"He's sometimes pegged as a nonsense writer," argues Leonard Marcus, "but most of the time he used nonsense as a device for holding the interest of the reader while he said something that was important to him".
In its simplest form, the camera is a light-tight container carrying a lens, a shutter, a diaphragm, a device for holding (and changing) the film in the correct image plane, and a viewfinder to allow the camera to be aimed at the desired scene.
In each case, McPhee has found what he calls an "organising principle" – a device both for holding together a mass of observation, direct speech, research and commentary, and for drawing the reader through it, as plot may draw readers through a novel.
Deep underground, in a defunct gold mine in South Dakota, scientists are assembling an array of odd devices: a chamber for holding tonnes of xenon gas; hundreds of light detectors, each capable of pinpointing a single photon; and a vast tank that will be filled with hundreds of gallons of ultra-pure water.
Thus, the elements of machining are a cutting device, a means for holding and positioning the workpiece, and usually a lubricant (or cutting oil).
Sinautec is also in discussions with MIT's Schindall about developing ultracapacitors of higher energy density using vertically aligned carbon nanotube structures that give the devices more surface area for holding a charge.
Perhaps a future version will put the commentary on goggles through which you can see the orchestra, or future etiquette will allow for holding the device in front of your nose, but for now it doesn't seem possible to read and watch at the same time.
Vise, also spelled Vice, device consisting of two parallel jaws for holding a workpiece; one of the jaws is fixed and the other movable by a screw, a lever, or a cam.
My idea was to create a shared context for the devices by holding them together and shaking them.
This is adequate for most patients, although a larger bore may be necessary for overweight patients or for those requiring devices such as holding fixtures for radiotherapy or artificial ventilators.
