Today’s homework. A bigger story.
Pick a topic, meet the people behind the ideas, and try something together.
20 pioneers with prepared, book-cited stories. Explore all 315 profiles
How could three people improve the same design together?
Explore machines & teamwork with The Banu Musa brothers, then try the activity below.
The legacy behind the lesson
The Banu Musa brothers were Muhammad, Ahmad, and al-Hasan, sons of Musa ibn Shakir.
They were associated with the House of Wisdom in ninth-century Baghdad.
Their Book of Ingenious Devices described more than a hundred mechanisms and inventions.
“How could three people improve the same design together?”
Design with a partner
Gather: Paper, pencils, and a partner.
- 1
Choose a small everyday job an imaginary machine could help with.
- 2
Each person draws a different idea.
- 3
Find one useful part in each drawing and combine them.
- 4
Add arrows to explain your shared design and ask what might need testing.