From
Science Center through Lego to Logo... 
to Sheldrake?
From
Science Center through Lego to Logo...
to Sheldrake?
by Orlando Mihich My students came back from a visit to Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, and, among other things like molds and bacteria, they were mostly impressed by the Museum’s laser light show. Next, Patrick Mahaney, Sam Lazarus, and Moris Behar dug into all those Lego pieces, got two mirrors, positioned the mirrors at an angle, rescued a laser from the science department, and the result was this great laser show. They programmed the motors to rotate the mirrors at different rpms and the results were all kind of circles projected on the lab’s ceiling. The laser was changing regular circles into complex movement of constantly changing spiraling circles, reminders of complex equations. They created a show that entertained and amazed students and visiting parents. At home, Patrick programmed the turtle to recreate in Logo all those everchanging circles and e-mailed it to the lab.
Later, we were surprised to read in WIRED that at the same time in a Boston Lab Mitchel Resnick’s students were doing similar work with Lego and mirrors. Multi resonance?
Two years ago, the above students created a Lego roamer with a QuickCam on top to tape my sixth grade students. Their work was described in the Spring 1997 issue of LX. Later in the Spring of ‘97, David Seiter from Lego visited our Lab and brought in some brochures featuring a Mars explorer called Red Rover. We were all really surprised because we realized that at the same time and totally unaware of the Lego work, we created a similar, and in the opinion of my students, even better Explorer. Better, because the QuickCam eyeball could be moved up and down.
We discussed Rupert Sheldrake’s controversial ideas on multi resonance through space and time, and concluded that maybe, just maybe multiresonance was at work in these two cases.
Rupert Sheldrake: The Rebirth of Nature.
Also featured in PBS’ A Glorious Accident