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The popular Primitive Technology blog features an unnamed man in Far North Queensland, Australia building tools and structures using only raw, found materials. In this instalment, the man builds a new device he refers to as a ‘bow blower’ – a combination of a primitive drill and a manually powered fan – used to keep a fire burning hot enough to produce iron. The result is a stunning combination of ingenuity, expertise and determination. To learn more about the step-by-step process while watching, turn on closed captions in the YouTube video player.
Video by Primitive Technology
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Nature and landscape
‘A culture is no better than its woods’ – what our trees reveal about us, by W H Auden
5 minutes
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Architecture
A 3D rendering of the Colosseum captures its architectural genius and symbolic power
17 minutes
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Making
On the Norwegian coast, a tree is transformed into a boat the old-fashioned way
6 minutes
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Nature and landscape
California’s landscapes provide endless inspiration for a woodcut printmaker
10 minutes
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History of technology
Curious singles and tech sceptics – what ‘computer dating’ looked like in 1966
6 minutes
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Animals and humans
Join seabirds as they migrate, encountering human communities along the way
13 minutes
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Design and fashion
A ceramicist puts her own bawdy spin on the folk language of pottery
14 minutes
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Information and communication
‘Astonished and somewhat terrified’ – Victorians’ reactions to the phonograph
36 minutes
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Engineering
From simple motors to levitating trains – how design shapes innovation
24 minutes