24 September 2009 - six simple machines

When did the inclined plane count as a machine? It’s long past time to replace the ancient six simple machines with a modern set, like the turbine, the detector, the wire, the switch, the reagent, and the high-neutron-flux nuclear transmutation reactor. But let’s think carefully. Are those really the most basic machines? Aren’t the six simple modern machines the vision statement, the committee, the policy, the memo, the org chart, and the flotation of the initial public offering?