This fascinating message about friction was sent to
the vort list - and I must presage it with a short
personal anecdote.
Years ago, I took a class on machining at a local
college. Our teacher showed us what he called Jo
Blocks, short name for Johansen Blocks.
These are precisely milled flat surfaces used for
measuring in machine shop work. He placed the two
flat surfaces together and held only one block.
The other block did not slide off and they acted
as if they were glued together.
He said he'd always wondered what caused the stick
phenomenon, he knew it wasn't vacuum or electrostatics.
He challenged our class to come up with an answer.
Well, that bothered me for about a week so one day
I was driving home from school with a friend and we
passed a house with a sign out front advertising an
'electronics garage sale'...we had to stop of course.
We went back to the open garage and sorted through
the various items offered.
Among the items were several back issues of Scientific
American and as I glanced through them I saw an article
on "Tribolytics : The Study of Friction". I'd never
seen that term and turned over to the article just
to see what it was about and there was a description
of the Jo Block stick test.
The article explained that on microscopic levels,
everything is jagged and so all these micro points,
even on what appears from a macro perspective to be
smooth, was in reality like velcro hooks catching on
the hooks of the opposite Jo Block and that was
why they 'stuck' together.
More precisely, these micro SPIKES interlocked with
other spikes. I was mystified at how this had
dropped into my hands, the answer to a problem
this teacher had sought for about 20 years.
Of course, I bought the SciAM, photocopied the
article and stopped by our shop teachers office
the next Monday to explain the phenomenon and
give him the article.
It was very strange how he accepted this. He said it
was good that I'd found an answer and he appreciated
it being shared. However, NEVER for the rest of our
semester did he EVER SHARE THAT WITH THE CLASS. I don't
know why, if it was ego or that someone could find
something he claimed he'd looked for for so many years.
Hey, it was serendipitous, I wasn't particularly
looking for it, just happened on it. I often wonder
if he told classes that followed about why the
effect occurred.
I think some in the free energy/alt sci community also
have this great fear that once we resolve the mysteries
and are using the devices there will be nothing left to
ponder. Mysteries can be milked for money and people
tend to believe those who claim to have insights into
them, even if totally off base, so the last thing some
people and groups want is to see a working device. I
think my shop teacher liked the aura and mystery of
this phenomenon and so would rather propagate the mystery
than have the answer. Personally, I'd much rather witness
the demo, let him let us think about it for awhile and
even tease us with extra credit if we find the answer,
then reveal the secret after a certain time, that way
we all learn.
Cruel as it sounds, one excellent quote states;
Science advances funeral by funeral.
===============
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology
report in the June 25 Journal of Physical Chemistry
(Vol. B102, pp.5033-5037 (1998)) that by rapidly
oscillating the width of the lubricant-filled gap
separating two sliding surfaces, they can significantly
reduce friction between them.
The technique keeps the lubricant in a state of
dynamic disorder, preventing the formation of molecular
layering that can increase friction. Based on molecular
dynamics simulations, the findings would be of particular
interest to designers of micro-scale machines.
see WWW site for more info:
http://www.gtri.gatech.edu/res-news/FRICTION.html
-- Jerry Wayne Decker / jdecker@keelynet.com http://keelynet.com / "From an Art to a Science" Voice : (214) 324-8741 / FAX : (214) 324-3501 ICQ # - 13175100 / AOL - Keelyman KeelyNet - PO BOX 870716 - Mesquite - Republic of Texas - 75187