This question has many obvious answers to those old boys already here. However, the neophyte or school teacher might not be able to see all the possibilities.
I will endeavor to list all the possibilites in a fusor project and how such an effort can benefit the individual or the school group, but will focus more on the group effort.
1. A group effort teaches team work, something that in the business and scientific world is highly valued and is considered part of career building.
2. A group effort allows for re-inforcement of truly individual efforts and accomplishment via simple competition coupled with instant gratification of personal effort and insight by other respected team member's accolades and acknowledgement for such insights.
3. A teacher or adult mentor can improve their own worth and image to the school or a sponsoring entity as going a bit above and beyond their peers.
4. The school or sponsoring body can also expand its image within the community as a valuable contributor and magnet for young inquisitive minds, achieving things beyond its expected performance within the community.
The above goals are rewards of the effort to all participants in relation to themselves, their school, their community and any sponsoring organization.
Educationally, a fusor project allows for a vast range of training and skill development opportunities, both individually and within the group, as there are so many technologies involved. A group member can apply any technical skill they already have or learn a new technical skill within the group. At the same time, through association and group effort, they can also be exposed to every other technolgy involved. What better opportunity could an active and inquisitive young mind ask for?
Now, we will look at the science and technologies involved. Physics is, of course, the overarching discipline of most all other sciences. Engineering, mathematics, chemistry and many other technological branches are also encountered. All of these sciences have their own many specific technologies. By technology, I refer to the hands-on or nuts and bolts part of the various basic or theoretical sciences involved.
What areas can the various students or inividuals involve themselves with? Here we attempt a first pass listing.
1. Mechanical engineering
Physical structures have to be designed and assembled in a pleasing and useful manner. The more items included in any physical design increase its complexity and demands that good mechanical engineering practices be applied. As this is the "connector" of all systems and components, the mechanical part is probably the king-pin of the entire system in that all the other disciplines must consult and consort with this team.
2. Electrical - Electronic engineering
There are many electrical connections and insulation issues in the safe handling of the high voltages involved. The electronic part of the effort involves the installation and shepherding of many instruments and, often, the design of a high voltage power supply. Wiring, EMI - shielding, etc are major concerns. All of this demands concerted, well conferenced efforts between both the mechanical, electrical and nuclear instrumentation part of the effort.
3. Nuclear science, metrology / measurement
This is a big part of the fusion project. A lot of effort will need to be expended here to create a solid base upon which performance of the system can be evaluated and, thereby, improved over time. Every member of the team needs to have a basic understanding of the nuclear processes involved and how the group warrants that it is, indeed, doing fusion. Keen attention must be directed at this aspect of any fusion effort. Scientific critics of fusion work will most often attack the work from this avenue, as they know this is a classic weak point in many such efforts. A good measurement section that is well read in the physics of radiation and specifically neutron measurment well be needed to handle such well meant attacks.
4. Gas handling and vacuum technologies.
This is another major part of the fusion effort. No fusion can take place without a good, clean, closed vacuum system. The mathematics of vacuum, plumbing conduction, pumping speed, etc., are a must if the purchase of the correct materials is to be made. The fuel or gas handling system is the manner in which the amount of fusion is regulated. Again, all of this needs to mate with the mechanical layout and design group.
5. Computer technology
This part of the effort can come later, once fusion is secured. A really plus ultra data collection and automated operation can be achieved by the purchase and application of electrically controlled valves and instrumentation that offers USB or other computer interfacing connections.
6. Welding, machining, milling, carpentry and many "shop" procedures
The best efforts of mechanical and design engineering must be turned into hardware. Useful and usable components and assemblies must be fashioned from parts that are both specified as new, scrounged or adapted to new purposes, all within a shop type environment. Pride in the finished product flows from this section of the project.
7. Safety and health sciences
Considerations must be taken into account for safety in and around equipment and operational procedures developed with safety in mind. Radiation is just a very small part of this effort as the fusor project involves dangerous voltages, flammable gas handling, machining, welding and a myriad of other operations where carelessness can result in serious injury or even death. No deaths will result from radiation even in a big fusor effort, but electrocution is a big hazard along with burns from welding or bodily harm from machining and other shop operations involved in construction. A project safety officer might do well to spend the bulk of his or her time in the mechanics shop and minding the electrical workers rather than focusing on or being over burdened with radiation concerns.
Establishing safety and operational guidlines for each part of the project can be a big part of the effort and will serve as an introduction to what students will find at their workplace in the real world.
The opportunities for skill set expansion and growth are almost without limit in such a project, regardless of whether the effort is a small high school level demo fusor device with only 3 students or a major college level effort where useful fusion is obtained as part of a broader program of neutron activation involving large numbers of students developed over many years.
Many obstacles at the school level against doing a fusor project might be entcountered. The worst will be the fear of exposure to radiation. This concern should actually be near the bottom of the list of fears. This fear is always irrational and almost always unfounded. A 20 minute course on shielding and operations, that is followed to the letter, would be all that is needed to reduce any exposure from even a bold fusion project to a complete non-issue. Still, irrational fears weigh heavily on the minds of the un-informed.
As with many efforts of a bold and unusual nature, costs and concerns are there, but for the person who wants that bold and the best effort to shine ultra-bright, a fusor/fusion project is a major coup, the like of which is not easily over-shadowed.
Richard Hull
#7 FAQ - Why undertake a personal or school Fusor project?
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Richard Hull
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#7 FAQ - Why undertake a personal or school Fusor project?
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Re: FAQ - Why undertake a personal or school Fusor project?
Since I've just seen a fair number of school Fusor projects done by teenagers at ISEF (a fusor from a couple years ago is featured in a book that just came out), and I have a daughter who's graduating high school and has gone through the whole college application process, I have some additional comments to reinforce Richard's general comment on why it's worth doing a fusor. In short, it's got a potentially huge financial and academic payoff.
1) Participating in a high level science fair (e.g. winning at regional and going to State or participating at ISEF) is a truly unique event. If you're shooting for a highly selective college, you'll hear all those stories about kids with 2400 SATs, dozens of AP tests, captain of the football team, student body president, etc. And they're true. They are thick on the ground: consider this: there are about 28,000 high schools in the US, ALL of which have a captain of the sports team, etc.
However, there were only 1200 exhibitors (finalists) at ISEF 2011, of which roughly half were from the US. If you're an ISEF finalist or Siemens Science Talent Search finalist, you're going to be one of the very few applying (even at MIT or somewhere like that).
But to get there, you need to have a project with flash and pizazz (as well as good technical work and execution). At that regional fair, there's tons of projects that are quite sophisticated, and inevitably, there will be something in molecular biology or biochem or medicine which is a "high school student cures cancer" (yes, check out the Gordon Moore top winner for ISEF, or the California State Science Fair Project of the Year for the Junior division). You need something equally impressive and forward thinking: fusion is it. It's flashy, it's perceived to be difficult, it's well beyond the usual high school student.
2) Getting funding. Tell your parents this is an investment in your college education. It is: those three kids from Oregon who designed and built a fusor won an $8000 scholarship (and some special awards too) for their efforts. A decent job on a fusor is going to put you well up on the multitude of special awards from technical and professional societies, although not necessarily from the more academic ones. The engineers will love you, though. So, yes, a vacuum pump is expensive. So are ConFlat fittings. But if you're going to make a serious run at it, a few hundred, or even a few thousand dollars isn't a big deal. How much do people pay for those SAT prep courses? They *start* at a few hundred bucks and go up. Getting a full ride at a $40k/year college because you're a standout student who has already demonstrated the ability to carry a complex project through is certainly worth it.
3) Find a professional advisor or mentor. To elaborate on Richard's point #3 Yes, you need your teacher to help run interference and make sure you get school credit for your work. You can typically structure it as a independent study in physics. use the comparison for athletes who compete at the state/national level who do their sport as a physical education. You will need some outside person to validate this, though, and that's just one function that advising professional serves.
These days, the way the education system and the contentious adminstration:teachers union situation works, it's hard to get a teacher to spend extra time. They do, of course, but they also get pressure from the union or co-workers to back off and stop "giving free labor to the man". Again, if you can get your project as an official for-credit independent study, then that helps: you because you get credit, your teacher, because they're officially teaching.
Your advisor can also help with the inevitable "are you going to kill us with radiation". You could spend your entire year working this issue to no avail, and probably any college physics professor would have sufficient credibility to end the discussion in 20 minutes. It's safe because Dr. X says it's safe.
You might even be able to do the double whammy independent study. Your advisor arranges for your teacher to get independent study college credit for helping you. Or helps your teacher serve on advisory boards. All these help your teacher and make them an advocate for you in the inevitable issues with the school. Work *all* the angles!
(This experience at managing the bureaucracy will be VERY useful later in life, too)
BUT... don't let the advisor do your work, or even a significant part of the work. They're a political resource, an information resource, and someone to bounce ideas off. The judges, though, are VERY sensitive to the phenomenon of "high school student as unpaid lab tech in Dr. Y's lab". There were several projects at ISEF where basically, the student just did what the professor told them to do. (normally, this would have been screened out at a feeder level, but the system isn't perfect)
Maybe your advisor can help you get your neutron instrumentation calibrated? Maybe they can point you to a good place to get surplus gear?
College admissions wise: a recommendation letter from an outside advisor is worth a LOT more than from one of your teachers.
4) You have to know the theory behind your device down cold. Most judges won't know a lot of the theory or details of how IEC works, but you've got to be able to explain it. AND, for those judges that do know the theory, you'd better know what reaction cross section and detector efficiency means. You don't have to be perfect in your execution, but you'd better know where your problems are (e.g. we didn't detect any neutrons because our power supply was only 15kV, and the 80 microbarn cross section was just too small for our really inefficient detector, but if we could have gotten to 50kV where it's 3 millibarns, we'd have expected to get X neutrons/second)
5) I'm not so sure about a school using your work as a fusor to draw attention (Richard's point 4). If they do this, make sure you're getting some quid pro quo. More than one ambitious science fair exhibitor has been held up as a shining example to the community by the school, but overlooked when it came to consideration for things like excused absences to attend the fair or getting academic credit or recommendation letters. Fact of the matter is, most high schools are more organized at getting publicity and recognition for the quarterback of the freshman football team than for a internationally recognized science fair project. (notwithstanding that a lot more graduates will go on to professional careers in STEM than playing pro ball). High school academic rankings are on overall statistics like how many AP tests get taken, average SAT scores, and college admissions: you, as a science fair star, are an outlier, and do not materially contribute to the statistics.
6) starting a fusor project early, particularly in sophomore or junior years, puts you in a great position to apply to the various special summer programs for talented students (like the University of California COSMOS program). Not only might that program help you with your fusor work, but you'll make connections for that advisor or recommendation letter writer. You want to get in the system early enough so that it makes a difference come fall of your senior year. Sadly, you won't know if you're a finalist in ISEF (which is in late spring) by the November/December college application deadline, but you WILL know by the time you're out looking for financial aid offers. And, if you've done some preliminary work, you'll be well situated when writing that admissions essay, and when you do your tours, you can ask to meet folks in the engineering or physics departments, who will put in a good word for you with the admissions folks.
But, the take home is... doing a good job on a fusor is worth a lot when it comes to college admissions. But don't just do it to boost your odds.. you have to do it because you want to.. all of the above is advice on how to get other people to help you build and operate that fusor. For you, "hey, I made neutrons" is sufficient motivation, but others will go "so why do you want to do that", and "so I can get into MIT" is an argument they'll understand.
1) Participating in a high level science fair (e.g. winning at regional and going to State or participating at ISEF) is a truly unique event. If you're shooting for a highly selective college, you'll hear all those stories about kids with 2400 SATs, dozens of AP tests, captain of the football team, student body president, etc. And they're true. They are thick on the ground: consider this: there are about 28,000 high schools in the US, ALL of which have a captain of the sports team, etc.
However, there were only 1200 exhibitors (finalists) at ISEF 2011, of which roughly half were from the US. If you're an ISEF finalist or Siemens Science Talent Search finalist, you're going to be one of the very few applying (even at MIT or somewhere like that).
But to get there, you need to have a project with flash and pizazz (as well as good technical work and execution). At that regional fair, there's tons of projects that are quite sophisticated, and inevitably, there will be something in molecular biology or biochem or medicine which is a "high school student cures cancer" (yes, check out the Gordon Moore top winner for ISEF, or the California State Science Fair Project of the Year for the Junior division). You need something equally impressive and forward thinking: fusion is it. It's flashy, it's perceived to be difficult, it's well beyond the usual high school student.
2) Getting funding. Tell your parents this is an investment in your college education. It is: those three kids from Oregon who designed and built a fusor won an $8000 scholarship (and some special awards too) for their efforts. A decent job on a fusor is going to put you well up on the multitude of special awards from technical and professional societies, although not necessarily from the more academic ones. The engineers will love you, though. So, yes, a vacuum pump is expensive. So are ConFlat fittings. But if you're going to make a serious run at it, a few hundred, or even a few thousand dollars isn't a big deal. How much do people pay for those SAT prep courses? They *start* at a few hundred bucks and go up. Getting a full ride at a $40k/year college because you're a standout student who has already demonstrated the ability to carry a complex project through is certainly worth it.
3) Find a professional advisor or mentor. To elaborate on Richard's point #3 Yes, you need your teacher to help run interference and make sure you get school credit for your work. You can typically structure it as a independent study in physics. use the comparison for athletes who compete at the state/national level who do their sport as a physical education. You will need some outside person to validate this, though, and that's just one function that advising professional serves.
These days, the way the education system and the contentious adminstration:teachers union situation works, it's hard to get a teacher to spend extra time. They do, of course, but they also get pressure from the union or co-workers to back off and stop "giving free labor to the man". Again, if you can get your project as an official for-credit independent study, then that helps: you because you get credit, your teacher, because they're officially teaching.
Your advisor can also help with the inevitable "are you going to kill us with radiation". You could spend your entire year working this issue to no avail, and probably any college physics professor would have sufficient credibility to end the discussion in 20 minutes. It's safe because Dr. X says it's safe.
You might even be able to do the double whammy independent study. Your advisor arranges for your teacher to get independent study college credit for helping you. Or helps your teacher serve on advisory boards. All these help your teacher and make them an advocate for you in the inevitable issues with the school. Work *all* the angles!
(This experience at managing the bureaucracy will be VERY useful later in life, too)
BUT... don't let the advisor do your work, or even a significant part of the work. They're a political resource, an information resource, and someone to bounce ideas off. The judges, though, are VERY sensitive to the phenomenon of "high school student as unpaid lab tech in Dr. Y's lab". There were several projects at ISEF where basically, the student just did what the professor told them to do. (normally, this would have been screened out at a feeder level, but the system isn't perfect)
Maybe your advisor can help you get your neutron instrumentation calibrated? Maybe they can point you to a good place to get surplus gear?
College admissions wise: a recommendation letter from an outside advisor is worth a LOT more than from one of your teachers.
4) You have to know the theory behind your device down cold. Most judges won't know a lot of the theory or details of how IEC works, but you've got to be able to explain it. AND, for those judges that do know the theory, you'd better know what reaction cross section and detector efficiency means. You don't have to be perfect in your execution, but you'd better know where your problems are (e.g. we didn't detect any neutrons because our power supply was only 15kV, and the 80 microbarn cross section was just too small for our really inefficient detector, but if we could have gotten to 50kV where it's 3 millibarns, we'd have expected to get X neutrons/second)
5) I'm not so sure about a school using your work as a fusor to draw attention (Richard's point 4). If they do this, make sure you're getting some quid pro quo. More than one ambitious science fair exhibitor has been held up as a shining example to the community by the school, but overlooked when it came to consideration for things like excused absences to attend the fair or getting academic credit or recommendation letters. Fact of the matter is, most high schools are more organized at getting publicity and recognition for the quarterback of the freshman football team than for a internationally recognized science fair project. (notwithstanding that a lot more graduates will go on to professional careers in STEM than playing pro ball). High school academic rankings are on overall statistics like how many AP tests get taken, average SAT scores, and college admissions: you, as a science fair star, are an outlier, and do not materially contribute to the statistics.
6) starting a fusor project early, particularly in sophomore or junior years, puts you in a great position to apply to the various special summer programs for talented students (like the University of California COSMOS program). Not only might that program help you with your fusor work, but you'll make connections for that advisor or recommendation letter writer. You want to get in the system early enough so that it makes a difference come fall of your senior year. Sadly, you won't know if you're a finalist in ISEF (which is in late spring) by the November/December college application deadline, but you WILL know by the time you're out looking for financial aid offers. And, if you've done some preliminary work, you'll be well situated when writing that admissions essay, and when you do your tours, you can ask to meet folks in the engineering or physics departments, who will put in a good word for you with the admissions folks.
But, the take home is... doing a good job on a fusor is worth a lot when it comes to college admissions. But don't just do it to boost your odds.. you have to do it because you want to.. all of the above is advice on how to get other people to help you build and operate that fusor. For you, "hey, I made neutrons" is sufficient motivation, but others will go "so why do you want to do that", and "so I can get into MIT" is an argument they'll understand.
Re: FAQ - Why undertake a personal or school Fusor project?
This is all great to hear, I was hoping that there would be a boost with colleges for building a fusor.
Unfortunately, I doubt that they will accept "working on building a fusor", as legitimate enough, and I probably won't be done with this by october, so I probably won't be able to put it on any applications
Personally I am undertaking this as a student because it's undoubtedly the coolest thing ever and I want to see the looks on everyones faces when I tell them I built a nuclear fusor that accelerates atoms at 780 miles per second (I can math). Especially the looks on the faces of people who don't think I'm being serious at the present and don't think I can do it.
Unfortunately, I doubt that they will accept "working on building a fusor", as legitimate enough, and I probably won't be done with this by october, so I probably won't be able to put it on any applications
Personally I am undertaking this as a student because it's undoubtedly the coolest thing ever and I want to see the looks on everyones faces when I tell them I built a nuclear fusor that accelerates atoms at 780 miles per second (I can math). Especially the looks on the faces of people who don't think I'm being serious at the present and don't think I can do it.
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Tyler Christensen
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Re: FAQ - Why undertake a personal or school Fusor project?
All good points. Just to add a few things in my high school fusion experience of how it went for me:
-Jim mentioned how hard it can be to get a serious advisor and advocate from the school. But in my opinion, at 75%+ of schools, it's basically flat out impossible. Having gone to a high school where quarter million bonds are passed to improve the football field installing world class turf, classes don't have enough books, and the principal is quite proud of announcing that 47% of students passed the state math requirement on their first try, it just was never going to happen. So I quickly gave up hope of finding an advisor.
Conclusion: If you can't get an advisor, don't just give up or say it's impossible. You can still do it.
-Not having an advisor, makes it harder (but not impossible) to get funding. Having described the school, there's not even a chance that they would give a penny to the effort. So go get a job, save for a few months, and start from there. A fusor can easily be made on a part time high school budget. I paid for 75% of my fusor myself which came to $6000 by the end of the whole effort. Not a small sum, but also not impossible. Even at minimum wage, that's only about 600 hours, work 10 hours a week for a year and you're done. Also you can cut a lot of corners and do it cheaper than I did, I was going after high neutrons and a research grade fusor.
So if you don't have an advisor, can't seem to get one, and have no funding, just do it anyways! Read fusor.net "cover to cover", start planning, hit up ebay, and just do it. (with the exception of if you really are unqualified to handle the high voltage, don't kill yourself either - but this stuff can all be learned, it's not rocket science to safely handle 50kV, but definitely do take the time to learn how)
So what did my fusor get me? Not a penny (although I didn't really try to enter any science fairs or awards, just not my thing, I'm in it to spend friday night in my room playing with high voltage arcs and activating metals - if science fairs are your thing, go for it, definitely can be profitable and a good experience). It did get me into MIT, and also scored me a job at the PSFC (Plasma Science and Fusion Center) as a freshman due to my vacuum experience, and I'm working on the Alcator C-mod project.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience.
-Jim mentioned how hard it can be to get a serious advisor and advocate from the school. But in my opinion, at 75%+ of schools, it's basically flat out impossible. Having gone to a high school where quarter million bonds are passed to improve the football field installing world class turf, classes don't have enough books, and the principal is quite proud of announcing that 47% of students passed the state math requirement on their first try, it just was never going to happen. So I quickly gave up hope of finding an advisor.
Conclusion: If you can't get an advisor, don't just give up or say it's impossible. You can still do it.
-Not having an advisor, makes it harder (but not impossible) to get funding. Having described the school, there's not even a chance that they would give a penny to the effort. So go get a job, save for a few months, and start from there. A fusor can easily be made on a part time high school budget. I paid for 75% of my fusor myself which came to $6000 by the end of the whole effort. Not a small sum, but also not impossible. Even at minimum wage, that's only about 600 hours, work 10 hours a week for a year and you're done. Also you can cut a lot of corners and do it cheaper than I did, I was going after high neutrons and a research grade fusor.
So if you don't have an advisor, can't seem to get one, and have no funding, just do it anyways! Read fusor.net "cover to cover", start planning, hit up ebay, and just do it. (with the exception of if you really are unqualified to handle the high voltage, don't kill yourself either - but this stuff can all be learned, it's not rocket science to safely handle 50kV, but definitely do take the time to learn how)
So what did my fusor get me? Not a penny (although I didn't really try to enter any science fairs or awards, just not my thing, I'm in it to spend friday night in my room playing with high voltage arcs and activating metals - if science fairs are your thing, go for it, definitely can be profitable and a good experience). It did get me into MIT, and also scored me a job at the PSFC (Plasma Science and Fusion Center) as a freshman due to my vacuum experience, and I'm working on the Alcator C-mod project.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience.
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David Geer
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Re: FAQ - Why undertake a personal or school Fusor project?
Tyler Christensen wrote:
> So what did my fusor get me? Not a penny (although I didn't really try to enter any science fairs or awards, just not my thing, I'm in it to spend friday night in my room playing with high voltage arcs and activating metals - if science fairs are your thing, go for it, definitely can be profitable and a good experience). It did get me into MIT, and also scored me a job at the PSFC (Plasma Science and Fusion Center) as a freshman due to my vacuum experience, and I'm working on the Alcator C-mod project.
>
> Overall, it was a fantastic experience.
That's not entirely true. You got an amazing amount of experience in a myriad of dynamic and complex fields of work, you did something you really enjoyed (one would hope after six grand), you managed to further your education in the top R&D university in the world and an intern/permanent job position in a place you can continue your work with more potential funding.
I, like you, am working towards a research grade fusor (if repairing my vehicle doesn't keep happening). Once my truck is up and running, I'll try the micro chamber idea for a fusor and build up from there.
Even for those like me, long out of high school, can still manage a foot in the door to schools like MIT. You've got to enjoy what you do and persevere through any and all of the tough hurdles that you come across. It's worth it in the long-run.
> So what did my fusor get me? Not a penny (although I didn't really try to enter any science fairs or awards, just not my thing, I'm in it to spend friday night in my room playing with high voltage arcs and activating metals - if science fairs are your thing, go for it, definitely can be profitable and a good experience). It did get me into MIT, and also scored me a job at the PSFC (Plasma Science and Fusion Center) as a freshman due to my vacuum experience, and I'm working on the Alcator C-mod project.
>
> Overall, it was a fantastic experience.
That's not entirely true. You got an amazing amount of experience in a myriad of dynamic and complex fields of work, you did something you really enjoyed (one would hope after six grand), you managed to further your education in the top R&D university in the world and an intern/permanent job position in a place you can continue your work with more potential funding.
I, like you, am working towards a research grade fusor (if repairing my vehicle doesn't keep happening). Once my truck is up and running, I'll try the micro chamber idea for a fusor and build up from there.
Even for those like me, long out of high school, can still manage a foot in the door to schools like MIT. You've got to enjoy what you do and persevere through any and all of the tough hurdles that you come across. It's worth it in the long-run.
- David Geer
Re: FAQ - Why undertake a personal or school Fusor project?
Why would you think "working on a fusor" doesn't help? Even if you're not in the fair (or you can't enter for some reason), it is a sufficiently unique project that it gives you something to talk about on a campus visit (important for HSC, not so important for public U) or when applying to a summer program, etc.?
And, the whole college entrance thing is a big probability exercise anyway. ALL of the 40,000 applicants to Stanford (of whom some 2000 were admitted and 1000 waitlisted) had decent grades and test scores. To get through the lottery, you need something unique, and a long duration project that requires planning and research is definitely more attractive than "I did 500 hours of community service as a volunteer shelving books at the library".
Those recommendation letters, personal contacts, and a compelling story all help.
The science fair is just a sort of objective validation, and an easy hook to get them reading (since it shows up in the list of "awards and accomplishments")
And do not neglect the possibility that while your fusor may not help you get admission, if you are admitted, it might make you seem to be a good candidate for merit scholarships. Colleges like students who have the demonstrated ability to stick through it, because it improves their completion percentages.
And, the whole college entrance thing is a big probability exercise anyway. ALL of the 40,000 applicants to Stanford (of whom some 2000 were admitted and 1000 waitlisted) had decent grades and test scores. To get through the lottery, you need something unique, and a long duration project that requires planning and research is definitely more attractive than "I did 500 hours of community service as a volunteer shelving books at the library".
Those recommendation letters, personal contacts, and a compelling story all help.
The science fair is just a sort of objective validation, and an easy hook to get them reading (since it shows up in the list of "awards and accomplishments")
And do not neglect the possibility that while your fusor may not help you get admission, if you are admitted, it might make you seem to be a good candidate for merit scholarships. Colleges like students who have the demonstrated ability to stick through it, because it improves their completion percentages.
Re: FAQ - Why undertake a personal or school Fusor project?
Tyler Christensen wrote:
>
> -Jim mentioned how hard it can be to get a serious advisor and advocate from the school. But in my opinion, at 75%+ of schools, it's basically flat out impossible. Having gone to a high school where quarter million bonds are passed to improve the football field installing world class turf, classes don't have enough books, and the principal is quite proud of announcing that 47% of students passed the state math requirement on their first try, it just was never going to happen. So I quickly gave up hope of finding an advisor.
> Conclusion: If you can't get an advisor, don't just give up or say it's impossible. You can still do it.
>
Your 75% estimate is likely low, particularly in public and parochial schools<grin>, although there are anomalies here and there, but they're that, anomalies.
The challenge of finding an advisor is significant. And here is where parents can help a lot. It's basically all about cold-calling, persistence, and selling yourself. Parents can think of people they might know, or places that you might call. Never underestimate the value of just calling up the local college physics or engineering department (I'm an engineer, so naturally, I think you'll get a better reception from the engineers) and asking for advice. You'll get a lot of "I'm kind of busy" or "it's not really my field", but sooner or later, someone, somewhere will respond.
A lot of places have some sort of "science and discovery education" kind of public organization that sporadically puts on demonstrations and lectures. Call up the board members for that. Likely, they won't have a clue what you're talking about, BUT, they might know someone who knows someone. Even talking to board members of a local arts organization might help. Why? Because they have local technology companies as contributors, so that lady running the local orchestra knows the president of the local electronics manufacturing company who has a talented engineer on his staff, and the president appreciates your entrepreneurial approach so he'll set up the meeting. Or, the insurance agent who has a client, or your doctor or dentist.
You find the connections in the strangest places. Bear in mind that someone who is doing one thing professionally might have a totally different background than you expect. Dr. Lucy Jones of USGS here in Pasadena is widely known for seismology, but who'd have guessed her undergraduate degree was in Chinese Literature. Brian May of the group Queen is an astrophysicist.
My big science project thing 30 years ago (not a fusor) got an advisor because I was on a tour of a place doing research. I thought it was interesting, and then some months later I was casting about for project ideas and came up with something. My parents said, "call the place and ask your question about whether your project has been done".. that led to a referral to someone else, and the rest is history. But my parents helped me to find the phone # and helped me to ask the right questions. ("Do you want to advise me on my project" is probably the wrong way to start. "Do you know where I could find out more information about X" is a much better way.)
>
> -Jim mentioned how hard it can be to get a serious advisor and advocate from the school. But in my opinion, at 75%+ of schools, it's basically flat out impossible. Having gone to a high school where quarter million bonds are passed to improve the football field installing world class turf, classes don't have enough books, and the principal is quite proud of announcing that 47% of students passed the state math requirement on their first try, it just was never going to happen. So I quickly gave up hope of finding an advisor.
> Conclusion: If you can't get an advisor, don't just give up or say it's impossible. You can still do it.
>
Your 75% estimate is likely low, particularly in public and parochial schools<grin>, although there are anomalies here and there, but they're that, anomalies.
The challenge of finding an advisor is significant. And here is where parents can help a lot. It's basically all about cold-calling, persistence, and selling yourself. Parents can think of people they might know, or places that you might call. Never underestimate the value of just calling up the local college physics or engineering department (I'm an engineer, so naturally, I think you'll get a better reception from the engineers) and asking for advice. You'll get a lot of "I'm kind of busy" or "it's not really my field", but sooner or later, someone, somewhere will respond.
A lot of places have some sort of "science and discovery education" kind of public organization that sporadically puts on demonstrations and lectures. Call up the board members for that. Likely, they won't have a clue what you're talking about, BUT, they might know someone who knows someone. Even talking to board members of a local arts organization might help. Why? Because they have local technology companies as contributors, so that lady running the local orchestra knows the president of the local electronics manufacturing company who has a talented engineer on his staff, and the president appreciates your entrepreneurial approach so he'll set up the meeting. Or, the insurance agent who has a client, or your doctor or dentist.
You find the connections in the strangest places. Bear in mind that someone who is doing one thing professionally might have a totally different background than you expect. Dr. Lucy Jones of USGS here in Pasadena is widely known for seismology, but who'd have guessed her undergraduate degree was in Chinese Literature. Brian May of the group Queen is an astrophysicist.
My big science project thing 30 years ago (not a fusor) got an advisor because I was on a tour of a place doing research. I thought it was interesting, and then some months later I was casting about for project ideas and came up with something. My parents said, "call the place and ask your question about whether your project has been done".. that led to a referral to someone else, and the rest is history. But my parents helped me to find the phone # and helped me to ask the right questions. ("Do you want to advise me on my project" is probably the wrong way to start. "Do you know where I could find out more information about X" is a much better way.)
-
Richard Hull
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- Real name: Richard Hull
Re: FAQ - Why undertake a personal or school Fusor project?
Thanks Jim for expanding on my thoughts in this FAQ! This is the kind of thing that a FAQ should be all about. The FAQ author should just serve to get a ball rolling with his original effort. Others are here to expand, expound and shine light on the original effort from all directions not imagined or covered by the FAQ creator.
Tyler, who is at the stage of really doing and interfacing in the manner of Jim's additional input is well aware of what is going on at the student level and heaps on more intel from his point of view.
This why all noobs need to hit th' FAQs for those quick rinses in specific areas so they can absorb the best knowledge rather than ask the same old questions during their introductions.
Again, Thanks to all who contribute.
Richard Hull
Tyler, who is at the stage of really doing and interfacing in the manner of Jim's additional input is well aware of what is going on at the student level and heaps on more intel from his point of view.
This why all noobs need to hit th' FAQs for those quick rinses in specific areas so they can absorb the best knowledge rather than ask the same old questions during their introductions.
Again, Thanks to all who contribute.
Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment