What are some awesome examples of simple yet innovative designs?

 There are many examples of simple, innovative designs, from the paperclip to the pull tab. But look under your sink for a brilliant design unchanged since 1775.

With zero moving parts, it uses the very water it drains to block explosive sewer gases from entering your home. It is the plumbing trap.

Before the late 18th century, indoor plumbing was just a straight pipe connecting a sink or early toilet to a cesspit below. The problem with a straight pipe is that it acts as a two-way street. While wastewater goes down, fumes—methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and the putrid smell of human waste—come right back up. These volatile gases made early indoor plumbing almost unbearable and frequently dangerous.

In 1775, a Scottish watchmaker named Alexander Cumming realized he could solve the problem just by changing the geometry of the pipe. He bent the pipe into a sharp "S" curve (which was later refined into the wall-mounted "P" trap used under modern sinks).

A modern P-trap under a sink. The dip in the pipe retains enough water to block sewer gases from traveling backward. - Photo by McGeddon (Wikimedia Commons) is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

By forcing the pipe to dip downward and then immediately curve back up before continuing to the sewer, Cumming ensured that a small amount of water would always pool at the bottom of the curve after the water was shut off.

That trapped pool of water acts as an airtight, liquid seal. When you run the faucet, gravity pushes new water through the trap, washing the old water out. But the moment the faucet is turned off, the last bit of water settles in the bottom of the dip. This small physical plug blocks foul odors, toxic fumes, and insects from traveling back up the pipe and into the home.

Without the simple curve of the plumbing trap, dense modern cities could not exist. The invention allowed toilets and sinks to be safely integrated directly into the living quarters of homes, apartment buildings, and skyscrapers without turning them into open exhaust vents for the municipal sewer system.

What are some simple and strange facts about world?

 

• The Panama Canal is hailed as one of humankind’s greatest achievements of the 20th Century. The building of the canal allowed ships traveling from New York to California to shave close to 8,000 miles off the journey.

• The Vatican’s Swiss Guard still wears a uniform inspired by the Renaissance painter Raphael.

• The official, full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.

• The tallest stream of the Seven Sisters Waterfall in Norway measures 250 meters.

• The Vietnamese language has six different tones, and a change in tone changes the meaning of a word.
• The Great Barrier Reef is the only living structure that can be spotted from outer space.
• Citizens of Monaco cannot legally gamble – the famous Grand Casino de Monte Carlo is only for tourists.

• The Port of Miami holds the title for the busiest cruise port in the world. In 2013, more than four million cruise passengers traveled through its facilities.
• Dubrovnik, Croatia is a filming location for the HBO hit Game of Thrones, serving as the mythical capital city King’s Landing.

• Olives have been cultivated in the Mediterranean since around 4,000 B.C. It’s believed that the Greeks introduced the crop to Italians around 600 B.C.
• The Komodo Dragon is the largest living lizard. The largest verified Komodo Dragon grew to 10.3 feet long and weighed 366 pounds!

• Bordeaux is famous for producing red wine. However, until the 1970s the region produced more white wine than red.
• The crown of Myanmar’s Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies. The very top, the diamond bud, is tipped with a 76-carat diamond.

Source: Travel Trivia: 29 Fun Facts About The World