Post B0GndPB8afNNq3KxeK by pozorvlak@mathstodon.xyz
 (DIR) More posts by pozorvlak@mathstodon.xyz
 (DIR) Post #B0GndPB8afNNq3KxeK by pozorvlak@mathstodon.xyz
       2025-11-15T11:43:57Z
       
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       I'd long vaguely wondered why the large gas-storage towers you see dotted around the UK were called "gasometers" - yes, the height of the tower shows you how much gas is in it, but that's not their primary function, surely? Turns out it was! They were originally invented as lab equipment (by Lavoisier, no less!) and scaled up for industrial use by the Scottish engineer William Murdoch. People have apparently been complaining about the name since the late 1700s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_holder
       
 (DIR) Post #B0H2yKEreOZhuZVvF2 by bortzmeyer@mastodon.gougere.fr
       2025-11-15T15:36:20Z
       
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       @pozorvlak Interesting: it is the same issue in French. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazom%C3%A8tre