Timelessness
by Danielle Fong
Many believe that technology simply gets better over time: that every class of invention can improve endlessly into modernity. That is not so. Most of the hard constraints on technology are imposed by physical or mathematical laws. These remain constant. Those who truly understand this may work, instead of towards the solution of individual problems, towards timelessness, and the ideal platonic form.
Insights by Danielle Fong 
That’s an interesting comment Danielle, thanks. You may like to have a look at my wordpress site, we share some common ground.
Interesting that they put the thicker part of the spokes on the outside of the wheel. It’s easier to accellerate if the weight is closer to the center. But perhaps the strain is greater near the rim?
Both the centrifugal strain and the rotational energy are quite small at the range of speeds this wheel was likely to encounter. The wider spokes around the rims are probably put in there for reasons of compression and torsional and shear strain: this is made of wood, after all.
I agree with you…. Progress is, in my opinion, mostly just an illusion—no matter how many computer chips and cellphones and super-fast airplanes we invent and create, the main problems of humanity remain the same—and there’s never an end to the creations and the discoveries to be made.
nice blog:)
Agree with you.
speaking of timeless…
…whats up with the startup lady!?…!
im dying to hear about it!
:)
Hmm, very intriguing… but I am wondering if this is the earliest wheel ever discovered?
Ah, it is not, but it is one of the best preserved.
In art and architecture, one strives for timelessness but with a different approach, I suppose. I have not encountered timelessness from an engineering perspective before, it is quite intriguing. Lot’s of philosophy stuff on your blog… pretty neat.
Thanks :-) Happy New Year!
Yes, Happy New Year, Danielle… I see you are a night owl as well.