My physics teacher scribbled something on the chalkboard. I sure didn’t understand what he was trying to get across. He then explained, “See, MA = Fb over Fa = a over b.” I still didn’t get it.
Fifteen years later I was struggling to remove a balky Glengarry boulder from what was to be the front lawn of our new home in the forest. Push, pull, dig, sweat, shove, swear…nothing worked – until I took a strong steel bar, put a split log near one end, then shoved the short end of the bar under the boulder, put all my weight on the high end of the bar then jumped up and down. Up popped the boulder! It was a ‘Eureka moment’. If those many years ago, I had been properly taught the Principle of the Lever by demonstration, not merely by formula and words, I might have passed my Grade XIII final exam.
Simple! I now understand the Principle of the Lever: ‘If the distance a from the fulcrum to the point A where the input force is applied is greater than the distance b from fulcrum to the point B where the output force is applied, then the lever amplifies the input force.’
To reduce plastic pollution, single-use plastic bags are no longer being used. However, the elephant in the room is being ignored: disposable plastic ballpoint pens. It’s the rare writer that uses refills. Why not bring back the refillable fountain pen? Until I succumbed to the allure of Bic and dumped the nib and its refillable ink reservoir. I used a real pen from grade six to XIII. As soon I started using ballpoints, my handwriting went downhill.
This week’s illustration gets a prize for simplicity: no moving parts; no accompanying set of operating instructions; no power cords; unbreakable. Not only do I place my on-the road-meals on it, it acts as the ideal base for my laptop.
One little item that needs mention: don’t use it at 110 kph, or even when you’re attempting to parallel park, or backing into your garage.
