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10 October 2003

E-Bulletin Backscatter

Lauding LABRats

Dear Shawn,

This is one of the best ideas I've heard of in a long time; I donated $50 immediately.

Remy Hathaway

Dear Dr. Carlson,

Thank you and all of the leaders in SAS for starting LabRats. As a grad student I can't give much financially to help you launch your venture, but I have made a donation. I am delighted to see that this organization will have the tried-and-true framework of Boy Scouts, but will not discriminate based on race, financial means, ethnicity, religious conviction, or sexual orientation. As a fellow Eagle scout, I admire and respect the Boy Scouts in many of their beliefs and activities. However, several of their positions, especially the stance that one must believe in a Supreme Being to grow into "the best kind of citizen," make me reluctant to return to that organization as a leader. (The leaders at my final board of review quickly agreed that I had satisfied all the requirements for Eagle Scout, but it took me several hours to argue successfully with them that my agnosticism is consistent with the Scout Oath and Law. After all, if there happens to be no God, there can be no "duty to God" -- and the term "reverent" has nothing to do, necessarily, with a Supreme Being.)

Your organization, as you describe it, is one in which I would be proud to be involved. It addresses a pressing need for more scientists and engineers -- and scientific thinking -- in our society. Please keep those of us in the rank and file of SAS informed about how we can help.

Again, well done.

Sincerely,

Joe Geddes

Hi -

I have your name from ATMoB (Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston). The thought of a Science Club similar to the Boy Scouts is fascinating. I was a scout, and before my kids grew up, I was a scout leader. I am now a retired professor of Electrical Engineering. I still like camping, but the BSA is too military for me. (I prefer cooperation over obedience.)

I live at 100 Coolidge Road, Arlington MA 02476. If there is a group in this area, or an individual I can talk to, I would like to find out more about your organization. My phone # is 781-643-9323.

I am a 75 year old Astronomy, Electricity and Physics enthusiast who likes to sleep late. I suspect your project could get me out of bed in the morning.

Alex Vanderburgh

Looking for Interactive Displays

Dear SAS:

We are a Children's Museum in Walla Walla, Wa and are searching for some energy exhibits that are educational and interactive. We feel it is very important for the children to be exposed to this at an early age but have found it hard to be able to afford such exhibits from fabricators. Any ideas where we can get energy type exhibits?

Thanks so much in advance,

Cathy Mebes
Children's Museum of Walla Walla
CMWW@charter.net
509-200-2284
P.O. Box 44
Walla Walla, WA 99362
www.CMWW.org
Play~Learn~Explore

Dear Ms. Mebes,

I'll share your request with the SAS membership this Friday by asking the Editor to put your request in our weekly electronic E-magazine. Hopefully one or more of our members will be able to help you.

Take care and good luck,

Shawn Carlson, Ph.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Society for Amateur Scientists

Studying Tree Rings

Dear Forrest Mims,

At the bottom of the column reprinted in this week's SAS e-bulletin, it says that you study tree rings. I have a question.

At my parents' home near Tulsa, OK, I have observed several years in which the trees lost all their leaves late in the summer, due to drought conditions, but then sprouted new leaves and flowers in the fall (not all species were fooled into thinking it was spring, but some were). I have often wondered if, in those years when the leaves sprouted and fell off twice, the trees actually put on two growth rings. Sometime, in the future, will somebody counting rings be fooled into thinking such a year was actually two years? I guess there is an experiment I could try, to find out.

Daniel Narvaes

Daniel,

As I understand growth rings, it might be possible for the conditions you cite to form a double ring. Extra rings, however, are sometimes very obvious. Cypress trees, for example, often have extra rings that can be detected when a full trunk is available. Cores alone might miss this.

There are some excellent tree ring sites on the web that you can find doing a search on www.google.com. Look for "the ultimate tree ring" site.

Best regards,

Forrest M. Mims, III