Ralph J. Coppola --- r_j_coppola@hotmail.com

SAS Disclaimer

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Feature

Our feature, for this issue, will be a hodgepodge of optics related sites.

NASA --- How to Make Your Own Eye-Popping 3-D Pictures.

How-To Make 3-D photos.

This Czech site shows us how to build a Dirkon – A DIY pinhole camera.

Mini-FAQ Macro Photography using a flatbed computer.

Microscopy-UK is an Internet portal for microscope enthusiast. Some of their features are:

• An Introduction to Microscopy
• Buying A Microscope And How To Use It.
• Micscape --- On-line magazine devoted to the microscope.
• Experiments using a miniature CCD camera #1 for amateur video microscopy.
• Experiments with a miniature CCD camera #2 --- The pros and cons of infra-red sensitivity.

DIY Computer Video Microscopy for under $50

Thierry Legault’s High Resolution CCD Astronomical Imaging.

Come visit the University of Manchester’s  Jodrell Bank Observatory.

Amsky.com is an on-line Amateur Astronomy News magazine.

I found a few sites that show how to build a DIY stabilizer for your video cam.

• Dynamic Balance Primer
• FILIP'S DIY stabilizer page.
• A DIY $14 Steadycam
• Home Built Stabilizers

Wanderings

Physics: Past Experiments of the Month is an extensive list of projects that can be found by following a link from John W. Dooley’s article --- Measuring Sound Attenuation in the 11 February 2005 TCS.

Use a Miller Spark Chamber to produce some DIY amino acids.

From Primordial Soup to the Prebiotic Beach. Sean Henahan interviews exobiology pioneer, Dr. Stanley L. Miller.

Peebles Originals-Projects & Instructions and Dan's Double Detector Crystal Radio are a couple of DIY sites with crystal radio resources.

Here are the results of Darrel Emerson’s tests of the FGM-3h  Fluxgate Magnetometer.

The 42eXplore site supplies definitions, activities and links for various topics, such as their Science and Math pages.

The School of Physics & Astronomy of St. Andrews University has compiled an on-line collection of web pages designed to cover the topics of Information and Measurement.

Microwaves 101 is a practical web resource covering the fundamental principles of microwave theory and design.

The Sea Slug Forum allows you to post or answer questions and find out more about nudibranchs, bubble-shells, sea hares and other sea slugs.

Has da Vinci’s  workshop been discovered?

John D. Jenkins’ Spark Museum features a collection of vintage wireless and scientific apparatus.

The University of Kansas Medical Center maintains a list of lay advocates and support groups devoted to genetic conditions and birth defects.

For a different and unique vacation why not try one of the various volunteer vacations?

“Living better through chemistry”?

The Kids Room

It pays to stay awake in science/geography class. The Tilly Smith story.

Science and Society in Europe --- Women and Science

View the students and projects from the 16th European Union Contest for Young Scientists that was held September 2004 in Dublin, Ireland. The 2005 contest will be held in Moscow during the week of 17-24 September 2005.

The 17th European Union Contest for Young Scientists will be held from 17 to 24 September 2005 in Moscow, Russia. Stay “tuned” for further info.

The California State Science Fair site is an excellent source of ideas for making your project a winner. Among the various topics, be sure to check out:

• Getting Started with Your Project
• Science Fair Resources

The ChemTeam site provides tutorials for most topics in high school and advanced placement chemistry.

Suppliers

Being listed here does not constitute an endorsement by SAS or me of any information, product or service.

Digital Blue has picked up production of the discontinued Intel QX3 Computer Microscope. Besides that, they have introduced the QX5 --- a new and improved version.

Peter H. Anderson is a US source of Revolution Education‘s PICAXE microcontrollers. Also see The Happy Hippy.

Anchor Optical Surplus offers a variety of experimental grade lenses, prisms and mirrors.

MTM Scientific offers a small selection of some interesting items.

On The Lighter Side

Michael J. Darnell’s Bad Human Factors Designs is a scrapbook of illustrated examples of things that are hard to use because they do not follow human factors principles.

From The Far Side

For $7.45 US you can buy a sample of serratia marcescens. That’s right! For a few dollars you, too, can face the possibility of 20 years imprisonment for legally purchasing one of the cultures that landed Kurtz and Ferrell in hot water.

Also, see:

• What’s new at SAS --- 03 September 2004
• The Critical Art Ensemble’s Defence Fund

Rods? Are they a camera artefact, unknown life forms or alien creatures? See:

• Jose Escamilla’s Roswell Rods Web site.
• Bob DuHamel, Editor: AmSky,  The "Rods" Hoax
• AmSky reader’s comments on Bob DuHamel’s editorial (Pro & Con).
• The Skeptic's Dictionary entry on Rods.
• Sol’s "RODS" study.

Can you devise an experiment to either prove or disprove the existence of rods?