We listened to Elon Musk explain his ideas on how he wants his employees to act. Elon Musk is reputed to be the wealthiest man in the world and he has built a large manufacturing base within his short life. He gives a number of instructions to his employees that are somewhat different to what instructions are normally given to employees. Time will tell if any long-term conclusions can be drawn.
We watched a video that showed the development of the Silicon Chip. The Silicon Chip has a fascinating history and is now widely used in most electronic machines. The chip is always in development and is always looking for new code. It is capable of much work that has not yet been thought of.
We finished by watching a video about the development of the Boeing 787 and the Concorde.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a new plane that has some special features. The majority of its structure is built of composite materials. It is slightly smaller than normal jumbo jets, but it fits into a special niche which will allow it to travel long distances at less expensive rates. Another small but significant difference is that its makeup allows it to have larger windows which every passenger will be pleased with.
The Concorde was a noble concept in engineering unfortunately now confined to museums. It was developed by both the British and French governments and after some years of successful flying, unfortunately a piece of metal on the runway was picked up by a tyre and a fuel tank was ruptured. This led to a terrible crash with the loss of many lives. It was decided to withdraw the plane from service.
The Concorde was loved by passengers. The supersonic technology that made it possible was much loved by the engineering community. Unfortunately, it was a plane that only the wealthy could use, however many problems were overcome in its development and ultimately it was a triumph. If the crash had not happened, would it still be in service?
Neville Gibb