Personnel needed
General note
Since we need to install the Explanade early, we will need a crew who
can come some time in the week before the event. We will get you on the
early arrival list. It’s nice to be there during that time, as
everyone there is working building things, and there is a fine sense of
community. If the people who construct the equipment can’t make
early arrival, we will need other knowledgeable people to assemble the
equipment. Having you assemble your own equipment is best, as that
makes it more likely you can solve problems that arise in installation.
As we will be a theme camp, there will be the opportunity to live in
the camp during the event. As of now, the plan is to use the
transportation truck as a shop in which to repair items, a lockable
place for tools and spares.
I would “close the loop” with whoever signs on, working
with them to arrive at the optimal design. We can communicate in person
if local, or by fax, email or website remotely. I’ve done this
with mechanical and electrical fabrication for the playa and it works,
as long as pictures and diagrams can be sent back and forth, and people
are used to working that way. As everything has to fit together,
preplanning is essential.
Audio electronics expert
For several of the experiments, someone with a background in electronic
audio synthesis would be ideal. There are simple circuits that require
knowledge of the right parts and construction techniques to generate
and manipulate audio waveforms and amplify into speakers. A knowledge
of where to get cheap equipment would be good too.
The specifications would be posted on the website or emailed to the
electronics developer. The product sent back to our experiment shop
would be either a box with circuits inside and the right switches and
outputs, or a completed experiment panel to the specs we need to just
drop in. The latter is better because it is a complete unit and can be
tested at the developer’s shop in its final form.
ELwire artist
The sign and decorations will require a lot of lit signage, with
electroluminescent wire a relatively simple solution. There would be
various letters and symbols needed, driven by simple, always-on power
supplies. The artist needs to be able to assemble the letters or
symbols to some provided specification, mechanically robust enough to
survive the playa environment.
The symbols (as indicated in the drawing on the technical details page)
would be designed and posted on the website or emailed to the ELwire
artist, their shop delivering a set of signs we would transport to the
playa, or the artist could bring them themselves.
Wood structure builder
The displays are designed to be built out of 2x4s, turning into a sort
of wall of screens, but ideas for improvement are welcome. The builder
should be able to construct the displays so that they are strong,
inexpensive, good looking, easy to transport and assemble/disassemble.
There will be a standard specification for the mounting of the text
panels and experiments. but also some special supports needed for the
larger experiments. These need to be worked out with the experiment
builders.
A good playa anchor system is also needed. I have a proven design and
am open to others. Experience constructing structures on the playa
would be of great benefit.
Computer wiz
The “game of life” exhibit requires a computer and user
interface. The programmer should be able to design software that is
reliable enough to work without any extra attention, and be operated by
those who know nothing, as well as run on the cheapest, most out of
date computer. If you have experience making computers work on the
playa, that would be very important, as the system has to survive dust
and high temperatures. It’s a mechanical problem as well as a
software one.
User interface design needs to be as simple as possible, one page that
has some controls and a graphics area. Free of fancy features that
would confuse the users or the hardware. After initial discussions to
work out the details, the programmer would develop something and send a
version to our shop for evaluation. Best if you could lay hands on a
junkyard computer and monitor to be used on site.
Graphics layer outer
A layout person to compose the text panels, to be printed at 3x3 foot
size. Free access to a color printer would be of great use. The layout
person needs to be able to take text and pictures (mainly simple
diagrams) and put together in a specified geometry for printing. The
sizes and locations of things have to match where the experiments go,
so text and diagrams need to be in exact places. Yet the panels have to
have a nice look and a coherent style. Clarity is paramount, so color
and fonts need to be chosen so as to communicate in a way that the
visitors can get used to immediately.
Files would be sent electronically as separate pieces. Prints would be
protected under a plastic layer. If you know how to get lamination or
some good protection done, that would be excellent. But the cost has to
be minimal. These displays will probably show up in other venues.
Laser/optics engineer
Just wanted to explain that I’ll be doing the design of the
optically related experiments. That’s why there are so many of
those; it’s my forte. I have been designing laser/electro-optical
systems for twenty five years, for the world’s largest lasers and
other big science projects. I’ve also designed and built
educational optical equipment to help guest lecturers at elementary and
high schools, to teach science teachers, to sit in science museums as
hands-on displays, and to be used in high school physics classes. I
have a patent on an optics teaching device (U.S. patent 6382982).
I’ve even built a set of displays on light and philosophy for the
playa in previous years.
Still, if anyone has built photon counting setups using cooled photomultiplier tubes I’d be interested to talk to them.