Science of Safety: How Seat Belts, Kevlar Arrived

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Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented the modern three-point seat belt. Kevlar, a material that can resist bullets, was an unexpected discovery by American chemist Stephanie Kwolek. Transcript of radio broadcast:

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Shirley Griffith.

BOB DOUGHTY:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Today we tell about two recent inventions that have helped to save lives. We will also tell about the people who developed them.

(MUSIC)

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Most cars have seat belts as part of their equipment. Seat belts protect drivers and passengers in case of accident. They also reduce the effect of a crash on the body. Safety experts estimate that the restraining devices save more than four thousand lives a year in the United States alone. Worldwide, some experts, say the devices have protected up to a million people.

Nils Bohlin

The first seat belt was said to have been created in the eighteen hundreds by George Cayley of England. He is remembered for many inventions, especially for early "flying machines."

The United States first recognized the invention of an automobile seat belt in eighteen forty-nine. The government gave a patent to Edward J. Claghorn of New York City so that others would not copy his invention. Claghorn called the device a Safety-Belt. It was said to include hooks and other attachments for securing the person to a fixed object.

BOB DOUGHTY:

Other inventors followed with different versions of the seat belt. But more than one hundred years passed before the current, widely used seat belt was developed. It resulted from the work of a Swedish engineer, Nils Bohlin. His three-point, lap and shoulder seat belt first appeared on cars in Europe fifty years ago.

Bohlin was born in Sweden in nineteen twenty. After completing college, he designed seats for the Swedish aircraft industry. The seats were built for the pilot to escape from an airplane in case of disaster. Bohlin's work with planes showed him what could happen in a crash at high speed. In nineteen fifty-eight, Bohlin brought that knowledge to the Swedish car manufacturer Volvo. He was the company's first chief safety engineer.

At the time, most safety belts in cars crossed the body over the abdomen. A buckle held the restraints in place. But the position of the buckle often caused severe injuries in bad crashes.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Nils Bohlin recognized that both the upper and lower body needed to be held securely in place. His invention contained a cloth strap that was placed across the chest and another strap across the hips. The design joined the straps next to the hip.

Volvo was the first automobile manufacturer to offer the modern seat belt as a permanent addition to its cars. It also provided use of Nils Bohlin's design to other car-makers.

The Swedish engineer won many honors for his seat belt. He received a gold medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in nineteen ninety-five. He died in Sweden in two thousand two.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY:

Kevlar is another invention that has saved many people from serious injury and death. Kevlar is a fibrous material with qualities that make it able to reject bullets. Added to clothing, the material protects security officers and soldiers across the world.

The fibers form a protective barrier against gunfire. Bullets lose their shape when they strike Kevlar. Those bullets look like mushrooms, and do not enter the body. Most threats to police and security officers come from handguns. They wear Kevlar vests to protect the upper body. Soldiers wear more extensive clothing protected with Kevlar against heavier ammunition.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Kevlar might not have been invented had Stephanie Kwolek been able to seek a career in medicine. From childhood, she wanted to be a doctor. But she lacked the money for a medical education.

Today, thousands of people are glad that Stephanie Kwolek became a research chemist. In that job, she developed the first liquid crystal polymer. The polymer was a chemical product that formed the basis for Kevlar.

Stephanie Kwolek

BOB DOUGHTY:

Stephanie Kwolek was born in nineteen twenty-three in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. As a child, Stephanie loved science. Later, she studied chemistry and other sciences at a Pennsylvania college now known as Carnegie Mellon University.

She got a job with the DuPont chemical company in nineteen forty-six. It was the beginning of a career with the company that lasted about forty years.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

By the nineteen sixties, Dupont already had produced materials like nylon and Dacron. The company wanted to develop a new fiber. Stephanie Kwolek was part of a DuPont research group that asked to work on its development.

At the time, she was searching for a way to make a material strong enough to use on automobile tires. If tires could be improved, automobiles would need less fuel. Miz Kwolek needed a new way to make stiff, resistant fibers for the job.

BOB DOUGHTY:

Her experiments for the project were supposed to produce a clear substance similar to a thick syrup. Instead, what Stephanie Kwolek produced was unexpected. It was a liquid that looked cloudy or milky. She said she might have thrown it out. But she decided to let it sit for awhile.

Recently, she told VOA that she was warned the liquid could never complete a required process. The process calls for the chemical to be pushed through the small holes of a spinneret. She remembers that the man operating the device at first refused to accept her material. He probably suspected it had solid particles that would block the holes. However, after awhile he said he would try it. She says she thinks he was tired of being asked, or might have felt sorry for her.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

That person must have been surprised when the substance passed the test. It returned from the laboratory with more firmness than anything Stephanie Kwolek had made before.

Mizz Kwolek did not tell anyone that she had produced something new and strong. She said she was afraid there might have been a mistake. Repeated testing, however, did not find anything wrong. She and her group worked to improve the discovery. DuPont first manufactured large amounts of Kevlar in nineteen seventy-one. The material is found today in hundreds of products from sports equipment to window coverings.

Over the years, Stephanie Kwolek has received many awards. Her honors include membership in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Today she says she loved her long career in chemistry. She says that considering the times, she was lucky to get the job.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY:

Getting Kevlar placed in protective clothing resulted mainly from the work of Lester Shubin and Nicholas Montanarelli. Mister Shubin was educated in chemistry. He worked for the United States Army in the nineteen seventies. At the time, Mister Montanarelli was an Army project director. He was trained in engineering and psychology.

The two Americans were working at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. They were searching for a way to protect people in public life from gunfire. Mister Montanarelli knew about DuPont's recently developed fiber, and the two men decided to test it.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

The men fired handguns at several materials protected by Kevlar. The material changed the shape of the bullets. It seemed a good candidate to help defend police officers and soldiers.

Mister Shubin was able to gain financial help for a field experiment. Thousands of police officers in many cities began to wear the vests. But Mister Montanarelli said it was difficult to get companies to make them. The companies feared legal action if the vests should fail.

BOB DOUGHTY:

Then came December, nineteen seventy-five. A gunman shot at a policeman in Seattle, Washington. One bullet hit the officer's hand. But a bullet fired very close to the policeman struck his chest.

The officer survived. The bullet did not enter his body. He felt good enough to protest being kept in a hospital that night to make sure all was well. The incident helped get manufacturers to stop worrying about legal action. They began making the vests.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Today, about three thousand people are members of the Kevlar Survivors' Club. DuPont and the International Association of Chiefs of Police organized the exclusive club. All the members have escaped injury or death because long ago, a chemist named Stephanie Kwolek produced something unexpected.

BOB DOUGHTY:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jerilyn Watson. Our producer was Brianna Blake. I'm Bob Doughty.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

And, I'm Shirley Griffith. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

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Some Crops Can Help Farmers Prepare for Disasters

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Choosing the right plants and planting times can reduce losses from extreme weather. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Farmers may not be able to prevent natural disasters, but they can at least try their best to reduce losses.

For example, they can plant crops that are more likely to survive extreme weather. In north-central Vietnam, people with small farms do not plant rice between September and December. Seasonal rains might destroy the rice. So instead, they plant lotus seeds on raised beds. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says the lotus seeds bring a good price in local markets.

Farmers in the Philippines are showing new interest in crops like winged beans, string beans, arrowroot and cassava. The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center says traditional crops like these can survive the fierce storms that often strike the islands.

Bambara groundnuts

The United Nations says some African farmers grow bambara groundnuts during long dry periods. The seeds of this drought-resistant plant can be boiled for eating or for making flour.

In some parts of the world, farmers grow vetiver grass. Researchers in Thailand wrote about vetiver in two thousand seven in the journal ScienceAsia. They noted that the grass can absorb and control the spread of harmful wastewaters, like those from pig farms.

Agricultural expert and author William Rivera says vetiver resists difficult conditions. It reduces damage from heavy rains. And vetiver planted on earthen dams may strengthen them against breaks and flooding.

William Rivera also speaks approvingly of alfala. Its deep roots can find and take up groundwater. Those roots also help hold the soil against winds. And alfalfa can be a valuable food source for animals.

The deep and extensive roots of sunflowers make them another good candidate for resisting extreme conditions. The tall plants have brightly colored heads that provide seeds and oil.

North Dakota grows more hectares of sunflowers than any other American state. But North Dakota is better known as a top wheat producing state.

Hans Kandel works at the North Dakota State University Extension Service in Fargo. He says farmers in some parts of North Dakota plant wheat that is ready to harvest in only about one hundred days. That way it can grow before the hot, dry months of July through September.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. You can find captioned videos of our reports along with transcripts and MP3s at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also post questions and comments. I'm Jim Tedder.

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Valentine's Day Offers a Chance to 'Refocus on What Love Is All About'

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We ask three generations of people what the holiday for love and romance means to them. Transcript of radio broadcast:

STEVE EMBER:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA. I'm Steve Ember.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. These are important days for makers of sweets and sellers of flowers. For owners of fine restaurants and publishers of greeting cards. For salespeople at clothing stores. And for all the people whose job is to make other people's hair and fingernails look their best.

STEVE EMBER:

These are important days because soon it will be February fourteenth, Valentine's Day. This week on our program, we ask three generations of people what the holiday for love and romance means to them.

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

We begin with the youngest generation. Sixteen-year-old Jarrah was with a group of Chinese students visiting the United States. What does Valentine's Day mean to her?

JARRAH: "I know that's a Western festival for lovers who date or they love each other. We are not allowed to date in high school."

She explains that some people in China may celebrate Valentine's Day, but China also has its own version. It is based on the story of a fairy from heaven who comes to Earth and marries a cowhand on a farm. In the end, they are permitted to meet just once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

JARRAH: "There's a girl named Zhi Nu and a boy named Niu Lang. Now they are stars in the sky, so they meet each other in lunar months, seventh in July, each year once. We celebrate that day like the Valentine's Day in Western culture."

STEVE EMBER:

So how did February fourteenth come to be celebrated as it is? Explanations date back to ancient Rome. But nothing is sure, not even the identity of the Roman Catholic saint celebrated by this day. As a result, in nineteen sixty-nine, the church removed Saint Valentine's Day from its official worldwide calendar of Catholic feasts.

But the popular meaning of Valentine's Day continues to capture hearts around the world, even if not always on February fourteenth. Camile and Nietzsche were among a group of Brazilian Youth Ambassadors visiting the United States.

CAMILE: "We have Valentine's Day but in a different day. It's June twelfth."

NIETZSCHE: "So in Brazil, I would translate as 'the Day of the Couple. And it's like you don't give friends or family gifts, you give your boyfriend or your girlfriend. And the guys, they are sometimes pretty boring because they like to give chocolate and flowers. And girls are tired and sick of that."

CAMILE: "Yeah!"

NIETZSCHE: "So I believe I'd better give a hot Brazilian kiss. It would be better on the Day of the Couple."

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Jack Feldman

Next, we talk to some college students. Jack Feldman is from Iowa in the American Midwest. What is his best Valentine's Day memory?

JACK FELDMAN: "Any and all Valentine's when I actually had a girlfriend."

And the worst memory?

JACK FELDMAN: "All the other ones."

He remembers as a child choosing valentine cards to give to his classmates, a tradition for American schoolchildren.

JACK FELDMAN: "I always tried to get like the coolest ones, like the Pokeman ones and trying to give them out to everybody. I only wanted to give them to all the cute girls, but you had to give them to everybody back then."

STEVE EMBER:

Andrew Shim is twenty-two years old, from Maryland. We asked him what American teenagers like to do for Valentine's Day. He listed the usual -- chocolate, a movie, maybe go to a party. But then we asked him if he had ever done anything special.

ANDREW SHIM: "Oh yeah, I actually made my own chocolate at home. But I kind of messed it up. It was OK, I give to that person I like. It didn't turn out well, but you know, I mean it was a nice memory though, a good experience making chocolate."

Jeong Kim

Andrew Shim and Jack Feldman are doing college internship programs in Washington. So are these three international students we are about to meet, starting with Jeong Kim from Seoul.

JEONG KIM: "Normally in Korea, well the girls take the opportunity to give out chocolates to guys that they have a crush on."

KATTIA: "In Mexico we're used to like for, for more for couples, not like so for friends and stuff. It's a cool day because everybody gets to give balloons and chocolates and all that stuff to the person you're in a relationship in or whatever."

SONIA ZIADE: "In Canada it's pretty much the same as the U.S. It's very consumer based, where we buy chocolate. We go to the restaurant, have a romantic dinner. Every day should be Valentine's Day, right?"

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Those last two voices were Kattia from Mexico and Sonia Ziade from Montreal, Canada.

(MUSIC)

STEVE EMBER:

Ming Hong Ward

Now we talk to a group of parents. They all live in the Washington area and are involved together in the Boy Scouts of America.

Ming Hong Ward came to the United States from China in nineteen eighty-nine. What does Valentine's Day mean to her?

MING HONG WARD: "I was in college when I came to United States and it was interesting that in America they celebrate people in love and express love to each other, because in China people are very reserved and they do not show appreciation openly.

STEVE EMBER:

Andrea Liddell says she and her husband exchange cards for Valentine's Day.

ANDREA LIDDELL: "I look forward to getting flowers and, if I'm really lucky, a date. We get to go out together."

And what is her best Valentine's Day memory?

Andrea Liddell

ANDREA LIDDELL: "I knew you'd ask that. Valentine's Day ... when I've been surprised. When we had like a surprise -- we got to go out to someplace very fancy, didn't really know what was going to happen ahead of time. That was a really lovely one. It involved a lot of food at that time."

And her worst memory?

ANDREA LIDDELL: "Let me get back to you on that. Oh, oh, oh -- in college, the boyfriend who absolutely forgot Valentine's Day. That hurt my feelings. So there you go, that was the worst one."

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Lauri and Bob Dacey have been married for twenty years. Any special memories of Valentine's Day?

LAURI DACEY: "I don't remember any one in particular. I mean, they're pretty much the same, like we'll just celebrate, exchange cards, may go out to dinner. So once we had the children, Valentine's Day, I think, became more about them. We were starting to give them gifts and treats and really not going out in the evening anymore for that day."

Lauri and Bob Dacey

REPORTER: "And Bob, I mean what's a typical gift, Valentine's Day gift that you buy?"

BOB DACEY: "Candy and sweets all the time. And we always have those little hearts. That's what my fondest memory is, too, of the little Valentine's hearts that come out once a year, little candies with little nice kind of love sayings on them."

FAITH LAPIDUS:

And what does Valentine's Day mean to their children in school?

LAURI DACEY: "In school, I think it means exchanging cards and getting a candy, or multiple candies."

BOB DACEY: "And they exchange cards, they sometimes decorate nice little boxes so they can put valentines in each other's box in school."

STEVE EMBER:

Bob Steinrauf has been married for almost twenty-eight years. What does he think of Valentine's Day?

Bob Steinrauf

BOB STEINRAUF: "I think it's actually a good opportunity to remember those things that we want to do on Valentine's Day -- you know, special things for the spouse or whoever -- you probably ought to do them year-round. Because so often, especially with guys, you'll say, 'Hey, we had Valentine's Day. I got you roses, I got you chocolate, it says I love you. What more do we need?' But I think it really is a call to make sure you remember to do that during the day, during the week, during the months before and after Valentine's Day."

Does he follow his own advice?"

BOB STEINRAUF: "You would have to get the second opinion from my wife. Sometimes yes, but not as much as I ought to."

And sometimes, as the old saying goes, it is the thought that counts.

BOB STEINRAUF: "Early in our marriage my wife came -- she was going to school and working late and driving home, so I baked a cake. Now it was not just any old cake. It came in the round cake pans, and I baked it, but then I attempted to cut out a heart and used pink icing and decorated it. Now the sides of the cake fell apart tremendously. But that was probably the best thing I could have done. She looked at it. It was pathetic. But she goes 'Oh, I love you.' So that was a nice Valentine's Day."

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Not everyone is a big fan of Valentine's Day. This is Joe Durso, twenty years old, from Louisville, Kentucky. What does it mean to him?

JOE DURSO: "Nothing, and I'm not even sure when it is. If I was in the chocolate business I think I would probably support it. Or in the flower business. But it isn't really something that matters to me."

This seemed to be a dissenting opinion, though, at least among the people we spoke to. Next we meet a group of friends from a social club in Northern Virginia, including Marge Lubeley. Reporter Nancy Steinbach asked her what she does on Valentine's Day.

MARGE LUBELEY: "I usually get together with a daughter and a granddaughter and we go out to dinner and exchange gifts. I'm a widow and so this is a fun time for me."

REPORTER: "How about before, when you were single and younger?"

MARGE LUBELEY: "It wasn't that important. But when I married, it was always a dozen red roses from my husband. So it was special."

STEVE EMBER:

Sally Margolis also lost her husband. But two of her four children live locally. So on Valentine's Day she might go out to dinner with one of them or babysit for her grandchildren.

SALLY MARGOLIS: "I think it's a nice remembrance. It's a nice holiday. I think it's a meaningful holiday just to be nice to people and to remember people."

Greg Ogden would agree with that.

GREG OGDEN: "I think probably some of the nicest ones, the more memorable ones are back when I was a teenager. And I enjoyed those. The family celebrated Valentine's Day in a little bit bigger way than we do now. So there was bigger meal. There was a girlfriend involved, sometimes invited over to our house as well for the meal, and part of the family, and cards back and forth. When you're teenagers, you don't quite know what to write on there. Little Os and Xs for kisses and things like that. You brought back a moment of nostalgia for me. I thank you for that."

STEVE EMBER:

We leave you with these words from another one of the friends, Nancy Lang.

NANCY LANG: "Valentine's Day is a wonderful opportunity for people to refocus on what love is all about. Because it's sharing, it's giving. Love is a strange element of our lives. But it's very important because without it you have nothing."

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Our program was written by Avi Arditti and produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Faith Lapidus.

STEVE EMBER:

And I'm Steve Ember. What does Valentine's Day mean to you? Let us know. You can post comments, and read what other people around the world are saying, at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts, MP3s and archives of our past programs. We would love to have you join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

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Increasing Food Security in Dry Areas of the Middle East

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The project also is expected to increase income for farmers. Transcript of radio broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Agricultural experts have launched a land and water management project in the Middle East. The project seeks to increase food security in dry areas. Researchers say the water availability in some of the areas has dropped well below the internationally recognized standard.

The project is seeking ideas from farmers to develop research programs

Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank, Syria and Yemen are all taking part in the project. It is part of a larger ten-year effort called the Water and Livelihoods Initiative. The project is also expected to increase household income for farmers in the areas.

The United States Agency for International Development provided one million dollars for the Water and Livelihoods Initiative. Scott Christianson is an agricultural development advisor with U.S.A.I.D. He helped develop the project while working for the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas. He says the countries taking part in the project were all carefully selected.

SCOTT CHRISTIANSON: "They all share a socio-economic and cultural heritage that's fairly homogeneous. We feel that it's going to maximize our opportunity for trading of knowledge that we will generate in the project."

Research by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas and its partners has already proven to be successful. New irrigation methods are expected to double wheat production while using one-third of the water required for full irrigation. Experts say the new methods also increase crop production up to five times more than crops that depend on rainfall only.

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas will provide technical support for the project. Officials from the International Water Management Institute and the International Food Policy Research Institute are also taking part in the effort.

Each team will be joined by experts from local research institutions, universities and government agencies.

SCOTT CHRISTIANSON: "We have good partnerships among the countries within each agro-eco system so that through this twinning they can learn lessons from each other and work together effectively through time."

Scott Christianson and other officials met in Amman, Jordan last week. They attended an international conference on food security and climate change in dry areas. Nearly one-fourth of the world's people live in these areas.

Officials say more must be done to deal with water shortages in agriculture. If not, they say, the future of food security, economic development and social stability in dry areas will be put at risk.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms. I'm Steve Ember.

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Words and Their Stories: All About Names

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Some names have special meanings in popular American expressions. Transcript of radio broadcast:

Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.

(MUSIC)

A person’s name is very important. Some names also have special meanings in popular American expressions. To better understand what I mean, sit back and listen. You might even want to get a cup of Joe, I mean, a cup of coffee.

One day, an average Joe was walking down the street. An average Joe is a common person – either male or female. This average Joe was lost. He did not know Jack about where he was going. By this, I mean he did not know anything about where to find things in the city.

So average Joe asked John Q. Public for directions to the nearest bank. John Q. Public is also a common person – male or female.

“Jeez Louise,” said John Q. Public. This is an expression of surprise. “Jeez Louise, don’t you know that all banks are closed today? It is Saturday.”

“For Pete’s sake,” said average Joe. This is also an expression used to show a feeling like surprise or disappointment.

“For Pete’s sake. I do not believe you,” said average Joe. He was being a doubting Thomas, someone who does not believe anything he is told.

At that moment, Joe Blow was walking down the street with a woman. Joe Blow is also an expression for a common man. Now this Joe Blow was NOT walking next to a plain Jane. A plain Jane is a woman who is neither ugly nor pretty. She is simply plain. No, the woman with Joe Blow was a real Sheila – a beautiful woman.

Average Joe asked the woman if all banks were closed on Saturday. “No way, Jose,” she answered. This is a way of saying “no.” “No way, Jose. Many banks are open on Saturdays.”

Average Joe did not know either of these two people from Adam. That is, he did not know them at all. But he followed their directions to the nearest bank.

When he arrived, he walked to the desk of the chief bank employee. Now this man was a true Jack of all trades. He knew how to do everything.

“I am here to withdraw some money so I can pay my taxes to Uncle Sam,” said average Joe. Uncle Sam represents the United States government. The banker produced some papers and told average Joe to sign his John Hancock at the bottom. A John Hancock is a person’s signed name – a signature. Historically, John Hancock was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence. Hancock had a beautiful signature and signed his name larger than all the others.

As average Joe left the bank he began to sing. But sadly, average Joe was not a good singer. He was a Johnny One Note. He could only sing one note.

(MUSIC)

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.

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