Ergonomics

Ergonomics is a scientific discipline concerned with studying the interaction of human beings with their environment. The principle focus of most ergonomic inquiries is to minimize the impact of equipment and user-interfaces on the human body. Machines and devices with poor ergonomic design can yield an increase in repetitive strain injuries and musculoskeletal injuries–injuries which can compound over time to yield long-term disabilities.

While there is evidence of civilizations dating all the way back to Ancient Greece studying tool design and other ergonomic issues, it wasn’t until the 19th century that researchers began to actually monitor and measure worker efficiency with different tools. The first modern inquiries into ergonomics and usability were pioneered in early 20th century aeronautical research labs in order to improve fighter pilot safety and efficiency.

The effects of such early ergonomic research and the research that split off it it can be easily seen around modern offices. Split  keyboards, computer mice designed to conform to the natural shape of the human hand, and work stations with highly adjustable surfaces and viewing angles, are all examples of ergonomic research applied in the work place.

More stories

How to Stream Every NFL Game Live, Without Cable

Fall is on its way, which can mean only one thing: football is back! Wouldn’t it be nice if you could watch whatever NFL game you want without being subject to the whims of your local cable company, though?

An Appeal to Everyone: Please Stop Pronouncing “Pokémon” Wrong

Pokémon, one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, has recently gotten even more popular with the release of Pokémon Go. Yet for how many people play this ubiquitous game, so many still don’t seem to know how to pronounce the name–including the CEO of the company that makes it.

How to Print a Text Message Conversation

While you can easily back up your text messages to your computer so that you don’t lose them, sometimes a text message conversation is so important that you also might need a paper copy to keep in a safe place. Here’s how to print out text message conversations so that you’ll always have a physical

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is an encryption technology most commonly used by web browsers to ensure that the information transmitted between the browser and the web server is private and unaltered. Active SSL connections are most frequently indicated by  a change in the host URL from