Re: ATM lies, damn lies, and mirror tests

[astillma@nit.AirTouch.COM (Anthony Stillman)]

Regarding Mr. Goldman's flame war.  Well, I have to agree with Mel.  Mr Glodman
seems to have led a rather insulated net life.  Few if any of the remarks could
or should be characterised as full fledged flames.  Perhaps a wet match or 
maybe a water drop on a sun drenched tomato.  Still, they were the recipients 
and as I well know, the truth hurts.

All that aside, at the Chabot Observatory mirror making workshop we see about
one new mirror finished every month.  Sometimes more, rarely less.  Last week 
three newbes finished there mirrors, including one young man who had been 
dedecatedly working for over a year.  Few of the people who join us are members 
of any astronomical group.  Most are lay people who were at the planitarium and
saw our sign or got lost looking for the main building.  They stop in, we tell
them how they can make a telescope and one of the adults will decide that one 
of the childern they have in tow always really wanted to make a telescope.  
Sometimes we get adults who started a mirror years ago having been spurred on 
by S&T.  And sometimes we get a young person who, on there own, or with the aid 
of a teacher, has decided that making a telescope is the thing to do.  Never, 
in the few years I've helped out has someone come in and said I was reading in
Sky & Telescope about how I could make a telescope and saw that Chabot had a 
glass workshop.  NEVER!  And this is not because S&T doesn't know about it.  Of 
course we've only had a few people join us after learning about the shop during
a astronomy association meeting.  I'm one.  Lets see, how many zeros go into a
few?

The web is a good place to learn about making telescope, that is if you are on
the web, and you already have enough interest to do the correct search.  
Everyone else, well lets hope for inspirational parents and teachers.  If you 
get a chance to teach a class as I did recently, mention it to your students.
Also another good venue is a star party.  All sorts of people show up at these 
events.  Even setting up the telescope in the front yard, which I do from time 
to time, draws people in and you can tell them how they can make there own.

Mel's right, its up to us. So get out there and proselytize.

Anthony