Exploring the Art and Science of Stopping Time: A CD-ROM Based on the Life and Work of Harold E. Edgerton (Windows & Mac)

Insightful scientist, exceptional teacher, ingenious inventor, successful entrepreneur, and acclaimed artist-Harold E. "Doc" Edgerton, chief developer of the electronic strobe, was all of these. Whatever his guise, he taught by his own example that science is an exciting adventure in which having fun and satisfying one's curiosity are important parts of even the most "technical" enterprise.

This innovative CD-ROM was created to capture some of Edgerton's spirit and vision and to transmit it to a new generation. Users not only learn about his life and philosophy but enter his world-famous laboratory—Strobe Alley at MIT—and play with some of the experiments he created to "see the unseen," to observe events that happen at high speeds.

Users can choose from three "rooms": Biography, Archives, and Strobe Alley. In the Biography room users explore a wide array of topics highlighting Edgerton's life and the impulses behind his work, examining an extensive library of films clips and other materials along the way. In the Archives room users view Edgerton's fascinating visual work and see how it was created; subject headings include Drops and Splashes, Bullets and Blasts, Athletics, Humans in Motion, Creatures, and Observations. In Strobe Alley users can actually leaf through his explanatory videos and texts while they operate experiments that will help them to understand the dynamics of flowing water, bursting balloons, bouncing balls, and rotating fans; to find out what goes on inside a strobe in a camera; and even to sample a set of nineteenth-century toys that stop and then reconnect flows of movement.

Users of all ages will find Exploring the Art and Science of Stopping Time an ideal introduction to science, art, and technology as sources of fun as well as insight.

The CD-ROM is playable on computers using either Apple Macintosh (7.x or later) or Windows (3.1, 95, or 98) operating systems.

Many of us have seen breathtaking images of a hummingbird's wings stopped in flight, or a drop of milk at the very instant it hits a liquid's surface. These fascinating images are the results of the life's work of Edgerton, a pioneer in the field of high-speed strobe photography. This fascinating (and fun!) CD chronicles his life and showcases the work of this innovative inventor and teacher. Content is divided into three virtual "rooms" extending off a virtual hallway. The Biography room offers details of Edgerton's life and the personal motivations behind his work. The Archives room demonstrates how many of his world- famous photographs were made. Much of the content in both of these "rooms" is presented in the form of photographs and films, with Edgerton demonstrating his technique and explaining it in his own words. The last room, the Lab, is a virtual representation of "Strobe Alley," Edgerton's laboratory at MIT, where users can replicate some of his experiments with streaming water, spinning fans, and bouncing balls. The combined use of still photos, video, and sound is excellent, especially the inclusion of the films. What better way to learn about how Edgerton works than from the master himself? In addition, much of the spoken commentary is included as text onscreen (by clicking on the icon of a typewriter), which facilitates citing quotations. Of note, however, is the lack of a keyword search capability. The disc's producer, James Sheldon, states that this was an intentional exclusion, as it was his aim to make this CD as much about the action of observation as possible and to encourage the user to "tour" through the rooms in a logical progression. For those who want an overview of the disc's content, there is a 3-D visual view of the structure included in the Help section. The Bottom Line: At $37.95, Exploring the Art and Science of Stopping Time is a bargain. Glossy paper art books on Edgerton's work are more expensive and do not offer half the wealth of information given here. The disc will most likely be of greatest use to secondary school students but will appeal to everyone with an interest in stop-action photography. It is recommended for public libraries and school media centers, as well as college libraries supporting introductory-level physics classes.
-Elizabeth McKeigue, Access Svcs., Widener Lib., Harvard Univ.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.