Brain Teaser Challenge - October*

by Butch Shadwell

Once upon a time there lived a great green ogre in the woods at the end of the dale. From birth the children of the village were told stories of this horrible creature and what happens to those who venture too close. Because everyone in the village had been so indoctrinated from birth, no one still living in the village had been into the woods to see if the ogre was still there. The stories that had been passed down made such a journey unthinkable.
One day the people of the village were threatened with destruction as the sun was getting cooler and the winter was colder than any they could recall in over a hundred years. To get fuel to heat their homes folks had to chop trees closer and closer to the dreaded ogre’s lair. One day the inevitable confrontation occurred. As one woodcutter ventured further into the woods than anyone had before he came upon a small house. The woodcutter screwed up his courage and knocked on the door. To his relief, it was not an ogre who answered, but an average built older man with circular spectacles. Upon entering the home the woodcutter was amazed how comfortable the temperature felt, and at the array of unusual gadgets about the room.
It turns out that this wood was home to an engineer. The rumors of an ogre were started over the fact that many of the village people were afraid of math and science. It was difficult and better kept at a distance. After hearing of the village’s problems with the weather, the engineer decided to help. He told them about insulation and how to store heat in water during the day so they could use it at night. If a villager was able to heat 10000 liters of water during the day using his solar panels to a temperature of 60 degrees C, how many BTUs would be released as heat as the water cooled to 20 degrees C? It’s funny sometimes how things we fear can be worth getting to know better.
Reply to Butch Shadwell at b.shadwell@ieee.org (email)
904-223-4510 (fax)
904-223-4465 (v)
3308 Queen Palm Dr.
Jacksonville, FL 32250-2328.
www.shadtechserv.com

The names of correct respondents may be mentioned in the solution column.

* We seemed to have gotten behind on the challenges and answers. As of November, the October edition was the last one that Butch had sent out. Figure that one out:) - Webmaster.

September Minutes

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Brain Teaser Challenge - September*

by Butch Shadwell

Certain times of year you can see many small meteors falling to earth, streaking to the surface from somewhere out in space. There is a theory that in fact life on this planet may have been seeded through DNA from space. The first microbes would have been based on these biological codes and then more complicated organisms evolved as different genes were expressed.
The thing about DNA is that most of it is not used in the life span of most organisms. Different genes only express themselves in the physiology of the organism when they are activated by chemicals in the vicinity. Your genome may include genes for a hairy body and arms that reach your knees, but these do not express themselves in most of us (rotten luck Fred).
Electrophoresis is a technology developed many years ago to sort protein molecules based on their mass. It involves straightening and coating each molecule with a negatively charged chemical, then placing the samples into a gel. Then an electric field is applied. The smaller molecules are more mobile in the viscous gel and so migrate more quickly toward the positive electrode. The result is that you get bands made up of molecules of the same mass at various distances from the starting point.
Your chemistry question today is: what does it mean if some of these molecules are isomers?
Reply to Butch Shadwell at b.shadwell@ieee.org (email)
904-223-4510 (fax)
904-223-4465 (v)
3308 Queen Palm Dr.
Jacksonville, FL 32250-2328.
www.shadtechserv.com

The names of correct respondents may be mentioned in the solution column.

* We seemed to have gotten behind on the challenges and answers, so here is the last few. As of October, the September edition was the last one that Butch had sent out. Figure that one out:) - Webmaster.

October Open Channel

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More about The Open Channel

IEEE Global History Network

Goal

The IEEE Global History Network (GHN) is provided by the IEEE in support of its core purpose to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. The wiki based GHN enables those throughout the world who have developed electrical, electronic, and computer products and services to share their first-hand experiences. These shared experiences will provide the premier global record for preserving and interpreting the history of technological innovation and make that history available to the public.

The Importance of Shared Experiences

The IEEE Global History Network enables IEEE members to contribute their personal involvement in technological innovation and excellence yesterday and today. Through these personalized, first-hand accounts, IEEE members have the opportunity to share their experiences in developing products and services -- from invention, R&D, design, testing, production and commercialization -- with the world. These first-hand accounts will also include the broader range of experiences that led to your success as a professional, such as your education and your affiliations.

Simply log into the site using your IEEE membership user ID and password, and you’ll be able to tell your own story in your own words, while enhancing it with photos, drawings, diagrams, documents (in both word and PDF format), and video and audio recordings. A special feature of the IEEE GHN even enables individuals to write down their engineering experiences collectively as members of a group, such as R&D lab or design team within a corporation.

At the same time you will be able, in concert with fellow members, historians and other knowledgeable parties, to write wiki-style articles about the history of technology that will help IEEE to raise the public visibility of the role of IEEE, IEEE members, engineers, and related professionals in enhancing the quality of life and the environment through the years.

Unlike other on-line encyclopedias that may include technological topics, the IEEE GHN will be solely focused on the history technology. The IEEE GHN’s content will also be unique. No other wiki site offers the personal accounts of the technical innovators themselves. In other words, the IEEE GHN serves as a living, electronic memory of all the important contributions made by IEEE members and others to technological progress — from around the globe. As such, the site will never be “complete” — it will continually grow and expand to be a central site for members and others to explore the history of technological innovation.

Visit the network!