Zübeyde Hanım - museum ship

In the Izmir harbor, we discovered this floating museum, Zübeyde Hanım, with a focus on rescue ships and some of the earlier technology used on them.

Model of a rescue ship

Zübeyde Hanım 

Zübeyde Hanım Training and Exhibition Vessel

Tube radio

Ohmmeter

Amp meter

The helm

Engine order telegraph

Typewriter - note the most worn keys are AZERI. This is not the standard Turkish Q or Turkish F keyboard layout.

Lanterns and compasses

Lanterns, compasses, and megaphones

Calipers

Flare guns

Admiral Piri Reis Map (1531)

Electron lamps

Medical instruments

Astronomical clock, Prague

Dating back to 1410, the Astronomical Clock in Prague is one of the oldest astronomical clocks in the world and the oldest one still operating. Every hour, there is a clockwork display called "The Walk of the Apostles", where statues of Apostles and other figures including Death appear followed by the clock chiming the hour.

One of the interesting features of the clock is the 24-hour face with present day time and Old Czech Time on the outer ring. This ring moves each day with 24 indicating the sunset.

Zodiac symbols appear on the astronomical dial (top) and calendar (below).  

In the above photo, taken at 13:49 on 27 March 2019, the clock shows the Sun has recently exited from Pisces into Aries, the Moon is near the Last Quarter phase, and the hour hand is approaching two in the afternoon.   

More info on all the features of the clock is available on Wikipedia.

Video playlists

Over the years we have featured many videos on the MuzGadgets blog.

Here are all the YouTube videos in a playlist for your convenience:

Vertical Sundials at Prague Observatory

There is not usually much to see at an observatory during the day, but the Prague Observatory has these sundials outside.

Can you tell what time it was?

An analemma. This plots the position of the sun in the sky at the same time of the day for each day of the year.
Usually, an analemmatic sundial is horizontal and has a movable vertical gnomon, so I am not sure how this one works. 

26 March 2019 13:07:53

26 March 2019 13:08:01

26 March 2019 13:08:21

Spy gadgets at the KGB Museum

On our recent trip to Prague, we visited the KGB Muzeum.

The Russian owner gave a very dramatic tour presentation of their collection of weapons, cameras, and other spy items. He dramatically illustrated how agents would use a cigarette case gun or a knife that propelled blades. 

The KGB Muzeum is next to a Kwik-E-Mart which sells cannabis products 

Mini cameras

More cameras

Communication devices

Concealed knife

A tiny pistol

Golden Ratio Calipers

The Golden Ratio [phi (ɸ) ~1.61803399] is often found in the relationship between lines and shapes in nature. Some examples include the nautilus shell, sunflowers, and proportions of the human body. A tool with three caliper legs that divide the space by the golden ratio is useful for art and design and so I created a golden ratio caliper.

Handcrafted from laminated ice cream sticks and rivets, the construction used limited tools (pocket knife, sandpaper, rasp, and hammer).

Handcrafted upcycled golden ratio calipers 

The middle leg points to 13cm, dividing the outer legs (measuring 21cm) into 13cm and 8cm sections 

Another golden ratio related item I have created is the Approximately Φ coffee table

The Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague

During the 1500s, the idea of turning lead into gold with alchemy was sought after by many including Emporer Rupert II of Bohemia. He employed Edward Kelley as an alchemist. We visited the historic tower where Kelley produced gold from a red liquid and mercury. It is suspected that some fakery was involved, but it would be interesting to learn if any real science was done or discovered by the alchemists.

Kelley Tower, 1546

View from the tower

Some of the preserved creatures in the lab

A homunculus

Kelley's study

More lab equipment

Lego Museum, Prague

A fun museum for kids and adults to visit is the Lego Museum in Prague. On our recent trip to Prague, we enjoyed looking at the models and playing with the Lego.

A large Sydney Opera House

And a small Sydney Opera House

A large architectural model of the Czech National Museum (front)

A large architectural model of the Czech National Museum (inside)

Many global visitors have added their flags to the map

My attempt at a Silver Fern flag

There were push-button controls for some of the Technic Lego models

A town with a train

The Little Mole "krteček" is a famous Czech cartoon character

The Millenium Falcon

More Star Wars models

R2D2

Watching a hot air balloon launch

On our holiday at the famous Pamukkale geothermal area last winter, I stopped to watch a hot air balloon launch.

   

 Apple Museum, Prague

Prague has hundreds of specialist museums. We rounded a corner and saw the Apple Museum so we just had to visit. They have a huge collection of Apple computers, iPods, iPhones and iPads from 1976 to 2012.

The museum has only Apple products and artifacts and with 472 exhibits, it is the largest private Apple collection. 

An Apple 1 Computer

Schematic Diagram Apple 1

Apple IIe computer. We had these at high school in the 1980s

Macintosh 128K. 

Remember the 1984 advert. The famous hammer throw advert and other excerpts from Apple events like the introduction of the iPhone played in the video presentation.

More of the original Macintosh Family

NeXT computers

Some rare iMacs

20th Anniversary Mac

PowerMacs

iMacs

iMacs

iBooks

MacBooks

iPods

iPhones

iPads

As well as a cafe, there is a collection of Pop Art featuring the Crazy Ones. Learn more info about the Apple Museum on their website.