Frustration Lessons Are Still Gems

We learn from what apparently did not achieve first targets. The lessons of "what did not seem to work" might hold kernels of information that solve some other challenge. Record well your experiment. Report your lessons for the benefit of all.
  • I poured a glass of water on the kite bridle line. The temperature of the air was 73° F and the wind was 4 m.p.h.    The main kite tow line was attached to the bridle line.  No effort succeeded in having the water fly as a kite; the water just stayed on the table detached from the wet end of the bridle; the water eventually evaporated and found itself flying in the atmosphere fully detached from the bridle; the water was destined to become part of a cloud without being kited.  Something in this method did not work.    April 23, 2005.   Joe Faust.     What can be learned from this experiment?   Water just poured onto the bridle line at 73° F leaves the kite of water detached; that is not the purpose.   What was wanted was keeping the kite of water attached to the bridle lines as the kite system is set in the wind.
     
  • A room-temperature canister with a lid was used to form an intended ice-kite part. Having overlooked the gas laws, the canister collapsed during freezing and the intended form was not obtained. Little lesson: use a canister that is already filled with frozen water; then wrap the two-ply kite-part former around the solid canister.
     
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