Discoveries in the Physics & Astronomy shop | Science, curiosities, and surprises
Welcome to Olin Science 181, the Physics & Astronomy department’s machine shop. As the department’s support team, we regularly discover, design, and build all sorts of curiosities. This blog is just a small sample of the fascinating things we come across every day.
They’re interesting. Sometimes strange. Sometimes oddly charming.
Always worth sharing.
“Physics Shop needs to be taken to + fixed. Chem 107”
Clearly written in haste, an encouragement for someone else to take this inoperable hot plate down to the shop for repair. But, look, it got here. If it’s fixable, we’ll fix it. So, good enough?
Four heavy-ish boxes of beads, all soda-lime glass in various sizes. 1 millimeter up to 4. Remnants of an old research project, untouched for years.
But it’s not like they go bad, not on a human timescale. So 60 lbs. of little glass beads, headed for storage, awaiting the day when they’re useful to someone or the space they’re occupying is more valuable for something else.
Anybody have ideas for an arts and crafts project?
Approximately half a gallon – the classic method of fastener measurement – of 3/8″, 8-32 thread pan head slotted screws. For $2.00, that’s a pretty good deal… assuming you have a plan for all of those.
Do you have a plan for all of those?
Bins of old stuff, acquired because we might find some of it useful before it heads to the scrap heap. And we do, we really do.
But when it comes to unsorted bins of fasteners and other bits, loaded with so many sizes and threads and styles? Fills you with dread until you remember there’s a bin for scrap metal recycling.
Stickers adhered to boxes of old chemistry equipment.
“For Laboratory Use Only / Not for use by children 12 and under”
Seems somewhat arbitrary, but then again, teenagers are known for their maturity and wisdom.
No idea why this little toad decided to rest up here, but we’re in no rush to disturb. There’s another entry just around the corner.
And here it is, the shop’s new toy. In place, powered up, and ready to drown us in oceans of swarf.
Note that this is as clean as it’ll ever look.
Just over two decades ago, this was our introductory Astronomy lab packet. Things have evolved since then, but the bones are still there!
Three distinct nighttime observing labs, though? Jeez. Night sky conditions really were better back then.
Don’t put your fingers into a high-voltage electrical socket when the power is on. Don’t do it when the power is off, just in case.
It’s not even clear why someone would do this when the entire apparatus is unplugged.
Just don’t go sticking fingers into places not meant for fingers, please.
Rearranging the shop is no small task. Organizing it all is a complex nightmare. We’re forever behind the 8 ball, too.
But it’s hard to throw away perfectly good and useful stuff, given that you never know what projects will walk through the door.