Piston power

video

By: Jem Stansfield (Guest), Dr Graham Hollister-Short (Guest)

Posted under Across the Sciences, Design and Innovation

Power is wealth - and gunpowder is power indeed. Explore how Leonardo's groundbreaking designs for a gunpowder powered piston ultimately led to the invention of steam engines.

12 Oct

2010

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150 years after Leonardo's manuscript depicting a gunpowder powered piston, French physicist Denis Papin made a working model, but there were insurmountable problems with using gunpowder to power an engine, so Papin turned his attention to steam, with, ultimately, world changing results.

You need the Flash Player (version 7 or higher) to view this clip - download Flash. http://media.open2.net/bang/explosions/leonardo.flv Copyright BBC

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About the authors

Jem Stansfield (Guest)

Jem Stansfield has a degree in aeronautics and a background in building interesting things for curious programmes and films.

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Dr Graham Hollister-Short (Guest)

Dr Graham Hollister-Short is an honorary lecturer in the Department of Humanities at Imperial College, London. He has written a number of books.

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Article Information

Publication details

Originally published:

Tuesday, 12th October 2010

Last Updated on:

Tuesday, 12th October 2010

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• Body text - Copyrighted: BBC
• Video - Copyright: BBC

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