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09 January 2004

E-Bulletin Backscatter

Hi Forrest,

I just read with interest your article on dendrochronology. My wife is a science professor at a very small rural college here in southeastern Ohio. A very old tree fell on the property (sorry, I don't know the species), and she was the recipient of a slice of the tree (about a yard in diameter) for her science lab. There will be some activity for the students with it at some point, and will certainly be used when discussing tree growth, but I have a feeling it will largely be ornamental. Do you have any tips on preserving the slice without it cracking?

Thanks,

Brian Mansfield

Cross-section from the trunk of a large ponderosa pine at Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Click image to enlarge.

Dear Brian

First, it is common for trunk segments to split. I have some large segments from baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) that have split at least once from the bark to the heart. Thicker specimens have yet to split, so this suggests that display specimens should be 30 cm or more thick.

There are some very nice trunk cross-sections from a variety of large trees at Chicago's Field Museum. Thin pie-like slices have been cut from them to stop splitting. Nevertheless, some have developed splits. Perhaps this would not have happened if the sections were cut thicker.

The accompanying photo shows the cross-section of the trunk of a very large Ponderosa pine displayed near the historic The Lodge at Cloudcroft, New Mexico. This slice was cut only a few years ago, yet it is severely fractured. Presumably the very dry climate contributed to this.

As for treating the surface of the specimen, you might want to do an Internet search. There are numerous web articles on this topic.

Best regards,

Forrest

More on "Toward a Paideia of Curiosity"

Sheldon:

Excellent and inspiring article and many of my friends enjoyed it to. Only question I have is the story of the woman real or apocryphal? Doesn't really matter as the thought is there, but sounds too good to be true.

Ed Phillips

Dear Sheldon,

Your piece, "Toward a Paideia of Curiosity", is absolutely wonderful. It is a Rare Gem. I have sent a copy to everyone I know. I agree completely with Peter Baum, that it is beautiful, inspirational, and it fills me with hope. Maybe the Bulletin could reprint it every year during the holidays. Good luck, and thank you for all your excellent work.

Joe Roxborough

PS - I sent a copy of your essay to a friend who has no particular interest or background in science. Here is her reply:

"Thanks, Joe. This essay was not only good, it was inspiring. Isn't it wonderful when we rediscover our innate curiosity and do something about it? - Alice"

Other friends are equally admiring. That is a crackerjack piece.

Dear Sheldon and Forrest,

Sheldon, your "Toward a Paideia of Curiosity" was a very interesting story. I can see some of my research in the woman's study of glazed bricks. You've helped make the E-Bulletin useful and rewarding over the years; your editorials and other contributions will be missed.

Forrest, I enjoyed your "Doing Science in 2004" . If readers were inclined to pursue aeronautics or related fields, I would like to suggest perusing a web site I recently found: http://naca.larc.nasa.gov/. This NASA web site has more than 8,100 reports from its parent organization, NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics). The interested reader will discover how professionals did aeronautical science. These reports cover the period 1917-1958 and are interesting for the amateur scientist as well as for the amateur historian.

Regards,

Dan Lasley