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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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War and peace
‘She is living on in many hearts’ – Otto Frank on the legacy of his daughter’s diary
12 minutes
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Art
Why Diego Velázquez needed a lifetime to paint his enigmatic masterpiece
31 minutes
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Earth science and climate
There’s a ‘climate bomb’ ticking beneath the Arctic ice. How can we prepare?
8 minutes
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Political philosophy
The radical activist couple who fought for social change in the courtroom
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Human rights and justice
When a burial for slave trade victims is unearthed, a small island faces a reckoning
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Technology and the self
A haunting scene from ‘Minority Report’ inspires a voyage into time and memory
7 minutes
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Family life
The stream-of-consciousness thoughts and memories that emerge while cooking a meal
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Ecology and environmental sciences
GPS tracking reveals stunning insights into the patterns of migratory birds
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Human rights and justice
Can providing humanitarian aid be illegal? A troubling case from the US-Mexico border
17 minutes