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Morning Start: The first vending machines dispensed holy water

Your morning start for Thursday, August 13, 2020
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(Natalia Cuevas-Huaico - Kelowna Capital News)

Good morning, temperatures are in the sweet spot today: Enjoy it while it lasts!

Fun Fact of the day: The earliest vending machines

The ancient Roman city of Alexandria was a hotbed of innovation, considered by historians as foundational to modern civilization. Among its most celebrated thinkers was Hero of Alexandria, a Greek mathematician and engineer who lived during the first century A.D. He’s known for his advancements in pneumatics and the creation of the first-recorded steam engine. He also found the time to invent the first vending machine.

The machines were installed inside religious temples. When a coin was inserted into the machine’s slot, it triggered a metal lever that in turn released a small quantity of the machine’s contents.

For a layperson living in the first century with little understanding of mechanical functions, it must have seemed miraculous – especially since these ancient vending machines were used to dispense holy water!

Weather forecast according to Environment Canada:

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In case you missed it:

As B.C. continues to see new cases of COVID-19, the province is hiring 500 additional workers to boost contact tracing — a tool used to tack a person’s whereabouts after they’ve tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Some of the new staff will also support public health services, helping to educate about the virus and immunize for influenza in the fall.

Video of the day:

We’ve seen countless musical salutes to health care workers from around the world and close to home in 2020. Here’s another, because there can never be too many.

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Brendan Shykora
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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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