The dream of flying is as old as humankind itself. Throughout our history, we have struggled to achieve flight. And it wasn’t until fairly recently in our history that we achieved the first flight. We started with balloons, followed with gliders, and eventually developed powered aircraft. The story of this achievement is a fascinating one, with many players such as the Wright Brothers being well established. However, their historic first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 may not have actually been the first powered flight. In this three part series, Disciples of Flight is going to look at the question of who achieved the first flight with a powered aircraft. In part one, First Flight: The Early Aviators, we will look at the development of flight leading up to the Wright Brothers. Part two, First Flight: the Wright Brothers, will give a brief history of the brothers, and cover their first flight. And part three, First Flight: Gustave Whitehead, will cover the bold claims of Gustave Whitehead, and others, to first flight.
valerie taylor on 25 Apr 11"mathematics. It is every bit as mind blowing as cosmology or physics (mathematicians conceived of black holes long before astronomers actually found any), and allows more freedom of expression than poetry, art, or music (which depend heavily on properties of the physical universe). Mathematics is the purest of the arts, as well as the most misunderstood. http://www.maa.org/devlin/LockhartsLament.pdf Please read this long but enjoyable and very thought provoking essay from Paul Lockhart - it will change your idea of what education should be."
