"The Amateur Scientist" archive articles are back

[[email protected]]

Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The
Amateur Scientist" are once again online. Articles for 1999, 2000,
and 2001 are now visible on the SciAm site, and older articles are
again available on archive.org

Here's an updated links page:

The Amateur Scientist
http://amasci.com/amateur/sciam1.html



((((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( (o) ) ) )))))))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty Research Engineer
beaty a chem washington edu UW Chem Dept, Bagley Hall RM74
billb a eskimo com Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700
ph206-762-3818 http://staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The
Amateur Scientist" are once again online. Articles for 1999, 2000,
and 2001 are now visible on the SciAm site, and older articles are
again available on archive.org

Here's an updated links page:

The Amateur Scientist
http://amasci.com/amateur/sciam1.html



((((((((((((((((((((((( ( ( (o) ) ) )))))))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty Research Engineer
beaty a chem washington edu UW Chem Dept, Bagley Hall RM74
billb a eskimo com Box 351700, Seattle, WA 98195-1700
ph206-762-3818 http://staff.washington.edu/wbeaty/

Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine?
I expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

 

[Leon]

Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine?
I expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

--
Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/- Transcendence UK
Remote Viewing classes in London

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.

Leon

 

[Dave Platt]

Some of the later editions of Scientific American's old column "The

Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine?
I expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

You can buy a CD-ROM which contains the complete run of The Amateur
Scientist, as well as The Amateur Astronomer and The Amateur Telescope
Maker (from 1928 to 2001!), plus a whole bunch of other stuff.,

I've seen it offered by several online merchants: one is
http://www.surplusshed.com (item M2071, $24).

 

[Robert Baer]

Does that include the classics, like the home X-Ray machine?
I expect that if SciAm printed that today there would be $zillion law
suits flying around. Maybe even with the fairly harmless home linear
accelerator.

I know someone that (ages ago) built his own 4MEV pulsed
cockroach-walldorf accelerator in his garage.
He even reproduced a few of the low energy experiments.

 

[przemek klosowski]

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.

It wasn't a dye laser that was dangerous---it was the Nitrogen UV pumping
laser that essentially worked off a huge about foot-square PCB used as a
high voltage capacitor. I still have this board somewhere.

 

[[email protected]]

You can buy a CD-ROM which contains the complete run of The Amateur
Scientist, as well as The Amateur Astronomer and The Amateur Telescope
Maker (from 1928 to 2001!), plus a whole bunch of other stuff.,

I've seen it offered by several online merchants: one ishttp://www.surplusshed.com(item M2071, $24).

It's from the Society for Amateur Scientists:

http://www.brightscience.com/

my loving wife bought it for me for my birthday several years ago,
but she's very picky what she'll let me build. ;>)


Mark L. Fergerson

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

It wasn't a dye laser that was dangerous---it was the Nitrogen UV pumping
laser that essentially worked off a huge about foot-square PCB used as a
high voltage capacitor. I still have this board somewhere.

I recall reading about the N2 laser years ago, but could never find the
details again. Does anyone know a URL for the construction? IIRC it was
very simple.

 

[Rich Grise]

I remember a dye laser that was *very* dangerous.

When I was in HS, I saw two seniors trying to build the He-Ne laser.
I don't know if they succeeded.

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

When I was in HS, I saw two seniors trying to build the He-Ne laser.
I don't know if they succeeded.

Cheers!
Rich

Even a serious try would have been very educational. Glassblowing,
vacuums, high voltages, etc.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[christofire]

I recall reading about the N2 laser years ago, but could never find the
details again. Does anyone know a URL for the construction? IIRC it was
very simple.

I still have the article about the dye laser somewhere. If I remember
correctly, it was pumped by a flash tube and the author used rarefied
air (i.e. many kilovolts across a tube being evacuated - flashes over
when the pressure gets low enough). There are construction details to
be found on the web for nitrogen (i.e. atmospheric air) lasers, such as
http://technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/lasers/LasersTEA.htm

'Don't peer into output port with remaining eye', etc.

On 'Fifth Gear' shown on 'Dave' in the UK recently they did a piece
about devices one can buy that jam police laser speed-measuring guns.
The 'technician' fitting the kit to show car mumbled something about
early versions using "Class 4" IR lasers that would set fire to the
cardboard box if powered in their packing. Does that sound plausible?

Chris

 

[[email protected]]

I recall reading about the N2 laser years ago, but could never find the
details again. Does anyone know a URL for the construction? IIRC it was
very simple.

Search for TEA Nitrogen Laser

http://www.amasci.com/uvlas.gif
http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasercn2.htm
http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/lasers/LasersTEA.htm

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

I recall reading about the N2 laser years ago, but could never find the
details again. Does anyone know a URL for the construction? IIRC it was
very simple.

http://tesladownunder.com/LaserNitrogen.htm

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

I still have the article about the dye laser somewhere. If I remember
correctly, it was pumped by a flash tube and the author used rarefied
air (i.e. many kilovolts across a tube being evacuated - flashes over
when the pressure gets low enough). There are construction details to
be found on the web for nitrogen (i.e. atmospheric air) lasers, such as
http://technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/lasers/LasersTEA.htm

'Don't peer into output port with remaining eye', etc.

On 'Fifth Gear' shown on 'Dave' in the UK recently they did a piece
about devices one can buy that jam police laser speed-measuring guns.
The 'technician' fitting the kit to show car mumbled something about
early versions using "Class 4" IR lasers that would set fire to the
cardboard box if powered in their packing. Does that sound plausible?

The fire bit, yes.
Whether it would jam detectors is another matter. It could certainly
blind anyone looking into the beam.

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

Search for TEA Nitrogen Laser

http://www.amasci.com/uvlas.gif
http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasercn2.htm
http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/lasers/LasersTEA.htm

The kind of device Faraday could have built.
How would that have changed history?

 

[Ben Bradley]

It's from the Society for Amateur Scientists:

http://www.brightscience.com/

I got my copy there a few years back on sale for something like
$19. The earliests entries don't even have technical info, just what
appear to be "news reports" of the growing popularity of the hobby of
amateur telescope making, but many of the remainder articles make it
well worth the cost.
The CD's entries have "ratings" that weren't on the articles, I
think recent cost of materials, but especially the dangers involved in
the project. Of course, those danger ratings makes it easy to find the
most interesting projects...

 

[christofire]

I got my copy there a few years back on sale for something like
$19. The earliests entries don't even have technical info, just what
appear to be "news reports" of the growing popularity of the hobby of
amateur telescope making, but many of the remainder articles make it
well worth the cost.
The CD's entries have "ratings" that weren't on the articles, I
think recent cost of materials, but especially the dangers involved in
the project. Of course, those danger ratings makes it easy to find the
most interesting projects...

OK, so go on, tell us: what was the baddest, wickedest project of the lot?

Chrix