Stuff YOU Should Know
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You have probably heard about the Wright Brothers, the guys from Dayton, Ohio who have the credit for building the world’s first operable airplane and making the first human flight. You may also know about Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the place where the brothers first flew their plane. You might not have heard of Gustave Whitehead of Bridgeport, Connecticut, whom some historians are now saying made a powered flight a full two years before the Wrights.
For years there was an ongoing rivalry between Ohio and North Carolina, both fighting over the right to claim their place in history. As a compromise, North Carolina now uses the tagline, “First in Flight,” while Ohio claims itself, “the Birthplace of Aviation.” Now Connecticut has gotten into the fight. This past summer, Governor Dannel Malloy signed House Bill 6671 proclaiming a Powered Flight Day to honor Gustave Whitehead.
This move has caused a big stir. In response, both North Carolina Senator Bill Cook and Ohio state Representative Rick Perales held separate press conferences in their home states to address the claims. There are now respected and influential people on both sides of this debate.
Dig Deeper Who is this Gustave Whitehead and why are we just hearing about him now? Some are saying that the reason Whitehead did not get any credit was because he did not market his accomplishment in the same way as the Wright Brothers. What do you think that means?
London Joins Islamic Banking
Islam is a religion that has a specific set of rules that its Muslim followers practice. The religious laws and moral code of Islam is called Sharia. One of the rules is that there can be no interest charged on any business dealings. Investing in businesses that involve alcohol and gambling (or other activities that are in opposition to Islamic principles) is also considered a sin. Because of these restrictions, a separate banking system for Muslims was established before the twelfth century. These restrictions have also made it challenging to have relationships with international banks.
For the past ten years, World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) has brought together government leaders, executives, academic scholars and other professionals to talk about business opportunities in the Muslim world. This year’s event took place in London, England. This was the first time that the forum included countries that are not primarily Muslim. At the WIEF, England’s Prime Minister David Cameron announced that his country’s Treasury hopes to introduce an Islamic Bond (called a sukuk) that will be follow Sharia law. The London Stock Exchange will also add a new “Islamic Index” that will allow Islamic investors to better identify companies that meet their religious practices.
Dig Deeper Do some research and find out if there is any opposition to these new practices. If so, what are the issues? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
A Look Back at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial
November is the time of year when we honor those who have served in our country’s Armed Services (Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.) One way we do this is by visiting memorials or monuments dedicated to those who fought in particular wars. The process to build a memorial is very complex. It requires Congress to pass legislation to authorize the site. The building of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial is perhaps one of the most controversial in history.
(Click on the link to see a larger version of the infographic.)
In 1979, a Vietnam Veteran named Jan Scruggs created a nonprofit organization called the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF). Scruggs brought in more than $8 million in private donations. The VVMF announced a competition where anyone could enter a design for the proposed memorial. A jury of architects and sculptors chose the entry of Maya Lin, a college student who lacked professional credentials. Lin’s simplistic design was also controversial in the beginning. Some called it “a black gash of shame.” Others were deeply touched to have the names of everyone who died represented. Today the official memorial also includes the Three Soldiers Statue and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.
Dig Deeper Dedicated on November 13, 1982, “the Wall” is one of the most visited memorials in Washington D.C. Some say it “changed the way we commemorate war.“ Do some research and find out what they mean by that. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Does that Flying Car Come with Cup Holders?
There is growing research to suggest that Millenials are becoming less interested in buying cars. But maybe that would change if they could buy cars that . . . flew? For many years, people have been working on developing the technology to make “flying cars.” Personal air vehicles that act as both a car and a plane are now being built by companies like Terrafugia. Some researchers are taking it a step further by developing such vehicles to operate themselves. Those is favor say that machines can be better drivers than humans because they have almost no delay in their reaction time, which make them safer.
In the 1960s, dream of space travel was all the rage. NASA successfully launched it first manned-flights into space, and TV shows like the Star Trek, Lost in Space, and The Jetsons featured futuristic improvements on everyday life. There is a joke among Baby Boomers that their “promised” future of hovering vehicles was never realized.