The Alternate Scientist

"I wanted to perform some experiments with T. Galen Hieronymous' eloptic energy," I explained as the tower teetered over my head.

"OK," he said leaning against my car to watch me work, "let's hear it."

"Hieronymous believed he had discovered a new form of energy that could propagate through space like light or flow through wire like electricity. By combining electrical and optic he coined the word eloptic as a name for this energy," I lectured with panting breath.

"He believed one of the sources of this energy was the sun and used an elevated metal plate with a wire connected to it to collect it.

"He further described a paddle for detecting eloptic energy. This paddle is simply a smooth piece of metal mounted in a convenient position so it can be rubbed lightly with the thumb and forefinger. Hieronymous claimed that when eloptic energy was present the paddle would feel sticky." I finally had the section of tower leaning against the basement wall and jammed the legs into the gravel of the driveway.

"My idea is to collect eloptic energy with an elevated copper plate, feed it through a wire to a Hieronymous paddle and test for its presence by rubbing the paddle.

"I am using a triangle of copper mounted on a wood insulating boom and supported about ten feet in the air by this section of tower. The triangular shape of the copper has no significance. It is what I had on hand."

"What are you going to do with that wire connected to the copper?" questioned Mike lazily.

"I am going to run it into the basement and bring it up through the floor near the dining room table," I explained. I leaned a ladder against the house beside the tower and fed the insulated wire into a narrow gap above the top concrete block. "Now if you will go upstairs, I am going to feed this wire up to you through the hole behind the remote control for my 220 MHZ radio."

Mike did as I asked and in a few minutes I joined him in my dining room. He was already studying the contraption lying on the table.

"This is my Hieronymous paddle," I told him pointing out the basic construction. "I used a piece of 1/8 aluminum from an old rack panel approximately 3/4 X 3 inches and fastened it to a 1 X 2 X 1/8 inch piece of plexiglass with a brass bolt and nut. This in turn is fastened to a small wood block with two #6 screws. The wood block is fastened to the wood base from below with two drywall screws. A Radio Shack cable clamp is fastened to the rear of the base with another #6 screw to act as a strain relief for the wire.

"I added a brass thumbnut to the bolt that holds the paddle for connecting the wire."

Mike handed me the wire from the copper plate. I routed it through the cable clamp and connected it to the paddle. "Here goes," I said and rubbed the paddle. I frowned. "You try it," I suggested.

Mike rubbed the paddle as I had. "Feels like a piece of aluminum to me." he stated.

"What a coincidence," I agreed. "That's how it felt to me too. I am going to leave it here on the dining room table and check it every now and then. I'll let you know if it ever feels sticky.

"You do that," said Mike pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Now, what time is lunch?"