2011 Science Education Year In Review

Most of the conversations I have with our distributors this time of year always seem to start with the same question: "How did the year work out for you?" These past two years have yielded different answers than in the years previous. For a long time, most distributors would talk about growth that was consistent with their competitors.

More recently, I'm seeing that change. We have several distributors who are growing by double digit percentages and we have several that experienced the same downswing. Certainly, the distributors who had down years had other factors to deal with this year. Many local or regional dealers were hit hard by local economies and school budgets in turmoil. Consequently, dealers in "booming areas" (the few we have left at this point!) showed the natural and expected growth.

I'm hearing our distributors more now than ever stressing customer service and quick delivery as areas of focus. Separating themselves from the competition is key with less money out there to go around. Many distributors have been nice enough to send us projections so that we can work hand in hand with them to maintain proper inventory levels.

Over the past several years, we've seen an influx of "web only" dealers show up. Initially, many of these were what I call "Bedroom Lab Supply Companies". Typically, these were individuals starting a business to run in their spare time using their contacts in the industry. Things have certainly changed over the past two years. There are now several very large distributors in both the science education market and industrial/research market who have built very profitable and fast growing businesses. Instead of simply filling spare time, these companies are thriving and creating jobs at the same time. Almost all of our "non catalog" dealers have grown significantly this year and I don't see that trend changing.

My advice would be for lab supply dealers to speed up the turnaround time for loading new products on their websites. For every day that is lost, others are adding new products and attracting new customers. Be sure to include any literature/videos/images/etc you can. Ask your suppliers to provide this information as good manufacturer's/importers (such as the companies Fischer Technical Company represents) will have these available to you.

It's also key to list all accessories and complimentary products on your web listing. It always befuddles me when I see a dealer offering a product such as a pipettor, but makes no mention of the tips, storage racks, etc that should be added on to the sale.

We are expecting 2012 to continue these trends and look forward to serving the science education and research market.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Fischer Technical Company

Top Ways to Stretch your Classroom Budget

As 2012 approaches, we're seeing classroom budgets cut in many states/schools. While many subjects to require demonstration materials, in my opinion, no subject needs them more than science. Here at Fischer Technical Company, we've been able to have another successful year by offering many opportunities through us directly or through our manufacturers to help stretch the budgets of the classroom. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Share the larger purchases. Manipulative Kits, Vacuum Pumps, Portable lab stations, Anatomical models are very costly yet very necessary to demonstrate/teach high school science. This is a great opportunity to pool budgets with other classrooms and share this equipment.

2. Consider "economy lines". Our principal, United Scientific, has been importing high quality glassware, plasticware, hardware, etc for 20 years now. Strict quality control processes are in place enabling teachers to save substantial money by passing on the name brands and stocking their classroom with non branded products.

3. Convert "breakables" to "unbreakables". One good example is to purchase plastic microscope slides as opposed to glass slides.

4. This is an easy one, but store your expensive items safely and properly. Cover your microscopes. Move painted models around carefully to avoid paint chipping. A little TLC goes a long way! If your kit came with a molded storage case, utilize it. Your kit was able to safely ship, likely from around the world in this packaging. It goes to show that this is probably the best way to store your kit.

5. Follow proper maintenance. If your vacuum pump requires oil. Change the oil regularly to ensure a long life for the pump. If your product has fittings that need greased, grease 'em!

6. Finally, make sure you are using the proper tool for the job. This is another obvious one. But many times I've seen people use pens to open boxes instead of a knife (the pen breaks and ink gets on the product), using a ruler as a scraper, using a text book as a shim, etc.

Many of these tips are obvious, but are often overlooked in the stressful and demanding day of our fine educators.

Have a happy holiday season!

John

Custom Kit Projects From United Scientific

Fischer Technical Company has been the manufacturer's representatives for United Scientific for over 20 years now. We've watched their business continue to grow every year and have seen the product line expand exponentially virtually every year.

One of the areas that United has been extremely successful is custom kitting projects. United can build kits to your specifications or work with you in designing a kit for a specific application/classroom. Most popular is kits of lab supplies and glassware. Would you like to have a full kit of laboratory supplies for each lab station in your classroom or research facility? United can help you!

Many of our kits are packaged in reusable storage boxes with handles to help eliminate breakage and keep all of the kits complete. Of course, we could supply replacement parts as well as students have been known over the years to drop a beaker or two!

We can put together customer prepared slide kits, custom physics kits, and basically any type of high school science kit (sans chemicals) you can imagine. United also has on staff a phd level physicist who can even write detailed activity guides for your kit. Need an expert in Genetics? We got one of them too!

United currently offers several kits in their catalog including: Electricity and Magnetism, Optics, Advanced Physics, Prepared Microscope slide sets, Friction, and many more.















Contact me for details if you'd like to offer these kits on your website or in your catalog or if you have a kit you'd like us to design!

Happy Holidays,

John

CAST and Happy Thanksgiving

I just returned from a long six day trip through Texas. As hard as it is to be away from the family that long, Texas is such a great place to visit!

After visiting a few of our valuable distributors in San Antonio and Austin, I headed to Dallas for the annual "CAST" show. This show rarely disappoints and this year was no different. United Scientific Supplies had two booths to exhibit their best selling Genetics Manipulative Kits. These kits were designed by Pat Traster, a retired teacher and genetics researcher. I was fortunate enough to have Pat join me in the booth for the duration of the show and his passion and knowledge were appreciated by the hundreds of teachers who stopped by our booth.

Foot traffic was very high at this show and all of the major vendors were there. I'd even go as far to say that if you only exhibit at one science education show per year, this is the one to choose. I find this show to be more profitable and effective than even the NSTA National show.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone and wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday season!

John

Promoting our products on Facebook or Twitter?

Thank you very much to our valued distributors that promote our products and those from our principals on Facebook and Twitter. We also appreciate when our dealers use their websites to feature our products with special incentives.

As a token of our appreciation, we'd be more than happy to add any promotions you have on our products to our Twitter feed and Facebook page. Please email me any upcoming promotions you have to Jgura@fischertech.com or direct message me on facebook or twitter:

Twitter: @JohnGura
www.facebook.com/pages/Fischer-Technical-Company/156828747746480

Have a great day and I hope to see many of you next week in Dallas at the CAST show! Don't forget to stop by and say hello at booth 1030!

Talking Genetics at CAST!

As previously mentioned, United Scientific will be exhibiting at the CAST show in Texas from November 17 - November 19 at the Dallas Convention Center. We will be in booth 1030 and 1032.

We're pleased to announce that Mr. Patrick Traster will be in our booth demonstrating our genetics manipulative kits. We invite you to come by the booth and try these great teaching tools out for yourself! Pat taught Genetics for many years and is well known and respected in his field. You can view two of the products demonstrated on United Scientific's YouTube page, http://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedScientific

We'll be exhibiting the following kits:

DNA MANIPULATIVE KIT

Developed by teachers, this kit aids students in understanding the principles of recombinant DNA technology. It consists of teacher demonstration models and student manipulative sets, sufficient for a classroom of thirty students. Using the manipulatives, students learn the process of recombinant DNA technology. Plasmid DNA is cut with restriction enzymes and recombinant plasmids are formed. Laminated teacher and student gel electrophoresis boards are also included. Our kit allows students to learn DNA technology without the need for expensive laboratory equipment. Kit contains no consumable parts. It can therefore be used over and over again, and/or can be shared by the entire science department. Includes 78 peices of specially designed plastic manipulatives. Also included are a manual and instructional videotape in which an experienced teacher demonstrates use of the manipulatives included in the kit. Shipping weight 8 lbs., dimensions 22" x 17" x 4".




PROTEIN SYNTHESIS MANIPULATIVE KIT

The kit was developed by the same teacher who brought you recombinant DNA technology manipulatives. Now available are manipulates for teaching protein synthesis. Whether you have taught this content a thousand times or this is your first, you will find that all students can learn this material! What makes this kit different than any other kit is hands-on experience. This kit includes Teacher Manipulatives, Student Manipulatives, and Assessments. Shipping weight 7 lbs., dimensions 29" x 14" x 4".












MITOSIS MANIPULATIVE KIT

Using the same format as our popular Protein Synthesis and DNA kits, this hands-on set includes a demonstration teacher model and enough materials for students to construct their own models. None of the parts are consumable, so the kit can be used again and again. Includes a detailed instructional video to show teachers how to use all of the kit components.





















MEIOSIS MANIPULATIVE KIT

Teaching meiosis presents challenges for both teaching and learning because it is an abstract concept that requires visual and tactile models for most students to conceptualize. The exchange process of maternal and paternal alleles during cross-over is especially difficult without such a reference. A lot of time was spent designing, testing and refining this kit in classrooms to meet your needs. This kit will make teaching and learning meiosis much more enjoyable for you, just as it has for others. The kit inlcudes: Teacher Demonstration Models: Thirty large chromosomes arranged in five colorful sets that can seen on your board from the back of your classroom. Each set consists of a maternal and paternal homolog and four sister chromatids. Alleles and parental lineage are clearly identified. The fifth set has removable alleles for demonstrating cross-over. Student Models: Students carry out teacher directed assignments at their desk using their own smaller sets of chromosomes. There are no consumables so the kit can be used over and over again. Instructional CD and Teacher Manual: We will walk you through using the kit for the first time in an easy, familiar and pictorial slide show fashion. Don't worry if this is your first time teaching meiosis because absolutely everything you need is in the kit. Recommended student activity and assessment options are also included. We even provide a student activity sheet that you can copy. This is a complete package that makes the complex biological process of meiosis come alive in your classroom. It makes teaching fun! Shipping weight 7 lbs., dimensions 21" x 19" x 5".

Fischer Technical/United Scientific will be at the ILDA meeting

ILDA is the Independent Laboratory Distributors Association and is composed of several lab supply dealers, manufacturers, and importers.

United Scientific has joined ILDA and Raj Soni, president of United Scientific, will be joining me at this year's fall meeting in Louisville. ILDA is a group designed to help laboratory supply dealers best serve their customers through networking, educating, and introducing great manufacturers to dealers.

This meeting will feature the largest attendance ever seen at an ILDA meeting and we can't wait to attend. We'll be arriving Sunday morning and look forward to seeing many of our valued distributors and friends in the industry. Please contact me to set up a meeting if you plan on attending!

See you in Louisville!

Great new posters from Feenixx Publishing now available!

FEENIXX PUBLISHING NEW FOR 2011-2012

E110L History of the Earth

Geologists divide the history of the earth into four eons. Each is represented by a strip of illustrations and captions prefaced by an introduction. Our planet began as a sphere of molten metal. Heavier ores sunk to the center, resulting in gravity. As Earth cooled, its crust was formed. Other topics include the creation of the moon, the appearance of various atmospheres, the formation of continents, continental drift, snowball Earth, and the development of life. The third through fifth pictures on the bottom row reflect the period covered by Eras of Life. The last picture shows the near future - the results of humans destroying the environment.

E107L Introduction to Gemstones

It then presents an assortment of jewelry. The focus is on affordable items, including some that enthusiastic can make themselves. Next comes non-jewerly use of gemstones - collectible eggs, carvings, decorative slabs, and royal crowns. Of course we had to include a famous Faberge egg. The bottom row presents all the birthstones, in accordance with modern-day standards.

E109L Collectible Fossils

This poster presents the fossils that are widely available to private collectors. These include the well-known fish from Wyoming’s Green Mountain Formation, the famous ferns from St. Claire, Pennsylvania, the Chesapecten so abundant around the Chesapeake Bay and the petrified wood of the American Southwest. It includes such favorites as trilobites and coprolite. The latter is petrified dinosaur dung. Kids love talking about "dinosaur poo poo." Many outstanding specimens are shown. All are accompanied by an illustration of the prehistoric species, except in cases where appearance is unknown due to soft parts not fossilizing. In such cases, an illustration of a closely related modern species is presented. Interesting captions provide information and cite the geological period in which the species. A geological time chart puts everything in perspective.

A228L Arachnida

Arachnids differ from insects as they have eight legs. Insects have six. The title provides a comprehensive overview of the entire class / clade, which includes mites and tick, spiders, scorpions and other critters. Each group is introduced by informative text. An abundance of outstanding illustration show representative species.

A312L Sauropods

This exciting new posters shows all the largest species. Some were close to 200 feet long - the length of four school buses. Also shown are some of the more unique species. Mamenchisaurus had 31 foot long neck that comprised half of the body length of the animal. Camarasaurus vertebrae were hollowed out or riddled with passages and cavities, which inspired its name, "Chambered Lizard."

The unique body structure of these fascinating animals is explored. Could they rear upright like a horse. Other interesting topics are intelligence, teeth and diet, eggs, skin texture and social behavior.
Created with the help and cooperation of the American Museum of Natural History.

Contact me at JGura@fischertech.com for digital images or more information as to how to become a distributor or dealer for these great posters!

Have a great day!

John

Top Ten Favorite High School Science Experiments

Someone had recently asked me what my favorite science experiments were when I was in High School and after giving it some thought, I've got my list ready! I was always a very visual learner and these were the experiments that stuck in my head:

10. Free Fall Tube demonstration - evacuating the air from a tube and watching the feather and the coin fall at the same rate.

9. Toothpick Bridge - although I was never very good at this, the engineering shown by some of my classmates was impressive. We had to make a bridge using only toothpicks and glue that must be a specific size and would be tested with weights to see how much it would hold.

8. Dog Mouth/Human Mouth - I was crushed to find out that the petri dish swabbed from my pug's mouth had significantly less growth on it than one swabbed in my own mouth...especially after years of watching him eat any kind of garbage he could get into!

7. Pie in the Face - a great high school physics teacher of ours would allow us to throw a pie in his face if we could correctly figure the speed of said pie in the moment before impact.

6. Table Cloth (Inertia) - I think we all did this as a youth....yank the tablecloth swiftly enough so that the china didn't move but the table cloth came out!

5. Physics of a Curveball - I was fascinated to learn about the rotation and the laces on the ball causing a baseball to curve.

4. Blow up the Peep! - Stick one of those marshmallow peeps in a bell jar and evacuate the air and watch it grow!

3. Toilet vs. the phone - I still to this day wipe my office phone quite often after seeing how much more bacteria was on my phone compared to the toilet seat!

2. Watermelon Toss - In High School Physics, we took into account wind, height, weight, etc and place a hula hoop in the parking lot and rolled a watermelon off of the top of the bleachers. It was amazing to see it land exactly as we predicted with a very messy result!

1. Physics Day - Our local amusement park, Six Flags Great America, would host Physics day each year and we would be given handouts where we had to calculate the speed, acceleration, etc of many of the rides. Lots of fun topped off by riding a few roller coasters. There are few better ways than to keep the interest of a high school student!

Which ones were your favorites??

New Line of Clamps available from United Scientific

For years, we've seen two major styles of clamps: Low cost imported clamps and high priced, high quality domestic manufactured clamps. United Scientific is proud to announce that they now stock a new line of clamps featuring the high quality of the domestic clamps at a fraction of the price. Contact me at jgura@fischertech.com for dealer pricing, digital images, or if you'd like to evaluate a sample. These are the best quality imported clamps I have ever seen and I believe dealers will do very well with these.

3 Prong Extension Clamps:

Our deluxe line of 3 prong extension clamps are constructed of pressure die casted zinc alloy and are chrome plated. Clamps open to about 3” (7.5cm), have a recommended maximum grip size of about 2 ¼” (5.5cm), and feature double keyed spring type adjustment screws.

Available with an extension rod 8 ¼” (22cm) long, 5/16” (0.8cm) OD, with an overall length of 12 ¾” (32cm),

Or with a boss head clamp that can swing freely and is lockable at any angle up to 360°, and can be used with rods up to 19mm.

Recommended maximum working temperature is 80°C for the PVC version, and 280°C for the silicone sleeve version

ITEM NUMBER	DESCRIPTION
ECPVC1	3 prong extension clamp with rod, PVC Coated grips
ECSIL1	3 prong extension clamp with rod, silicone coated grips
ECPVC2	3 prong extension clamp with boss head, PVC coated grips
ECSIL2	3 prong extension clamp with boss head, silicone coated grips

2 Prong Burette Clamps:

Our deluxe line of two prong burette clamps are made of pressure die casted zinc alloy and are chrome plated. Adjustable to hold up to 60mm OD burettes, these clamps feature double keyed spring type adjustments.

Available with an extension rod 8 ¼” (22cm) long, 5/16” (0.8cm) OD, with an overall length of 12 ¾” (32cm),

Or with a boss head clamp that can swing freely and is lockable at any angle up to 360°, and can be used with rods up to 19mm.

Recommended maximum working temperature is 60°C for the cork lined version, 80°C for the PVC version, and 280°C for the silicone sleeve version

ITEM NUMBER	DESCRIPTION
CLCORK1	2 prong burette clamp, with rod, cork lining
CLPVC1	2 prong burette clamp, with rod, PVC sleeves
CLSIL1	2 prong burette clamp, with rod, silicone sleeves
CLCORK2	2 prong burette clamp, with boss head, cork lining
CLPVC2	2 prong burette clamp, with boss head, PVC sleeves
CLSIL2	2 prong burette clamp, with boss head, silicone sleeves

Deluxe Burette Clamps:

Deluxe Burette clamps are die casted from aluminum and feature black rubber sleeves for firm gripping of burettes. The adjustable clamps hold up to 30mm OD burettes which are held in place by the pressure created by the springs. For use with rods up to 19mm diameter.

ITEM NUMBER	DESCRIPTION
CLBURDS	Single Burette Clamp
CLBURDD	Double Burette Clamp

New Products from United Scientific

I'm pleased to announce some new products now available from United Scientific:

Solar Car

This economical demonstration solar car can be powered by a solar cell or a rechargeable battery (AA size, not included. Alkaline batteries are not suitable). Battery can be recharged from the solar cell, demonstrating an electricity storage system for solar power. The solar cell can be tilted to maximize solar input, features an on/off and select function switch, and includes two binding posts to measure output. All working parts are visible through the clear molded housing. Includes an activity guide

Spillnot

The design of the SpillNot™ uses the principles of Newtonian physics to keep the liquid in the container. The flexible handle and the location of the suspension point above the center of the tray ensure that the forces on the liquid are always directed towards the supporting tray, even when the tray is in motion. The sideways forces that are usually responsible for spills are not transmitted to the tray by the flexible handle and the radial forces generated during swinging motion only pin the liquid into the container more firmly. An inexpensive demonstration to intrigue students and challenge their analytical powers! Includes a detailed activity guide.

Stirling Engine

This economical Stirling Engine runs by exploiting the heat flow generated by the small temperature difference between room temperature and a cup of hot water or ice. It is a classic illustration of converting heat energy into mechanical work using a thermodynamic cycle. The engine runs at about 150rpm when used with cup of hot water. Additional information available upon request. Includes a detailed activity guide.

Battery Holder Set

This battery holder fits four D cell batteries and is useful for virtually any experiment requiring a low voltage power supply and ships fully assembled. Five color-coded binding posts on the base make for easy, safe, and reliable connections to hook-up cords providing outlets for 1.5V, 3V, 4.5V, or 6V supply voltages. Battery holder is firmly mounted on a heavy duty base.

Primary and Secondary Coils

Superior version of the classic device for investigating electromagnetic induction. Primary and secondary coils are wound on robust molded formers fitted with shielded banana jacks. The plated iron core has a molded handle for accurate positioning in the coils. The primary coil has 175 turns of 18 AWG insulated copper wire (diameter 34mm, length 100mm, resistance 0.43 Ω, self-inductance ≈3.1mH). Secondary Coil has three available windings with 500, 1000, and 1500 turns of 26 AWG insulated copper wire. (Usually only one available windings on competing products) (diameter 52mm, length 102mm, resistances 11.5 Ω, 23.3 Ω, 35.7 Ω, self-inductances ≈ 490mH, 1.97H, 4.43H). Plated iron core is 19mm in diameter and 165mm long (including handle).

Whiteboard Optics Set

A comprehensive and economical set of equipment for ray optics and color experiments using magnetic-backed components that can be used on the included whiteboard or any installed steel whiteboard. The whiteboard has a usable surface of 23” x 15.5” (58.5 cm x 39.5 cm) and has swiveling feet on two sides so that it can be set up in wide or tall format. The double-ended light box contains a 12V/20W halogen lamp, powered by a wall-mount AC adapter and cooled by a built-in fan. One end carries a cylindrical lens and slots for mounting the three slit diaphragms for ray optics. The other end carries two adjustable mirrors and an open area for color mixing work using colored filters that fit into slots in the ray box. Kit Includes: (1) 23” x 15.5” Whiteboard, (1) double ended light box, (1) Convex Acrylic Lens, (1) Concave Acrylic Lens, (1), Semicircular Acrylic Lens, (1) Rectangular Acrylic Block, (1) Acrylic Right Angle Prism, (1), Acrylic Equilateral Prism, (1) 30°/60°/90° Prism, a Hollow Acrylic Rectangular Cell for Water Refraction, (1) Plane Mirror, (1) Adjustable Concave/Convex Mirror, (1) Matched Set of Seven Color Filters, (1) Set of Seven Corresponding Colored Paddles, (1) 10” x 10” White Card Screen, (1) Card Protractor Circle, (4) Magnets to hold Protractor, and (1) Experiment Manual. All are stored in a sturdy box with molded inserts.

Electric Bell Model

This well constructed and attractive electric bell model is mounted on a clear acrylic plate and a finished wooden stand to allow the functional parts to be clearly seen. Model operates on 6V d.c. with an on/off switch, adjustable contact screw, and binding posts for easy connection. Includes a detailed activity guide.

Fan Cart

A basic, inexpensive Fan Cart powered by two AA size batteries (not included) demonstrates Newton’s principal of action and reaction. The batteries are contained in the removable power unit and the fan is controlled by a switch. The propeller delivers a thrust of about 88mN, accelerating the cart at 0.4 m/s². A transparent plate can be attached to show the effect of reversing the airflow.

United plans to introduce many more products for 2012! Please contact me for dealer pricing and digital images!

Have a great day!

John

Top Ten Ways playing team sports helps students!

As a father of a 5 year old and a 7 year old, this is my first summer watching my boys play team sports. They played T Ball earlier in the summer and they play flag football now. Its great that they are able to play on the same team for logistics, but I'm sure that ends in the next couple of years. I've watched our boys take a lot from their team sports experience and I'd like to share with other parents what I've seen:

10. Teaches kids to "be on time" - both coaching staffs were very adamant that practice started at a certain time and held all kids and parents accountable. As the seasons progress, I've noticed our boys getting themselves ready for practice at the appropriate time.

9. Builds friendships - This is an easy one as we've seen our boys make lots of new friends, attend birthday parties, and basically just smile when they see their friends outside of practice/games.

8. Hand/Eye Coordination - Too many children are perfecting their hand/eye coordination by means of Xbox and Wii. Simple activities such as throwing a ball, catching a ball, and hitting a baseball do wonders for motor skills.

7. Creates self pride - When our kids got their jerseys with their own name on the back, the smile on their face was unforgettable. They really felt important and it created confidence.

6. Teaches kids that bullying is unacceptable - In both football and baseball this season, there were a few cases of some of the "alpha players" trying to assert themselves at the expense of the younger/smaller players. Both coaching staffs immediately addressed this with both the kids and the parents and the problem went away. Bullying is a terrible problem in schools and the more kids that can be turned off this path at an early age, the better.

5. Coaches are more like teachers than parents are. - As much as we try, we always see our children in a different light as an outsider....and that's a good thing. Coaches, like teachers tend to treat the kids equally and hold them all accountable for their actions and responsibilities.

4. Kids are learning Math and don't even realize it! - For all of you former football players out there, you'll likely remember that each "hole" (gap between lineman) is assigned a number telling the running back where to run the ball and the rest of the team how to block a play. As the kids learned this, I watched several kindergarten level students now able to count by 2's as that is the way the football numbering system works. Also, when coaches teach defensive players to run at an angle where the player with the ball is going to be, not where he is at....kids are getting introduced to geometry. As per my earlier blog entry...physics is everywhere as well!

3. Respecting elders - Talking back and yelling at coaches and other parents is not tolerated in most team sport environments and at the young ages of the players, this tends to stick with them away from the game field.

2. Teamwork - Team sports are a great way to teach kids how to work together for a common goal. Specifically, our kid's football coach requires all kids to run their laps as a group (emphasizing that this is not a race, but rather teaching them to do things together) and has them chant and do their warmups together as a group.

1. Exercise - Above all else, in the video game/tv dominated world we live in, I'm elated watching my kids get a couple hours of outside activity including cardio work, stretching, fun games, agility tasks, etc. Remember when we used to spend every summer day outside? This is a great way to show our kids what was great about our childhood and keep them in shape at the same time.

I'd love to hear others stories and reasons for or against team sports!

John

Physics of Sports

As a lifelong sports fan, I've always been interested in the science behind the sport. Relating physics to sports is a great way to peak the interest of students who love sports, but don't enjoy Physics as much as they could. I've found a few links that explain the science behind sports that I've enjoyed quite a bit and I think you might too:

Physics of Football:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/physics-of-football.htm

Physics of Hockey:

http://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/physics-of-hockey.html

Physics of Basketball:

http://mrfizzix.com/basketball/

Physics of Baseball:

http://www.stevetheump.com/HR_physics.htm

Physics of Volleyball:

http://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/physics-of-volleyball.html

Physics of Soccer:

http://www.soccerballworld.com/Physics.htm

Enjoy! Using sports to teach children about science can be rewarding for all involved. After football practice yesterday, my kids received a geometry lesson (teaching angles of pursuit) and they were all ears and enthusiastic!

Have a great summer!

Price increases mid year?

Perhaps I'm a bit accustomed to working together with our valued distributors as opposed to working purely for the short term profit, but how can manufacturer's and importers see fit to increase prices in the middle of the year knowing full well that most of their customers print a catalog that is good for the entire year?

Are there really that many unforeseen cost increases? Was I the only one who saw that the economy is down? Was I the only one who saw that the dollar is weak?

I can surely understand that its not just some manufacturers causing problems. We've received our share of extremely demanding and ridiculous vendor agreements. My concern is that the continuous looking out for oneself versus working together for common success is going to have an immediate and long lasting impact on our industry.

Remember when relationships meant something in our business? I sure do. I'd like to see that come back. We pride ourselves at Fischer Technical that we, along with our principals, work with this in mind. Do you need a special service along with your order or have an "out of left field" request? Please ask us, the worst we can do is keep you in the same position that you were already in. Our way of business is to treat our distributors with the respect they deserve and we'll do all we can to meet any special requests. This is how small, family businesses have been successful over the years.

What actions do your vendors/distributors take that bother you? These are the ones that bother me the most:

1. Answer the phone please. - I'm not calling to sell you health insurance, I'm calling you to say hello, share with you a new product that others in the industry are profiting from, ask for your advice, share industry news, etc. Are we too big for phones these days?

2. Please reply to your email! - See #1

3. Please write down, use your computer calendar, etc our appointments. - Its frustrating when I've set an appointment, confirmed it a day or two before and show up at one of our distributors to find an empty office or to learn that they simply forgot about the meeting. I assure you, I've put a great deal of effort in my preparations and have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars to come see you. Its in both of our best interests for us both to be prepared.

4. Remember that I've taken an airplane to see you and likely have several appointments that day. - Ive been in situations where the person I'm meeting with decided to take a long/late lunch or asked for last minute rescheduling.

5. Please keep your word. - When I make a promise to put together a presentation for you or complete market research, I do everything in my power to complete the task to a "T". I'd rather hear an "I'm not interested" than for someone to put me to work on some extensive research just to transition the conversation/meeting.

6. Please do not demand to receive "The lowest price you offer". - This is most applicable when a vendor purchases a small fraction of a specific item and demands to receive the same price as someone who purchases 25x more. I always will offer you the best price I can and I value all of my distributors equally.

7. Give me a chance to make it right. - Murphy's law is always alive and well. Shipments can be damaged, storms can knock out our phone lines, we may even ship the order incorrectly on a very rare occasion. I assure you, it was not meant as a practical joke and we receive no joy in causing grief. When given the chance, good business people will always do what they can to right a wrong.

8. Please treat vendor - distributor relationships as a partnership. - The end goal for a business relationship is to make it profitable and fulfilling for both of us. Pushing one or the other around does not make it feel like a partnership and is not healthy for a solid long lasting business relationship.

By going back to the way small businesses became successful, vendor/dealer relations can improve and likely result in increased profits for all parties involved.

Have a great day!

John

Why so many Pipette Fillers?

Pipette fillers do a simple job. They draw samples into various types/sizes pipettes and dispense the samples into another location. That being said, I get asked all the time, why does Fischer Technical Company have twelve different pipette fillers on their product list? Let's take a look at them and see why!

Standard Three Valve Natural Rubber Pipettes - These represent our best selling pipette fillers. They are made from natural rubber with three ball style valves plus a blowout valve. This is the classic model that has been used in laboratories for more years than most of us have been alive. They are available in four colors (Red, Black, Green, and Blue). Most laboratory technicians prefer the Red or Black models as these have been in the marketplace the longest. It's wise to use multiple colors if the pipettes are being used to draw different samples, particularly those that would react with each other. When used properly, no part of the sample should come in contact with the bulb itself. These bulbs are recommended for pipetting most solutions/samples. The easy to use three valve design requires two hands to operate. Item numbers are: RED-001, BLK-001, GRN-001, and BLU-001.

Multi-colored Natural Rubber Pipette filler - These pipette fillers share the same design and recommended applications as the standard three valve natural rubber pipette fillers with one obvious difference. Laboratory technicians, like many specialized professionals, often have unique and creative personalities. Why shouldn't their equipment reflect that? Many use colors that match their alma matter or favorite sports team. These bulbs are available in four different color combinations and have a "tye dye" appearance. Item number is MULTIPIP.

FLIP Style Natural Rubber Pipette Fillers - These pipette fillers are recommended for the same applications as the other natural rubber bulbs but have one significant design change. Instead of a manual valve at the top, which is used to remove the air from the bulb before drawing liquid, the patented "FLIP" model has an automatic valve at the top allowing for users to operate a pipette with one hand. This valve also can be removed to clean out the bulb if contaminants happen to find their way into the bulb. This version is new to the market in the past 20 years or so, ergo not as widely used, but the technology is more advanced than on the standard bulb. Note: Fischer Technical Company is the only wholesale distributor authorized to sell these in the US and we offer them through a variety of distributors. Contact me if you need to find an authorized dealer at JGura@fischertech.com. These are available in Red, Black, Blue, Green, and Yellow. Item numbers are FLIP-001, FLIP-002, FLIP-003, FLIP-004, and FLIP-005.

Silicone Three Valve Pipette Fillers - We also offer Red and Black pipette fillers, designed similar to our standard three valve pipette fillers, made with silicone rubber as opposed to natural rubber. These bulbs are ideal for pipetting solutions which react with natural rubber, either via direct contact with the liquid or from the fumes. We do not recommend using these, or any of our bulbs, in applications where the solution will come in direct contact with the pipette filler. These are also available from our wide network of authorized dealers. The item numbers are SILBLK-001 and SILRED-001.

All of our pipette bulbs can draw up to 50ml of liquid and can be used with pipettes up to 100ml. Note, for pipettes larger than 50ml, users are required to draw the liquid twice due to the 50ml capacity.

I hope this information is helpful in helping you choose the proper pipette filler for your application. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions at JGura@fischertech.com

Happy Pipetting!

Top Ten Ways to Encourage Young Scientists Over Summer Break

As we fast approach the end of the school year, I'm looking at different educational science activities that my children can take part in over the summer. I've narrowed it down to my ten favorites:

10. The easiest place to start is right in your own backyard. Give children a bug catcher, a magnifying glass, or simply a pencil and paper. Ask them to search the yard and see who and what lives there? Take it further and have them check different locations (ie at a grandparents house, lake cabin, friends yard, etc). Encourage the children to figure out what factors lead to the organisms living in a particular environment.

9. Take a Nature Walk. There are so many walking paths and trails in the US that are underutilized by families for educational purposes. To this day, I still hear from my kids about the beaver they saw building a damn when they took a nature walk in their preschool. This is a great way to learn about an animals habitat.

8. Go outside and look up! On a clear night, there are so much in the sky to see. Having a telescope makes this even more educational and valuable. Even without one, we can still see quite a bit. Don't be afraid to use the internet to see when and where planets will be visible.

7. Go to a museum. This should go without saying, but depending on the age of the children, one can visit any good museum multiple times and always find new things they didn't get to see on a previous trip. As far as Chicago goes, my kids really love the Museum of Science and Industry.

6. Take them to the Zoo! Large and small, all zoos offer so many opportunities to learn and kids absolutely love going to a zoo.

5. Utilize the programs offered by your local park districts. Many park districts offer events ranging from reptile interactions to butterfly hunts to lessons about dinosaurs and fossils. These are sure fire hits with kids.

4. Start a rock collection. Have kids collect as many different types of rocks (or seashells depending on where you live) and see how many they can identify. There are many great posters out there that can help identify rocks, minerals, or seashells. A quick search on the internet will help you find one. Note: our principal, Feenixx Publishing produces the finest ones I've seen. Email me at JGura@fischertech.com and I can refer you to a distributor.

3. Backyard Bird Identification. This is another activity that could be significantly aided by a Backyard Bird poster which again is easily found with a quick web search. Again, I highly recommend the posters from Feenixx Publishing. You'd be amazed how many different types of birds visit your neighborhood.

2. Blow Something up.....safely. I highly encourage this to be done outdoors. Taking care not to get their face in the way, drop a few Mentos into a two liter bottle of diet coke (don't use regular coke unless you want the sugar to stick to everything). I've seen a great products on the internet that attach to the top of a soda bottle and allow a string to be pulled which safely releases the Mentos into the soda. You'll be amazed at how high the soda flies. Ask your kids to explain scientifically why this happened.

1. My personal favorite science activity is taking my kids to an amusement park. If your kids are younger, start out with simpler questions for them to find out, such as why a ride has a height restriction. Older kids can really dissect a park through physics by calculating speed, acceleration, centrifugal and centripetal forces, height, friction, etc. There is always a smile on my face when my 6 year old explains to his younger brother why people don't fall out of roller coasters that go upside down!

Please share your ideas for additional activities and adventures to help us mold the future scientists of the world. Need motivation....just remind yourself that the kids of today will be our caretakers of tomorrow!

Top 5 Experiments Using a High Vacuum Pump

We've been successfully supplying our LAV-3 model high vacuum pump to science education dealers now for well over 20 years. Teachers always ask what is the best and most vivid experiments they can do in their classrooms to teach physics with our pump.

Of course, to get started, you'll need a vacuum pump (I highly recommend the LAV-3 or the LAV-3/G model from Fischer Technical, which can be purchased from your regular science education dealer), high vacuum tubing, a vacuum pump plate, and a good quality bell jar.



5. Shaving Cream Expansion - Put a little dab (technical term) of shaving cream inside your bell jar (which is then sealed onto the pump plate), turn the pump on and watch the molecules spread themselves out and the Shaving Cream grows! Be careful not to let it run too much where you pull the Creme into the vacuum pump though!

4. Grow a Balloon - place a balloon, filled a little bit and tied off inside your bell jar and turn the pump on. Students will be curious as to why the balloon expanded while the air is pulled from the chamber.

3. Springtime (Easter) Peep Monster - place one of those terribly unhealthy, yet tasty, sugar coated marshmallows, THE PEEP, inside your bell jar. Turn on the pump and watch your baby peep turn into a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man peep!

2. Did you hear a bell ringing? - place an electric bell or kitchen timer inside your chamber and turn on the pump. Make sure the bell is turned on! As the air molecules are pulled from the chamber, the sound will slowly disappear until it is gone! Great way to explain to students why an astronaut would never be heard if he were to start screaming while in outer space.

1. Cool Boiling Water - My all time favorite. It is absolutely critical that your pump is a "high vacuum" pump and not just a vacuum pump. You'll need to pull a much higher vacuum than the 25" of mercury some pumps offer to do this. Place a plastic bottle or petri dish in the chamber filled about half way up with water. Demonstrate to your students that the water is at room temperature and not hot to the touch. Put it in the vacuum chamber, turn on the pump, and in no time you'll have room temperature water simmering at a rapid boil. What better way to explain the effects on vapor points in different atmospheric pressure?

You can do a quick search on the internet and find all of these supplies from virtually every science education dealer....make sure to look for "Fischer Technical Brand". One tip, keep an eye on your vacuum pump oil level and drain and change any contaminated oil. Be sure to use "High Vacuum Pump Oil" as standard vacuum oil or other "home remedy" solutions (See: motor oil, vegetable oil, etc) will not allow the pump to continue operating properly!

Happy Teacher Appreciation week and good luck molding future physicists!

Break the Habit and Be a Hero

In today's economy, we all face the same question in nearly every business:

How can I do what I do at a lower cost to myself or my employer without sacrificing quality?

I see several instances of this all them time. As a manufacturer's rep in the Science Education market, there has clearly been an increase in business to the community colleges, particularly in the higher end products such as the Denoyer-Geppert
Anatomy models. I directly attribute this to a large increase of students entering college doing their general education studies at the local community college before moving on to a University for their 3rd year and beyond.

While on business travel, many of my colleagues are opting for less expensive lodging or smaller rental cars. I have noticed myself doing this.

But as a professional scientist in an industrial research laboratory or clinical research laboratory, how can you save your company significant money? The answer is simple in my mind.....BREAK THE HABIT.

I've been traveling around the country for about 10 years now and the most common answer I hear when asked why customers tend to purchase established name brands, specifically in pipettors and glassware is: "I've always used this brand". I imagine ten to twenty years ago, there was a substantial drop off in quality going from established brands to "economy lines". The times have changed.

For example, the line of Class A Glassware from United Scientific
is now used throughout the world in research and pharmaceutical labs. European quality demands are typically even higher than here in the USA! United has been supplying Industrial/Research supply dealers with micropipettes for about eight years now. I'd offer the quality of these pipettors up against any other pipettor in the market, yet labs still pay double and sometimes triple for brands they know.

My call to action this week is for all lab professionals to BREAK THE HABIT of always buying within your comfort zone and BE A HERO to your accounting department and top brass. Imagine the praise and honor to be bestowed on an employee who is able to cut a substantial portion of their lab expenses.

Please contact me at JGura@Fischertech.com if you'd like more information or for a dealer near you who carries these types of money saving products!

Have a great weekend,

John