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| Carl Sagan's COSMOS is one of the most influential science programs ever made.
Q. Does the moon have a dark side?
A. The moon does have a far side which is impossible to see from the earth, but it doesn't mean that it's always dark. Each side of the moon is dark for no longer than 15 days at a time.
Q. Where does sound come from?
A. The air is always filled with sound waves. All things give off vibrations, but some have a low frequency which most cannot hear. The reason: it may take 3 minutes to make a single vibration. They may be caused by earthquakes and storms.
Did You Know?
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
Coke-a-Cola was originally green.
Rubberbands last longer when refrigerated.
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Clemson and Hunley scientists combine expertise to conserve national icon
by Clemson University. Contact: Sandy Dees sdeesba@clemson.edu
Clemson University is joining an international effort to conserve the H.L. Hunley, the first submarine in history to sink a warship in battle. The Civil War submarine, recovered off the coast of South Carolina, is one of the largest intact metal artifacts ever recovered from the ocean floor. But its size – 45 feet – and wrought iron and cast iron composition have complicated the job of conserving the submarine, which is now being maintained in a special chilled freshwater solution at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center.
The research could lead to new approaches and methodologies for the conservation of historically significant marine artifacts, said Richard V. Gregory, director of Clemson's nationally renowned School of Materials Science and Engineering.
Like any iron artifact immersed in seawater for an extended period of time, the Hunley's iron hull is contaminated with iron chlorides, said Paul Mardikian, senior conservator on the Hunley Project. If exposed to air, these 'salts' literally bind up to the metal, making the overall structure of the sub extremely unstable. The potentially devastating effect of oxygen and humidity could induce a corrosion cycle in which the submarine, if left untreated, could decay and eventually collapse or disintegrate to iron dust.
"Clemson has the analytical and research power required to help preserve this American icon," said Mardikian. "Just as the Hunley was a technological first for its time, so will be the method of conservation."
"We're charting new ground – it's not like there's a textbook out there we can follow," said Mike Drews, the materials scientist heading the Clemson research team. "There has been very little scientific research done on marine artifacts of this kind."
One key difference is the team will use metal fragments from the actual sub (for example, a rivet that had to be removed in order to gain entry into the sub) and other recovered ships from that same time period. Most of the current in-depth conservation know-how comes not from recovered artifact metals but from modern metals that have been corroded in lab settings.
Drews estimates that it will take at least a year to analyze the sub and devise the best strategy for its conservation. The entire project could take up to seven years.
Drews and Mardikian will coordinate a team of scientists and students from Clemson, the Smithsonian Institution, France's Cold Plasma Research Lab, the Western Australian Maritime Museum, and other scientists from around the world. The team will map corrosion and corrosion products and make recommendations on the best way to halt the decay. In time, they'll also analyze leather and textile artifacts found in the sub. Drews will take a sabbatical from teaching in order to work on the Hunley's conservation and preservation full time, beginning this month.
Once long-term stability is successfully achieved on the submarine, the Hunley will then be put on permanent public display as a historic and technological educational tool. Until that time, she'll remain at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center. Currently, scientists are also conducting forensic research and facial reconstructions of the Hunley's eight-man crew.
"The Hunley truly is a national treasure, and we've got only one chance to do it right," said Drews.
The Hunley disappeared on Feb. 17, 1864, after becoming the first submarine in world history to sink a ship in battle. After being lost at sea for more than 130 years, the Hunley was located in 1995 and recovered in August 2000. Authorities are still working to solve the mystery of what caused the Hunley to sink after her historic mission.
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