Vincent Summers, Author at Quirky Science

26Jun 2015 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Random Electroform Art – How It Can Be Created

The Arts

[caption id="attachment_14086" align="alignright" width="480"] Gold-plated dendritic copper electroform art.[/caption] Art takes many forms. As a chemist, I was assigned the task of forming high frequency electrical devices. I "grew" them from water based solutions of copper salts. I then electroplated them in gold baths. I'd found my kind of art - random electroform art! No one can say it is unoriginal. Preparation A form, or mandrel, was made of machined aluminum. A sodium zincate dip and rinse followed. Copper was grown over that. Not all areas received growth, though. Forms were masked to prevent growth in certain spots with a vinyl coating. This was applied by dipping and "painting." Growth After drying, the mandrel was inserted into the bath. Electricity was applied. Copper deposition began. After growth completion, the piece…

24Jun 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

The Northern Catalpa in Southern Virginia

Humor

[caption id="attachment_20110" align="alignright" width="440"] Photo courtesy C. Mehring[/caption] The blooming peak of the Northern Catalpa in Nelson County, Virginia is about the 24th May. Although some call it the Catawba tree, in these parts it is called the Monkey’s Cigar tree. This is because of its elongated dark brown pods. I well remember my becoming acquainted with the Northern Catalpa. Reason for My Trip South I had lived in Camden County, New Jersey for 33 years. In my teen years, my parents had taken my sister and I on a trip to Sprouse's Corners in Buckingham County, Virginia to see a friend of my mother from her childhood days. The woman had lost her parents when she was still young. Still in her youth, she had boarded with my mother's…

24Jun 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

I Have Amnesia

Health

[caption id="attachment_13627" align="alignright" width="480"] Who am I?[/caption] Amnesia – the partial to complete loss of one’s memory of past events – is probably a more common event than people realize. Hollywood portrays amnesia as a loss of personal identity—who am I? where am I? what am I doing here? Really? Amnesia? I experienced amnesia of a strange form. It resulted from the use of a doctor prescribed medication. For two days, I unconsciously engaged in activity I learned of only later through the testimony of others. During the previous 48 hours, I had not slept at all. Up Close and Personal I do know how the episode began. I sat in a chair staring at the carpet. I saw small swirling shadows that turned into caterpillars moving about. The next…

15Jun 2015 by Vincent Summers 8 Comments

Is a Circle a Polygon or Not? Implications for Calculus

Mathematics

[caption id="attachment_16285" align="alignright" width="380"] A 12-sided dodecagon.[/caption] What do you think? Is the circle a polygon, or not? As a result of watching a child’s video, I previously wrote a brief piece about the “corners” of a circle. The video was designed to teach children the various shapes—how many sides does a shape have, and how many corners? The video maintained a circle has no corners. I called that into question. I still do. And yet, I do not. I now think it’s all in how you look at it. Or, you might say, it’s all in the mathematical perspective. Consider. The Circle by Definition One can define the two-dimensional circle as the complete collection or “set” of points equidistant from a set point, not part of the circle. In…

23May 2015 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Seed Potatoes: Plant Only Seed Potatoes

Food

[caption id="attachment_7288" align="alignright" width="440"] White Potatoes at harvest time.[/caption] As a child, we would eat some form of white potatoes pretty near every day. I wasn’t a fan. I wished Mom would make just about anything but white potatoes. We had ‘em boiled with butter, mashed, baked, fried. The mashed potatoes were made using a potato ricer and a small electric mixer—a lot of work and a lot of noise. The potatoes were lumpy. Tastes Change We had a small garden. We never grew our own potatoes. Instead, we’d buy them at the local A&P grocery store. When I left home, I ate relatively few potatoes. Eventually however, I overcame my distaste of eating the things and even grew to love them. Eventually, I realized how tasty they were. So…

21May 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Analysis of An FBI Training Film on Physical Evidence

Forensics

[caption id="attachment_7268" align="alignright" width="440"] Symbol of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[/caption] A YouTube presentation caught my interest. The 20-minute video is entitled, FBI Physical Evidence Training Film – 1960s. An FBI training film! The presentation is dry as bones, yet from a forensic viewpoint it is clear and informative. I give my thoughts concerning the video, below. Before considering those, however, please watch the video. First Impressions The professionalism, the careful gathering and cataloging of evidence, was really striking, as was the scope of the work. I was favorably impressed. No wonder so few cases in which the FBI is called in on end up in rejection of their findings. But there are a few things I feel that are worthy of consideration that modify how one might look at…

20May 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Differences between Warts and Moles, Boils, Corns, Bunions

Health

[caption id="attachment_28016" align="alignright" width="480"] Common moles. -National Cancer Institute[/caption]Do you have warts and moles? Or perhaps you have other unpleasant distinguishing marks on your skin such as boils, corns, or bunions? Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder. Yet, sometimes, instead, it is in the eye of the possessor. We may be surprised by the sudden appearance of a growth on our head, our hand, or our foot. More commonly, especially during adolescence, we experience pimples or blackheads. However, more permanent growths can include warts and moles, boils, corns, and bunions. What are these? How do they differ? Warts and Moles Warts are growths produced in the outer layers of the skin, frequently on the hands and fingers, by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. They may generally be…

20May 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

The Persistent Triphenylmethyl Free Radical

Chemistry

[caption id="attachment_19350" align="alignright" width="440"] Three phenyl groups plus an unpaired electron are bonded to a central carbon.[/caption] The persistent triphenylmethyl free radical. What is it? What is a free radical and how, and in what sense, is this one "persistent"? The term free radical is a household word, due to its association with food and with body health. Although the expression is bandied about, the public at large does not know what it means. It relates to the concept of atoms, molecules, and electrons. A chemical free radical is defined as a molecule having no net electrical charge, that nevertheless, has at least one unpaired valence electron. Do you find this definition hard to follow? Continue reading and view the hyperlinked graphic model, cited in the following paragraph. [sc name="MidArticleAdsense"]…

18May 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

A Senior Riding Amtrak: My Ironic Article

Transportation

[caption id="attachment_7248" align="alignright" width="480"] Amtrak traveling the countryside.[/caption] A handful of years ago, I wrote about my riding Amtrak from Charlottesville, Virginia to the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, where I met a friend. It was actually a very pleasant experience, though a bit adventuresome for me. I could not anticipate the tragedy that would occur in 2015 in that very city of "brotherly love." I resubmit my original article, below... What would go through your mind if this had happened to you? ---------- Are you a "senior" in your 60s, 70s, 80s or even older? Ever wondered what riding Amtrak is like? Take a virtual ride with me now, from Charlottesville, VA, through Washington, DC, to Philadelphia, PA. A good friend had a happy and important occasion he desired…

17May 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Massless Strings and Frictionless Pulleys

Physics

Massless strings and frictionless pulleys? Whoever heard of such things? I attended Drexel University. Well, at first it was the Drexel Institute of Technology. I majored in chemistry. It was strongly suggested I major in chemical engineering. But I refused to change. Why? Because I didn't care what use humans put chemistry to. I loved chemistry and that was all there was to it. Unfortunately (or so it seemed at the time) majoring in chemistry didn't mean all my courses would be chemistry courses. Physics - Massless Strings & Frictionless Pulleys Well—unavoidably—I was required to take a certain amount of physics. And introductory physics requires the use of simple mathematics, including calculus. But physics equations can be difficult to derive. Simplification wherever possible was the mandate. This simplification required us…