Beyond the Blog

1. Although nowadays the computer is applicable in every sector, the truth is that computers were first invented to solve a number-crunching crisis in the U.S. In the 1880s, the U.S population had grown so much that it took almost seven years to complete the tabulation of census results. As a result, punch-card based computers that took up entire rooms were invented that helped the government get the job done quickly and efficiently. 2. The first computer was very spacious and heavy. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) weighed about 27 tons and occupied over 1800 square feet. Regardless of the size of ENIAC, it proved very useful then. 3. The first woman to earn a PhD in computer science in the U.S. goes by the name of Mary Kenneth Keller. Before receiving her PhD, she had a good background in physics and mathematics. Mary Kenneth Keller has been a motivation for many women who want to pursue a career in computer science because she achieved a lot during her time. 4. T...

1. Paper was invented from hemp by the Chinese, around 100 B.C. Later, they started creating paper using other forms of plant fibers such as bamboo and tree bark. Prior to the invention of paper, papyrus served as a writing surface. 2. The Chinese also are credited with being the first people to use paper currency and toilet paper. 3. The production of the paper focuses on softwood trees that account for approximately eighty-five percent of the form. The wood pulp in softwood trees contains cellulose fibers and is most preferred since they can produce adequate strength for paper. 4. The favorable softwood trees for papermaking include pine, fir, and spruce. Trees come in varied sizes, making it difficult to establish how a single tree can produce many sheets of paper. However, on average, one pine tree can make around 80,000 sheets of paper. 5. It can take five liters of water to make one sheet of paper. Although water and writing may sound like a bizarre combination, ninety-nine perce...

1. It is no secret that diamonds come from underground, but many people are unaware of how far underground. Mined diamonds from below the Earth’s outer crust are approximately 100 miles deep in the upper mantle. The most bottomless hole to have been drilled only made it to about 7.5 miles. We require thirteen such holes to reach the prime depth of diamond-making. 2. The ancient Greeks and Romans supposed diamonds to be were tears from gods or splinters from falling stars. The Romans also believed that cupid’s arrows were sloped with diamonds, explaining the earliest relationship between diamond and romantic love. 3. Diamond is the only gem made of a single element: it is nearly 99.95 percent carbon, the commonly found element on the Earth. The other 0.05 percent can include one or more trace elements, which are atoms that aren’t part of the diamond’s essential chemistry.  With the immense pressure and heat far below the Earth’s surface, a single carbon atom forms chemical bonds wit...