Twisted Tales: 8 Fascinating Fun Facts About the Mighty Screw

1. Archimedes' Water Elevator

Before Archimedes was busy causing Eureka moments in bathtubs, he was giving water a spiral elevator ride to new heights: The Archimedes' screw, invented in the 3rd century BC, is a helix-shaped pipe angled at 45°, which, when rotated, elevates water from a lower level to a higher one, revolutionizing irrigation and hydraulics in ancient times.
Source => encyclopedia.com

2. Roman Engineers Loved Screws

In the ancient world, even Roman engineers couldn't resist a good screw: Evidence of screws can be traced back to the ruins of Pompeii, where they served as steadfast anchors for objects like pillars and statues, showcasing the long-lasting principle of the trusty screw. From shells to horns, nature has also embraced the spiral shape, while Jacob Bernoulli predicted a binge-watch worthy phenomenon when he dubbed the equiangular spiral the "Spira mirabilis" or wonder spiral, due to its unwavering angle of line and tangent.
Source => maa.org

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3. Left-Handed Screws Save the Day

Fear not, loyal southpaws, for your time has come to shine in the screwy world of mechanics: indeed, left-handed screws exist and are vital in specialized applications like automotive bolts, heating and plumbing pipes, and gas-supply valves where their right-handed counterparts might just loosen up and shirk their duties under pressure.
Source => nationalbolt.com

4. Screws vs. Nails: The Ultimate Showdown

Ready for a screwball comedy that nails the punchline? Turns out screws have more twists and turns than a daytime soap opera when it comes to holding things together: Screws provide better tensile strength than nails, making them the go-to choice for projects under tension or bearing weight like porch railings or kitchen cabinets, as they're designed not to pull apart.
Source => fastenmaster.com

5. IKEA's Mind-Enticing Maze

IKEA: Where the Swedish meatballs lure you in, and the sweet scent of baked treats helps you make better furniture decisions! In all seriousness, IKEA's strategic store layout is specifically designed to entice the subconscious mind, with contextually placed furniture items and a guided pathway that ups the odds of customers discovering and purchasing more products - and yes, those irresistible baked goods by the checkout help reduce stress for a more enjoyable shopping experience.
Source => bettermarketing.pub

6. Robonaut 2: Robotic Handyman Myths

In a galaxy not so far away, there's a robotic handyman who can put a tight spin on things, but rumors of his screw-tightening shenanigans might be a tad loose: Robonaut 2, NASA's highly dexterous anthropomorphic robot, has not been documented actually tightening screws on the International Space Station, despite what you may have heard. Its true mission? Assisting humans in space with repair, construction, and exploration tasks, while taking care of the dirty work!
Source => designnews.com

7. Screws' Weightlifting Past

Before screws found their true calling in holding our lives together, they dabbled in a lumbering career in weightlifting: It wasn't until the 1700s that these twisty turners transitioned from hoisting heavy objects like water out of mines to fastening and securing objects with their helical talent.
Source => model-engineer.co.uk

8. Go with the (Archi)flow

Whoever said "go with the flow" must have been talking about Archimedes screws: ancient hydraulic wonders still used today, from sewage treatment plants to small hydroelectric powerplants, they've got both the green power and the (sewage) plant power to keep the world turning!
Source => en.wikipedia.org