Science Saturdays Transformed

Presto! With the wave of magic wands and the whirl of electric wizard hats (made by Bakken visitors, of course), The Bakken's Family Science Saturdays were transformed.  As part of The Bakken's effort to expand its unique educational services, the once occasional Family Science Saturday now happens every Saturday of the year. This transformation was suitably inaugurated on October 6th with "Science Magic", The Bakken's October monthly theme. During this magical month visitors learned about the science behind magical illusions and were able to make flying magnetic birds, see magic shows, talk to Nobel Prize-winner Sir Andrew Huxley, converse with Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, and more.

Nobel Prize-winner Sir Andrew Huxley helps troubleshoot a science project with students at the "Science Magic" Family Science Saturday. He gave an informal talk to young people later that day and spoke to a capacity crowd of scientists the day before.

Each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., fifty-two Saturdays a year, will now be filled with exploratory science activities and demonstrations that encourage investigation of fun scientific phenomena and principles. 

Future monthly themes will highlight electric fish (November), tech toys (December), science and music (January), African-American inventors (February), women scientists (March), electricity in living things (April), and lightning (May).

 
The Shock Heard 'Round the Fair 

Hundreds of thousands of people enjoyed The Bakken's highly popular display in the "Wonders of Technology" exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair, held during a 12-day period at the end of summer.  Fair-goers young and old crowded into The Bakken's booth to receive "free samples" of static electricity administered by Bakken staff and volunteers using Van de Graff generators, Leyden jars, and other inventions of the past. Many eagerly climbed onto an insulating stool, grasped a conductor, and watched the mirror in fascination as their electrified hair stood on end, to the vast amusement of friends and family. Others set aside their corndogs and minidonuts and joined hands in small groups for a "circle shock" that never failed to produce exclamations heard throughout the "Wonders" building. Earl Bakken was also on hand to sign autographs and encourage people to visit The Bakken.

This young lady was among the thousands who enjoyed The Bakken's hair-raising exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair.

These shocking attractions, along with a continuous video of Bakken programs, displays of historical artifacts, and examples of student science projects, prompted a reporter from the St. Paul Pioneer Press to proclaim The Bakken's exhibit as "our favorite 'Wonders' booth." Several television personalities, including WCCO weatherman Paul Douglas, did live broadcasts from The Bakken's exhibit. Whatever the experiment, whatever the age, science was experienced and celebrated in The Bakken booth at the "Great Minnesota Get-Together." 

We offer our special thanks to the Minnesota High Technology Association and Minnesota Technology, Inc. for their sponsorship of our State Fair booth, and to the Progress Center staff for their assistance. We also thank all the volunteers, board members, and staff who worked many long hours on the exhibit, and Mr. Thomas F. Peterson, Jr., who kindly loaned us a video projector.

Expanding the Public Dimension

 A Word from the Director
by David J. Rhees, Ph.D.

As I was recently re-reading a 1992 report by the American Association of Museums entitled Excellence and Equity, I was struck by how far The Bakken has come in adopting the authors' principal recommendation: expanding the public dimension of museums in order to become true centers of learning. Indeed, an important watershed in our public expansion occurred just a year after that report was issued when The Bakken launched its first major exhibit, "Treasures of The Bakken," and began opening the museum to the public on Saturdays on a regular basis. Over 600 people flooded through our doors on that golden September day in 1993. I vividly remember how much they appreciated our making this unique educational resource more accessible to them. 

Since then, our doors have opened even wider. In 1999 we completed the expansion and renovation of our building, receiving over 1,500 visitors on opening day. More recently, The Bakken achieved another benchmark when we mounted an exhibit at the popular Minnesota State Fair. As noted elsewhere in this newsletter, literally hundreds of thousands of children and their families enjoyed our electrifying hands-on science activities and learned more about our programs. Just recently, on October 6, another watershed occurred when we instituted a program of Family Science Saturdays that now offer educational hands-on activities every Saturday. This expansion of our educational programming was motivated by our commitment to making every visit to The Bakken an engaging learning experience for all visitors.

As The Bakken has expanded its public service role and become a true center of learning, we have attracted a rising level of public support. An increasing number of individuals, corporations, foundations and government agencies have realized that The Bakken offers a truly electrifying experience that gets young people "hooked" on science. With their support and yours the public dimension will keep getting bigger and better at The Bakken!


Frankenstein Goes Online

This fall an online version of our permanent exhibition, "Frankenstein: Mary Shelley's Dream," was electronically brought to life on The Bakken's website. Like the original exhibit, the virtual Frankenstein display offers much to learn about the original story, published in 1818, including clickable photos of the exhibit with information about the science and culture of author Mary Shelley's era. Visitors also will find a slide-show version of the exhibit's multimedia program and an electronic version of Shelley's novel. 

This is The Bakken's first virtual exhibit, to be followed, we hope, by many more. Partial funding was provided by 3M through a grant to the Minnesota Humanities Commission, which itself offered partial support for the original exhibit that opened in October 2000. Our electronic Frankenstein exhibit was developed with teachers in mind, though many others will find it interesting as well. We invite you to try out the Online Frankenstein. 


A Sizzling Summer of Science

It was a hot time for science at The Bakken this summer for many young scientists. Two summer camps (one coed and one for girls), a community science program, open workshops for past Earl Bakken Science Program participants, and other programs offered sizzling scientific fun for boys and girls alike. Summer camp participants became authentic inventors by brainstorming ideas, building their inventions from scratch in our workshop, and applying for their very own Bakken patents. They also worked in small groups to explore the life and work of inventors from history in order to create and perform their own reenactments for family and friends.

Girl Scouts from Woodbury, Minnesota model the electric party hats they made during a summer workshop.

One participant's mother said she has never seen him so excited about anything before - he wanted to get up at 6:00 a.m. so that he could get to The Bakken even earlier than our 9:00 a.m. start time. And one girl told her mother that they just had to put a workshop like The Bakken's in their home.

Other summer programs for youth included a pilot workshop, based on a make-and-take summer camp activity, with a dozen girl scouts. The girls explored with batteries, bulbs and motors, and then each put her new knowledge to work by building a whirling wizard's hat. In addition, youth from Painter Park and the Loring Nicollet Bethlehem Community Center in Minneapolis traveled to The Bakken to participate in our inventive "Earl's Garage" program (usually offered off site). Partial funding for this program was provided by the Lyndale Neighborhood Association.

This young inventor proudly displays her Bakken-issued patent for an illuminated shelf that she invented during an all-girl summer science camp.

Teachers Develop "Best Practices"

In June The Bakken joined with the Minneapolis Public Schools to offer an innovative professional development seminar funded by the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning. The twenty-two middle-school physical science teachers who took part in this seminar not only strengthened their science content expertise but also developed a working knowledge of "best practices" in science education. All participating teachers are currently applying their seminar experience by engaging their students in a new inquiry-based curriculum module called "Energy, Machines, and Motion", which is part of the Science and Technology Concepts for Middle School framework, and by participating in school-year study groups at The Bakken.

Minneapolis teachers enhanced their scientific knowledge and teaching techniques during a summer seminar.

One teacher noted that "the best part of the course was the ability to actually do the inquiry and receive and give feedback... It was an exceptional workshop." Another teacher commented that the most helpful part of the workshop was having the instructors "discuss physics concepts and their experiences with how to teach it effectively." 

The need for and interest in such professional development opportunities is clear. More than half of last summer's seminar participants are just beginning their second year of teaching middle school science, while 70 percent have taken one or fewer college-level physics courses. Visit our web site or contact Beth Murphy, Curator of Education, for more information on these and other opportunities for teachers.


Volunteer Profile: Richard Fuller

Richard Fuller first learned about The Bakken in the 1970s when he was teaching physics to pre-med students at Gustavus Adolphus College.  He asked Earl Bakken to talk to his class on how he developed the first wearable transistorized pacemaker, and brought his students to visit The Bakken.

Professor Fuller is now retired, but he remains involved with science clubs and other volunteer activities. He and his wife, Judy, had just returned from teaching English in China when he got a call from former colleague Beth Murphy, now Curator of Education at The Bakken, inviting him to volunteer here. When he later heard that The Bakken was going to the Minnesota State Fair, he called us to help. "I'll even be on the organizing committee," he offered! He knew the State Fair would be great publicity for The Bakken, and he volunteered a prodigious amount of his time to spreading the good word to thousands of State Fair visitors. 

For Richard, teaching is both a calling and a passion, and he likes communicating his excitement about science to others - especially his granddaughters in St. Paul! He particularly likes The Bakken's interdisciplinary approach and the opportunity to connect physics with practical applications in the life sciences. "That's what gets students excited about physics."
There are many fulfilling opportunities for volunteering at The Bakken. Please contact Alice Schroeder at (612) 926-3878, ext. 206.

Sir Andrew Huxley Gives Talks  Young people and local scientists alike were treated to talks by Nobel Prize-winner Sir Andrew Huxley during a visit to The Bakken in October. Huxley won the Nobel Prize in 1963 with A. L. Hodgkin and J.C. Eccles for their work on the electrical nature of the nerve impulse. Professor Huxley's fascinating and sparklingly clear lecture on October 12, "Sixty Years' Research on Nerve and Muscle," constituted the Otto Schmitt Memorial Lecture and was sponsored by the Otto Schmitt Biomimetic Foundation. A capacity crowd of neuroscientists, physiologists, biomedical engineers, and many graduate and undergraduate students enjoyed Sir Andrew's illustrated review of his life's work as well as the reception that followed.

Sir Andrew Huxley's talk on October 12 attracted the largest crowd ever to attend a lecture at The Bakken.

Huxley's second talk, on October 13, was entitled "Electric Squid and Other Scientific Adventures: A Conversation for Young People with Sir Andrew Huxley," and was a special feature of The Bakken's Family Science Saturday series. Throngs of young aspiring scientists and their families packed the Great Hall and were thrilled to meet a Nobel Prize-winner and to learn what inspired him to pursue a scientific career and what it is like to be knighted by the Queen! 

Huxley and Hodgkin devised techniques for recording electrical activity in the unusually large nerve fibers of squid. Their theory explained how the exchange of ions across the nerve membrane produces a nerve signal. Born in 1917, Prof. Huxley comes from a famous British family. His grandfather Thomas Henry Huxley was a champion of Darwin's theory of evolution, and the biologist Sir Julian Huxley and the writer Aldous Huxley were his half-brothers. Sir Andrew was accompanied on his trip by his wife, Lady Richenda Huxley.


Recent Lectures

In addition to Sir Andrew Huxley's two talks, The Bakken recently offered three other public lectures. Two were given by Thomas F. Peterson, Jr. in connection with the Family Science Saturday on "Living Electricity" in July. Mr. Peterson is the founder of a motion picture production business in Cleveland, Ohio, who retired in 1985 to conduct research on electrostatic measurement theory. One of his talks was entitled "Electricity in the Air Around Us: Where does it come from? How can we measure it? How does it affect us?" The other was on "A Book Collector's Survival Guide for the Digital Revolution", which compared the uniqueness of books to digital information using examples from his personal collection of rare books. 

The third lecture was delivered in September by Professor Dr. Ludolf von Mackensen, Director of the Museum of Astronomy and History of Technology in Kassel, Germany. He spoke about the history and development of his impressive museum, which possesses many outstanding artifacts, including the oldest Leyden jar in Europe, as well as replicas that may be manipulated by visitors. Prof. Mackenson's lecture was organized with the kind assistance of Prof. Karl Fink of St. Olaf College. 


Student Profile: John Laxson

Most people around The Bakken recognize John Laxson because he fills many roles here: student, mentor, volunteer and even employee. John is a 14-year-old eighth grader who is semi-home schooled, meaning he attends three hours of classes four days a week. John's interests are science, math, computers and his new dog Lucy. When John was 11, his mom read an article about The Bakken in the Star Tribune's weekend section and thought she would check us out. John has been with us ever since, and we can't thank his mom enough! Through the Earl Bakken Science Program, John has completed many projects, including building a computer out of spare parts with a friend. When asked about new projects John replied, "I like to play it by ear and see what gadgets we have to take apart and put back together."

Meeting Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Andrew Huxley is one of the unique benefits John Laxson has received as a student in the Earl Bakken Science Program.

Besides being a student in our programs, John volunteers for Family Science Saturdays and Summer Camps and also is a mentor for younger children in the Earl Bakken Science Program. Currently, John even works here every Friday assisting with our ongoing technology upgrade.

When asked how The Bakken has influenced his interests in math, science and computers, John replied, "I think the Bakken has nurtured and reaffirmed my interests in these areas." 



COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS
Historical Journals 
by Elizabeth Ihrig

The Bakken's library has a fine collection of historical journals, some quite rare and many much sought after by researchers. These periodicals, numbering 231 titles, contain records of scientific and medical developments dating back as early as the 1600s. Sixty-three (or about one-fourth) of these titles are represented by long or complete runs. The longest continuous run is the Philosophical Transactions published by the Royal Society of London beginning in 1665. Other lengthy runs include the Annalen der Physik, the Philosophical Magazine, the Journal de Physique, the Journal fur Chemie und Physik, the Opuscoli Scelti sulle Scienze, the 1792-1795 series of "Brugnatelli's Journal" entitled the Giornale fisico-medico, and three titles published by the Academy of Sciences at Bologna.

This elegant lady receives electrotherapy from a voltaic pile, or battery. From The Bakken's rare volume of the Journal de Galvanisme, de Vaccine, etc., published in 1803.

There are incomplete but goodly portions of the Annals of Electricity, Magnetism and Chemistry, the Année Electrique, Electrotherapique, et Radiographique, The Doctor, a medical and philosophical penny magazine, and Isis... von Oken, among others. Many journals undergo name-changes in their lifetime. One example is a French journal that began as the Annales du Magnétisme Animal (1814-1816), became the Bibliothèque du Magnétisme Animal (1817-1819), then the Archives du Magnétisme Animal (1820-1823). Other journals on this subject include the Archiv fur den thierischen Magnetismus and The Zoist.

The Journal du Galvanisme, de Vaccine, etc. is in a category all its own - it is the shortest complete run as well as one of the rarest journals in the collection. It consists of two volumes bound together as one, published in the revolutionary year XI (1803) in Paris, and devoted to vaccination, galvanism, and electrical medicine (see illustration). 

Nearly three-quarters of journal titles (168) are represented by four volumes or fewer. These volumes were usually acquired for single articles or because that was all that was available. This group contains many fascinating items, such as the first volume (1842-1843) of a scarce American magazine called The Magnet, devoted to articles exploring magnetic forces in relation to human magnetism. There's a single volume, 1897, of The Electro-therapeutist, and volumes one and two of The Electrical Age for Women, 1926-1935, which dropped its gender and shortened its name to The Electrical Age in 1932. 

The historical journal collection is informally catalogued on cards, providing verified titles, place of publication, and Bakken holdings; this record is available to researchers at the library. If you have questions about these holdings, please contact the librarian at 612-926-3878 extension 227 or ihrig@thebakken.org.


New Graduate Fellowship

In May The Bakken was pleased to award the first Margaret McGuire Cutshall Summer Graduate Fellowship to Mary Anne Andrei, a graduate student in the Program in History of Science and Technology at the University of Minnesota. During her fellowship, Ms. Andrei conducted research on the history of early science museums, developed research narratives for Bakken education programs, and developed a plan for a lecture series on science and literature. 

The Cutshall Fellowship supports the development of graduate students in the history of science, technology or medicine, and exposes them to career opportunities in museums and libraries. It was made possible by a grant from the W. E. McGuire Foundation, established by Mrs. Cutshall. Funding from the McGuire Foundation will enable The Bakken to offer the fellowship again in 2002, with an application deadline of April 1. For more information, see the "Research" page on The Bakken's website. 


Medical Electricity Conference Held

In June the International Center for the History of Universities and Science (CIS) at the University of Bologna (www.cis.unibo.it) organized an international workshop on "Electric Bodies: Episodes in the History of Medical Electricity". The aim of the workshop was to bring together scholars with a research interest in the history of medical electricity, and to put the interactions between electricity and medicine in historical perspective. The papers presented dealt with topics ranging from the early medical applications of the electric properties of amber-like substances during the Renaissance to electroshock therapies in the 1940s. Several common themes emerged from the conference, in particular the uncertain professional status of electro-medical practitioners and the controversial reception of medical electricity in the medical and scientific communities.

The speakers included many scholars who have visited The Bakken or have held Bakken Visiting Research Fellowships: Paola Bertucci (CIS), Christine Blondel (CNRS, Paris), Cornelius Borck (Free University, Berlin), Marco Bresadola (CIS), James Delbourgo (Columbia University), Peter Heering (University of Oldenburg), Oliver Hochadel (University of Vienna), Iwan Morus (Queen's College, Belfast), Roberta Passione (CIS), Lissa Roberts (University of Twente), and Raffaella Seligardi (CIS).

Paola Bertucci and Giuliano Pancaldi are now editing a volume that will collect extended versions of the papers presented at the workshop. The book will be produced by CIS and a number of copies will be available free of charge on request. For further information, contact Prof. Bertucci at bertucci@philo.unibo.it



Otto Schmitt Biography Published on Bakken Website

The Bakken is pleased to announce the online publication of the first detailed overview of the life and work of Otto H. Schmitt, a uniquely creative University of Minnesota scientist and inventor who made significant contributions to biophysics and biomedical engineering. Schmitt's inventions include the cathode follower, the differential amplifier, and the Schmitt Trigger, an electronic circuit basic to modern digital computing. The biography was made possible by a grant from the Otto Schmitt Biomimetic Foundation.

Commissioned by The Bakken and written by Dr. Jon Harkness, the article-length biography is entitled A Lifetime of Connections: Otto Herbert Schmitt, 1913-1998. Harkness holds a Ph.D. in the history of medicine from the University of Wisconsin and is the author of a forthcoming Oxford University Press book on human experimentation. Based on a variety of resources and interviews, this engaging work is rich with photographs, colorful stories, and excerpts from Schmitt's writings. Here one learns about Schmitt's "shocking" boyhood experiments while growing up in St. Louis; his influential mentor, Jacob Siler; early research with his older brother, the prominent neuroscientist Francis O. Schmitt; the vital role played by his mathematician wife, Viola; his wartime research, including his method of distracting German pilots by broadcasting off-color jokes; his role in the institutional development of biophysics and biomedical engineering; and his fascination with the power of the mind in healing. Schmitt's unique wit, genius, and "biomimetic" method of invention are vividly portrayed. 

 A printed version will be published next year by the journal Physics in Perspective.

Join The Bakken!  A Bakken membership gives you free admission and is still 100% tax deductible a real bargain with Family Science Saturday events happening every Saturday. To become a member or to inquire about individual gift opportunities, please contact Alice Schroeder at (612) 926-3878, ext. 206. We thank those who have already given their support to The Bakken this year, and we look forward to the continuing support of our members, volunteers, and friends. Your support helps us make The Bakken an electrifying experience for thousands of young people and their families and teachers!

This young man learns about the magic of angular momentum at a Family Science Saturday in October.

The Bakken Calendar

November: "Shockers of the Sea"

• Enjoy shocking hands-on activities that investigate electric fish, every Saturday in November.
• Closed for Thanksgiving, November 22 and 23.
• Member Guest Free Day is November 24.

December: "Sparks, Shocks & Tech Toys"

• Enjoy explosive demonstrations and hands-on activities about scientific toys, every Saturday in December.
•  "Mary Shelley" appears in Frankenstein exhibit, Saturdays through December (call for times).
• Member Guest Free Day is December 15.
• View holiday trees decorated with the history of electrical lights and toys.
• Engage your body and mind with "The Body Electric" system, which converts muscle energy to control computer games, play music or arm wrestle, December 1, presented by Tim Desley, Lead Innovator and Creative Director with KDG InterActive.
• Closed on Christmas Day, December 25.
• Treat yourself to a Bakken visit during winter break from school.

January: "Sounds of Science"

• Join us for fun, interactive science activities that investigate the "Sounds of Science", every Saturday in January. 
• Closed New Year's Day, January 1.
• Treat yourself to a Bakken visit during winter break from school.
• Member Guest Free day is January 12.
• The Earl Bakken Science Program winter session begins January 19.

The Bakken gratefully acknowledges support of this publication by the Minnesota Humanities Commission (MHC) in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Minnesota State Legislature. The content, findings, and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of MHC or NEH.