Top 6 Mechanical Toys of All Time

Top 6 Mechanical Toys of All Time Top 6 Mechanical Toys of All Time Its one of the magic words of childhood Toys. But people often forget that many toys actually have a mechanical core. We enlisted the help of Barry Kudrowitz, who co-founded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Toy Lab, and who is now an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, to pick the best mechanical toys of all time.TopsTheyve been around forever, but theres a reason for that, says Kudrowitz. So many toys are tops and that is purely a mechanical thing, he says. The interaction itself is playful and the machines behind it are playful. They keep going back to it every year because it feeds into creating new toys, a story, a character, or competition adding a layer. He cites tops that battle each other in arenas as a prime example, ranging from Wingo to Beyblades.The Rubiks CubeAn explosion in the 1980s that lives on in the mind games of today. The cool thing about the Rubiks Cube is its landseemin gly simple but its actually a very difficult challenge, Kudrowitz says of this invention involving a pivot mechanism. Its not like you use one 20 times and its no longer difficult. Also, it was portable enough to be in a ten dollar price range, yet so original. Kudrowitz says you can see the influence of this physical puzzle toy in many others, even possibly in Perplexus.Teddy Ruxpin. Image Wikimedia CommonsKNEXKudrowitz cites this creation as critical in the area of toys as moving structures. He adds, It kept them as simple mechanisms like a roller coaster or a Ferris wheel but gave a kid that sense of accomplishment. I think it may have been the first plastic connector toy that allowed people to make mechanisms into structures that would move and move through them. According to Knex.com, wheels, pulleys, and gears were added to the mix only later.Teddy RuxpinWe return to the 1980s with a famed talking bear who stood out partely by reading stories along with his young owner. This w as a moving, talking animal that was a clear predecessor for products like a Furby, toys that could sense something, says Kudrowitz. According to the Toy Industry Association, this largely forgotten bear was the top-selling toy of 1985 and 1986.RC racing car.RC Car (Radio-Controlled Car)This was a big breakthrough in controlling magic from a distance, says Kudrowitz. This radio control might have been used for other purposes and then was toyified, he says. Today, RC cars go through your phone like Sphero and can drive with an app on the iPhone. The RC car ultimately was part of declaring that you didnt need a track anymore because now you could go wherever you want.The TransformersOften remembered now as a movie series, Kudrowitz says Transformers were a juggernaut of creativity to the toy community. According to Collectorsweekly.com, this toy really began in 1950s Japan, where stories were spun of robot protectors controlled by humans. As far as transforming robots, the site says i t dates at least to 1965, when Ozamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy, introduced the character of Magma (called Goldar in the U.S.), a gold sentient robot that could transform into a rocket.The FrisbeeSimple and yet it continues to be a seller, thanks partly to variation sports such as Ultimate Frisbee, a spin on football. There are aerodynamics that build into it. It can rise, and the lip separates it from a discus, Kudrowitz says. You even see some variations in foam discs but in many ways this is like a yo-yo hard to duplicate and it continues to be enjoyed.Eric Butterman is an independent writer. For Further DiscussionThe RC car ultimately was part of declaring that you didnt need a track anymore because now you could go wherever you want.Prof. Barry Kudrowitz, co-founder, MIT Toy Lab

Good Job Opportunities for Adult Students

Good Job Opportunities for Adult StudentsGood Job Opportunities for Adult StudentsLast week I had the opportunity to give a 30 minute presentation to a group of adult learners at the Expert Technician Academy in Parker, CO. These folks are taking classes on Saturdays and weekday evenings in order to develop the knowledge and capabilitiesfor thehard-to-fill skilled employment needs in Aerospace, Energy, IT and Bioscience industries. I shared with them some ideas for job opportunities for adult students, which include flexible jobs, of courseLike many students, these folks are looking for flexible jobs that can bring in some income to help them get through their final few classes or semesters. And since manytelecommuting and work at home jobs are freelance, contract and part-time in nature, its a perfect fit.Some of the questions raised by the group were centered aroundthe types of companies that hire home-based, flexible workers. We talked about a few of the industries such ascomputer /IT, writing jobs, and schlussverkauf positions that tend to embrace this work model, and there are tons more.Thank you again to Expert Technical Academy for inviting me to their great schoolTo learn more about good job opportunities for adult students, check out these 10 surprising freelance and contract job ideas

How a golf lesson taught me more about my personality than ever before

How a golf lesson taught me mora about my personality than ever beforeHow a golf lesson taught me mora about my personality than ever beforeI have never really understood golf. Sure it seems like a nice way to pass an afternoon away if you happen to be near a golf course, have a platzdeckchen of clubs and a pair of brightly colored pants ready to go. But as far as exercise, I didnt really ever consider it and frankly though I dont mind watching it I partly do it because of its soporific qualities. But as someone always looking to be networking, lets face it Golf is essential.An estimated90% of Fortune 500 CEOs play golf and according to Forbes, CEOs who regularly play are paid 17% more on averagethan those who do elend. Eightypercent of executives say the game allows them to network into new business relationships. After all, you cant really talk shop when you are trying to steal a basketball but you do have time in between swings or holes. And the career benefits for women are argua bly even more significant Half of female executives say playing golf makes them more successful at their jobs andwomen with a handicap of under 10 in 1993 madean average of $146,900 annually.Id literally been meaning to take up the sport for the last 10 years but I just never seemed to find the time. Finally, I decided just to do a private lesson at the Golf Club in Chelsea Piers in New York, one of the most popular golf destinations in the cityif leid the most popular with350,000 customers coming in every year. I figured Id learn the basics and call it a day. But oh did I learn so much more than just how to hold a golf club and swing. I learned more about my personality than any therapy session could reveal.As 20th-century sportswriterGrantland Riceonce wrote, Eighteen holes of match or medal play will teach you more about your foe than will 18 years of dealing with him across a desk. But it turns out my foe was myself. I could not have had a better instructor in Head Pro Marjorie Jones. Margewas named one of Golf Digests 50 Best Women Teachers in America and has been recognized as the LPGA TCPs Northeast Section Teacher of the Year and Player of the Year. She also won the PGA Womens Stroke Play Championship and the LPGA TCP National Team Championship twice. A golf professional for 30 years, she has played in Europe, Asia, Australia and in the United States on the LPGA and Legends Tours. She played in eight British Opens, five United States Opens, and has won numerous events. But I may have been her greatest challenge yet. Not really, but my inability to loosen up when swinging was absolutely incredible.See in most sports, tensing up and using that adrenaline works to your advantage. But not in golf. Golf, though heavily precise, is better if you are relaxed. Your shoulders, arms, and hands are supposed to be relaxed before and during the swing. Thats all it is. Your arms just swing simply as your body turns. But this was not happening for me. Every time I go t the club in my hands I immediately would get nervous and tense up and the ball would go nowhere near my target. Like not even in the same zip code. I couldnt relax. I immediately wanted to swing hard at the ball and expected perfection and it wasnt happening. I couldnt stay loose for the life of me.And this was at a driving range. Imagine what would happen if I ever played an actual game? My dreams of being Michelle Wies (much) shorter sidekick were quickly fading away.Ive always been an anxious person, but a tense person? This was quite upsetting. And then, of course, I was getting more upset about being such a tense person even though I dont think of myself that way and started having anxiety about that. Intense maybe, but are tense people often the first ones to dance at parties? Do tense people participate in pick up games of Wiffle ball? Do tense people drink tea every day as I do?it seemed better in the last few years, but it was never more apparent in my inability to not lo osen up and just relax. Jones was an excellent instructor and talked me through why I was so desperate to control the situation instead of letting my swing just go. As adults, especially driven ones, we expect everything to be a success immediately and it just isnt possible. This was an entirely new skill set so I had to go back to basics. Jones even threw a heavy ball back and forth with me to help me get the right motion.By the end of the lesson I was doing a little better (as in the ball was now in the same zip code as my target.) I also just started to stop thinking about how good or bad I was at this brand new thing I was trying and just enjoy the fact that I was swinging at a ball while looking at the Hudson River on an October day.I am not sure if I will ever be great at golf but I do intend to get better at it and maybe a little less tense in the process. Perhaps one of those hats with the ball on top will help.

How genius Claude Shannon attacked a problem

How genius Claude Shannon attacked a aufgabeHow genius Claude Shannon attacked a problemIt took Claude Shannon about a decade to fully formulate his seminal theory of information.He first flirted with the idea of establishing a common foundation for the many information technologies of his day (like the telephone, the radio, and the television) in graduate school.It welchesnt until 1948, however, that he publishedA Mathematical Theory of Communication.This wasnt his only big contribution, though. As a student at MIT, at the humble age of 21, he published a thesis that many consider the most important masters thesis of the century.To the average person, this may notlage mean much. Hes not exactly a household name. But if it wasnt for Shannons work, what we think of as the modern computer may not exist. His influence is enormous not just in computer science, but also in physics and engineering.The word genius is thrown around casually, but there are very few people who actually deserve the moniker like Claude Shannon. He thought differently, and he thought playfully.One of the subtle causes behind what manifested as such genius, however, was the way he attacked problems. He didnt just formulate a question and then look for answers, but he was methodological in developing a process to help him see beyond what was in sight.His problems were different from many of the problems we are likely to deal with, but the template and its reasoning can be generalized to some degree, and when it is, it may just help us think sharper, too. Shannons mind showed how best to do this byBuilding a core before filling the detailsHarnessing restructuring and contrast Multiplying the essence of every inputAll problems have a shape and a form. To solve them, we have to first understand them.Build a Core Before Filling the DetailsThe importance of getting to an answer isnt s-lost on any of us, but many of us do neglect how important it is to ask a question in such a way that an answer is actually available to us.We are quick to jump around from one detail to another, hoping that they eventually connect, rather than focusing our energy on developing an intuition for what it is we are working with.This is where Shannon did the opposite. In fact, he did this to the point that many of the mathematicians he worked with thought that he wasnt as rigorous as he could be in the steps he was taking to build a coherent picture. They, naturally, wanted the details.2Shannons reasoning, however, was that it isnt until you eliminate the inessential from the problem you are working on that you can see the core that will guide you to an answer.In fact, often, when you get to such a core, you may not even recognize the problem anymora, which illustrates how important it is to get the bigger picture right before you go chasing after the details. Otherwise, you start by pointing yourself in the wrong direction.Details are important and useful. Many details are actually disproportionat ely important and useful relative to their representation. But there are equally as many details that are useless.If you dont find the core of a problem, you start off with all of the wrong details, which is then going to encourage you to add many more of the wrong kinds of details until youre stuck.Starting by pruning away at what is unimportant is how you discipline yourself to see behind the fog created by the inessential. Thats when youll find the foundation you are looking for.Finding the true form of the problem is almost as important as the answer that comes after.Harness Restructuring and ContrastIn a speech given at Bell Labs in 1952 to his contemporaries, Shannon dived into how he primes his mind to think creatively when addressing things that are keeping him occupied.3Beyond simplifying and looking for the core, he suggests something else something that may not seem to make a difference on the surface but is crucial for thinking differently.Frequently, when we have spent a lot of time thinking about a problem, we create a tunnel vision that rigidly directs us along a singular path. Logical thinking starts at one point, makes reasoned connections, and if done well, it always leads to the same distributions-mix every time.Creative thinking is a little different. It, too, makes connections, but these connections are less logical and more serendipitous, allowing for what we think of as new thinking patterns.One of Shannons go-to tricks was to restructure and contrast the problem in as many different ways as possible. This could mean exaggerating it, minimizing it, changing the words of how it is stated, reframing the angle from where it is looked at, and inverting it.The point of this exercise is simply to get a more holistic look at what is actually going on.Its easy for our brain to get stuck in mental loops, and the best way to break these mental loops is to change the reference point. We are not changing our intuitive understanding of the problem o r the core we have identified, just how it is expressed.We could, for example, ask What is the best way to solve this? But we could also ask What is the worst way to solve this? Each contains knowledge, and we should dissect both.Just as a problem has forms, it also has many shapes. Different shapes hold different truths.Multiply the Essence of Every InputWhile its important to focus on the quality of ideas, its perhaps just as important to think about the quantity. leid just concerning total numbers but also how you get to those numbers.To solve a problem, you have to have a good idea. In turn, to have a good idea, its often the case that you have to first go through many bad ones. Even so, however, throwing anything and everything at the wall isnt the way to do that. There is more to it than that.During the Second World War, Shannon met Alan Turing, another computer science pioneer. While Turing was in the US, they had tea almost every day. Over the years, they continued to keep i n touch, and both men respected the others thinking and enjoyed his company.When discussing what he thinks constitutes genius, Shannon used an analogy shared with him by Turing, from which he extrapolated a subtle observation. In his own wordsThere are some people if you shoot one idea into the brain, you will get a half an idea out. There are other people who are beyond this point at which they produce two ideas for each idea sent in.He humbly denied that he was in the latter category, instead putting people like Newton in there. But if we look beyond that, we can see what is at play. Its not just about quantity.Every input has a particular essence at its core that communicates a truth that lies behind the surface. This truth is the foundation for many different solutions to many different problems.What Shannon is getting at, I suspect, is that generating good ideas is about getting good at multiplying the essence of every input. Bad ideas may be produced if you get the essence wro ng, but the better you identify it, the more effectively youll be able to uncover insights.Doubling the output of your ideas is the first step, but capturing the essence is the difference.All You Need to KnowMuch of life whether its in your work, or in your relationships, or as it relates to your well-being comes down to identifying and attacking a problem so that you can move past it.Claude Shannon may have been a singular genius with a unique mind, but the process he used isnt out of reach for any of us. His strength was in this process and its application.Here are three things we can steal from his playful approach to thinkingI.Build a core before filling in the details. Its easy to lose sight of how important it is to identify the form of a problem before you go looking for answers. If you dont, then you get stuck with the wrong details. Adding the right details comes after you have stripped away the inessential. It comes from developing a keen intuition for the core that give s a problem its specific qualities.II.Harness restructuring and contrast. After a while of working on something, we tend to get stuck in a mental loop, forming a tunnel vision in a single direction. At this point, the best thing you can do is change the reference point by restating, or inverting, or semantically changing the question. Its a way of playing with the shape of a problem, and it provides a more holistic viewpoint, one that leads to new ways of thinking.III.Multiply the essence of every input. Solutions to problems come from good ideas, and good ideas come from many ideas. But quantity alone isnt enough the right kind of quantity matters. The essence of every input contains a truth that can build out in many directions, and the right kind of quantity is born from getting good at identifying this essence.Good problem-solving is a product of both critical and creative thinking. The best way to combine them is to have some process in place that allows each to shine through. Thinking patterns shape our minds. The goal is to have the right thinking patterns doing so.Want to think and live smarter? Zat Rana publishes a free weekly newsletter for 30,000+ readers atDesign Luck.This article was originally published on DesignLuck.com.

Want to Know More About Resume Writers?

Want to Know More About Resume Writers? If youre a recent college graduate or have less than five decades of experience, youre advised to adhere to the 1 page rule. Finding well-qualified certified resume writers near you may be as easy as searching the aforementioned organizations websites. Its possible for you to add the overview of technical skills in your CV to offer clear idea about your present skills. Many students could possibly be young adults in their teens while others might be older. Each CV writing company has its own distinct style. Ultimately, whichever firm you select, ensure they will continue working on your CV until you are totally satisfied. Its possible to visit their site to locate certified resume writers also. Right theres the largest difference I see between entrepreneurs and company professionals. The trick to picking the proper legal resume writing company is to check at their professional resume writers. There are different industries which are ma naging to continue to keep their heads above water during the financial recession also. There are a couple different methods to do a little research on a provider too. One of the primary things I elendice with my clientele and their current resumes is they dont BRAG enough about their accomplishments. There are a number of factors that go into writing a resume, along with associated questions a customer should truly be asking. If youre looking for a new job, it may be advisable to put money into the services of certified resume writers to make an attention-grabbing resume for you. Let all previous acquaintances, family and friends know that youre job searching. Hence, always earn a list of your abilities and the necessities of the position and konzeption your resume in a manner in order for your skills seem most appropriate for the position youve applied for. It is simpler than you might think to compose a superb administrative resume that could enable you to find the job of your dreams. Im a career services professional. Each time you leave an interview you think your performance was strong, but you never get a work offer. The work description will be ideal. To offer you a general idea of what kind of jobs may be categorized underneath the jobs industry title, weve listed a few jobs for your perusal. Examples of resumes are among the absolute most productive techniques to be certain that youre writing one which is good and thats correct for the specific job youre applying for. It is quite easy to track down examples for resumes which are job specific. The Ultimate Resume Writers Trick Resume guarantees may also be a strong marketing tool to drive customers to a certain firm. Omitting Keywords In the modern digital world, most resumes are scanned erreichbar for certain keywords relevant to the job. You might even choose to bring a list of keywords that fit the possible position. For instance, if you want to post your resume to an on-line job we bsite, youll probably require that resume formatted in ASCII text. The illustration will help make sure that you compose a resume of your own that will unquestionably be correct and in the correct format. The examples you may locate to use, can help you understand what specific information which you want to be sure is on there. Resume Writers Jotting down a couple of notes beforehand often helps. You might just be asking the resume writer to produce unnecessary changes to well-written document, all because you didnt have the right expectations going into the approach. Spending some time researching a resume writing service can help set your mind at ease and lead to a premium quality new resume for yourself. The next three tips are likely to do just that that will help you secure employment as the ultimate objective. The Dos and Donts of Resume Writers Most applicants are rather honest. Students are not permitted to enroll in the winter and start in the spring. Employers a re not only filling positions. They dont have time to guess what you want to be when you grow up.

Work Motivation Gender Equality

Work Motivation Gender Equality This past Saturdays global Womens March left us with plenty to be inspired by, when it comes to gender equality. With so much out there in terms of signage, quotes, video, memes, gifs, stories, speeches, etc...etc...etc...out there in the stratosphere, we compiled some of our favorites to leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take over the world this week. RoarWhich one is your favorite, or did we leave any out? Let me know by messaging me directly on our new Networks tool Related Articles Around the Web United Nations Gender equality and womens empowerment Gender equality - Wikipedia Gender equality bevlkerungsfonds der vereinten nationen - United Nations Population Fund Goal 5 Gender Equality The Global Goa ls Goal 5 Gender equality UNDP Gender equality - European Commission Gender Inequality Index (GII) Human Development Reports Goal 5 .. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform Gender equality in Sweden The official site of Sweden Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment U.S. Agency for ... One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When welches the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows t hat diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectiv ely. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.