Re: What is this piece of equipment?

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

From the  Guide to Literary Terms by Jack Lynch:

" In some ancient Greek drama, an apparently insoluble crisis was solved
 by the intervention of a god, often brought on stage by an elaborate
 piece of equipment. This "god from the machine" was literally
 a deus ex machina.

Few modern works feature deities suspended by wires from the ceiling,
but the term deus ex machina is still used for cases where an author
uses some improbable (and often clumsy) plot device to work his or
her way out of a difficult situation. When the cavalry comes charging
over the hill or when the impoverished hero is relieved by an
 unexpected inheritance, it's often called a deus ex machina. "

####

You ask if this label for an improbable catharsis,
"Deus ex Machina",  is of the same weight as   "Theopneust"
 the term for Divinely Inspired (or Expired, as the case may be.)

The idea of Divinity, as carried on stage "in the Sky" by wires,
or as whispering in the ear of prophets is difficult to resolve.
 (Though I can confirm that the slightly comparable  poet's
 sentiment,  of a Muse whispering finished verses into one's ear
has a well-known basis in experience, even if all too rare.)

On the other hand, Feynman's testament on screw jacks
in  his Lectures...  is easy to correct:  It turns out that a
screw jack  needs rather more than twice as work as a
hydraulic or pneumatic or ratchet jack for equal weight
 times height.
Though the ratchet jack, that favorite farm implement,
 is reactive, in that excess height is needed to set the ratchet
 securely, whereon the load may sit down somewhat again.

If the screw jack's efficiency were not less than 50% it would
simply screw itself down again, hands-off, as you will easily
recognize.

Brian Whatcott


----------



At 12:16 PM 6/15/2004, you wrote:
> Okay, this would also be the ideal occasion to point out that the four
> spring are uncalibrated and of too trivial a "k" to give data. I have
> already pointed out that the apparatus is intended in the Principles of
> Technology curriculum to use a load cell between the upper two platforms.
> The springs simply assure that the middle one will not hang up on the
> threaded rods if the bottle jack is not exactly in the center.
>
> Brian, does Theopneust equilibrate with Deus ex machina?
>
> Tom Ford
>
> At 10:07 AM 6/15/04, Brian wrote:
> >This would be the ideal occasion to demonstrate the different
> >   energy requirements  of the screw jack versus the hydraulic
> >   (or pneumatic) jack.
> >Those of us who are inveterate railers against Physicists as
> >Theopneust  take every opportunity to recall  that Feynman
> >was caught in this  minor transgression.
> >
> >Brian W
> >
> >At 07:29 AM 6/15/2004, Tony wrote:
> > >For those of you who were still wondering what this was...
> > >
> > >This device is used in principles of technology class (we taught here
> > >more than a decade ago). A bottle jack was placed under the middle
> > >piece. The jack is connected to an air source with a gauge. As the
> > >pressure is increased in the jack, the middle piece is compresses the
> > >springs upwards. This whole process is used to measure the work of the
> > >jack.
> > >-Tony


Brian Whatcott    Altus OK    Eureka!