As a final project for my Physics class, we built boats out of cardboard boxes. On the last day of school, we "raced" them in the pool. (Only a few actually made it across the pool and back.) I came up with the idea of covering my boat with cereal boxes. It seemed to me that they would be more waterproof than a corrugated cardboard box would be. During the race it was hard to tell if the boxes were keeping the water out or not. As it turns out my boat was very unstable and I ended up tipping over before the water seeped through. Even with my disappointing ending I still had a good time, as I'm sure everyone else did. You can see parts of the race in the video clip below.
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In his review of Jim Longuski's new book Think Like a Rocket Scientist, Jeff Foust, editor and publisher of The Space Review, explains that "when faced with a particular problem or challenge, rocket scientists brainstorm potential solutions, analyze them relentlessly to find the most promising approaches, simplify and optimize them as much as possible to fit the problem at hand, and then implement them." Foust argues that positive visualization alone isn't sufficient to achieve results.
You put these problem-solving principles into practice for the boat project. I'm one of those daydreamers who should heed the advice.
I certainly brainstormed, analyzed and implemented. I'm not sure if I optimized anything. Part of the fun of the project for me was not knowing how my boat would perform. I hope rocket scientists know exactly how their creations should perform.
Thanks.
Congtatulations on your graduation from Erie Mason, Dan. Enjoy the party-filled weeks to come.
Thanks. I'll probably get a post about the graduation ceremony up sometime in the coming week.
Just wanted to say hello. I am impressed with you as a young man and am happy to be able to sort of meet you. My name is Dan Mizell. I am considerably older and past my running days. I live in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee and am 55 years young. We don't have a common name and I just wanted to say hello. Good luck with your future, it sounds like you know who you are and that is more than half the battle.
Joseph Dan Mizell
hi, good site very much appreciatted
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