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A new pyramid-like shape always lands the same side up

(www.quantamagazine.org)
598 points robinhouston | 1 comments | 25 Jun 25 20:01 UTC | HN request time: 0.276s | source
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devenson ◴[25 Jun 25 20:39 UTC] No.44381610[source]▶
A reminder that simple inventions are still possible.
replies(1): >>44381775 #
malnourish ◴[25 Jun 25 20:59 UTC] No.44381775[source]▶
Simple invention made possible by sophisticated precision manufacturing.
replies(2): >>44381926 #>>44382126 #
GuB-42 ◴[25 Jun 25 21:50 UTC] No.44382126[source]▶
I think it is a very underestimated aspect of how "simple" inventions came out so late.

An interesting one is the bicycle. The bicycle we all know (safety bicycle) is deceivingly advanced technology, with pneumatic tires, metal tube frame, chain and sprocket, etc... there is no way it could have been done much earlier. It needs precision manufacturing as well as strong and lightweight materials for such a "simple" idea to make sense.

It also works for science, for example, general relativity would have never been discovered if it wasn't for precise measurements as the problem with Newtonian gravity would have never been apparent. And precise measurement requires precise instrument, which require precise manufacturing, which require good materials, etc...

For this pyramid, not only the physical part required advanced manufacturing, but they did a computer search for the shape, and a computer is the ultimate precision manufacturing, we are working at the atom level here!

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1. adriand ◴[26 Jun 25 00:00 UTC] No.44382961[source]▶
It's funny, I was wondering about the exact example of a bicycle a few days ago and ended up having a conversation with Claude about it (which, incidentally, made the same point you did). It struck me as remarkable (and still does) that this method of locomotion was always physically possible and yet was not discovered/invented until so recently. On its face, it seems like the most important invention that makes the bicycle possible is the wheel, which has been around for 6,000 years!