How does an Elevator work?
Update: 2024-12-11
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How long have Elevators been around? Who really invented the Elevator? How safe are Elevators?
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Transcript
00:00:00
And now, it's time for who's smarted.
00:00:02
Wait, hold the door!
00:00:07
Phew, just made it.
00:00:08
Thanks for holding the door for me, Smarty Pants.
00:00:11
Although, I am a little surprised to see everyone crammed in together on the elevator.
00:00:15
Got room for one more?
00:00:17
Good.
00:00:18
There, no problem.
00:00:24
Oh wait, small problem.
00:00:25
I can't reach the buttons.
00:00:27
Um, 42 please.
00:00:29
Going up.
00:00:30
Ah, up we go.
00:00:33
You see, I just received an email saying there'd be free pizza on the 42nd floor of this building, the world famous Smarty Tower.
00:00:41
I could take the stairs, and that would be good exercise.
00:00:45
But, I'd probably be so winded from climbing 42 flights of stairs that I wouldn't be able to breathe, let alone eat pizza.
00:00:52
Besides, elevators like this one exist precisely for moments like this.
00:00:56
In fact, we wouldn't even have tall buildings like skyscrapers if it weren't for elevators.
00:01:01
There are floor.
00:01:04
These days, as you probably noticed, elevators are everywhere, from big cities to small towns.
00:01:10
Every day, people take over 325 million elevator rides, and over the course of three days, elevators carry nearly 8 billion passengers.
00:01:22
It's like carrying every single person in the world in just three days.
00:01:27
Seven floor.
00:01:28
Smarty pants.
00:01:29
Next time you're on an elevator, take a look around.
00:01:33
Elevators are unique in that they bring different types of people close together.
00:01:37
You could be standing next to a doctor, a construction worker, an attorney, a podcast voice actor, or 12 floor.
00:01:48
A man with a big bushy beard, carrying an axe.
00:01:52
Got room for me.
00:01:55
We're kind of full.
00:01:57
Sorry.
00:01:58
Door closed, door closed, door closed, door closed.
00:02:01
Excuse me.
00:02:03
Uh oh, he's getting on.
00:02:06
Ah, there's plenty of room.
00:02:09
Thanks.
00:02:10
Wow.
00:02:11
Isn't this something?
00:02:12
Am I home?
00:02:13
What a beautiful elevator this is.
00:02:17
And just look at those shiny doors.
00:02:20
Ooh, and there's my name.
00:02:22
Your name is by the doors.
00:02:25
Mm-hmm.
00:02:26
See?
00:02:27
It says Otis.
00:02:28
That's me.
00:02:29
Elisha Otis.
00:02:30
Oh.
00:02:31
But, uh, what's with the axe?
00:02:35
Oh, this.
00:02:36
It's for my demonstration.
00:02:37
I'm showing off by invention.
00:02:39
Okay.
00:02:40
And what invention is that?
00:02:42
Why?
00:02:43
This thing.
00:02:44
Oh, wait a minute.
00:02:45
Are you the Otis behind the Otis Elevator Company, the largest elevator maker in the world?
00:02:51
Like I said, my name's right on it.
00:02:55
19th floor.
00:02:57
You mean my name?
00:02:59
Otis Tufts, the true inventor of the elevator.
00:03:03
If you don't mind, I'm squeezing on.
00:03:05
I don't think there's enough room.
00:03:07
I guess I was wrong.
00:03:10
Uh, so your name is Otis Tu and you invented the elevator?
00:03:16
That's right.
00:03:17
Of course, I called it a vertical railway when I filed my patent, which was before Mr.
00:03:22
Otis over here.
00:03:24
Okay.
00:03:25
First of all, Smarty Pants, do you know what a patent is?
00:03:27
A patent is a document filed with the government claiming ownership of an invention.
00:03:32
And secondly, nobody says vertical railway anymore, which isn't to say an elevator isn't called other things.
00:03:39
Smarty Pants, what does some people call an elevator?
00:03:42
Is it A, a lift, B, a riser, or C, a hoist?
00:03:47
The answer is A, a lift.
00:03:49
And I invented it.
00:03:51
Otis, you must be joking.
00:03:54
My dear Otis, I most certainly am not.
00:03:59
Why are you all two?
00:04:00
Whoa, careful with that axe, Otis.
00:04:02
So Smarty Pants, which Otis really invented the elevator?
00:04:06
How do elevators work?
00:04:07
How safe are they?
00:04:09
And 21st floor.
00:04:12
Huh, what's a lion doing on an elevator in the Smarty Cow at this hour?
00:04:18
It's time for another whiff of history and science, son.
00:04:22
Hello, smart egg.
00:04:25
Who's smart egg?
00:04:28
Who's smart isn't you, isn't me, is it science or history?
00:04:35
Listen up!
00:04:36
Everyone!
00:04:37
We're like smart egg, lots of fun on those smart eggs.
00:04:44
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00:04:50
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00:04:53
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00:05:17
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00:05:19
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00:05:30
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00:05:36
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00:05:54
That's masterclass.com/smarted.
00:06:03
The fourth floor.
00:06:07
Safe!
00:06:08
Lions exited the elevator.
00:06:10
I must say, that was a little too close for comfort.
00:06:15
You're telling me.
00:06:17
Smarty pants, it appears this elevator is stopping on every floor of history instead of taking me directly to the cafeteria where free pizza awaits me.
00:06:26
Pizza?
00:06:27
What is that?
00:06:28
A glorious invention that's ahead of your time.
00:06:32
But not as glorious as my invention here.
00:06:37
It's not your invention, it's my invention.
00:06:42
I claimed it first in 1859.
00:06:45
You didn't follow your patent until 1861.
00:06:48
But my invention is better.
00:06:50
And that's my name by the dog.
00:06:53
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:06:55
Smarty pants.
00:06:56
Let's get to the bottom of this.
00:06:58
When do you think the elevator was invented?
00:07:00
Was it 1859?
00:07:01
1861.
00:07:02
Well, it turns out, no matter which one you said, you're wrong.
00:07:08
Wrong.
00:07:09
What?
00:07:10
So, Smarty pants, how old is the elevator?
00:07:13
100 years old?
00:07:14
500 years?
00:07:15
Over 2000 years?
00:07:18
The answer is...
00:07:19
28th floor.
00:07:21
Gayre!
00:07:22
Ah, hello?
00:07:23
I am Archimedes, mathematician, engineer and inventor of the phrase, "Yurika."
00:07:33
Smarty pants.
00:07:34
Was Archimedes an A, Medieval Brit, B, an ancient Greek, or C, a colonial American?
00:07:41
The answer, of course, is B, he was an ancient Greek.
00:07:45
May I enter?
00:07:46
Sure.
00:07:47
What floor are you going to?
00:07:51
This goes to different floors?
00:07:53
It sure does.
00:07:54
Yurika, it's just like my invention.
00:07:59
Your invention?
00:08:00
It's right, Smarty pants.
00:08:02
If you said the elevator was invented over 2000 years ago, you're right.
00:08:06
Archimedes reportedly created it with a simple rising floor connected to ropes and a drum.
00:08:12
Pish, push.
00:08:13
My invention is way more sophisticated than that.
00:08:17
You mean my invention?
00:08:20
30th floor.
00:08:23
Excuse me!
00:08:24
Have any of you seen a lion?
00:08:26
Oh, why yes?
00:08:28
Come on in.
00:08:29
Going up.
00:08:31
Say, you look pretty tough, fella.
00:08:34
Yeah, and what's with that helmet shield and sword?
00:08:37
Why I'm a gladiator on my way to fight the lion.
00:08:41
Was this thing take me to the arena floor?
00:08:44
Smarty pants.
00:08:45
In what famous ancient site were there many battles between people called gladiators and wild beasts such as lions?
00:08:52
Is it A, the Acropolis, B, the Coliseum, or C, the Pantheon?
00:08:58
If you said B, the Coliseum in Rome, you're right!
00:09:03
And if you listen to our who smarted episode on the Coliseum, you know these beasts were transported from a waiting area underground to the main floor by...
00:09:12
That's right!
00:09:13
And oh, later.
00:09:16
Coliseum, arena floor.
00:09:20
Wish me luck!
00:09:24
Wait, how did we get from the 30th floor to the arena of the Coliseum?
00:09:30
It's a podcast.
00:09:31
Just go with it.
00:09:32
Right.
00:09:33
So elevators have been around since ancient times, eh?
00:09:37
Yes, but not like the elevators of today.
00:09:39
For one thing, ancient elevators were not powered by electricity.
00:09:43
Smarty pants, do you know what powered them?
00:09:46
Is it A, steam, B, animals, or C, people?
00:09:51
If you said C, people, you're right!
00:09:55
For example, the elevators in the Coliseum were people powered by hundreds of men.
00:10:01
In that case, you could say my elevator was the first modern elevator.
00:10:06
You mean my elevator?
00:10:08
Well, you both created elevators powered by steam, which was the norm until the electric elevator motor was introduced in the 1880s.
00:10:16
Okay, that's it.
00:10:18
I'll prove that this Otis elevator is my invention.
00:10:22
Ha!
00:10:23
And how will you do that?
00:10:25
I'll climb on top of it and use my axe to cut the cables attached to it.
00:10:31
What?
00:10:32
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
00:10:33
There will be no cable cutting.
00:10:35
Mr.
00:10:35
Otis, please stay inside the elevator.
00:10:37
But they must cut the cables.
00:10:40
Ha, ha, ha, ha!
00:10:41
Oh, silly man, this elevator has no cables.
00:10:45
Uh, is that true?
00:10:47
What do you think, Smarty pants?
00:10:49
True or false?
00:10:50
Letters go up and down with the help of cables attached to them.
00:10:54
The answer is true.
00:10:56
A system of cables and pulleys move elevator cars from floor to floor.
00:11:01
A heavy counterweight attached to the system goes in the opposite direction, creating balance, allowing the car to travel more smoothly.
00:11:09
Really?
00:11:10
Well, my elevator has no cables, instead it travels on a threaded pole like a nut on a bolt.
00:11:16
Right.
00:11:17
But here's the thing.
00:11:18
My design was too expensive and difficult to make for larger buildings.
00:11:22
So, it didn't catch on like Mr.
00:11:24
Otis's elevator here.
00:11:26
Aha, I told you that's my name by the door.
00:11:30
Yes, but Otis' toughs invention did introduce one thing, the elevator as a "people mover".
00:11:36
His enclosed elevator car contained benches for sitting.
00:11:40
While the elevator designed by Lysha Otis just had an open platform much like the older elevators that moved supplies or… lines.
00:11:51
But a Lysha's elevator became more popular because it had something else that convinced people to write it.
00:11:57
Something that completely changed the world we live in.
00:12:00
Oh, what's it at?
00:12:02
I'll tell you, right after this quick break.
00:12:07
You know what's been transforming my daily commute lately?
00:12:10
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00:13:27
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00:13:29
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00:14:41
Hey guys, trusty here with a great idea for a gift that's always on time and lasts a lifetime.
00:14:47
I'm talking about masterclass.
00:14:50
You know, I use the masterclass platform myself and you should too.
00:14:54
It is incredible being able to learn from over 200 plus of the world's best to become your best.
00:15:02
That's why Wirecutter calls it an invaluable gift.
00:15:04
I've especially loved taking classes on problem solving with my hero and science legend Bill Nye and learning about cooking from MasterChef Gordon Ramsay.
00:15:14
You know how much I love to eat?
00:15:16
Being able to access these lessons anywhere, whether on my phone, TV or just in audio mode while driving or in the kitchen, has made fitting learning into my schedule so easy and the impact is real.
00:15:28
88% of members feel that masterclass made a positive impact on their lives.
00:15:33
Plus, with their 30 day money back guarantee, there is absolutely no risk in giving this incredible gift of lifelong learning.
00:15:41
Masterclass always has great offers during the holidays, sometimes as much as 50% off.
00:15:47
Head over to masterclass.com/smarted for the current offer.
00:15:51
And now back to who's smarted.
00:15:59
Smarty pens, how did the elevator change the world?
00:16:05
Well, think about a sky screen.
00:16:06
What's the most popular floor?
00:16:08
The bottom, the middle, or the top?
00:16:11
Often, it's the top floor.
00:16:13
That's ridiculous.
00:16:15
Nobody likes the top floor.
00:16:17
Not in your day, that's because people had to take the stairs up.
00:16:20
Like then, the top floor apartment usually belonged to the maintenance person who cleaned and cared for the building.
00:16:26
But today, the top floor of a skyscraper with its incredible views is often called the Penthouse and is the most expensive apartment in the building.
00:16:36
A skyscraper?
00:16:39
What is that?
00:16:40
Oh, yeah.
00:16:41
As you may have heard on our skyscrapers episode, very tall buildings, known as skyscrapers, wouldn't exist without what?
00:16:49
Did you say elevators?
00:16:51
That's right.
00:16:53
Before elevators, buildings were fairly short.
00:16:55
But now, thanks to elevators, they can have 160 floors like the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
00:17:03
Y'all welcome.
00:17:04
Otis, your elevators are made with cables or ropes, but our comedies didn't your elevators have ropes too.
00:17:11
Yeah.
00:17:13
So what makes your elevator so special, Otis?
00:17:16
I'll show you with my axe.
00:17:20
No, no, no, no, no, no.
00:17:22
No axe.
00:17:23
Besides, this is a podcast you can't show anything.
00:17:27
Pod?
00:17:28
What?
00:17:29
You lost me.
00:17:30
Never mind.
00:17:32
Somarni Pants, can you guess how a Lysha Otis changed the elevator?
00:17:35
Is it A, he made it faster?
00:17:37
B, he added emergency breaks.
00:17:40
Or C, he added elevator music.
00:17:44
If you guess to be, you're right.
00:17:46
Before Otis's invention, elevators were very dangerous.
00:17:49
Cables would snap and people writing them would get hurt or even killed.
00:17:53
But when I introduced my elevator, I cut the cables to show how safe it was.
00:18:00
My break stopped the elevator from falling.
00:18:04
And today, with stronger cables and even better breaks, elevators are one of the safest modes of transportation.
00:18:13
A second floor.
00:18:14
Ah, here we are.
00:18:16
Uh, door closed, door closed, door closed.
00:18:19
Why when it closed?
00:18:20
Right.
00:18:21
Somarni Pants.
00:18:22
Did you know the closed door button doesn't work on most elevators?
00:18:25
And he guesses why?
00:18:26
Is it A, it's broken.
00:18:28
B, it's for a different set of doors.
00:18:30
Or C, it's to help people.
00:18:33
The answer is C.
00:18:35
A U.S.
00:18:35
law passed in 1990 requires elevator doors to stay open for a certain amount of time to help anyone who can't get on or off quickly.
00:18:43
So the closed door button won't work.
00:18:46
But people still try, especially when there's a lion.
00:18:51
Oh, don't worry.
00:18:53
I fed the beast 138 slices of free pizza.
00:18:58
He stuffed.
00:18:59
Bub.
00:19:00
Phew.
00:19:01
That's great news.
00:19:02
But wait.
00:19:03
Now there's no more pizza.
00:19:05
Going down.
00:19:10
A super smarty shout out to Jack in Bedford, Pennsylvania, who thinks who smart it is funny and smart and is the only thing they want to listen to.
00:19:18
Well, sounds like you are a true smarty pants.
00:19:21
We're so glad to have your family as part of our smarty family.
00:19:24
This episode, elevators, was written by Dave, stop pressing the button bowdry and voiced by Chris Okawa, my privity, Max Kamaski, Kim, going down Davis, Adam, text Davis and Jerry Colman.
00:19:36
Technical direction and sound designed by Josh, hold the door, huh?
00:19:40
Who smart it is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios?
00:19:43
Our associate producer is Max Kamaski, the theme song is by Brian.
00:19:47
Oh no.
00:19:48
We're stuck!
00:19:49
Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam, text Davis.
00:19:52
Who smart it was created and produced by Adam, text Davis and Jerry Colman?
00:19:55
This has been an atomic entertainment production.
00:20:03
Star Glow.
00:20:09
[Bell]
00:20:11