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Science: the pleasure of re-examining something familiar from an unfamiliar
angle!

Years ago, when I was a marine science undergraduate in North Wales, UK, a
number of my friends found dubious ways of earning extra money from their
SCUBA diving hobby. One way was selling lobsters. Another was copper. With
saws and crowbars they extracted massive copper rivets from the timbers of a
wrecked sailing ship in the fast, tidal waters of the Menai Straits. These
rivets were really huge and heavy: about an inch in diameter, several feet
long, stamped with the Admiralty's broad arrow, and sometimes even shiny.
They were used to attach the ship's massive planking to its even more
massive ribs. These were sold as scrap metal, for cash rather than
'favours'! 

This was the ship, built in 1827:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Conway_%28school_ship%29

I wonder if those sailors anchored off Tahiti were actually able to draw out
similar copper rivets from deep inside their ship's hold?

Promoting public engagement with science
through a contagious delight in phenomena
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Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
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Ian Russell (Twitter: ianrusselluk)


-----Original Message-----

http://blogs.exploratorium.edu/science/2011/03/21/of-humans-and-bonobos/

I thought you might find this bracingly invigorating!
C


The opinions and thoughts expressed here are my own and should in no way be
construed or attributed to the Exploratorium or related organization, and do
not represent an institutional position.

Charles Carlson

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