Amazing J Needham THE GENIUS THAT WAS CHINA noted that China had in actual use everywhere a double action pump. This was a box with a hole in the middle expressing air due to a push-pull handle that manipulated square wood blocks fitting inside a square long box. Air was ejected out the hole on both the push and the pull of the handle.

I have a kettle that hums like a pitch pipe from the lid.

Really can't believe people are spending research dollars on such topics. What a waste. As if we learned something new.

Henrywood and Agarwal are now working on a project to make quieter high-speed hand-dryers, by looking at how the jet of air released by these devices creates noise.

Looks like they learned something to me. If this research stops my wife from waking me up at 5:30 in the morning, I think it will have been money well spent myself.

Really can't believe people are spending research dollars on such topics. What a waste. As if we learned something new.

Because blue sky research never helps society... Scientists and engineers should never lose their curiosity about the world around them. Once we stop asking why, we'll stop moving forward.

The kettle got his whistle by practicing. We all know that. :P

Really can't believe people are spending research dollars on such topics. What a waste. As if we learned something new.

Who is spending money? Do you think it is a lot? Whose money is it? Is it yours? Or, for example, from your tax dollars? Why do you care, then?

Does your reading comprehension mirror other aspects of your intellect? Go back and re-read the article.

I am imagining a steam-powered "double-slit" experiment... ;-)

This quote from the article amazes me, I thought the whistle of a kettle was intended??!!
"Once we know where the whistle is coming from, and what's making it happen, we can potentially get rid of it"
—Ross Henrywood
How many stove top kettles are going to burn their bases because people forget about them and don't have a 'whistle' as a warning device?? Dah!! ;-/