[BlindMath] Independence Science Quarter 2 Newsletter

Wed May 5 16:04:11 UTC 2021

Hello Friends:

     I hope the following is of interest.

Regards,

Robert

Independence Science Newsletter

Second Quarter 2021

Published and distributed by Independence Science

3000 Kent Ave

Suite 1303

West Lafayette, IN 47906

Phone: (866) 862-9665

Email: info at independencescience.com 

http://www.independencescience.com

     To reach Robert Jaquiss, press #4.

Email:  <mailto:rjaquiss at independencescience.com> rjaquiss at independencescience.com 

Robert Jaquiss, Editor

>From the Editor

     Happy May! The staff at Independence Science hope our readers are keeping safe and enjoying Spring weather.

This issue's Content:

·        ISLAND Conference September 17-18 will be virtual!

·        New Service! PDF Remediation

·        New! Independence Science Custom Trainings for STEM Access.

·        New Sci-VoiceTM Talking LoggerPro Package Now Available.

·        Remote learning is now possible.

·        Tactile Adaptation Kits now Available.

·        New! Braille Science Labels in collaboration with CanDoAble.

·        Article on Edwin Brand Frost, Blind Scientist.

·        Consulting Services

·        Independence Science at the NFB convention

·        Independence Science at the ACB convention

·        We want your feedback on our products.

·        Meet the Element: Osmium

·        Jokes of the Quarter.

·        External announcements: Coding seminar, APH survey.

·        Conclusion

ISLAND 2021 at Princeton: virtual and accepting abstracts!

The Inclusion in Science, Learning A New Direction, Conference on Disability and STEM will be held virtually on Friday, September 17 and Saturday, September 18, 2021. This year’s conference will be hosted by Princeton University. The call for abstracts for presentations is now open and can be submitted at the following link:

 <https://islandconference.org/abstract-submissions-island-2021/> https://islandconference.org/abstract-submissions-island-2021/

Abstracts are due by July 1, 2021 with presenters to be notified by July 15, 2021. We have a limited number of spaces for presentations and all submissions will be reviewed by a panel of science access experts. We want to thank everyone in advance for your interest in presenting at the 2021 ISLAND conference. Also, on-line registration is now open for this year’s conference. There is no charge for registration if it is completed by September 1, 2021. For more information regarding registration and other details, go to:  <http://www.islandconference.org/> www.islandconference.org. Please be sure to check back as the conference nears for final program and other details.

New Service! PDF Remediation

Struggling with inaccessible PDFs? Independence Science is here to help! We know that professionally done accessible PDFs are hard to come by so we now offer PDF Remediation services!

Imagine not having to worry about data loss, and wrestle with inaccessible research articles or class assignments, handbooks, calendars, or posters. Instead you will have beautifully tagged PDFs with headings, image descriptions, and proper reading order that will work with screen readers without needing OCR processing commands. Simply send us your PDF for a confidential and risk-free estimate. Only pay for the time you use and never pay any more than the estimate in your quote even if extra time is required. Have your science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) images described by science content experts! It’s a win-win!

For a quote or for more information, contact us today at  <mailto:pdf at independencescience.com> pdf at independencescience.com or visit  <https://independencescience.com/pdf-file-remediation/> https://independencescience.com/pdf-file-remediation/ for example projects.

New! Independence Science Custom Trainings

Independence Science now offers custom-designed trainings in STEM access. Do you know someone interested in STEM? If so, we can offer them an individually tailored curriculum based on their specific science interests and skillset needs with professional blind science instructors. 

Some of our frequently requested trainings include:

·        Laboratory Safety

·        Hiring and Managing Assistants

·        Dissections

·        Microscopy

·        Titrations

·        Optics

·        Learning Basic Code

Additional topics and advanced topics are available. Call us today to start a discussion for a private training at (866) 862-9665 or e-mail  <mailto:info at independencescience.com> info at independencescience.com. All trainings have a minimum of 2:1 teacher to customer ratio for the safety of all involved.

New Sci-VoiceTM Talking LoggerPro Package Now Available!

The new Sci-VoiceTM Talking Logger Pro Package has everything you need for introductory terrarium and vivarium monitoring, introductory meteorology, and more! This package includes a site license for Logger Pro, a single-user JAWS Logger Pro plug-in, a LabQuest mini, light sensor, relative humidity sensor, pH sensor, motion sensor, and temperature sensor. Additional sensors are available for purchase.

This is a great solution for classrooms with Windows computers with the JAWS screen reader installed. This package can be yours for the introductory price of $1999 if purchased by June 30th, 2021, with discounts available for bulk purchases. For more information contact us at (866) 862-9665 or  <mailto:sales at independencescience.com> sales at independencescience.com.

Remote Learning is Now Possible.

In December 2020, Independence Science announced that its new Sci-VoiceTM Talking LabQuest2 version 2.3 product can be used to perform science experiments remotely. This can be achieved by using the Vernier Software & Technology software product known as LabQuest Viewer along with the JAWS screen reader to promote this opportunity. To accomplish this, the Sci-VoiceTM Talking LabQuest needs to be located in the science classroom under the guidance of a science teacher or para-professional. A laptop computer running the LabQuest Viewer software along with the JAWS screen reader is also required. The blind or vision impaired student will need to also have access to a PC with JAWS. JAWS offers a feature called, “JAWS tandem.” This feature needs to be enabled where the teacher allows access to the PC running JAWS in the science classroom. The LabQuest Viewer program needs to be running and connected to the LabQuest Viewer software application. When the Sci-VoiceTM Talking LabQuest is connected to the science teacher’s PC via LabQuest Viewer while JAWS tandem is enabled, the blind or vision impaired student can control the device with the normal keyboard commands they are familiar with from their in-class experiences. 

The LabQuest Viewer allows a teacher to connect to multiple LabQuest devices at the same time. The LabQuest Viewer program also allows for remote control access of any LabQuest device it is connected to. You can read more about this and other remote learning capabilities by going to the, “Remote Learning,” link off of the main page of Independence Science. For more information about this new capability, please contact us at (866) 862-9665 or by sending an e-mail to  <mailto:support at independencescience.com> support at independencescience.com. 

Tactile Adaptation Kit and LabGear Kits Now Available.

Some of you may remember the Tactile Adaptation Kit and LabGear kits that were formally available from MDW Educational Services. These two multi-sensory kits proved to be valuable resources in residential schools for the blind and for teachers of the vision impaired that helped to make science learning more accessible in a hands-on way. You may recall the Tactile Adaptation Kit includes materials to make tactile representations in numerous ways, along with an instruction manual documenting different methods and illustrative examples. The LabGear kit includes an instruction manual illustrating how students can use adapted measuring tools in their middle and high school laboratory learning experiences. Independence Science is happy to announce that we recently purchased copyright ownership of these kits and will be making them available in Summer 2021. For more information, or to pre-order, please call us at (866) 862-9665 or email  <mailto:info at independencescience.com> info at independencescience.com. If you are a former customer of either of these two kits and have a suggestion of a new addition to either or both, we welcome your suggestions at  <mailto:feedback at independencescience.com> feedback at independencescience.com.

New! Braille Labels for the Science Lab.

Independence Science is pleased to announce the launch of our collaboration with CanDoAble, a small business based out of Queen Creek, Arizona, to provide accessible low-cost braille labels for bottles and other containers in laboratory contexts. In the past, there were two common recommendations. One was to use Dymo Braille labels to stick on beakers, flasks, and other bottles in the laboratory. The second approach was barcode labels used in conjunction with a talking barcode reader to make custom voice memos that would tell a blind student what was in the container. Now, Independence Science can provide braille and large print labels that work like an elastic band to put on different containers in the laboratory. This elastic-band approach makes these labels easier for reuse between class sessions. To order labels, please send us a list of all the chemicals and other types of labels you wish to have for your classroom. We will evaluate the list, have the labels made and shipped directly to you. For more information about this new product offering, please contact Independence Science at (866) 862-9665 extension 5 or e-mail  <mailto:info at independencescience.com> info at independencescience.com.

Blind Scientist: Edwin Brand Frost

The following article was written by Peggy Chong also known as The Blind History Lady.

Edwin Frost’s career as a scientist is well-documented and this article will not highlight his career before his blindness.  Rather, it will focus on his approach to the changes he made to his lifestyle while remaining true to his philosophy of life that built the foundation for the continuance of his career as a blind astronomer and the everlasting imprint he left in his field that encourages the blind of today to pursue astronomy.  

Edwin Frost was born in 1866 into an established American family with strong ties to education and science. His father, Carlton Pennington Frost was a professor and dean of the medical school at Dartmouth College.  Edwin attended Dartmouth, majoring in astronomy and after graduation taught at his alma mater.  

>From early on, he led a disciplined lifestyle.  Frost took time each day to meditate.  He developed habits of exploration.  His memory was very good as a child and he worked to develop his memory to the point that even years after being blind, he could recall the page number and paragraph of some of his old textbooks to instruct his assistants or readers to open to and read in more detail to him or for their study, the theories and explanations of conclusions of fellow scientists.

Frost took time to read a wide range of literature and study music.  Literature enhanced his ability to think a problem through from many sides.  Music fine-tuned his listening skills.  An avid lover of nature, his listening skills and ability to recreate the bird calls in the forests surrounding his home deepened his ability to decern every detail for later examination and application to related projects.    

In 1897 Frost attended the conference of astronomers held in connection with the dedication of the Yerkes Observatory at Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The following April Professor Hale, Director of Yerkes Observatory, invited him to become professor of astrophysics at the Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago.

In 1905, he became the Director of Yerkes Observatory.  As director, he took on more administrative duties and not as much time of the fun stuff, the observance of the skies through the telescope.  He monitored and consulted the projects of the scientists studying at Yerkes, questioning, expanding, framing and assisting them to think out of the box and build out their research.  

On December 15, 1915 he lost the sight in one eye quickly due to a detached retina.  His mother, years before lost the sight in one eye through a detached retina, so Edwin had a good idea that night, when he first noticed the loss of sight what was most likely happening.  

The other eye was near-sighted, yet he was able to read almost everything with it.  He drove his car without difficulty for short distances on the grounds of the observatory where he was familiar with the terrain.  The sight in the other eye continued to deteriorate.  In October of 1921, a hemorrhage in the eye occurred and the sight quickly diminished in the matter of a few days. Frost did not hide his vision loss in 1915, although devastated by the loss in the second eye, he reached out immediately to trusted fellow researchers at Yerkes informing them of the change in his situation.

His best friend was Otto Struve.  In 1919, on a trip to several countries to exchange research and ideas, Frost met in-person, and brought Otto Struve over from Russia to serve on the staff of the Astronomical department of the University of Chicago, serving at the Yerkes Observatory.  The two worked well together from the beginning and Struve became a right-hand-man in his administrative work.  Struve knew Frost even before their first meeting as a world-renowned scientist, eager to help, encourage and participate in another’s research, not for Frost’s own gain, rather the benefit to the world’s knowledge of the stars.  And yes, Frost was a man with limited vision.  Partnering together after the loss of the second eye, was almost natural for the two of them.  

Losing his sight was upsetting to say the least, but not unexpected.  But the study of the stars, as Frost learned early on, is more than looking through a telescope.  Most important is the data collected, charted, checked again and analyzed.  Theories are formed from research of one’s own data and that of others.  All this he could still do.  

When word got out of the loss of his sight, many newspapers declared his life over with phrases such as “tragic climax to his devotion to science” appeared in newspapers across the country.  Many journalists and letters to the editor offered him “cures” for his blindness such as putting an egg white in each eye to flush them out twice a day.  

“The Universe was created by a master mind and developed after a definite plan.”  Frost repeated throughout his life.  “Can I apply this to me, now, without sight.” Was for a short time, a dilemma in his mind.  As he had noted before being able to spend all his time at the Yerkes Observatory, the study of the stars is much more than “looking” at the heavens.  Administrative work only needed a pair of eyes to read correspondence, papers and journals.  Assistance, secretaries and students he worked with would now be his eyes and their act of reading to him, in the case of students, was a great opportunity to enhance the student’s education, an extension of their classes and research.  

There were no braille text books on Astronomy in 1920.  Not that Frost would have been able to read them as he did not learn to read or write in Braille.  With no books on the topic in braille, there was no motivation.  

Frost took no time off to learn to travel with a cane, however he did use a man’s walking stick as a cane and slowly built up his confidence traversing the grounds of the observatory.  

"One of my greatest difficulties is to get enough exercise.”  Frost recalled early after his blindness.  “It is not always possible to find someone who is at liberty to walk with me. In order to give me a little independence in this matter, Mrs. Frost had a heavy wire strung from tree to tree at a convenient height for me along a path through the woods to the west of our house. I call this my 'trolley line,' and often take my exercise here. Twice I have continued alone, but not unwatched, about a quarter of a mile, and found my way along an irregular route to the observatory. When I occasionally missed the road, some familiar tree or shrub gave me my location. “

Walking with others was not a change in a routine.  As a sighted professor, many walked with him to ask questions or seek his advice. As a blind professor, he took their arm while the students or staff asked their questions or asked his advice.

Frost kept involved with the many scientific organizations he belonged to in the past.  In 1925 the International Astronomical Union appointed a sub-committee of the commission on radial velocities for the selection of a new list of standard velocity stars. Frost was the first chairman of the committee. 

"For those hours when I was not at the observatory, it was necessary to develop new forms of interest. I had been very proud of my rose garden, and it was a real deprivation to give it up. It was natural with my impairment of vision to devote myself more than ever to the general study of Nature. I wrote for local newspapers or other publications on various topics, such as the seventeen-year locusts who had visited us. I took a good deal of interest in the lotus and gave some thought to starting them in our neighboring lakes.” Frost recounted to friends a year or so after his total blindness.  He did go back to working in his garden as the years progressed.

In the garden, he practiced his meditation and observance of his surroundings.  Quickly he adapted his collection of data to suit his new situation.  He realized that his hearing, awareness and open mind delivered the information he thought came through the eyes.

"It is surprising how many interests may be developed along a short and perfectly familiar pathway. It is perfectly evident that, with the loss of sight, the other senses, particularly those of hearing and smell, may be enhanced by deliberate intention. The character of this walk changes greatly in the different seasons. In lilac time it is fragrant with the tall bushes. I am greeted by the call of the chickadee. When I repeat their high-pitched tones they usually answer, and often come within a few feet to inquire who is using their call without the permission of the copyright owner.”  Frost continued his humorous telling of life after blindness.  

Not once did it occur to him to stop his career or give up control to others.  Changes in the duties of his secretaries were made to include more hours of reading to him.  Students were used as readers by today’s terms.  Previously, students often came to his office with their papers or notes to read to him or have him read their work and discuss their projects.  Only difference now was that the student did all the reading and often times more reading that was on his desk.  

"Since the loss of my sight, Mrs. Frost sits beside me during my lectures, to watch the progress of the slides. I should hate to have the operator get ahead of me, and perhaps have Halley's own picture on the screen, while I might be saying, 'This is an object with a tail so many miles long.'  Frost explained, his wife had been a supporter of his work for years.  After his blindness, he turned to his trusted spouse to take the place of a random student who might be appointed by the school where he was a visiting lecturer.  

Another example of his humor that assisted him in keeping his students or attendees attention all his career comes to us from a friend, told to him from Frost, "There are many amusing incidents bound to occur on the lecture platform. An introduction is often made with an unconscious humor and sometimes calls for quick response. I was once introduced by a widely known financier and philanthropist in a neighboring city with the remark, 'And now Professor Frost will tell you what he knows about astronomy.' This could not be left unchallenged, and so I was obliged to assure the audience, 'I will not detain you that long.' My wife says that she never knew me to fail but once of an appropriate retort, nor even saw me with so sour an expression as when I was once introduced as 'Mr. Frost, the famous astrologer.' I simply had to let that pass." 

His mind never stopped calculating.  Listening to the sounds in his yard, he theorized that if you count the number of times a cricket chirps in thirteen seconds then add 42, you will get the temperature at the time and place you are standing.

Another duty as director was to be front and center at the Observatory’s Gala events and tours.  When gala events surrounding heavenly body celebrations in the stars, the observatory held observation celebrations on the ground.  Frost led the invited guests into the room where the telescope was located.  Knowledge of the mapping of the stars through previously gathers scientific data, he directed where the telescope was to be focused.  Assistants did some of the alignments while he described in detail what the participants would be looking at as they individually stepped up to the telescope.  This was no different behavior than directors of other observatories across the world.

Questions came from guests before and after they had a chance to view the heavens evening entertainment.  With no hesitation, Frost described the particulars, gave the distance, the make-up of the celestial bodies in view and what to be watching for.  He could see it all in his mind.  Frost’s vivid and detailed descriptions help the guests see and understand it in their minds as well.

Up until his retirement, he continued to be one of the editors of the Astrophysical Journal.  Frost authored articles by himself and other scientists for the Astrophysical Journal on a regular basis.  Many of his articles dating back to at least 1903 can be read on the internet today and are frequently referenced in the work of scientists today.  He became one of the editors in 1902, recognized as a leading expert and author in the United States and around the world.  The journal, founded in 1895 was and continues to be a leading journal on astronomy.  

One of his most favored articles by the general public was one written for Child Life Magazine in 1933 where he laid out in plain English for children, the size and weight of the objects in the solar system.  He said in the article that our sun is 350,000 times larger than the earth and that there are other stars 40 million times larger than our sun.  He also said that if we hold a dime in our fingers and stretch out our arms, we can cover the distance of 15 million stars of the more than 40 billion.  

The University of Chicago held a retirement dinner for Professor Frost in July of 1932.  More than 350 persons were in attendance to wish him well.  Some were former students, others were leading scientists, educators and community leaders who’s lives Frost impacted.   Retirement from Yerkes did not mean retirement from astronomy.  

The last week of August in 1932, Frost, his wife and daughter traveled to Westbrook Maine. to observe the solar eclipse of the sun on August 31.  His daughter and wife described what they saw.  He listened not to just their descriptions, but the sounds around him as they changed during the eclipse.  

He traveled to the schools for the blind around the area and lectured to both the deaf and blind students. Through his example, he encouraged the disabled students to pursue a career in science.  A popular lecture was that of bird calls.  As he could mimic the sounds of the birds almost as if it was a recording, he instructed the children in the making of the sounds and how to identify the birds by their calls.  The blind students took away the message of how important it is to listen to detail.

At the opening of the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1933, when the light of Arcturus was used to turn on the illumination of the Fair grounds on the shore of Lake Michigan, Dr. Frost gave the principal address which was heard by many thousands of visitors in Chicago and by millions of listeners over the radio. 

Frost continued to attend lectures at the University of Chicago up until his death.  The last noted presentation he attended was at the end of June of 1933 when Niels Bohr Physicist and Nobel prize winner from Copenhagen lectured.  

In the end, it was not blindness that forced him from activity but gall stones.  Frost died in 1935 from peritonitis, just three years after retiring.  

For those who wish to study more about Professor Edwin B. Frost, check out his papers at the University of Chicago Library.  Or read his autobiography, An Astronomer’s Life.

Frost would be excited to learn that a group at Stanford University is currently developing a haptic, table-like “screen” with a grid of thousands of flat, square dowels that rapidly rise and fall to various heights as a substitute for images and videos. One can now imagine a haptic computer screen with small enough tactile pixels to represent changing astronomical events like solar flares or moving satellites for the hands of blind astronomers.

Consulting Services.

Independence Science offers consulting services. We provide training on an individual or group basis for faculty teaching STEM classes to students who are blind or visually impaired. For more information, please contact Independence Science at  <mailto:consulting at independencescience.com> consulting at independencescience.com

Independence Science at the NFB Convention

Independence Science is pleased to announce that we will be White Cane sponsors of the 2021 convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Please refer to the NFB convention agenda for more information.

As we have done in the past, Independence Science will again provide support to the NFB scholarship class of 2021.

Independence Science at the ACB Convention

Independence Science will be exhibiting at the 2021 convention of the American Council of the Blind. Please refer to the ACB convention agenda for more information.

We Want Your Feedback on Our Products.

Independence Science would like customer feedback on our products. What do you like, what works, what you want improved, and what new features would you like to see? We welcome any photographs or videos of how people enjoy using their LabQuest and their favorite activities. We want to make our products better and make your lives easier. Please send comments to feedback at independencescience.com. 

Meet the Element: Osmium

Hello my name is Osmium and just like trips to meet the Wizard of Oz, I’m pretty rare! You say you want my number? You can reach me at atomic number 76 on the periodic table! My name comes from the Greek word “Osme” for the smell I create but I can be fun too! I used to be used to make music as a gramophone needle. I am now used in high quality pen tips on account of my beautiful silvery appearance and resistance to corrosion. I was discovered in 1803 by Smithson Tennant along with my pal Iridium who I am often found hanging out with, yeah we’re good alloys! A special fact about me is that I am the densest of all elements. I’m sure you thought that was Lead, but no I am twice as dense as Lead!

To learn more about Osmium read more here:  <https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/76/osmium> https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/76/osmium

Jokes of the Quarter

1.   A Higgs Boson walks into the bar on a Sunday, & the bartender says, “you gotta go to Church right now.” Higgs Boson asks, “Why?”. Bartender says, “Well, without you, they can’t have mass”.

2.   What do Physicists love doing the most at sporting events? The wave. 

Science Behind the Jokes

1.   Higgs Boson particles are responsible for helping particles gain mass. Without the Boson, the particles can't have any mass. The bartender says that the church needs the Higgs Boson so they can have mass as a play on words, a type of religious service.

2.   The wave is a common sporting event cheer that crowds may do to cheer on their team. People stand up and throw up their arms then sit back down in when the wave travels to their section of the audience. This is reminiscent of a wave in physics that follows a similar up and down pattern

External Announcements

The following announcements are STEM and education related. Independence Science reprints this information as we receive it. We make no warranty as to the accuracy of these items although we will endeavor to only print legitimate items. We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. We will also repeat some announcements such as scholarships etc. until the opportunities expire. Please note that scholarship programs have a number of requirements. Do not delay if you intend to apply.

All Virtual All Free 2021 National Coding Symposium

May 11th 2021 to May 14th 2021 | Designed for you to attend all, or just what you can, this Zoom event targets middle and high-school students, parents, teachers and adaptive technology instructors. Co-hosted by American Printing House for the Blind (APH) and California School for the Blind (CSB), professionals in the field of coding will share their experiences and answer student questions. Hear from inspirational speakers and panelists in presentations and question and answer sessions to learn more about careers related to coding. Teachers of students with visual impairments and assistive technology specialists can learn about ways to integrate accessible coding activities into their lesson plans. Parents can learn how to support their children with interests in this field. Emphasis is on accessibility of the coding process. Recordings will be posted to the APH YouTube Channel afterwards. All student participants who register and participate in the 2021 National Coding Symposium will be eligible to receive a free one-year subscription to JAWS, ZoomText or Fusion from Vispero. In addition, all students are invited to submit a short essay (500 word or less) and complete a simple form to be eligible to receive a credit of up to $3000 towards the purchase of technology from Vispero, Humanware, or APH and a $200 Amazon gift card. Details and registration information here:

https://aphconnectcenter.org/coding/

APH Science Product Survey

Hello TVIs!

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) needs your help to identify gaps in our biology, chemistry, and physics science product offerings. These may be tools that sighted students frequently use which you would like visually impaired students to also have access to, or products already available through other vendors that you would like APH to carry as well.

They may also be ideas for new products that you believe can benefit students' science study in a way that none of our existing offerings do.

Please share your thoughts with us by filling out this short survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SNQ5TXQ

Your responses will help APH plan the development of future science products. It would be really great if you could complete the survey by May 16th, 2021. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:

Rosanne Hoffmann, PhD

rhoffmann at aph.org

502.899.2292

STEM Product Manager

American Printing House for the Blind

Educational Product Innovation

1839 Frankfort Ave.

Louisville, KY 40206

Conclusion

Independence Science acknowledges that these are disruptive times. Hands-on science learning experiences have proven themselves to be challenging during this pandemic. With your support and enthusiasm Independence Science will continue to work hard to make accessible science experiences more possible for blind and vision impaired students. We know the upcoming months will be difficult for us all and if there is anything Independence Science can do for you, please feel free to reach out to us at  <mailto:info at independencescience.com> info at independencescience.com. We want all of you to stay safe and remember to maintain social distance, wear a mask, and wash your hands. We are looking forward to serving you by developing the next generation of science access tools in the months and years to come.