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Michael Faraday invented the rubber balloon (wikipedia.org)
77 points by unclefuzzy on Sept 29, 2022 | hide | past | favorite | 9 comments



Some people really are just on a different level. I also put John von Neumann[0] on this level.

[0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann


He should also be credited presumably with

- characterizing static electricity

- transformers (power transmission, wall warts, spark plugs)

- air conditioning / refrigeration / chlorine/ammonia's endothermic phase change from liquid to gas[0]

[0] https://youtu.be/up8LqQMLvK8?t=1470


> He should also be credited presumably with

> - transformers

I think you're thinking of Michael Bay, not Faraday


You mean Ashish Vaswani et al.?


No, that was Michael Hasbro.


More interesting to me is this history on balloon animals:

> The Aztecs created the first balloon sculptures using wildcat intestines, which were then presented to the gods as a sacrifice.


Now I imagine Aztecs offering balloon animals made out of wildcat intestines to their gods.


Yes but arguably, Ben Franklin invented the Faraday cage. :-)


His "Chemical History of a Candle" Christmas lecture is a masterpiece in science education. Narrated here by Bill Hammack - the engineerguy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrHnLXMTOWM




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