Danger
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Double nope again.
The World's Largest Computer in 1951
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zoobyshoe
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I haven't read it so, very unspecifically: the Da Vinci code?Danger said:
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Danger said:
Well that answers one question, at least.
Danger
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Nope and 
, in that order.
one more hint, and I'm really going to work now: colours
, in that order.one more hint, and I'm really going to work now: colours
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Rubik's Cube!
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Ok, here's one. I'm new to this thread so forgive me if I do something bad...
Clue 1:
First devised in 1941, the final product was a cylinder weighing about 4200 kg. A lot of hard work went into its design, but one of the most ingenious factors enabling its use was an incredibly simple idea.
Clue 1:
First devised in 1941, the final product was a cylinder weighing about 4200 kg. A lot of hard work went into its design, but one of the most ingenious factors enabling its use was an incredibly simple idea.
zoobyshoe
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Wild guess based on date and weight: nuclear reactor?brewnog said:
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Nope.
Clue 2:
I had lunch today in a building named after its inventor.
It was developed in Surrey, tested in Derbyshire, and used in Germany.
The concept was brought about in order to get over a net.
Clue 2:
I had lunch today in a building named after its inventor.
It was developed in Surrey, tested in Derbyshire, and used in Germany.
The concept was brought about in order to get over a net.
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A gun barrel?
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Since brewnog seems so confident I will assume that he is correct?
It seems way too heavy, but could this be the bomb designed to bounce on water? IIRC, it was devised to take out a dam.
It seems way too heavy, but could this be the bomb designed to bounce on water? IIRC, it was devised to take out a dam.
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zoobyshoe
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Whittle's jet engine?brewnog said:
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Ivan Seeking said:
I kinda assumed I was correct too. It doesn't matter now, because...
Yes! Barnes Wallis' "Bouncing Bomb", as featured in the epic film "Dambusters!".
Very well done, I thought I was going to have to use Clue 3!
Incredibly heavy devices, but I suppose you do need rather a lot of RDX to take out an entire dam. They had to bounce to get over the anti-torpedo nets which had been fitted to the reservoirs. The bombing missions were incredibly precise and difficult, - the planes had to be flying at 250mph, 400 feet from the target, before dropping the bombs. The planes had to fly at an altitude of 60 feet, no mean feat for a massive 4-engined bomber.
The simple but ingenious idea I mentioned was to combat the aircrafts' altimeter's lack of resolution at such low altitudes. A pair of spotlamps was set up on the belly of the plane, such that they focussed to produce one beam on the reservoir surface at an altitude of 60 feet.
And I had lunch in Barnes Wallis building today.
Danger
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Sorry I didn't get here until now. Yes, I was referring to the original cube.brewnog said:
I loved 'Dambusters'. The uncle of one of my friends was on that mission. The spotlight trick was pure genius.
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Critical to the patent of 1884, this is only slightly more sophisticated than a spinning pie tin punched with holes.
zoobyshoe
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The first UFO hoax-it-at-home kit.Ivan Seeking said:
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No, but as a clue, U lands right in the middle.
Danger
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Kinescope?
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Nope. But oh so close...
Evo
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kinetoscope ?Ivan Seeking said:
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Painfully close but at least four years too late. If you can imagine taking an average of the last two [edit: concepts] suggestions...
zoobyshoe
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Kineoscope?
Danger
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Oh well, then... that leaves only kinetscope or kineoscope.Ivan SeekingIf you can imagine taking an average of the last two [edit: concepts said:
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There is still a more basic concept and invention involved.
Mk
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An airbrush!
zoobyshoe
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Zoetrope?...
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A phenakistiscope.
zoobyshoe
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a colorectoscope?
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Ten years too soon.
We are so close, and I just tried and easily found it based on three very simple clues already given.
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Oh, wait, you said it has to have a U in it, then how about a thaumatrope?
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zoobyshoe said:
I don't know that one. I don't think so...
another clue: camera