I learned about four inventions this week and they were the jackhammer, the pin tumbler lock, the safety pin, and the gyroscope. First, I learned about the jackhammer. Mining was important but also hazardous and steam engines became integral. Early jackhammers were inspired by steam engines. The jackhammer was invented by Jonathan Couch in 1848. Jackhammers are hammer drills and the bit is pushed up and down by compressed air. Modern jackhammers can run on electricity and they can break rock and concrete. Large houses or buildings can be destroyed with high powered jackhammers and now homeowners can perform small scale demolition.

Second, I learned about the pin tumbler lock. The inventor of the pin tumbler lock, Linus Yale Sr., born in Connecticut in 1797, opened a lock shop and invented the pin tumbler lock in 1843. A pin tumbler lock is a lock that has pins in a cylindrical drum and there are two pins. One pin is the key pin and the other is the driver pin and pin tumbler locks are harder to pick than old locks. It is used in the common door lock and encourages economic growth by instilling confidence in banks.

Third, I learned about the safety pin. The inventor of the safety pin, Walter Hunt, born in New York in 1796, invented a version of the sewing machine and had experience with needles and the sewing industry. Safety pins are simple folding needles and have sharp heads that can stick to you. The safety pin guards the head with a clasp. Safety pins are still used in the cloth diaper industry and became a cultural symbol of the punk rock of the 1970s.

Finally I learned about the gyroscope. The inventor of the gyroscope, Leon Foucault born in Paris, became interested in physics and helped discover the speed of light. The gyroscope is a spinning disc set inside a gimbal and seems to defy the laws of physics. Gimbals allow rotation and can be a spill proof bowl. They are installed in electronics and make the GPS possible.