ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Joseph Potier

Okay kiddo, let me explain Joseph Potier to you! Joseph Potier was a very clever man who lived a long time ago in the 18th century. He was a French scientist and engineer who invented something called the "counterweight system". This system helped people lift heavy things like stones and building materials.

Imagine you are trying to lift a really heavy rock all by yourself. It's so heavy that you can't even budge it! Now, imagine if instead of using just your muscles to lift it up, you had a counterweight to help you. A counterweight is basically a heavy object that balances out the weight of the rock. So, if the rock weighs 100 pounds, you might use a counterweight that is also 100 pounds to help you lift it, making it easier to handle.

Joseph Potier figured out how to use this counterweight system to make things like cranes and elevators. With his inventions, people were able to lift much heavier things than they could before, and this made building things like large buildings and bridges much easier.

So, Joseph Potier was a very clever man who made life easier for people who needed to lift heavy things. And his inventions are still used today in things like cranes and elevators all over the world!