under the tree. Dinner for family & friends-30 folks could be seated for the festive feast.

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Is that vaulted ceiling above the big tree angelic or what!

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This view greets all visitors to Glenmont at Christmas- the incredible main staircase to the second floor; and to the right the dining room and Christmas tree. It’s a showstopper for all who like to “Ohhhh” and “Ahhhh”.

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The first floor tea room / visitor’s room decked out in holiday color.

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The Edison bedroom fireplace and mantle colorfully decorated.

Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Thomas Edison Supports Innovative Charitable Giving

So…riddle me this. What is the commonality between mitigating PTSD and improving heart health? These are two programs that exist today because of seed funding from the Charles Edison Fund, the mother foundation of the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Mitigating PTSD

Serenity Stables From Combat to Calm is a Middletown, NJ horse farm-turned –equine- therapy program aimed at helping veterans suffering with disabilities and

post-traumatic stress disorder. Here, therapy horses provide an extra measure of treatment for veterans. The horses act as a spiritual reflection for the 200 veterans who have visited Serenity Farms and experienced some measure of healing through interaction with the beautiful and gentle animals.

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Seeking Calm and Peace with Therapy Horses at Serenity Farms. Check out Serenity Stables at www.serenitystablesfcc.org/.

Charles Edison created his non-profit fund to support the legacy of his father Thomas Edison, and to promote education, specifically careers in science and technology. The programs which focus on the legacy of Thomas Edison, medical research and education at the grammar, high, college and graduate school levels, are the best in the country. Serenity Farms fit into this funding philosophy.

The Living Heart Foundation 

The Living Heart Foundation, public/private collaborative, initially began with a Charles Edison Fund grant, and now with generous support from others, delivers a unique brand of education and health features to diverse communities in need. This is achieved through the creation of mutually beneficial partnerships that include healthcare providers, educators, schools, hospitals, industry and active/retired professional athletes.

The Living Heart Foundation’s mission is fivefold:

Generate intense awareness of the importance of CV disease;
Perform early detection of CV abnormalities through screening;
Create a health stratification database;
Track the health data longitudinally;
Develop website education and lifestyle programs to empower people to counter adverse effects of persistent health problems;

The results of early detection and intervention through the Foundation’s integrated-preventative approach significantly decrease medical costs compared to persistent, uncorrected abnormalities and increase compliance related to achieving healthcare goals. State-of-the-art technology to deliver information and create interactive programs can be customized as needed.

“Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Thomas Edison Pitch Contest–Jan. 12, 2018

Since 2011, thousands of middle and high school students across the nation took the challenge and competed for honors and prizes … all in the spirit of the world’s greatest inventor … Thomas Edison. On January 12, 2018, the 8th annual pitch contest begins.

Check out the happy faces of student teams honored over the years in this sampling of photos shown below. Can you see your students standing to receive honors when the pitch contest concludes in the Spring of 2018!

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Check out the video containing contest rules/timeline at www.thomasedisonpitch.org.

Our other social media sites will also announce the big contest at:

www.thomasedison.org
www.facebook.com/thomasedison
www.instagram/thomasedisom1847
www.edisonmuckers.org

Give your students a chance to experience team based innovation, just like Edison pioneered in his invention factory and R&D lab. This is exactly what STEM is all about. Stay tuned and get those young minds primed and ready to show their stuff. Make Edison proud … join in the fun! Put January 12th on your calendar in big bold letters. Start the countdown. It will be here before you know it.

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Thomas Edison said, “The world owes nothing to any man, but every man owes something to the world.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Thomas Edison Statue Arrives!

A beautiful seven-foot likeness of Thomas Edison in middle age is now installed at Thomas Edison National Historical Park [TENHP], the site of Edison’s legendary West Orange Labs. The five hundred pound likeness was sculpted by Alan Cottrill.

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Mr. Edison is “in the house”!

Resting on a concrete base, the Edison image in West Orange is likely to be the focal point of many visitor photos and folks pondering the many things the great inventor did for humanity. Just over his right shoulder in the photo, can be seen the top portion of the Black Maria, the world’s first motion picture studio.

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Edison, the man who turned darkness to light

Soon to be installed next to the statue will be this inscription …

“This Edison statue was created by Alan Cottrill, who sculpted a substantially similar one now displayed in Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol. In his right hand, Edison offers the light bulb (his major achievement); while in his left hand, a notebook recording progress on his experiments is evident. Throughout his life, Edison filled many laboratory notebooks, inspiring his 200 scientists and engineers to create more innovative ideas to improve humankind. This became the basis for his invention factory concept, later to be re-named R&D labs. Stand beside him, feel his presence and take your picture with the “Man of the Millennium”. There is a bit of Edison in all of us. Don’t be afraid to set it free!”

No doubt, this statue will bring many visitors to the site, especially young school students who study STEM related activities– whose underlying philosophy of teamwork, research, invention and creativity are synonymous with what went on here at West Orange, and ultimately improved the standards of living for the entire world.

Go to thomasedison.org for more info on the statue and an opportunity to win free tickets to the Edison Park in West Orange and an Apple gift card

“Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.

Thomas Edison’s Connection to Radio Astronomy

Today we detect and research radio waves that emanate from stars and other bodies to interpret how the universe works. Credit for the beginnings of this fascinating science and technology stems from 1931. Karl Jansky, a Bell Labs scientist, first built an antenna to reliably detect these radio waves and determine their origin. Five years later, Grote Reber an amateur astronomer, is credited with building the first radio telescope. Since then, world scientists routinely listen to the heavens.

With a diameter of 1,000 feet, The Arecibo Radio Telescope, at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, reigned supreme from 1963 to 2016 as the largest and most recognizable radio telescope in the world. However, the Chinese have now begun operation of a 1,500 foot diameter device. The popular 1997 science fiction movie,” Contact” (based on a detailed and very accurate script written by scientist Carl Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan), chronicles the adventures and frustrations of a scientist from Arecibo who is engaged in interpreting radio signals as a prelude to detecting life on other planets…think SETI…the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. [By the way, see “Contact”, it’s terrific!]

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The Arecibo Radio Telescope

Let’s return to the birth of radio astronomy in 1931 (coincidentally the death year of Edison), and step back farther in time. It’s 1890 and Edison is very well aware that radio waves exist, as famed scientist Heinrich Hertz proves their existence in the late 1880s [Maxwell of Maxwell’s equations fame had predicted their existence, circa 1865]. For his accomplishments , the unit of frequency — cycle per second — was named the “hertz” in his honor.

In 1890, Arthur Kennelly, an electrical engineer working for Thomas Edison, wrote a letter to the director of the Lick Observatory, describing an interesting proposed experiment being considered by the great inventor that may have been the first radio telescope — forty years before its official invention. Edison’s idea was to wrap a large mass of iron with turns of cable to create a crude radio wave detector. Edison suspected that electromagnetic emissions (radio waves) would be associated with sunspot activity and hoped that Lick Observatory would be able to provide information as to just when these occurred.

Edison’s experiment was never conducted, and in retrospect, the experiment would not have been able to accurately detect the proper wavelength of the radio waves because the Earth’s natural atmospheric boundary layers, the ionosphere, would have absorbed those signals. But the intent was “spot-on”! Curiously, the actual prediction of a reflecting layer in the upper atmosphere, the ionosphere, was made by Kennelly and Heaviside in 1902.

This was not Edison’s first interest in astronomy. In the eclipse of 1878, Edison traveled to Rawlins Wyoming with a new invention he was going to use to try and detect the heat in the sun’ corona during the celestial event. Known as a “tasimeter”, the device was able to detect the heat, but was not accurate in determining just how intense it was.

Not bad for a kid from Milan, Ohio who became the world’s greatest inventor and changed the world. His country schoolhouse teacher thought little Tom had severely limited mental capacities. His mother thought otherwise and homeschooled the lad. Wonder how many little “Edison’s” slip by today? The answer may be in the stars!

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Edison’s tasimeter

Thomas Edison said, “If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves …”
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Left: Intel-Edison module now available world-wide for developers. Right: The “Tommy” award given by the Edison Innovation Foundation.