Steampunk gadgeteers

[ggreig]

There’s a story on the BBC web site about steampunk style, which is worth a quick look.

For those who don’t know, the round/square bullet choice mentioned in the video really existed for a historical but ultimately unsuccessful multi-shot flintlock weapon, the 1718 Puckle Gun, although it  wasn’t aliens that the square bullets were for. It’s often billed as an early machine gun, but that wouldn’t quite be an accurate description.

Comments

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

ACK THE BBC SPELLED JON PERTWEE'S NAME WRONG! Interesting article otherwise.

I was aware of the gun from an odd but enjoyable play called Square Rounds, what I was taken to see by my parents some years ago.

[ggreig]

Ooh, I missed that, but you're right!

Can't tell much about the play from the site, but it sounds as though it might have been interesting.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

It was way more entertaining than it sounds like it ought to be - explaining how mustard gas works by means of magic tricks.

[hobbitomm.livejournal.com]

Hrm. I'll give that one a miss.

I once went to a deeply depressing seminar in London called 'Managing the Casualties of War'. A morning of gunshot trauma and blast, which is fine. And an afternoon of 'Biological and Chemical Agents'. Bleh!