Listen to FOUR great episodes of the terrific 1940s science history program, Adventures in Research... all dealing with man's fascination
with flight, and earliest attempts to fly. These are some great stories, told in delightful 15 minute episodes the whole family can enjoy! Take advantage of this great resource, and PLEASE
tell some homeschooling friends to check this out!
Details & download links for all four programs are at:
http://www.homeschoolradioshows.com
THE WAY OF AN EAGLE
First up, we go on a whirlwind exploration through time to listen in on a bit of the history of man's quest to fly like the birds.
Along the way, we encounter
- ancient myths and legends
- oddball experiments with egg shells and morning dew
- "negative magnetism"
- homebuilt wings
- and other crazy ideas . . . .
before eventually scientists eventually began sharing information and make some true scientific progress toward solving the puzzle of flight.
A PIECE OF SILK
Next, the fascinating and harrowing story of a man who in 1797 tested his new, untested invention -- a silken parachute!
He tested his new, untested silken parachute by falling 8,000 feet to the ground below!
This is the story of Andre Garnerin, the man who perfected the first parachute.
A great program!
The illustration (to the left) is a contemporary drawing of Garnerin's parachute.
THE BIRTH OF THE BALLOON
Our next episode of Adventures in Research travels back to the French countryside in 1782 where brothers Joseph & Jacques Montgolfier lie on the grass studying the clouds that drift lazily by above their heads.
Their subsequent experiments lead them to the discovery of the hot air balloon... and man's first ascent into the skies! Another fascinating story!
The illustration (to the right) is a contemporary engraving of the Montgolfier brothers' balloon... note the tiny figures in the basket at the bottom!
FREE AS A BIRD
This final episode of Adventures in Research shows us how the study of birds led men further toward the actual goal of flight... from the wings of an Albatross to Otto Lilienthal (1848-1896), an engineer from Anklam, Germany, who was one of the first humans to glide through the air. He became a pioneer of unpowered human flight by building and flying the world's first hang gliders.
Lilienthal built several different types of gliders, and made around 5000 flights between 1891-1896. Using his gliders, he flew as high as 984 feet, and would sometimes stay in the air for up to five hours... before he came to a tragic end. The above illustration is a 'magic lantern' slide from the turn of the century depicting Lilienthal's 1895 flight. The photo at the top of this page is Lilienthal ready to take off in one of his gliders.
That's it for this time! "Tune in" and enjoy! Best Wishes,
The Erskine Family
Okay, here are the free download links for this week:
The Way of the Eagle
A Piece of Silk
The Birth of the Balloon
Free As A Bird
Great Expectations
