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Dear Nicolas, Very interesting note. Thanks for that. You mention: "Pinch and Bijker, magnificent theorists but poor historians…" I know nothing about cycles, bicycles, etc. So I'm in no position to comment on their history. Whatever errors existed in or followed this work, some of the core ideas — about the way technology is developed in and for social context, not in a linear manner suggesting inevitability — still stand, and it seems you'd agree to this as well. There remains, for example, a wide discussion about whether the nuclear bomb was "inevitable" once certain theoretical moves in science had been made. As someone who works in disarmament issues, I know that what constitutes the "social context" is constantly being debated. So I find insights from this work helpful. I'll be interested to read Technology and Culture for these same reasons. Thanks for the tip. Signing off this one! d. _____________ Derek B. Miller Director The Policy Lab 321 Columbus Ave. Seventh Floor of the Electric Carriage House Boston, MA 02116 United States of America Phone +1 617 440 4409 Twitter @Policylabtweets Web www.thepolicylab.org (http://www.thepolicylab.org) On Friday, August 12, 2011 at 3:17 PM, Oddy, Nicholas wrote: > Before we start, let's get the terminology sorted out...cycles, not just bicycles, the history of the latter is dependent on the former, particularly in the 19th century. > > Pinch and Bijker, magnificent theorists but poor historians, the history used by Bijker in 'Social Studies of Science' in 1984 was already discredited and once the International Cycling History Conference started worrying out the myths and downright lies in 1990 and thereafter there was no excuse to bang on about Kirkpatrick Macmillan or any other questionable or bogus priority claim. But, Bijker saw no reason to revise his history by the time of 'Bicycles, Bulbs and Bakelite'in the 1990s, demonstrating a poverty of academic rigour. His cavalier use of history has largely discredited the SCOT model amongst the very groups he was trying to influence, a great pity as it has considerable mileage. I recommend you to Nick Clayton's discussion in 'Technology and Culture' re this source. > > As for general histories. Andrew Ritchie's 'King of the Road' (Wildwood, 1975) is still pretty good, although its age predates that of hard questioning and even today Andrew is still acting in the rearguard for the Scottish claimants, the likelihood of which remain 'not proven' in the terms of their own courts. Suffice to say that any significant invention of the 19th century that cannot be provided with any evidence of existence until 50 years after it was supposedly built and seen in public is one that few historians would nail their colours to. Moreover, all the key players were, conveniently, dead by the time the first of the machines 'came to light' in 1888. More recently David Herlihy's 'Bicycle' (Yale, 2004) is by far the best. David is a bit hung up on the Michaux claims of 1861 (a fiction of the 1890s) but it is better to explore untruths than let them pass by and his attention to such detail tells you what a quagmire you step into in entering the marsh of cycling history. In general this is the most reliable of general sources. If you want straight factual history do not bother to read anything that gives credit to Leonardo Da Vinci, Sivrac's Celifiere, (indeed any two-wheeled machine prior to Drais in 1817) Fischer's 1850s velocipede...all are completely bogus, and give the lie to poor research if they are cited as anything other than that. > > Nicholas Oddy. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of PHD-DESIGN automatic digest system > Sent: 12 August 2011 00:00 > To: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > Subject: PHD-DESIGN Digest - 10 Aug 2011 to 11 Aug 2011 (#2011-202)[Scanned-Clean] > > There are 9 messages totaling 636 lines in this issue. > > Topics of the day: > > 1. User Models of Scrolling (2) > 2. the history of the bicycle (6) > 3. Mental models - was User Models of Scrolling > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:49:48 +0000 > From: Edgar Rodriguez-Ramirez <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> > Subject: Re: User Models of Scrolling > > Hi all, > > As Norman suggests, consistency with mental models can help avoid confusion for some people. Consistency can also stagnate creativity and freedom of movement. > > I wonder what this person's mental model would be if it were real, it certainly is a beautiful one: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyMfpJh3h4A > > Cheers > > Edgar Rodriguez Ramirez > Lecturer | Postgraduate Research Coordinator > PhD Candidate > School of Design > Victoria University of Wellington > Aotearoa - New Zealand > +64 4 4636245 > > -----Original Message----- > > Donald Norman wrote: > > > The reason for the change is, presumably, consistency, now > > that gestures are becoming the standard way of moving text around on > > multi-touch screens, and multi-touch will become standard on all systems in > > the next few years, either through touch screens or touchpads (or > > more likely, both). > > > > === > > Who remembers the early fights about this model? Can anyone remind me of > > how > > we ever decided upon the moving window model rather than the moving text > > one? The transition will cause much confusion, I am certain, and I want to > > get the original rationale right. > > -- > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:43:05 -0400 > From: "Filippo A. Salustri" <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> > Subject: Re: User Models of Scrolling > > With respect, > > If I have to choose between helping to avoid confusion amongst people on the > one hand, and creativity on the other, I'll choose the former. There's > plenty of opportunities left to be creative. > > Also, while that youtube video is quite wonderful, that kind of dexterity > can be learned. Doug Henning, the magician, was also very dextrous, and > often commented that anyone could learn how to do it. > > Cheers. > Fil > > On 10 August 2011 21:49, Edgar Rodriguez-Ramirez < > [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> wrote: > > > Hi all, > > > > As Norman suggests, consistency with mental models can help avoid confusion > > for some people. Consistency can also stagnate creativity and freedom of > > movement. > > > > I wonder what this person's mental model would be if it were real, it > > certainly is a beautiful one: > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyMfpJh3h4A > > > > Cheers > > > > Edgar Rodriguez Ramirez > > Lecturer | Postgraduate Research Coordinator > > PhD Candidate > > School of Design > > Victoria University of Wellington > > Aotearoa - New Zealand > > +64 4 4636245 > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > Donald Norman wrote: > > > > > The reason for the change is, presumably, consistency, now > > > that gestures are becoming the standard way of moving text around on > > > multi-touch screens, and multi-touch will become standard on all systems > > in > > > the next few years, either through touch screens or touchpads (or > > > more likely, both). > > > > > > === > > > Who remembers the early fights about this model? Can anyone remind me of > > > how > > > we ever decided upon the moving window model rather than the moving text > > > one? The transition will cause much confusion, I am certain, and I want > > to > > > get the original rationale right. > > > > -- > > > > -- > \V/_ > Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng. > Mechanical and Industrial Engineering > Ryerson University > 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON > M5B 2K3, Canada > Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749 > Fax: 416/979-5265 > Email: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/ > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:44:45 -0400 > From: "Filippo A. Salustri" <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> > Subject: the history of the bicycle > > Hi all, > > I'm wondering if anyone can direct me to a definitive history of the design > of the bicycle. > I've been made aware of several histories, but there are some conflicts in > certain aspects. > > Much obliged. > Fil > > -- > \V/_ > Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng. > Mechanical and Industrial Engineering > Ryerson University > 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON > M5B 2K3, Canada > Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749 > Fax: 416/979-5265 > Email: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/ > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 05:26:08 +0000 > From: klaus krippendorff <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> > Subject: Re: the history of the bicycle > > There always are alternative histories. Only if you believe in a god's eye view of the world are there conflicts. > I have used wiebe's account ihis and others social construction of technology. I was not interested in bicycles per se but in social accounts of how techbology becomes part of soocial practices and how socia practices deternine the direction technological development takes. > Klaus > ------Original Message------ > From: Filippo A. Salustri > Sender: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and relatedresearch in Design > To: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > ReplyTo: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and relatedresearch in Design > Subject: the history of the bicycle > Sent: Aug 10, 2011 10:44 PM > > Hi all, > > I'm wondering if anyone can direct me to a definitive history of the design > of the bicycle. > I've been made aware of several histories, but there are some conflicts in > certain aspects. > > Much obliged. > Fil > > -- > \V/_ > Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng. > Mechanical and Industrial Engineering > Ryerson University > 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON > M5B 2K3, Canada > Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749 > Fax: 416/979-5265 > Email: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/ > > > Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:28:06 +0200 > From: Birger Sevaldson <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> > Subject: Re: the history of the bicycle > > Hello Filippo > Im running the gallery at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. I don't know anything about bikes, but I just thought ill let you know that we are planning to display a few of the 500 bikes in a private collection of Norwegian bikes that now is hidden in a cellar here in Oslo. So for that we would need some general and local history. I would certainly be interested in keeping a dialogue on the theme. > Best > Birger Sevaldson > Professor > Oslo School of Architecture and Design > > -----Original Message----- > From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Filippo A. Salustri > Sent: 11. august 2011 04:45 > To: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > Subject: the history of the bicycle > > Hi all, > > I'm wondering if anyone can direct me to a definitive history of the design > of the bicycle. > I've been made aware of several histories, but there are some conflicts in > certain aspects. > > Much obliged. > Fil > > -- > \V/_ > Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng. > Mechanical and Industrial Engineering > Ryerson University > 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON > M5B 2K3, Canada > Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749 > Fax: 416/979-5265 > Email: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/ > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:25:35 +0000 > From: Henri Christiaans - IO <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> > Subject: Re: the history of the bicycle > > In the Netherlands we have a bicycle museum called Velorama > (http://www.velorama.nl). See the site. They can help you with > documentation. > Henri > > ----- > Prof. Dr. Henri H.C.M. Christiaans > Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, TU Delft > Head of Master Specialisation Retail Design > Course Director TopTech Retail Design & Management > Visiting professor Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (UTL) > Editor-in-chief Journal of Design Research (www.inderscience.com/jdr (http://www.inderscience.com/jdr)) > Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE Delft, the Netherlands > T: +31 (0)152 783 063 > M: +31 (0)651 363 996 > F: +31 (0)152 787 179 > > > > > > On 8/11/11 4:44 AM, "Filippo A. Salustri" <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> wrote: > > > Hi all, > > > > I'm wondering if anyone can direct me to a definitive history of the > > design > > of the bicycle. > > I've been made aware of several histories, but there are some conflicts in > > certain aspects. > > > > Much obliged. > > Fil > > > > -- > > \V/_ > > Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng. > > Mechanical and Industrial Engineering > > Ryerson University > > 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON > > M5B 2K3, Canada > > Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749 > > Fax: 416/979-5265 > > Email: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > > http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/ > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:17:13 -0400 > From: Peter Jones | Redesign <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> > Subject: Re: the history of the bicycle > > Fil - Is there a definitive history of anything? ;) All histories are > narratives from a perspective, definitive from that storyteller's viewpoint > at most. My question would be, is there an innovator's history of bicycles? > And why focus on bicycles as the only artifact? > > As a Daytonian before a Torontonian, it's incumbent on me to remind the > bicycle historians that the origination of the first stable flying machine > was constructed in Dayton by bicycle innovators. The structures and precise > balancing of the Wright Flyer was made possible by the brothers' experience > with inventing and repairing bicycles, which were reportedly a "craze" at > the turn of the last century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers > The recent innovation of the "safety bicycle" then has remained a stable > design for > 100 years. > > As you may know as a Torontonian, there's a bicycle film festival this week, > and Dexter Ico in our studio here has a piece in the program: > http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/toronto/ Worth seeing the site just for > the variety of stories. > > Going back to Dayton, I will purport a working theory of Dayton as one of > the first major US innovation clusters > http://www.isc.hbs.edu/econ-clusters.htm and it was the Silicon Valley of > the machine age, now celebrated and fantasized in steampunk retrospective. > It was the leading city for new patents during a period then, and it still > has a famous Engineer's Club downtown. > > The Wright Brothers were no accident. Dayton was home of the first assembly > line mechanical computer firm (NCR), the company founded by James Patterson > who literally "fired" IBM founder TJ Watson in front of their original HQ > building on Main Street. Before the Ford assembly line, Dayton had the > largest number of bespoke auto shops in the US, over 100 by some accounts, > and the machining and machine tool industry were uniquely capable in the > world from that time through the 1970's, when the industrial infrastructure > was "Shumpetered." Dayton was the US home of the Enigma codebreakers, and > in WWII was the home of human factors engineering, as jet aircraft were also > designed and managed from the new US Air Force in Dayton. The capacity to > drill the 16" gun bores for the WWII battleships was only found in Dayton > (which I remember but have not confirmed), and so on. There are numerous > examples like this. > > Needless to say, even with a significant high tech economy in Dayton, it did > not evolve to Silicon Valley. But will Silicon Valley be the leading > innovation cluster in North America after another century? If the secular > era of long-term innovation and development drives regional clusters, we may > not be able to predict what developments and capacities will drive the next > age's innovation center. Has anyone on the group list studied clusters and > these regions, or have longitudinal theories about these innovation eras? > > Peter > > Peter Jones, Ph.D. > Associate Professor, Faculty of Design > Strategic Foresight and Innovation > > T 416 799-8799 > E [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > > OCAD University > 205 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Canada M5V 1V6 > > > Hello Filippo > Im running the gallery at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. I > don't know anything about bikes, but I just thought ill let you know that we > are planning to display a few of the 500 bikes in a private collection of > Norwegian bikes that now is hidden in a cellar here in Oslo. So for that we > would need some general and local history. I would certainly be interested > in keeping a dialogue on the theme. > Best > Birger Sevaldson > Professor > Oslo School of Architecture and Design > > -----Original Message----- > From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related > research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Filippo > A. Salustri > Sent: 11. august 2011 04:45 > To: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > Subject: the history of the bicycle > > Hi all, > > I'm wondering if anyone can direct me to a definitive history of the design > of the bicycle. > I've been made aware of several histories, but there are some conflicts in > certain aspects. > > Much obliged. > Fil > > -- > \V/_ > Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng. > Mechanical and Industrial Engineering > Ryerson University > 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON > M5B 2K3, Canada > Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749 > Fax: 416/979-5265 > Email: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/ > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:31:50 +0200 > From: "Derek B. Miller" <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> > Subject: Re: the history of the bicycle > > I think I might have sent a note earlier I didn't mean to send. If so, oops and sorry. > > There is a wonderful piece that is not about bicycles per se, but rather uses of the example of the bicycle to explain a wider point about the analysis of technological systems. I was very impressed by this book ten years ago when I read it, and I think it was very ahead of its time (it came out in 1987, and I have the sixth printing from 1997). > > The book is called The Social Construction of Technological Systems: New Directions on the Sociology and History of Technology, edited by Weibe E. Bijker, Thomas P. Hughes, and Trevor Pinch. > > The chapter in question is the first one called The Social Construction of Facts and Artifacts: Or How the Sociology of Science and the Sociology of Technology Might Benefit Each Other. by Pinch and Bijker. > > Unlike some contemporary work in this vein, which has become decidedly shrill and aloof to the nuts and bolts of serious social research, this is readable, logical and I think very valuable. To explain, they use the bicycle as its progression (or evolution if you prefer) to illustrate their approach. > > Do take a look. > > Derek. > > > > _____________ > Derek B. Miller > Director > > The Policy Lab > 321 Columbus Ave. > Seventh Floor of the Electric Carriage House > Boston, MA 02116 > United States of America > > Phone > +1 617 440 4409 > Twitter > @Policylabtweets > Web > www.thepolicylab.org (http://www.thepolicylab.org) > > > > On Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 2:17 PM, Peter Jones | Redesign wrote: > > > Fil - Is there a definitive history of anything? ;) All histories are > > narratives from a perspective, definitive from that storyteller's viewpoint > > at most. My question would be, is there an innovator's history of bicycles? > > And why focus on bicycles as the only artifact? > > > > As a Daytonian before a Torontonian, it's incumbent on me to remind the > > bicycle historians that the origination of the first stable flying machine > > was constructed in Dayton by bicycle innovators. The structures and precise > > balancing of the Wright Flyer was made possible by the brothers' experience > > with inventing and repairing bicycles, which were reportedly a "craze" at > > the turn of the last century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers > > The recent innovation of the "safety bicycle" then has remained a stable > > design for > 100 years. > > > > As you may know as a Torontonian, there's a bicycle film festival this week, > > and Dexter Ico in our studio here has a piece in the program: > > http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/toronto/ Worth seeing the site just for > > the variety of stories. > > > > Going back to Dayton, I will purport a working theory of Dayton as one of > > the first major US innovation clusters > > http://www.isc.hbs.edu/econ-clusters.htm and it was the Silicon Valley of > > the machine age, now celebrated and fantasized in steampunk retrospective. > > It was the leading city for new patents during a period then, and it still > > has a famous Engineer's Club downtown. > > > > The Wright Brothers were no accident. Dayton was home of the first assembly > > line mechanical computer firm (NCR), the company founded by James Patterson > > who literally "fired" IBM founder TJ Watson in front of their original HQ > > building on Main Street. Before the Ford assembly line, Dayton had the > > largest number of bespoke auto shops in the US, over 100 by some accounts, > > and the machining and machine tool industry were uniquely capable in the > > world from that time through the 1970's, when the industrial infrastructure > > was "Shumpetered." Dayton was the US home of the Enigma codebreakers, and > > in WWII was the home of human factors engineering, as jet aircraft were also > > designed and managed from the new US Air Force in Dayton. The capacity to > > drill the 16" gun bores for the WWII battleships was only found in Dayton > > (which I remember but have not confirmed), and so on. There are numerous > > examples like this. > > > > Needless to say, even with a significant high tech economy in Dayton, it did > > not evolve to Silicon Valley. But will Silicon Valley be the leading > > innovation cluster in North America after another century? If the secular > > era of long-term innovation and development drives regional clusters, we may > > not be able to predict what developments and capacities will drive the next > > age's innovation center. Has anyone on the group list studied clusters and > > these regions, or have longitudinal theories about these innovation eras? > > > > Peter > > > > Peter Jones, Ph.D. > > Associate Professor, Faculty of Design > > Strategic Foresight and Innovation > > > > T 416 799-8799 > > E [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > > > > OCAD University > > 205 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Canada M5V 1V6 > > > > > > Hello Filippo > > Im running the gallery at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. I > > don't know anything about bikes, but I just thought ill let you know that we > > are planning to display a few of the 500 bikes in a private collection of > > Norwegian bikes that now is hidden in a cellar here in Oslo. So for that we > > would need some general and local history. I would certainly be interested > > in keeping a dialogue on the theme. > > Best > > Birger Sevaldson > > Professor > > Oslo School of Architecture and Design > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related > > research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Filippo > > A. Salustri > > Sent: 11. august 2011 04:45 > > To: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > > Subject: the history of the bicycle > > > > Hi all, > > > > I'm wondering if anyone can direct me to a definitive history of the design > > of the bicycle. > > I've been made aware of several histories, but there are some conflicts in > > certain aspects. > > > > Much obliged. > > Fil > > > > -- > > \V/_ > > Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng. > > Mechanical and Industrial Engineering > > Ryerson University > > 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON > > M5B 2K3, Canada > > Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749 > > Fax: 416/979-5265 > > Email: [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > > http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/ > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:39:48 -0700 > From: Don Norman <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> > Subject: Mental models - was User Models of Scrolling > > ----------------------- > On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 6:49 PM, Edgar Rodriguez-Ramirez > <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> wrote: > > > As Norman suggests, consistency with mental models can help avoid confusion for some people. Consistency can also stagnate creativity and freedom of movement. > > > > I wonder what this person's mental model would be if it were real, it certainly is a beautiful one: > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyMfpJh3h4A > -------------------------------- > > Neat video. Not clear what it has to do with the subject, so I'm > changing the subject line. > > Note that: > > the graphics are added after the filming, which makes it a bit easier > Wacth his "tutorial." It shows that he does have a mental model: the > moves are blocked into groups of N moves, which are then reversed, > making each block 2N moves long. The tutorial shows a block of N=8: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM6iim46of0 > > there are other tutorials for these moves on YouTube. (And all of it > is part of an ad campaign by Samsung for their galaxy Android phone.) > > Mental models rule! > . > Don Norman > > ------------------------------ > > End of PHD-DESIGN Digest - 10 Aug 2011 to 11 Aug 2011 (#2011-202) > ***************************************************************** > > > > > The Glasgow School of Art is a charity registered in Scotland, charity number SC012490.