FlipFact of the Day: When New Mexico district court judge Jack Love read the August 9, 1977 edition of the daily “Spider-Man” comic strip, inspiration struck.
The strip featured the Kingpin, Spider-Man’s longtime villain, tracking the arachnid-themed hero using an electronic transmitter bracelet on his wrist. Love pondered the possibility of creating a device similar to what Spider-Man wore in the comic. He also wondered if authorities could use such a device to monitor offenders and minimize overcrowding in prisons.
Love was able to convince his friend Mike Goss to work on this idea; Goss’ company designed a waterproof anklet weighing about 4 oz. Drawing power from a battery, the device was “about the size of a pack of cigarettes.”
The company introduced the device in New Mexico in 1983. After the trial run, authorities realized that it was, indeed, a viable alternative to incarceration.
Today’s Science History Milestone: On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped a plutonium bomb codenamed “Fat Man” on Nagasaki, Japan during the Second World War. Between 39,000 and 80,000 people died as a result.
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Cover: Mark Bagley/Marvel Comics
References
- https://www.ibtimes.com/chain-gang-20-if-you-cant-afford-gps-ankle-bracelet-you-get-thrown-jail-2065283
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
