Anyone here have kids or grandkids interested in science?
If so I might be able to light a fire under their butt(s) to get them inspired.
After my time in the military I was invited to join a small group that designed & built the first series of lasers for NASA. Specifically Apollo 11's Lunar Ranging Experiments.
(Shooting the retro reflector on the moon.)
I even suggested that the guys on the TV show Mythbusters repeat the experiment to prove once & for all that men did indeed walk on the moon. To my surprise, they dedicated an entire episode to it.
Getting back to my point... several years after Apollo 11s mission, I was having lunch with Dr. Carl Sagan & he invited me to meet a friend of his at Grumman Aerospace that afternoon.
After meeting Mr. Kelly(?) who was the chief engineer who designed & built the Lunar Modules... (The spacecraft that actually landed on the moon) we talked "shop" and after discovering my little contribution, he informed me that his son had an unnatural obsession with lasers.
Prior to our development, the theory was solid but it's not like you could go somewhere & buy one. So his kid was pretty much just dreaming.
I told him that I had plenty of surplus "junk" left over that he and his son could build one.
I got his home address & promised to send a truckload of parts.
Not to be outdone, he opened a locked drawer in his desk & pulled out a small metal canister.
Inside was a 2" x 6' long strip of "Kapton Polyimide Film" (the gold & silver foil used on spacecraft.)
He cut in half and gave Carl and I one half each.
Then dropped the bomb... informing us that what we were holding was the last remaining surplus from the LM-5 "Eagle" construction! My jaw dropped! It was an honor just to hold something like that in my hand! Even better, I was taking it home with me!
A few months prior, Carl coerced me into becoming an ambassador for NASA where we would visit schools & get kids fired up about space stuff.
We'd show them various artifacts... even moon rocks! Pass out photos, mission patches & all sorts of goodies they could keep.
(Obviously they couldn't keep a moon rock, but how many people have had the opportunity to hold one in their hand?)
Smart move on NASA'S part as there isn't an endless supply of people to hire later on.
For the few kids that were obviously going to dedicate their careers to science, we gave them small chunks of our precious foil.
Amazingly I still have some.
So... here's the deal... As previously stated, I'm older than dirt and don't expect to live forever.
And I know I'll never do anymore presentations...
If I can inspire just one more kid, I see it as a wise investment to donate this piece of history.
Accepting it requires their promise that it will never be sold and that they will protect it with their life.
And no... don't ask me to ship it to South Africa!
I honestly don't have time to talk to or teach kids about science. I can however advise parents where to find information to pass on.
FYI NASA is still VERY interested in recruiting fresh minds. Especially kids. Kids have a special talent for thinking outside the box.
It might amaze you how much they already contributed to the Mars Rovers and upcoming moon landings.
People somehow lose the skill of imagination... as they get older they automatically think "oh that won't work" etc..
Anyway... that's my offer. Feel free to hit me up.
Now go hug your rabbits!
If so I might be able to light a fire under their butt(s) to get them inspired.
After my time in the military I was invited to join a small group that designed & built the first series of lasers for NASA. Specifically Apollo 11's Lunar Ranging Experiments.
(Shooting the retro reflector on the moon.)
I even suggested that the guys on the TV show Mythbusters repeat the experiment to prove once & for all that men did indeed walk on the moon. To my surprise, they dedicated an entire episode to it.
Getting back to my point... several years after Apollo 11s mission, I was having lunch with Dr. Carl Sagan & he invited me to meet a friend of his at Grumman Aerospace that afternoon.
After meeting Mr. Kelly(?) who was the chief engineer who designed & built the Lunar Modules... (The spacecraft that actually landed on the moon) we talked "shop" and after discovering my little contribution, he informed me that his son had an unnatural obsession with lasers.
Prior to our development, the theory was solid but it's not like you could go somewhere & buy one. So his kid was pretty much just dreaming.
I told him that I had plenty of surplus "junk" left over that he and his son could build one.
I got his home address & promised to send a truckload of parts.
Not to be outdone, he opened a locked drawer in his desk & pulled out a small metal canister.
Inside was a 2" x 6' long strip of "Kapton Polyimide Film" (the gold & silver foil used on spacecraft.)
He cut in half and gave Carl and I one half each.
Then dropped the bomb... informing us that what we were holding was the last remaining surplus from the LM-5 "Eagle" construction! My jaw dropped! It was an honor just to hold something like that in my hand! Even better, I was taking it home with me!
A few months prior, Carl coerced me into becoming an ambassador for NASA where we would visit schools & get kids fired up about space stuff.
We'd show them various artifacts... even moon rocks! Pass out photos, mission patches & all sorts of goodies they could keep.
(Obviously they couldn't keep a moon rock, but how many people have had the opportunity to hold one in their hand?)
Smart move on NASA'S part as there isn't an endless supply of people to hire later on.
For the few kids that were obviously going to dedicate their careers to science, we gave them small chunks of our precious foil.
Amazingly I still have some.
So... here's the deal... As previously stated, I'm older than dirt and don't expect to live forever.
And I know I'll never do anymore presentations...
If I can inspire just one more kid, I see it as a wise investment to donate this piece of history.
Accepting it requires their promise that it will never be sold and that they will protect it with their life.
And no... don't ask me to ship it to South Africa!
I honestly don't have time to talk to or teach kids about science. I can however advise parents where to find information to pass on.
FYI NASA is still VERY interested in recruiting fresh minds. Especially kids. Kids have a special talent for thinking outside the box.
It might amaze you how much they already contributed to the Mars Rovers and upcoming moon landings.
People somehow lose the skill of imagination... as they get older they automatically think "oh that won't work" etc..
Anyway... that's my offer. Feel free to hit me up.
Now go hug your rabbits!
