Fun and Facts about modularization and standardization

OFFSIDE RULE, 1863

Unlike the restriction on the number of players to eleven, the offside rule was already part of the first set of football rules, the Laws of the Game. The AIsupported “Semi-Automated Offside Technology” will be used for the first time at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. (Page 6)

SEAT BELT LAW IN AUSTRIA, 1984

The passing of a law mandating the wearing of seat belts in Austria was preceded by a very emotional and controversial political debate. Many opponents of seat belts saw the law as an attack on their personal freedom, as embodied by the automobile. (Page 18)

PRINTING PRESS, 1450

The development of letterpress printing with movable type by Johannes Gutenberg helped to spread literacy to large portions of the population. The new means of sharing knowledge and training launched the humanist movement and the Reformation. (Page 14)

HONEYCOMBS, 90 MILLION YEARS

How the exact geometry is created has yet to be fully understood. Very little wax is needed to provide cells for the larvae. The angles are 120 degrees, the cell walls are almost the same everywhere at 0.07 mm. (Page 11)

ISS SPACE STATION, 1998

With more than 40 modules, the ISS is the largest artificial object in space. The first module was launched into orbit in 1998. The most recent module was docked with the space station in November 2021. The station is solar-powered, with energy generated from sun sails. (Page 60)

WASHITSU, 14TH CENTURY

In traditional Japanese interior design, the size of a room is indicated by the number of tatami mats used (approx. 0.9 x 1.8 m). Because the standard dimensions of rice-straw mats vary between the regions, the result is differently sized rooms. (Page 8)

SALZBURG AG

Salzburg AG, together with Salzburg Netz GmbH, supplies the federal state of Salzburg with electricity from 100 percent renewable energies. Over 88 percent of this is generated in the company’s 30 hydroelectric power plants, which are gradually being standardized on zenon. (Page 42)