nPostednon June 10, 2015
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nItnwas the year 2000 – and people couldn’t help being inspired by allnthose zeroes, and a whole new “millennium” (thousand years)nbeginning.
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nManynnations and major cities had projects that could be unveiled thatnyear, and London in the United Kingdom was no different:
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nItn opened the Millennium Dome, with a major exhibition called then Millennium Experience on display for the entire year 2000.
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nItn opened the world’s tallest Ferris world, the London Eye (aka then Millennium Wheel).
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nItn opened the Tate Modern, a modern art gallery.
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nAndn it opened the Millennium Bridge!
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Thenbridge was not designed for cars. Well, actually, it sort of WASndesigned for cars, and that was a problem, because it should havenbeen designed for people on foot. It was, after all a footbridge.
Thenbridge was not designed for cars. Well, actually, it sort of WASndesigned for cars, and that was a problem, because it should havenbeen designed for people on foot. It was, after all a footbridge.n
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nLetnme explain:
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nThenMillennium Bridge was the first new crossing of the River Thames innover 100 years. People could cross by foot from the Globe Theatre andnthe Tate Modern over to the City of London School and St. Paul’snCathedral, or vice versa.
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nHowever,nthe builders used computer software typical for a car bridge inndesigning this footbridge. People walking and cars driving arendifferent sorts of movements, and the bridge developed an unexpectedn“wobble” that caused people to walk “in step” with onenanother (without meaning to), and the people walking in step with onenanother caused the wobble to increase!
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nThisnwas not only unexpected, it was potentially dangerous. The bridge wasnclosed, and structural damping was added. The bridge was re-opened inn2002.
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nSo,neven though the bridge had been designed to hold up to 5,000 peoplenat one time, just 2,000 people actually walking on the bridgen(which, after all, was the whole point) became verynuncomfortable…more of a “white knuckle ride” than we want tonexperience in a bridge!
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nButndon’t worry. Next time you go to London, feel free to use thenMillennium Bridge – it’s all fixed now!
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAuthor/nillustrator Maurice Sendak’s birthday
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nAbolitionnof Slavery Day in French Guiana
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nPortugalnDay (a.k.a.nCamoes Day)
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nPortugalnDay (a.k.a.nCamoes Day)
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Anniversarynof the invention of the “outlook envelope”
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nTurtle Days
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Plannahead:
Plannahead:
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Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nJunen holidays
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nJunen birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in June
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nJulyn holidays
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nJulyn birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in July
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