Seating Timeline

Bicycle seats are one of the few areas where not a lot of change has taken place. However, the significance of the little changes made to the form of the seat is huge. Minor changes are constantly being made to allow the rider to be more comfortable. It was discovered that the type of riding hugely affects the type of seat required. For example, for a race biker whose intention is to undoubtedly ride fast, a very narrow racing style seat is needed. This is because the faster the bike goes, the more likely the biker is to be pushed forward by the force. This in turn places more weight on the hands and feet, and reduces it considerably from the seat. This means that when the pedals are spinning faster, the biker’s legs are moving vigorously and cannot tolerate the interference from the sides of the seat; hence the narrower seat.

On the other hand, casual bike riders usually have a much higher and wider handle bars, and they sit much more upright. This means that the majority of their weight is supported by the seat. In this case the seat needs to be wide and padded, to support the biker’s body weight and to provide cushioning for extra comfort.

Another area that shows that a bicycle saddle’s form follows its function is the small, yet important, differences between the seat for a woman and a man. Due to the different structures of a man and woman’s pelvis (women’s are usually wider), a saddle designed for a man is generally longer and narrower, while a women’s saddle is normally shorter and wider.

Light Timeline

A lighthouse is a tower or a tall building that helps in the navigation of ships at sea by emitting light through lamps and lenses to show direction. They are also used for marking the dangerous coastlines so that boats and ships can stay away from hazardous reefs and shoals. Although this system was very popular in older times, it is now almost obsolete due to the expense of operating and maintaining a lighthouse. Modern electronic navigational aids have replaced almost all lighthouses, which have remained merely for their architecture and not their function.

The first lighthouses were built circa 280 BC. These were not built only because of functional purposes; their aesthetics played a major role in the design too. These were generally a part of a larger architecture, such as a castle, and not as functional because they weren’t tall enough. Much later on, during the early seventeenth century, the classic lighthouses were introduced. These were probably the most functional lighthouses with just the right height and light. They were built strictly to navigate ships, and not for their physical appearance. Lastly came the modern lighthouses in the twentieth century, and to present they are the most popular way to navigate ships. These are usually located in inaccessible locations, and they use solar-charged batteries to operate a single stationary flashing light sitting on a steel skeleton tower. These too were developed solely for their function, and they are even less picturesque than the classic lighthouses.

Past/Passed

Most Hindus believe that cremation is the right way to deal with the body of a family member after his/her death. Perhaps the only exceptions are children under the age of three, who are buried rather than cremated. It is deemed that the soul lingers as long as the body is intact, however once the body is cremated the soul can move on to the next phase of being. Also to ensure that the soul does pass on to the realm of Yama, the god of death, the immediate family of the deceased are forbidden to partake in any sort of celebration. They are expected to lead the utmost simple life for a set amount of time. At the end of this period everyone meet for a ceremonial meal, and give generously to charities and to the poor.

The majority of people following Hinduism believe in reincarnation. So while the family and friends of the deceased are grieving during the funeral, some of the rituals performed are celebratory. This is also where the idea of past/passed plays into the picture, because each passed life is considered as a stepping stone for a soul. In each life the soul is supposed to learn new lessons, and correct or pay for all the wrongs done in the previous lives. And the eventual goal for all the souls is to achieve moksha, which means freedom from the cycle of rebirth.