Keyboards

Keyboards

Author: History Hit March 5, 2023 Duration: 37:48

The keyboard on the first ever commercially successful typewriter and the keyboard on your smartphone are separated by a gulf of time and technology. Yet their layout is essentially the same (plus or minus a few new buttons along the way).


Who invented the QWERTY keyboard layout and why hasn’t it been updated?


What is the Shift button all about?


Who else remembers the weird way it felt to type on the ZX Spectrum?


To tell the stories that lurk underneath the keyboards you use every day, Dallas is joined by Marcin Wichary. His book ‘Shift Happens’ is available via Kickstarter now: bit.ly/3ETOn8c


Produced by Sophie Gee, Edited by Freddy Chick, Senior Editor is Charlotte Long.


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Dallas Campbell guides you through the fascinating and often overlooked backstories of the objects and ideas that shaped our world in Patented: History of Inventions. This isn't just a dry recounting of dates and blueprints; it's a deep dive into the human drama behind innovation. You'll hear about accidental breakthroughs, the forgotten figures whose contributions were sidelined, and the clever-sometimes dubious-marketing that turned an idea into a household name. From questioning the true legacy of figures like Thomas Edison to uncovering the surprising connection between foundational garments and space exploration, each episode unpacks these narratives with a sense of curiosity and wit. Produced by History Hit, the podcast brings in historians, scientists, and specialists to add depth and context, transforming every tale into a compelling detective story. Tune in for a consistently engaging exploration that reveals how luck, persistence, and sheer human ingenuity collide to create the fabric of modern life. The result is a listening experience that changes the way you look at the ordinary world around you, one remarkable story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Patented: History of Inventions
Podcast Episodes
Instant Noodles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:03
In the year 2000 Japan was asked what its greatest invention of the twentieth century was. They had a LOT to choose from. The Walkman. The bullet train. Digital Cameras. Pokemon. But the winner was Instant Noodles.Today…
The Rise and Fall of the BlackBerry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:02
At its peak, the BlackBerry was the world’s most popular smartphone with almost 50% of the US market. They were called the ‘CrackBerry’ so many people wanted one. Now they have a 0% share of the market. This is the story…
God [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:25
If God invented Heaven and Earth, then who invented God? To explain how gods ‘are invented’, how they evolve and why so many seem to have vanished, Dallas is joined by Francesca Stavrakopoulou, author of ‘God: An Anatomy…
Archimedes & the Eureka! moment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:29
It’s the most famous bath of all time. But what exactly was Archimedes so excited about?We discover the truth behind the legend of Archimedes, and find out about the industrial revolution that almost happened in Ancient…
Farming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:51
Exactly when, where, how, why our ancient ancestors ‘invented’ farming is one of the great questions of archaeology.Surely if we can answer it we will understand something profound about humanity and the journey we are o…
Spam: Birth of a Monster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:40
Spam Spam Spam, glorious Spam! Who invented Spam Emails? Just how much Spam activity is there online? And how will we survive once Spam AI gets going?Spam has been the nemesis of the internet since its earliest days. And…
Fonts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:42
Fonts are usually invisible to us; we absorb the written word without noticing the medium (unless someone sends you an email in comic sans and then you can’t see past the choice of font!)But every font is a piece of desi…
The IQ Test [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:16
How would you feel if you found out you had a very high or a very low IQ? Would it change you? The IQ test has an awful allure to it. A single number that ranks your mental ability against everyone else’s, for better or…
Toilets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:22
It’s time to talk about the toilet, or crapper, or bog, or the john, head, the comfort station, khazi, dunny, can, throne, pissoir.Join Dallas and his guest, Rose George - author of The Big Necessity, on a trip down the…