upworthy

Innovation

Innovation

Ever seen how a sewing machine actually works? Even engineers' minds are blown by it.

"I'm a mechanical engineer and a grown man. I still consider a sewing machine to be a magical device."

Photo credit: Canva

Sewing machines are mechanical marvels.

Have you ever wondered how a sewing machine actually works? We've all likely seen some version of one, so we know you push a pedal, the needle goes up and down really fast, and fabric gets pushed through coming out the other side perfectly stitched.

But when you think about it from a hand-sewing perspective, it doesn't makes sense. With a sewing machine, the needle isn't being pulled all the way through the fabric—it's just the tip of the needle being inserted and pulled back out. Those of us who've used a sewing machine know there's bobbin thread that gets pulled from underneath to help form the stitch, but how? From the outside, it just looks like the needle and thread are going up and down, and yet the result is tight, perfect stitches of varying lengths and styles being created at incredible speed. How does it do it?

sewing machine, sewing, how sewing machines work, making clothes, technologySewing Machine Vintage GIFGiphy

It turns out, it's not a dumb question. Veritasium created a video with a blown up model demonstrating how sewing machines work, and it's actually quite incredible. Despite being around for nearly 200 years, sewing machines are still a mechanical marvel, even to people who study engineering. As one commenter wrote, "I'm a mechanical engineer and a grown man. I still consider a sewing machine to be a magical device."

- YouTubeyoutu.be

As the video explains, sewing machines couldn't be made without first inventing a whole new way of sewing. Sewing machines aren't just a faster version of hand sewing—they create stitches in a whole different way that doesn't require a needle to go all the way through the fabric and then be reinserted.

For tens of thousands of years, humans have created sewing needles out of bone or wood that are all pretty much the same—sharp tip on one end, hole for thread on the other. But a sewing machine needle puts the hole at the same end as the sharp point. That gets the thread through the fabric without pulling the whole needle through. Then it's just a matter of catching the thread and tangling it to keep it from pulling out when the needle is pulled out.

sewing machine needles, how a sewing machine works, sewing, sew needles, threadsSewing machine needles put the hole at the same end as the sharp tip.Photo credit: Canva

The story of the sewing machine is actually a story of many innovators coming up with ideas and then building on one another's models. Early sewing machine patents used a hook below the needle that either went back and forth or rotated to grab the thread and pull it forward as the needle went up, creating a simple chain stitch. The chain stitch works as long as no one pulls on the loose end, as the chain stitch is easily undone. (The demonstration in the video is really a must see for this.)

More complex chain stitches were created to solve this problem, but it was the lock stitch using two separate thread sources that really made the sewing machine the titan of inventions that it truly is. The bobbin thread gets intertwined with the needle thread, creating a stitch that can't be pulled out. There have been two main version of the lockstitch machine, one that used a shuttle that moved back and forth and one that most machines today use, which is the round bobbin hook.

sewing machine, mechanical engineering, how a sewing machine works, sewing, stitchesModern sewing machines use the same basic mechanics as machines over 100 years ago, just digitally controlled. Photo credit: Canva

The last sewing machine problem to solve was moving the fabric through the machine at an even pace. A grooved metal "foot" was attached that moved with the rhythm of the bobbin and needle to even move the fabric with each stitch. Simple, but genius.

Judging by the comments, many people had no idea how sewing machines worked before seeing this demonstration:

"At last! I have asked so many people how sewing machines work. I have looked at the machines, consulted experts, read manuals, and none told me how they work. I was amazed that people who worked with sewing machines for a living had no knowledge of, nor curiosity in, how they work."

"My mom, who is very good at sewing, didn't do it in a while because her machine wasn't set properly anymore after decades. As an engineer, I searched for the old instruction manual online, and carefully followed the instructions and oiled everything up : the machine was working flawlessly again. And I realized that I had NO IDEA of how it did work in the first place. So she explained it to me. I was literally amazed, so 1) seeing your video and your own amazement is so pleasing to me, and 2) blessed be my mom."

sewing machine, mechanical engineering, sewing, technology, innovationSewing Machine Design GIF by Great Big StoryGiphy

"I just got a vintage singer. I want to learn to make my own curtains, and clothes. I only have a straight stitch, but being a nerd your video helped me learn how to use the sewing machine. Knowing how it works, helps to know how to thread and set up the bobbin. I watched a few videos and couldn't understand it from the basic steps they were showing. I had to know how it works first. Excellent!"

"I’m a mechanical engineer and forever promised myself to someday take time to figure out how sewing machines work. You crossed this item off my list in just 15 minutes. I owe you the pizza of your choice. Thank you!"

"I use sewing machines pretty much every day at work and the funny thing to me is that most of us prefer older mechanical machines over modern digital ones. The action is just so much smoother, the sound is better, the power and durability is better. If you have a well maintained vintage machine, it'll probably outlive your grandchildren."

It's hard to overstate how the sewing machine changed life on Earth for humans. Not having to hand sew clothing, bedding, furniture coverings, etc. has saved us countless hours of work and enabled mass production of textiles. (Unfortunately, it has also enabled "fast fashion" to proliferate, but that's really a human problem, not a mechanical one.) Pretty incredible how the engineering of sewing machines still manages to amaze people, even after nearly two centuries.

From Your Site Articles
ingenuity
Science

Researchers hacked 5 people's brains so they could see a new and impossible color

The new color 'olo' is neat, but the technique behind it could be groundbreaking.

Canva Photos

Only five people in the world have seen the mysterious color "Olo"

Color is one of the great joys of being alive. The brilliant blue sky, the green grass, the exotic pinks and purples and teals in coral or tropical fish. Soaking it all in is truly a feast for the eyes, and some studies even show that certain colors can trigger specific emotions in people. Orange may evoke feelings of joy, and red may conjure feelings of love, while blue may have a calming effect.

One of the most interesting things about colors, though, is that they are finite. Though the world is full of undiscovered plants, creatures, and even elements, the entire color spectrum is known and documented. Due to the nature of light in our universe and how it reflects off of physical objects, all perceived color must be created by some combination of the primary colors (blue, green, and red — yes, green, not yellow!). There are essentially unlimited combinations, but they all exist on a known spectrum — different hues and shades of pink or emerald or orange.

However, a team of researchers recently decided to push the limits of human perception. They "hacked" participants' retinas to allow them to see an impossible color.


color, green, blue, color wheel, physics, light, wavelengths, scienceThe paint companies are dying to know the secret formula for the new color.Giphy

Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, developed a new technique called "Oz," which would allow them to activate specific cones in the retina. Cones are light-sensitive cells that respond to different wavelengths of light. When the three types of cones are activated in different ways, our brains perceive colors.

One fascinating bit of background is that the "M" cone, which typically responds strongest to green (Medium wavelength), can not naturally be activated without also activating the Long and Short cones. So even the purest green on the planet would also, to a smaller degree, stimulate the parts of our eyes that are mostly correlated with red and blue.

retinas, eyes, oz, retina scan, retina cones, vision, colorsA close-up of the human eye. Swapnil Potdar/Unsplash

The team wanted to find out what would happen if they could isolate and activate only the M, or green, cone using the new technique.

The result? The five participants reported seeing an absolutely unreal, brilliant shade of green like nothing they had ever experienced. Imagine a bright green laser cranked up to the highest saturation and brilliance possible, the purest and brightest green your brain could possibly comprehend. Participants noted that a bright green laser pointed looked "pale" in comparison to the new color.

The name of the new, impossible color? Olo, or 010 (indicated zero stimulation of the L and S cones and full stimulation of the M cones).

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

It's fair to wonder, if olo is impossible and can never naturally exist without manual stimulation of the retinal cones, what's the point of the experiment?

The introduction of a "new color" is certainly interesting and makes for a good headline, but the real value of this study lies in the future applications of the Oz technique.

The research team hopes that the detailed retinal maps they have developed, along with their ability to stimulate specific rods and cones in the eye in any combination, will enable major breakthroughs in the study and treatment of various visual impairments.

For example, Oz could one day cure color blindness or unlock new treatments for cataracts or glaucoma. It could even play a role down the line in curing certain types of blindness. Isn't it wild how our understanding of how our eyes perceive color tells us so much?

But those days are a long way off, for now. In the meantime, only five people in the world have experienced the brilliance of olo, and the rest of us will just have to imagine it.

From Your Site Articles
science
Science

Innovative farm in Virginia can grow 4 million pounds of strawberries on less than one acre

This method uses 97 percent less land and up to 90 percent less water than conventional farming.

Photo credit: Canva

A new way to grow strawberries with less land, less water, and more berries.

Strawberry farm harvests aren't something most of us calculate on a regular basis (or ever at all), but the numbers from a strawberry farm in Richmond, Virginia, are staggering enough to make it worth an old-school word problem. If the average American eats 8 pounds of strawberries a year, and an average strawberry farm yields approximately 20,000 pounds of berries per acre, how many people could a 200-acre strawberry field feed?

I won't make you do the math. The answer is 500,000 people. But what if a crop that size, providing enough strawberries for half a million people, could be grown on just one acre instead of 200? It's possible. You just have to go—or rather grow—up, up, up.

Indoor vertical farm company Plenty Unlimited knows a lot about growing up. In fact, it's their entire business model. Instead of the sprawling fields that traditional farming methods require, vertical farms have a much smaller land footprint, utilizing proprietary towers for growing. Plenty has used vertical farming methods to grow greens such as lettuce, kale, spinach and more for years, but now it boasts a vertical berry farm that can yield a whopping 4 million pounds of strawberries on a little less than an acre.

Growing indoors means not being at the mercy of weather or climate inpredictability (barring a storm taking out your building), which is wise in the era of climate change. Unlike a traditional greenhouse which still uses the sun for light, Plenty's indoor vertical farms make use of the latest technology and research on light, pinpointing the wavelengths plants need from the sun to thrive and recreating them with LED lights. Plenty farms also don't use soil, as what plants really need is water and nutrients, which can be provided without soil (and with a lot less water than soil requires). Being able to carefully control water and nutrients means you can more easily control the size, taste and uniformity of the berries you’re growing.

If that sounds like a lot of control, it is. And that idea might freak people out. But when a highly controlled environment means not having to use pesticides and using up to 90% less water than traditional farming, it starts to sound like a solid, sustainable farming innovation.

Plenty even uses AI in its strawberry farm, according to its website:

“Every element of the Plenty Richmond Farm–including temperature, light and humidity–is precisely controlled through proprietary software to create the perfect environment for the strawberry plants to thrive. The farm uses AI to analyze more than 10 million data points each day across its 12 grow rooms, adapting each grow room’s environment to the evolving needs of the plants – creating the perfect environment for Driscoll’s proprietary plants to thrive and optimizing the strawberries’ flavor, texture and size.”

Plenty even has its own patent-pending method of pollinating the strawberry flowers that doesn’t require bees. Even just the fact that this enormous crop of strawberries will be coming from Virginia is notable, since the vast majority of strawberries in the U.S. are grown in California.

strawberry fieldTraditional strawberry farming takes up a lot of land.Photo credit: Canva

Plenty's Richmond farm is currently growing strawberries exclusively for Driscoll’s.

“Partnering with Plenty for the launch of the Richmond Farm allows us to bring our premium strawberries closer to consumers in the Northeast, the largest berry consumption region in the U.S.,” Driscoll’s CEO Soren Bjorn said in a press release. “By combining our 100 years of farming expertise and proprietary varieties along with Plenty’s cutting-edge technology, we can deliver the same consistent flavor and quality our customers love — now grown locally. This new innovative farm is a powerful step forward in continuing to drive category growth in new ways for our customers and consumers.”

Is Plenty’s model the farm of the future? Perhaps it’s one option, at least. The more we grapple with the impact of climate change and outdated, unsustainable farming practices, the more innovative ideas we’ll need to feed the masses. If they can get 4 million pounds of strawberries out of an acre of land, what else is possible?

This article originally appeared in February

From Your Site Articles
agriculture
Innovation

Researchers tested a bottle of Fiji Water against a glass of tap water. This is what they found.

Bottled water is filthy.

Image via Canva

A lab technician tests bottles of water

Here are six facts from the video above by The Story of Stuff Project that I'll definitely remember next time I'm tempted to buy bottled water.



- YouTubewww.youtube.com


1. Bottled water is more expensive than tap water (and not just a little).



assets.rebelmouse.io


A Business Insider column noted that two-thirds of the bottled water sold in the United States is in individual 16.9-ounce bottles, which comes out to roughly $7.50 per gallon. That's about 2,000 times higher than the cost of a gallon of tap water.

And in an article in 20 Something Finance, G.E. Miller investigated the cost of bottled versus tap water for himself. He found that he could fill 4,787 20-ounce bottles with tap water for only $2.10! So if he paid $1 for a bottled water, he'd be paying 2,279 times the cost of tap.

2. Bottled water could potentially be of lower quality than tap water.



assets.rebelmouse.io


Fiji Water ran an ad campaign that was pretty disparaging about the city of Cleveland. Not a wise move. The city ordered a test of the snooty brand's water and found that Fiji Water contained levels of arsenic that weren't seen in the city's water supply.

How was that possible? Sarah Goodman of the New York Times explains:

" Bottled water manufacturers are not required to disclose as much information as municipal water utilities because of gaps in federal oversight authority. Bottom line: The Food and Drug Administration oversees bottled water, and U.S. EPA is in charge of tap water. FDA lacks the regulatory authority of EPA."

3. The amount of bottled water we buy every week in the U.S. alone could circle the globe five times!



assets.rebelmouse.io


That sounded like it just had to be impossible, so we looked into it. Here's what our fact-checkers found:

"According to the video, ' People in the U.S. buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week.' National Geographic says for 2011, bottled water sales hit 9.1 billion gallons (roughly 34 billion liters).

A 'typical' water bottle is a half-liter, so that's about 68 billion bottles per year. Divided by 52 weeks would be a little over 1 billion bottles of water sold per week in the U.S. Because that's based on a smaller 'typical' bottle size, it seems reasonable that a half billion bottles a week could be accurate.

The Earth is about 131.5 million feet around, so yep, half a billion bottles of varying sizes strung end-to-end could circle the Earth five times."

4. Paying for bottled water makes us chumps.



assets.rebelmouse.io


Beverage companies have turned bottled water into a multibillion-dollar industry through a concept known as manufactured demand. Bottled water advertisements used a combination of scare tactics (Tap water bad!) and seduction (From the purest mountain streams EVER!) to reel us in.

Well, we now know their claims about the superior quality of bottled water are mostly bogus. And research shows that anywhere from a quarter to 45% of all bottled water comes from the exact same place as your tap water (which, to reiterate, is so cheap it's almost free).



assets.rebelmouse.io


5. Bottled water is FILTHY.

It takes oil — lots of it — to make plastic bottles. According to the video, the energy in the amount of oil it takes to make the plastic water bottles sold in the U.S. in one year could fuel a million cars. That's not even counting the oil it takes to ship bottled water around the world.

And once we've guzzled our bottled water, up to 80% of the empty bottles end up in landfills or noxious-gas-producing incinerators. The rest is either recycled or shipped to countries like India where poor people without environmental and labor protections have to deal with it.

On top of all that, the process of manufacturing plastic bottles is polluting public water supplies, which makes it easier for bottled water companies to sell us their expensive product.

6. There are 750 million people around the world who don't have access to clean water.


A child dies every minute from a waterborne disease. And for me, that's the core of what makes bottled water so evil.

The video wraps by comparing buying bottled water to smoking while pregnant. That may sound extreme, but after learning everything I just did about the bottled water industry, I can't disagree.



assets.rebelmouse.io


If you're properly disgusted, here are a few ways you can help destroy the bottled water industry:

  1. Don't buy bottled water. Get a reusable water bottle. The savings will add up.
  2. Rally your schools, workplaces, and communities to ban bottled water.
  3. Demand that your city, state, and federal governments invest in better water infrastructure.

This article originally appeared 10 years ago.

From Your Site Articles
bottled water
Trending Stories