Last year, I visited Schramberg, an idyllic little town in the Black Forest. I was taken there by my old friend and former colleague from my SAP days, Mark Finnern,, who was born and raised there and had returned after … Continue reading When the Alarm Clock Eliminated Good Jobs
In the middle of the 19th century, sailing ships dominated the seas, used by merchants and the navies. Steamships were already making their presence felt, but they had not yet been granted wider use. Many of the steamships were converted … Continue reading Steamship Skeptics And Sailing Ship Supporters
Whether it’s surveillance cameras in public spaces, automated border control, or simply unlocking your iPhone, artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition has taken root in our lives. Not everyone accepts this without worry. The feeling of permanent surveillance and the misuse of … Continue reading Facial Recognition in the Service of Historical Reappraisal
What is more iconic of San Francisco than the Golden Gate Bridge? In the city that attracts millions of tourists every year, the orange bridge is a symbol of the West, the optimism, the character of San Francisco, but also … Continue reading The Time When San Franciscans Opposed the Golden Gate Bridge
For German engineers, elevators did not represent the novelty they did in the USA at the end of the 19th century. In this country, the touted elevators were seen more as “children’s toys” than as an engineering challenge. After all, … Continue reading The Wedding Night in a Moving Space OR Why the Tsar Doesn’t Ride an Elevator
The shipping industry was well aware of the advantages that containers offered. Just in the years when McLean and Matson began shipping the first containers, American shipping companies found themselves in constant labor disputes with striking dock workers. Several times, … Continue reading Scottish Whiskey in Metal – Part 3
The first containers were used as early as the beginning of 1920. These consisted of metal frames covered with wood, and some even remained open at the top. The sizes were not standardized, were between two and three meters and … Continue reading Scottish Whiskey in Metal – Part 2
To pass the time while ironing, I often browse YouTube to find suitable videos. The question is not whether I also iron underpants (no, I don’t), but which videos are entertaining or engaging enough to distract me from monotonous shirt … Continue reading Scottish Whiskey in Metal – Part 1
Many visitors were skeptical. Instead of going inside, they stopped at the entrance and took a timid look into the shaft lit up with torches. Even the band playing inside could not entice them further. Only a few dared to … Continue reading The Opposite Of Expectations
Imagine the sight of the merchant and travel writer Jonas Hanway, who amused Londoners. After many years in Lisbon, Russia and Persia, he had brought back a novel piece of equipment after a stay in France. A ‘Parapluie’, which, in … Continue reading When It Rains Trash On The Umbrella