Comments on: Stone Age Hunters Used “Pyro-Engineering” to Make Stronger Tools http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/17/stone-age-hunters-used-pyro-engineering-to-make-stronger-tools/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day's most compelling topics. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:43:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: wjv http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/17/stone-age-hunters-used-pyro-engineering-to-make-stronger-tools/comment-page-1/#comment-43220 wjv Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:54:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/17/stone-age-hunters-used-pyro-engineering-to-make-stronger-tools/#comment-43220 You might want to reconsider your invention of the field "pyro-engineering" for describing the technique of applying heat to materials to affect their properties via changing the materials microstructure and/or composition (in this case the grain size was altered, i.e. microstructure). In modern science this type of thing is called materials science/engineering, most universities teach this official discipline in a well organized quantitative way. These early hominids were practicing materials science, perhaps without realizing it, but I bet some of them caught on to the more obvious implications of what heat can do to materials. You might want to reconsider your invention of the field “pyro-engineering” for describing the technique of applying heat to materials to affect their properties via changing the materials microstructure and/or composition (in this case the grain size was altered, i.e. microstructure). In modern science this type of thing is called materials science/engineering, most universities teach this official discipline in a well organized quantitative way.

These early hominids were practicing materials science, perhaps without realizing it, but I bet some of them caught on to the more obvious implications of what heat can do to materials.

]]> By: robot makes music http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/17/stone-age-hunters-used-pyro-engineering-to-make-stronger-tools/comment-page-1/#comment-42555 robot makes music Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:31:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/17/stone-age-hunters-used-pyro-engineering-to-make-stronger-tools/#comment-42555 Dear YouRang, since you did not participate in the study, you actually haven't seen any evidence at all. Dear YouRang, since you did not participate in the study, you actually haven’t seen any evidence at all.

]]> By: YouRang http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/17/stone-age-hunters-used-pyro-engineering-to-make-stronger-tools/comment-page-1/#comment-42411 YouRang Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:49:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/17/stone-age-hunters-used-pyro-engineering-to-make-stronger-tools/#comment-42411 Advance planning or it was just an accident to have silcrete accidentally heated? I see no indication that this process continued for many generations. Advance planning or it was just an accident to have silcrete accidentally heated? I see no indication that this process continued for many generations.

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