Friday, May 26, 1995 3:50:27 PM
          Scissors Item
  From:           Daniel R. Venables
  Subject:        Looking Forward
  To:             Scissors
Hi gang!  It's nice to hear from you--we're not all on-line yet, 
but I think it's neat that we are keeping our communique going.  
Ya'll are a great group.

The facilitators and profs met a couple of weeks ago to plan more details 
of our collective summer experience.  Jim and I, along with a Brown U. 
TA named Dan, worked on possible investigations into our topic of Scale & Structure.

We've focused on a rough-draft EQ something like: What are the properties 
of an object or mechanism that are scale invariant?  And, for properties not 
preserved, what predictable changes occur as size increases/decreases?
We have thumb nail sketches of investigations in areas such as Hydraulics, 
Electromagnetics, Mechanical Devises, Aerodynamics, computer simulation 
involving fractals, Musical pitch (hence the Cat's Meow query), and even
one involving the jump height of various size/species of grasshoppers!

Many of the sub-investigations will require building physical mechanisms (Yo Kevin!),
 and several require being outdoors (Yo Lesli!).  We'll need your input re: details 
 and for ideas within these "labs" but I am excited with our possiblities and 
 look  forward to seeing you all again.  Keep the conversation going, and have 
 a sane rest o' year.  Daniel.