Recommended Website:
Secret Life of Machines
Engineer and cartoonist Tim Hunkin developed a series of cartoons with simple explanations about how machines work. We featured that website, “The Rudiments of Wisdom,” in a review in 2004.
Tim’s unique take on explaining the mystery behind the mechanisms, resulted in a TV series that allowed him to further develop the explanations with more in-depth cartoons. These cartoons are featured on today’s website. When you get to the site you’ll see a brief introduction and then a menu of cartoon topics that includes:
- elevators
- fax machines
- internal combustion engines
- refrigerators
- sewing machines
- telephones
- televisions
- vacuum cleaners
- video recorders
- washing machines
- word processors
- and many more!
Click on any one and enjoy reading the cartoons that explain how these machines work.
MaryAnna wrote, “They made a series of videos from the cartoons that demonstrate the history and inventions of modern conveniences and other machines. They are really fun to watch and are housed by the Exploratorium website here:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/SLOM/
I went to the site and received error messages when I tried to watch the videos. I didn’t have time to check and/or change my settings to allow access. But give it a try – as it may work for you! :)
Samples of the videos are also on Google and You Tube and you’ll find the links here.
