A Closer Look At The Wheel.
There cannot be much doubt about the greatest invention ever. I’m sure very few people will deny the wheel that honor. Very little of what we do today could have been achieved without a wheel somewhere in the works but it also was a big obstacle in the way of development. With no wheels rolling around, transporting passengers and freight across dry land would have been problematic and we would have been forced to invent flight 2,000 years earlier.
So what is it that makes the wheel so special? Well, for one, it can roll down a hill and because it could not keep the direction for long, it led to the invention of another type of wheel – the steering wheel; thus creating job opportunities for countless people. But this ability to roll downhill is not all good because the vehicle attached to the set of wheels often ran away from the owner. This led to yet another new invention called the handbrake, once again creating employment to many more people.
Of course, this exposed a serious flaw in the design of the wheel. It should not have been round. A square wheel will not run away when parked on an incline. Granted, not needing a handbrake would have deprived some people the opportunity of earning money but it would have saved a lot of natural resources.
However, this ability to roll downhill is not all bad and can be put to work with good effect. By fitting much larger rear wheels and smaller front wheels the car is permanently on an incline and runs downhill all the way; not only moving faster but also saving you a lot of petrol.
For the benefit of our American friends, petrol is what you call gas. You ought to look at the stuff next time you fill up. It is a liquid, not a gas.
New inventions, like the pneumatic tire brought more problems. They go flat at the bottom. I don’t know why they don’t fit the tires so the (flat) bottom is at the top. Then it will run smoothly even though it is flat. This sounds like a modification that the owner can do on his driveway. Car wheels are kept in position by nuts. If you have ever changed a car wheel, you are probably a nut as well.
A great day to all and don't let your wheels come off.
Comments (18)
Hope everything is going well with you my friend
That could work. Or they could fill the bottom of the tires with sand so they don't go flat.
No way you can apply handbrake...
See that little fella on the tricycle? He's got it the wrong way around. The bigger wheel is in front; going uphill all the way. That is why tricycles are so slow.
So glad to be of assistance.
I'm disappointed. It was meant to be educational.
I suppose it is a mindset. I did not like being in a granny flat on another person's property; even if it was my sister's place. I'm too used to space around me. Now I can do my own thing again.
I would say the wheel was an important invention but fire is another one we cannot live without...hope your home improvements are going smoothly...and remember the swimming pool too!!...
Well, now that is another problem. My father is dead set on seeing me married by next year this time. He says I'm too irresponsible and impulsive when I'm single while my sister is trying her best to comply with his wishes. Every Sunday she has another friend or colleague over for lunch but without much success so far. I date some of them once and then I lose interest. They are boring and I'm not good at small talk. Talking about the weather and other unimportant things had never been one of my strong suits.
My niece's daughter (10) baked cupcakes this weekend and on Sunday I had to eat 7 or 8 of them while pretending to like them. She kept on bringing them to me as nobody else seemed to like them. I don't want to see another cupcake for weeks.
But I do have a weakness for Malaysian cupcakes. Raiding that warehouse is a piece of cupcake! Every night I spirit away a few boxes. As a former partner in crime, I'll send you a few boxes.
It is true, the worked well and never got a puncture.