The large wooden windmills that famously dot a picturesque stretchof the Netherlands, and the modThe large wooden windmills that famously dot a picturesque stretch of the Netherlands, and the modern machines rising high above the German countryside in our image, share a common origin: Hero of Alexandria invented the first wind-powered machine nearly 2,000 years ago. Over time, this windwheel evolved into grain-grinding and water-pumping windmills. Then, in the 20th century, electricity-generating wind turbines really took off. These massive, whirling pinwheels may look like something out of a science fiction film but in many respects, they continue to follow an ancient mechanical concept. Wind farms like this one are groves of multiple turbines built in areas of strong and consistent wind currents... See more See less
