Serendipity in Science Research Lab hallway at opening of Niskayuna, NY GE Research Center, 1950. Left front to back" Dr! $! %! &chaefer' Dr! (! $onnegut; Dr! %! #! Cobine' Dr! )! (! (lo*gett; +r! ,! -! Young' Dr! %! R! C! (rown; Dr! .! #! %ohnson. Right front to back" Dr! /! R! /hitney' Dr! C! %! Gallagher' Dr! ,! /! Hull; Dr! &! Dush0an; Dr! %! +! Lafferty' Dr! &! Roberts' Dr! %! &! .rener' +r! %! +artens, Dr! L! R! )oller' +r! E! 1inley' +r! R! /! Larson. Courtesy of &chenecta*y +useum! Serendipity in Science Twenty Years at Langmuir University An Autobiography by Vincent J. Schaefer, ScD Compiled and Edited by Don Rittner Square Circle Press Voorheesville, New York Serendipity In Science: !enty "ears at Langmuir Uni&ersity An Autobiography by Vincent J. Schaefer, ScD Published by Square Circle Press LLC 137 Ketcham !oad Voorheesville, NY 1"1#$ www%squarecirclepress%co '"(13 )o* !ittner a*d the +state o, Vi*ce*t -% Schae,er% .ll ri/hts reserved. No &art o, this publicatio* may be reproduced or tra*smitted i* a*y ,or or by a*y ea*s, electro*ic or echa*ical, e0cept brie, quotes e0tracted ,or the pur&ose o, book reviews or similar articles, without permissio* i* writi*/ ,ro the publisher% 1irst . erica* &aperback editio*, "(13% Pri*ted a*d bou*d i* the 2*ited States o, .merica o* acid-,ree, durable &aper% IS5N 136 77#3(37#8$7"$333$ IS5N 1(6 (37#8$7"$3339 Library o, Co*/ress Co*trol Number6 "(13733#7$ Compiled a*d +dited by )o* !ittner% :ri/i*al tra*scriptio* by Michael Sulliva*% 1orewor* by Michael Sulliva*% .reface by )o* !ittner% , (rief (iographical &ketch of $incent %! &chaefer by )u*ca* 5la*chard. 'ublisher(s Ackno!ledgment# Cover '"(13 by Square Circle Press< desi/* by !ichard Va*/% Illustratio*s are credited withi* the te0t. =he ack*owledgme*ts o, the +ditor a&&ear elsewhere i* this book. A portion of the proceed# from this boo) !ill be used for a college scholarship and grants program for student# in the field of atmospheric science. Contents 1oreword, xiii Pre,ace, 23 .ck*owledg e*ts, 23ii . Bio/raphical Sketch o, Vi*ce*t -% Schae,er, xi2 4 =he 1or ative Years Chapter 1 )rea s a*d .ctio* ,or the 1uture 4*troductio*6 =he Purpose ,or =his Book, 5 . Brie, .utobio/raphy, 4 My Pre&aratio* ,or -oi*i*/ La*/ uir 2*iversity, 15 My Pare*ts, 19 My Mother, !ose .% Schae,er, 5 My >i,e?s Pare*ts, 56 My @obbies, 55 =we*ty Years at La*/ uir 2*iversity, 57 44 =he La*/ uir Years Chapter " La*/ uir the Boy, the ;a*, a*d the Scie*tist Mou*tai* Cli bi*/, Photo/raphy, a*d a Stea Whistle, 68 My 4*volve e*t with La*/ uir?s 1rie*d, .pperso*, 64 Sweetser6 . Shadowy 1i/ure, 69 La*/ uir?s 1u* with .irpla*es, 69 La*/ uir?s Preoccupatio* a*d :ther Characteristics, 8 >ork @abits o, La*/ uir, 81 La*/ uir the >a*derer, 85 So e o, La*/ uir?s !esearch at Lake Aeor/e, 86 :*e o, the >ays La*/ uir Measured the >i*d, 88 . Movie o, the Boss, 85 . Postcard ,ro La*/ uir Skii*/ i* SwitBerla*d, 84 @ydro/e* =a*ks that Ao Boo , 87 La*/ uir?s =rip to !ussia, 87 .* .dve*ture i* New Me0ico a*d .riBo*a, 89 3i &eren*ipity in &cience =he Meeti*/ o, the Natio*al .cade y at =he K*olls, 5 =he )ispositio* o, La*/ uir?s Scie*ti,ic Papers, 5 Chapter 3 +arly .ctivities6 Years i* Livi*/ a*d Lear*i*/ My 1rie*d, Katy Blodgett, 55 Pla*ts a*d Shrubs ,or >oesty*e, 55 =he Local Aeolo/y !elated to >oesty*e South, 57 =he Buildi*/ o, >oesty*e South, 59 =he @istorical +*viro* e*t o, >oesty*e South, 49 =he Na e o, :ur @o e, 49 4* Which 4 +stablished a >orksho& a*d Laboratory, 49 My Library at >oesty*e South, 7 Chapter 9 My 4*troductio* to Sur,ace Che istry 4* Which 4 4*herit a Slide !ule, 75 So e o, My +arly !esearch Studies, 76 =he !ole o, Sere*dipity i* !esearch, 76 My =rial with Melted Sodiu Liquid, 78 Splash Patter*s o, >ater )rops o* Soot, 74 =he :il Auard ProCect, 77 =he Measure e*t o, Molecular =hickness, 77 +d La*d o, Polaroid, 79 Bubbles i* 4ce a*d :ther =hi*/s, 9 Mo*olayer Ski*s as a ;icroa*alytical =ool, 95 =he Scie*ce 1oru , 96 =he +arly )ays o, Cal/o*, 95 =he .dsorptio* o, >ater Soluble Molecules, 94 :ur Co*tact with )r% @arry Sobotka a*d Cholesterol, 97 My Co*tact with +liot Porter the Photo/rapher, 97 So e Physical Characteristics o, Mo*olayers o, Plastics, 99 .tte pt to :btai* )ata o* =obacco Mosaic Virus, 99 :ur Studies o, .rti,icial Mica, 99 =he .,,i*ity o, 4ce ,or Metal Sur,aces, 9 !ecord Kee&i*/ i* Little Notebooks, 91 Chapter 8 4*te*sive Studies o, Sur,ace Che istry a*d the Be/i**i*/ o, the >ar Years :ur Co*tact with the +lectro* Microscope, 96 . Brie, +*cou*ter with a Carci*o/e*ic Che ical, 98 Protei* Mo*olayer Studies, 98 . Method ,or Peeli*/ !e&licas ,or ;icroscopic Studies, 95 =he +,,ect o, 2ltraviolet Li/ht o* .cid 5ariu Stearate Multilayers, 94 Contents 3ii =he 1or atio* o, Plastic Pellicles, 97 =he Sur,ace 1orce +0erted by 4*dicator :ils, 99 +xperi e*ts with No*3Alare Sur,aces o* Alass, 99 =he Study o, Li/ht Scatteri*/ ,ro =hi* 1il s, 1 +d @e**elly6 . 1u* Perso*, 1 5 Studies o, Sodiu )ioctyl Sul,osucci*ate, 1 6 =he !eplicatio* o, Snow Crystals, 1 8 =he !eplicatio* o, Livi*/ Sur,aces, 1 7 .rti,icial 1o/, 1 9 =he Proble o, Precipitatio* Static, 118 .t ospheric +lectrical Measure e*ts o* =o& o, the Laboratory, 114 Biblio/raphy o, Papers Co3authored with )r% 4rvi*/ La*/ uir, 117 Chapter $ =he >ar +*ds as 4 )iscover Cloud Seedi*/ . Visit to the Mou*t >ashi*/to* :bservatory with La*/ uir, 119 =he =her al )epositio* o, Metal, 15 . Liquid >ater Co*te*t o, Clouds )etector, 151 . Cloud @ei/ht Se*sor ,or a !adioso*de, 155 Stro*/ Structures o, Per a,il, 156 .* +lectrically Co*ducti*/ 1il , 158 Be*tley?s Method o, Measuri*/ !ai* )rops, 155 .* .ir Mover 1or ed by Sere*di&ity, 154 =he Preve*tio* o, 1rost )a a/e to :rchards, 157 My )iscovery o, )ry 4ce Seedi*/, 159 My Laboratory Notebook Co e*ts o* My 1irst Cloud Seedi*/ 1li/ht, 16 =he Seedi*/ o, Supercooled Arou*d 1o/, 166 =he 1irst D1li/htE o, ProCect Cirrus, 164 My 1rie*dshi& with Ber*ie Vo**e/ut, 167 )eter i*atio* o, the @o o/e*eous Nucleatio* =e perature o, >ater, 169 =he Preve*tio* o, 4ce 1or atio* o* a* .irshi&, 18 =he 1or atio* o, ProCect Cirrus, 185 Chapter 7 .dve*tures i* the 1ield a*d i* the Laboratory =he 2se o, the @ilsch =ube ,or Produci*/ 4ce + bryos, 185 21:s a*d @urrica*e Ki*/, 184 Scie*ti,ic .dve*turesF. 1u* ProCect, 15 =he Co*trol o, the Shape o, 4ce Crystals, 151 . 1u* =i e i* Puerto !ico, 155 =he Measure e*t o, Co*de*satio* Nuclei, 158 =he Soap Bubble as a* 4ce Nucleus )etector, 155 My 1irst @o*orary )e/reeF1ro Notre )a e, 157 3iii &eren*ipity in &cience Li/ht*i*/ Stor s i* the Norther* !ocky Mou*tai*s, 157 =he !ate o, 1all o, 1i*e Particles u*der +xperi e*tal Co*ditio*s, 14 1orest 1ire Smoke a*d 4ce Nuclei, 145 =he Cutti*/ o, @oles i* Solid )ecks o, Supercooled Stratus, 145 =he Skati*/ o, >ater )roplets o* a >ater Sur,ace, 148 =he Co*ce*tratio* o, 4ce Nuclei i* the .ir Passi*/ the Su it o, Mou*t >ashi*/to*, 145 =he Si ulatio* o, Clouds i* a >ater Bath, 145 Movies o, the Ara*d =eto*s, 144 Soil Sa ples ,ro the >est, 147 =he :ld !a*ch o, the School o, Mi*es, 149 =he LocaliBed Seedi*/ o, a Li*e o, =oweri*/ Cu ulus, 149 Chapter # !esearch i* a Variety o, .reas =he Nucleatio* o, Stea i* a =urbi*e, 17 .* .rti,icial Snow Stor i* Mi*iature, 17 =he Productio* o, Snow at Ski .reas with Snow3 aki*/ -et NoBBles, 175 .* .dve*ture i* +*/la*d a*d SwitBerla*d, 175 =he Productio* o, a Cirrus3=ype :vercast, 191 . Cloud Seedi*/ +ve*t at Socorro, New Me0ico, 195 >e Ao :ver the )atil Mou*tai*s, 196 .* .dve*ture at the 1er*a*deB !a*ch i* New Mexico, 198 =he )evelo& e*t o, Portable Cold Cha bers, 194 =he )evelo& e*t o, the Metal Multicell, 197 Productio* o, Smoke o* a Small Scale, 199 =he .ccu ulatio* o, >ater by +ver/ree* =rees, 199 =he )evelo& e*t o, the )i,,usio* Cloud Cha ber, 199 .tte pts to Co*trol the Local +*viro* e*t o, =rees, 19 :ur Co*tact with Solar +*er/y, 195 Spo*ta*eous +lectri,icatio* o, Pe*taerythritol Crystals, 196 =he Critical Co*ce*tratio* o, 4ce Crystal to Guickly Seed Supercooled Clouds, 198 =he Measure e*t o, .t ospheric +lectricity, 198 444 !e,lectio*s o* the La*/ uir Years Chapter 7 .