Engineering the Viking Longboat

Engineering the Viking Longboat Engineering the Viking Longboat The Vikings are coming. Again. After a 900-year hiatus, Viking culture and all things Nordic are suddenly landing on shorelines around the world. From the History Channels ratings juggernaut Vikings, to 2011s blockbuster Thor, to the upcoming summer epics Hammer of the Gods and Thor 2, it is suddenly very cool to be a Northman. Even HBOs fictional Game of Thrones is set in the distinctly Viking-esque kingdom of Westeros. And yet, surprisingly little is known about this ancient culture that so thoroughly changed the world, and that has so thoroughly captured the imagination of scriptwriters, viewersand engineers alike. Theres much mora thats unknown of the Viking Age, or even unknowable, than there is that is known, says Dr. William Short, who holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but who is now an author and independent scholar specializing in Viking-age topics, as well a s being a research Fellow of the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA. He teaches Viking martial arts on his site, Hurstwic.org. One thing we do know for certain, however, is that they could sail. And how. The Viking longboat remains an engineering marvel today. The Boat The Viking longboat, along with a related design called the knarr for shipping cargo, is a true engineering marvel of the ancient world, and in light of the fact that modern replicas have been apocryphally clocked at 25 knots, these boats are a marvel to this very day, over a millennium later. First of all, they longboats had very shallow drafts, so they could sail in very shallow water, which meant they could go anywhere, says Short. They were strong enough to cross the open ocean, but they were shallow enough that they could go way up river and truly surprise people in places where no one expected an ocean-going ship to appear. And surprise people they did, with Viking culture fundamentally reshaping the people and culture of the British Isles, while simultaneously spreading as far east as modern Russia and as far southeast as modern-day Turkey, where the Varangian Guard served Byzantine emperors for centuries. At the heart of it all, of course, welches the longboat, their unparalleled means of transportation. Another thing they longboats could do was sail very close to the wind atypical for European ships of that time, Short continues. So they could sail in many directions, and unexpected directions given the wind. One of the advances that enabled this virtually unique ability, related to tacking in todays terminology, was the beitass, which was a spar that helped brace the sail against strong winds. The ships could sail in very shallow water. However, one curiously modern advance in the engineering of the longboat seems to be the flexibility of the vessel. Anyone who has seen an airplane wing bounce up and down in a high wind knows how critical flexibility can be to the structural integ rity of any vessel, particularly one trying to navigate huge ocean swells far out to sea. The Vikings seem to have grasped this concept much earlier than many other cultures. They could cross the open ocean and the swells and the waves of the open ocean and they were able to do that because of their flexibility, says Short. They the longboats werent firmly nailed together, they actually bent with the waves rather than taking the full force of the waves and possibly breaking. The People Combine all of these engineering elements shallow draft, the ability to sail in any direction, and an incredibly durable, flexible design and you had a boat that could create a distinct advantage for an early middle ages people, whether in warfare, trade, or exploration. But this particular people had one additional advantage, at least as far as discovery and exploration went. This advantage had nothing to with engineering and everything to do with psychology and the schrift of thinking that would e nable a group of sailors to head for the horizon on the open ocean, not having any idea what would greet them when they got there. In effect, to go on what many would have considered an early middle ages suicide mission. The other aspect is the mindset of the Vikings, says Short. These people believed that at the moment of your birth, the time of your death was chosen for you. So if it was your day to die, nothing could save you. But if it wasnt your day to die, nothing could harm you. So why not go out and be bold? Why not, indeed. With a mentality that truly lent itself to bold exploration and discovery, it is little wonder the Vikings accomplished all that they did. However, the next time an episode of Vikings comes on television, or youre in the middle of a crowded theater at one of this summers blockbusters, keep in mind that things like draft, tacking, and stress analysis were just as responsible for the adventures we still enjoy watching today.They were strong enough to cross the open ocean, but they were shallow enough that they could go way up river and truly surprise people in places where no one expected an ocean-going ship to appear.William Short, author and Viking scholar

The One Thing That Will Make Resume-Writing 88 Percent Easier

The One Thing That Will Make Resume-Writing 88 Percent Easier The One Thing That Will Make Resume-Writing 88 Percent Easier Turns out, youre not alone.Resume-writing is difficult for a number of reasons, but one common complaint is that its tough to write about yourself. Most of us are uncomfortable bragging, and most of us arent aya how to view ourselves objectively.That One ThingHeres the one tip that will make resume-writing easier. Its not a secret, but it is often overlooked Learn what your natural abilities are, and then lead with them in your resume.Natural Abilities Defined thingsyou do well with little time, effort, or energy. They are often referred to as talents.A few things to know about natural abilities- People are happiest and perform best when using their natural abilities to the fullest.- Intelligent and motivated people can work against their natural abilities, but they are rarely happy or satisfied doing so.- Abilities stabilize early in life.- Learning the langu age of abilities allows you to capitalize on your strengths and make better career choices. If you ignore your abilities, you can land in mismatched roles or jobs.Examples of Natural Abilities, and How to Incorporate Them Into Your ResumeAbilities dont have to be extravagant to be awesome, and just because you have an ability, that doesnt mean you have to pursue a career in that area. For example, if you have athletic abilities, you do not need to become a professional baseball player but playing on a co-ed rec team on the weekends might fuel your soul.What follows is a list of possible natural abilities and some corresponding language you could use in a resume the describe these abilities- GeneralistThrives in roles with shared responsibilities, task variety, and multiple types of contributions also thrives in roles where apremium is placed on taking a broad-brush perspective and achieving results through or with others.- SpecialistThrives in roles with ultimate responsibility, ta rgeted tasks, expert contributions, and roles that place a premium on taking an authoritative perspective and achieving results using ones own knowledge or skills.- Short-Timeframe ThinkingA natural orientation toward roles/tasks with outcomes expected in one year or less, a demand for closure or completion, or roles requiring immediate action and a focus on the here-and-now.- Long-Timeframe ThinkingA natural orientation toward roles/tasks with outcomes expected in five years or more, a focus on distant targets, or roles that require working toward goals that may take years tocome to fruition.- Observant Able to notice and remember small visual details, make visual comparisons quickly or automatically, and recall details.- Great Visual DexterityAble to scan tables of numbers or symbols accurately and quickly highly applicable in proofreading and/or numerically-oriented fields.Why Only 88 Percent Easier?Knowing your abilities does make it easier to describe yourself in a resume, but its not magic. You still need to create aresume that follows your industrys best practices and remember all those mundane details about your previous positions. Theres no way around that last 12 percent of resume-writing. For that, I suggest a strong cup of coffee and the help of a good friend.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career. Like this article? We also offer tons of free eBooks on career and recruiting topics - check out Get a Better Job the Right Way and Why It Matters Who Does Your Recruiting. document.write(Read more ) in Resume Writing

Funny Story Ideas and Writing Exercises

Funny Story Ideas and Writing ExercisesFunny Story Ideas and Writing ExercisesHeres a great exerciseto get the creative juices flowing and to quickly come up with some fun story ideas. Its also great to do in groups and can produce some very good ideas in a hurry. All you need to do is to take a popular movie or book and re-imagine its story in a different genre. For example SCARY Home AloneA child is left home alone after his parents are killed in a car accident while running out for milk. His home is set upon by a murderous duett of thieves and the child must defend his home against them using everyday objects as weapons, or die Or... FUNNY TwilightWhen a moody teenage girl moves to a creepy new town she soon finds herself falling for a brooding local hunk. The problem? Hes a zombie. Is there love after death, or will he just end up breaking her heart and eating her brain? Thats it Take something funny and make it scary. Or scary and make it funny, or romantic, or dramatic, or what ever. The idea is to think about things in an unusual way and to find new slants on familiar plots. Its fun and easy and youll be amazed at how many great ideas will come out of it - also a lot of bad, but funny ones. Heres one more to get you started. How about... ROMANTIC SawA driven and solitary female reporter and a workaholic male doctor are kidnapped by a sadistic killer and chained together in a room. After initially detesting one another they eventually fall in love and each attempts to sacrifice themselves to save the other. Although it initially appears that they have both died, they are revealed to be alive and well at the end. The psycho wasnt trying to kill them, but to help them realize that love was missing from their lives. OK, so that one was pushing it, but remember these dont have to be good The idea is to binnensee how far you can stretch your creative muscles and to get the pen moving across the page, which some days is all we need. Give it a shot, youll like it .