Why is the mouse cursor arrow tilted instead of pointing vertically up? Detailed answer

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Why is the mouse cursor arrow tilted instead of pointing vertically up? Detailed answer

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Why is the mouse cursor arrow tilted instead of pointing vertically up?

The inventor of the computer mouse, Douglas Engelbart, depicted the screen cursor as an arrow pointing vertically upwards in explanatory drawings. This selection option seemed the most logical, but when it came to implementing a cursor in the Xerox operating system GUI, it turned out that due to the low resolution of monitors, it was impossible to draw a good-looking little upward arrow from pixels. The engineers decided to tilt the cursor so that one face is vertical and the other is at a 45° angle to it. In this form, the cursor entered all other operating systems, even after the advent of higher resolution monitors.

Authors: Jimmy Wales, Larry Sanger

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

How did magic originate?

Magic, in its original sense, was associated with spells, charms, and supernatural powers that performed "miracles." In ancient times, the priests and physicians of Egypt, Greece and Rome, as a rule, inspired people that they had some kind of magical power.

But magic as we know it today is a form of entertainment for people. The magician, using sleight of hand or some kind of mechanical contrivance, fools his spectators into thinking that he has done something impossible. We, the audience, understand that there is some kind of trick behind the "magic", but we like to be fooled. It's like part of the rules of the game.

In ancient times, each royal court had its own magicians or invited them for entertainment. Less skilled wizards performed in the marketplace for passers-by. Their tricks were very simple, and they carried all the necessary props in their pockets. Incidentally, the first book on magic was written in 1584, but of course wizards had been doing their tricks long before that.

In the Middle Ages, magicians began to make regular trips to cities and even countries (now they would be called tours), and people were waiting for their arrival. Over time, they began to give larger performances and use more equipment. Therefore, they now traveled in vans, and performances were given in specially rented halls.

At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, magic gradually began to take on the form in which it is known to us today. Masquerade costumes were replaced by tailcoats, and tricks with bulky equipment were replaced by those based on the sleight of hand of a magician.

The French magician Robert Gaudin is considered the father of modern magic. He improved the equipment so much that he could use ordinary, familiar objects in his tricks. Considering a very important form of presenting tricks, he devoted a lot of time and knowledge to this.

Over time, another form of magic tricks appeared, called "illusion". Their purpose is to give the audience the appearance that people allegedly float in the air or disappear, that a woman is "sawed" in half, etc. The original form of magic was created by one of the greatest magicians of all time, Cardini. He is the author of a series of tricks in which burning pipes and cigarettes, playing cards suddenly appeared "out of nowhere" and disappeared "out of nowhere", and everything was done without special equipment.

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