When was the key first made? Detailed answer

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When was the key first made? Detailed answer

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When was the key first made?

The ancient Egyptians were the first to use something like a key to lock doors. They locked the doors with a wooden bolt inserted into the groove. A movable wooden pin, known as a tumbler, was attached to the top of the groove. When the deadbolt was in place, a wooden tumbler was lowered into a hole cut in the deadbolt. The bolt firmly locked the door, and in order to move it, it was necessary to lift it with the key and pull the toggle switch out of it.

The first key looked completely different from the modern one. It looked more like a huge toothbrush with pegs instead of bristles at one end. When the key fell into the groove, the pegs fit under the toggle switch. When the key moved up, the toggle switch was pulled out of the bolt, which then easily moved away. The key of the Egyptians could only be used on the side of the door where the bolt was.

The Greeks discovered a way to move the bolt from the back of the door. They pushed the key into a hole above the bolt until its end reached a notch in the bolt, which was inside a twisted plate, which, in size and shape, resembled a peasant's sickle. Some of these keys were over a meter long and were worn over the shoulder.

Later, the ancient Romans became the most skilled locksmiths. They greatly improved them, and improved the keys. The teeth at the end of the Roman keys had a different shape. Nowadays, in order to forge a key, one must take into account not only the correct position of the teeth and their correct length, but also the correct shape. The Romans invented small locks that could be moved from place to place. We call these padlocks. Padlock keys were usually made in the shape of a ring. They could be worn on the finger.

Author: Likum A.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

How was the light year discovered?

Although we cannot fully explain what light is, we can measure it quite accurately. We have a pretty good idea of how fast light travels. Since a light year is simply the distance a ray of light travels in a year, the true discovery was related to the speed of light. This was done by a Danish astronomer named Ole Römer in 1676. He noticed that the eclipses of one of the satellites of Jupiter come later and later as the Earth moves in its orbit to the far side of the Sun, opposite to that where Jupiter is located.

Then, when the Earth returned to its previous position, the eclipses again began to occur according to the previous schedule. The time difference was about 17 minutes. This could only mean that this time is required for the light to travel a distance equal to the diameter of the earth's orbit. This distance is known to be approximately 186 miles. Since it took light about 000 seconds (about 000 minutes) to travel this distance, this meant that the speed of light was about 1000 miles per second.

Already in modern times, Professor Albert Michelson has spent years trying to accurately determine the speed of light. Using a different method, he got a result of 186 miles per second, and this is now considered a completely accurate figure. If we multiply this speed by the number of seconds in a year, then it turns out that in a year light travels 284 miles - this distance is called a light year.

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Non-bitter chicory bred 11.08.2021

Researchers at Wageningen University have used new breeding methods to develop a variety of chicory that no longer contains bitter compounds.

Chicory is a beautiful plant with blue flowers, but the interesting part of it is in the ground: chicory roots are a source of inulin, a natural sweetener used in bread and dairy products, and as dietary fiber for healthy bowel function.

"Inulin has a positive effect on the health of the digestive system. Usually, inulin needs to be separated from bitter compounds (which are also found in the root) as they cause a bitter taste. With new breeding methods such as CRISPR-Cas, we were able to develop a plant that is no longer contains bitterness. This will lead to less expensive, easier and more environmentally friendly processing, as well as a wider use of inulin. Now we know which genes are involved in the production of bitter compounds, so we can also change the level of bitterness in witloof, "the scientists said.

The new CRISPR-Cas method specifically targets chicory DNA, which is responsible for certain desirable or undesirable plant characteristics.

"A technique called genome editing makes small changes to the DNA. So the grown chicory contains only its own DNA. We turned off four genes responsible for bitter substances. To do this, we took cells from a leaf, processed them with technology, and then allowed them grow back (in the greenhouse). Using this method, breeding is much faster," explained KeyGene spokesman Paul Bundock.

Within the framework of the European CHIC project, researchers and enterprises are also working on the development of the specific bitter chicory compounds (terpenes) themselves. These compounds can serve as anti-inflammatory agents and/or cancer drugs.

"Bitter compounds protect plants from fungi and bacteria. In the project, we were able to demonstrate anti-inflammatory activity. Previous studies have shown that bitter compounds in chicory have antihelminthic effects in sheep," said Sensus corporate development manager Matthew de Roode.

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