Category: Lewis’ videos

Disruptive Innovation Festival

I spoke at the Disruptive Innovation Festival on 13th November about a ‘Short History of Technology’. Held on the Isle of Wight, and funded by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, this year the festival asked the question: what if we could redesign everything? In this live studio session, I talked about The Knowledge, peering behind some layers of modern technology to help us focus on what we have accomplished through history, and why we need to reconnect with the technology around us today.

Here’s the video:

The Knowledge Want to read more about the behind-the-scenes fundamentals of how our modern world works, and how you could reboot civilisation if you ever needed to...? Check out The Knowledge - available now in paperback, Kindle and audiobook.

The History and Importance of Glass

This is a follow-on video from my collaboration with Andy George and his compelling How to Make Everything youtube channel. Here I explain why glass was so critical through history and our development of science.  Complete with cute cartoon animations…!

 

The Knowledge Want to read more about the behind-the-scenes fundamentals of how our modern world works, and how you could reboot civilisation if you ever needed to...? Check out The Knowledge - available now in paperback, Kindle and audiobook.

How to make glasses from Scratch

I recently collaborated with Andy George and his fascinating How to Make Everything youtube channel on a project. I helped Andy to make glass from scratch, using only the raw ingredients you can gather yourself from the natural environment. You can collect silica from sand, potash from wood ashes, and lime from chalk or limestone. Andy then ground his glass into lenses for a pair of spectacles. Have a watch of the video below here! There’s also a follow-on video with cartoon animations on why glass was so critical in the history of us developing science.

 

The Knowledge Want to read more about the behind-the-scenes fundamentals of how our modern world works, and how you could reboot civilisation if you ever needed to...? Check out The Knowledge - available now in paperback, Kindle and audiobook.

Book Zone TV

Here’s a video interview I did with Book Zone TV about The Knowledge and the fundamentals of civilisation, filmed appropriately enough in The World’s End pub in Camden, North London… This interview featured on the Evening Standard and Daily Telegraph websites.

 

The Knowledge Want to read more about the behind-the-scenes fundamentals of how our modern world works, and how you could reboot civilisation if you ever needed to...? Check out The Knowledge - available now in paperback, Kindle and audiobook.

How To: Make a Gasifier Stove

For the launch of the book, we created a series of five short films to showcase different techniques that would be vital for surviving the immediate aftermath and rebuilding the capability of your post-apoclyptic society. This third one in a series of three shows how to make gasifier stove using nothing more than old tin cans. A gasifier stove burns fuel exceedingly efficiently and cleanly, and demonstrates the principle behind wood-powered cars that were common in the Second World War.  Also see (1/3) How to open a can without a can opener and (2/3) How to start a fire with everyday items, as well as How To: Electrolysis.

You can follow my step-by-step instructions to making your own gasifier stove very simply here.

The Knowledge Want to read more about the behind-the-scenes fundamentals of how our modern world works, and how you could reboot civilisation if you ever needed to...? Check out The Knowledge - available now in paperback, Kindle and audiobook.

How to start fire with everyday items

For the launch of the book, we created a series of five short films to showcase different techniques that would be vital for surviving the immediate aftermath and rebuilding the capability of your post-apoclyptic society. This is the second one in a series of three, which demonstrates how to make fire. Once all the matches and gas lighters have gone, here’s how to start a fire with everyday objects (which could be scavenged from the abandoned cities) used together in surprising combinations. Also see (1/3) How to open a can without a can opener and (3/3) How to make a gasifier stove, as well as How To: Electrolysis.

Also check out The Knowledge post on How to start a fire using only IKEA products!

The Knowledge Want to read more about the behind-the-scenes fundamentals of how our modern world works, and how you could reboot civilisation if you ever needed to...? Check out The Knowledge - available now in paperback, Kindle and audiobook.

How to open can without can opener

For the launch of the book, we created a series of five short films to showcase different techniques that would be vital for surviving the immediate aftermath and rebuilding the capability of your post-apoclyptic society. This first one in a series of three shows how to open a tin can without a can opener, or any other tool. If you understand a little about how the tin can is constructed, you can exploit a neat trick to open the lid very easily. Also see (2/3): How to start a fire with everyday items and (3/3) How to make a gasifier stove, as well as How To: Electrolysis.

The Knowledge Want to read more about the behind-the-scenes fundamentals of how our modern world works, and how you could reboot civilisation if you ever needed to...? Check out The Knowledge - available now in paperback, Kindle and audiobook.