Scientists Have a Sense of Humor
I was originally going to write a serious topic about a unit of measurement in the field of nuclear physics, called the barn, but I'm in a whimsical mood. My funny bone has the best of me. You see, it is not accurate to say scientists have no sense of humor. We'll still discuss the barn, but in a slightly different light. Flashback It all goes back to that well-known institution of higher learning, Purdue University. It was the time of World War II and telephone communication with other scientists concerning particle physics was a touchy subject. Secrecy was vital, so mundane terms had to be used to replace easily identifiable technical terms. You see, the subject involved the cyclotron and the U.S. Government's interest in nuclear affairs. Background In…