schmuck

Le Corbusier + Haussmann = Le Haussier!

The two architechts have very different styles, mostly because of the decades that lie between the heart of their lives, but they have one thing in common. Not only did they have extraordinary plans for Paris, they have also effected the lives of so many people with the ways that they think and how they see the future world.

Le Corbusier is widely known to be the architect to have changed the people (whether we know it or not) of the twentieth century. He believed that this century would be one with much progress, with a whole new way of life. Although not all of his ideas and drawings came to life, his prediction was very true. He had many plans to solve problems for urban living. He saw the urban sprawl, the world trapling across miles and miles of square miles. To solve this, he created a new kind of city and world of its own. It is known as the city for three million. He planned it to stop this urban sprawl, to stop man from ruining the earth, and to create harmony among the human race and Mother Nature.

One of his most famous quotes was, "A house is a machine for living in." His designs did just that. They were so well thought out and composed that most considered them genious. His works also tried to encorporate nature into them. During his time, people often lived in victorian, dark houses, and this may have felt like a trap to them. Le Corbusier escaped from this. He offered highly planned cities were one could escape and visit nature.

Baron Haussmann was born many years earlier than Le Corbusier, and is very well known for transforming Paris. He was a civic planner that changed Paris into what we know today. He brought a whole new quality of life to Paris that the people there had never seen before. His goal was to not only help the people there, but to change Paris' look into somthing powerful and unforgetful. Haussmann tore down slums and old neighborhoods and created huge streets and public buildings to put in there place. The people suffered from disease from a bad water and sewage system, so he refined that also. Although Haussmann only changed Paris, it was very influential to people all over the world.

"Le Corbusier" http://www.open2.net/modernity/4_1.htm

"Haussmann and New Paris" 2001. France in the Age of Les Miserables. http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255-s01/mapping-paris/Haussmann.html

Posted by Karla Salwasser at 3:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The bicycle was newly introduced in the early 19th century, mostly in Europe. Though people have been using the bicycle for years, they have not noticed its facsinating physics and design. There is much to know about the physics of a bike, but some of the most important key ideas are torque, breaking, and pedaling.

Torque is what causes rotational speed of the bike to change. A greater force on the rotation causes greater rotational speeds and acceleration. A force and a lever arm is what makes up the torque. The function to find the torque is equal to the force times the radius.

Breaking puts more friction on the wheel, making the bike slow down or stop. The lever ont he handel bars of the bike is connected by levers and cables the the breaks, which make the pads press against the wheel, cuasing the wheel to slow down. When applying pressure on the breaks, and slowing down, it is possible for the rider to fly over the front of the handle bars. The inertia of the moving bike causes this to happen.

The pedaling of the bike is what causes the bike to move foreward. The pedals move the front cog and that pulls the chain. The chain causes the rear cog to turn, which turns the back wheel. The rotation of the back wheel is what makes the bicycle move foreward. The pedaling of the bikes is what creates torque.

There are so many types of bicycles designed for a variety of uses. For example, there are mountain bikes and racing bikes.
Mountain bikes are designed to be ridden offroad. They are generally very sturdy and have durable frames and wheels with thick treads.
Racing bikes are meant for speed. They are only to be ridden on road. The tires are so thin that it makes it difficult to ride on gravel. They have dropped handelbars for more aerodynamic riding position
.

They bicycle was designed for efficiency. It is calculated to be one of the most efficient self-powerd means of traveling. The use of gears reduces the input given by the rider by 10-15%. The physics of the bike can be a very misunderstood concept with many people, but most of us know that it is one of they fastest ways of transportation.

Posted by Karla Salwasser at 3:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)