Hannover has the biggest industrial trade fair in the world. Wednesday we went with Jens, Rich's coworker, and Nair, another visiting scientist in the group. Jens wanted to talk to a scientific instrument company, but, other than that, we followed Jens and wandered through airplane-hangar-sized halls full of robots, 3-D printers, gears, magnets, propellers, pumps, sensors, just about everything that goes into the machines that make the things we use every day. The ratio of men to women was surely at least 20-to-1, and, if one subtracts the young women in tastefully-attractive costumes selling stuff, then the ratio might go up to 30- or 40-to-1. If you banned black suits, the place would have been pretty empty.
Black Suits Überall
I looked for free food that went beyond candy (lots of free gummy bears and chocolate) and take credit for spotting a giant wheel of parmesan cheese being served on German pretzels by an Italian group promoting their city. I also investigated every bicycle, including one made out of bamboo and a chainless bike that stored pedal power in a battery to use later. Both way too heavy, but still prototypes. While I drove a remote-controlled model tractor, Jens, Nair, and Rich stood in line for free beer samples served by a robotic arm.
Free Beer Served by Robot
Rich liked this chess set made up of metal pipes and flanges.
Chess Set
Chainless Ebike
Have you eaten your daily electron today?
Each German province was promoting itself as a good place to locate business. We particularly liked this slogan. What aspects of the Southwest is it referring to? Lawlessness? Freedom from rules and regulations? I don't think so.
The German Southwest?
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