Will You Be Left Behind?
Last Thursday I ordered twelve individually labeled trophies for a kids Pinewood Derby competition.
I finally figured out how a dissolved oxygen sensor works
The title of this blog looks like a self-inflicted wound. It suggests that I am ignorant about how one of the most basic tools in the water quality tool box works. It’s true. I have a PhD in physical chemistry.…
The Joy of Jargon
Every profession has its fill of technical jargon that few outsiders understand. Since war paint has become so yesterday, these odd assortments of letters have helped bond us together. The business world loves high powered gobbledygook like synergy, low-hanging fruit,…
What I learned from Radio Shack (RIP)
I am old enough to remember the Radio Shack that was really a radio shack. This was the place where kids in my Dad's generation would go to build or repair ham radios. And though I am quick to admit…
Color, Turbidity and Philosophy
When we humans look at objects we describe them in terms of color. We say that an apple is red or the sky is blue. To us color is an attribute just as surely as its mass or dimensions. But…
Why Colleges have Failed our Kids
My company has had a fruitful relationship with the University of Massachusetts of Lowell since we started operations 5 years ago. As a small company we don't have the luxury of hiring all the engineering talent we need. So we…
The Biggest Misconception in pH Measurement
The pH probe is the most ubiquitous analytical sensor on earth. Even people who never took a science class in college have heard of pH (though few truly understand what it means). In our industry nearly every person I talk…
What Would Marcus Do?
What do women's clothing, Key Lime pie and toys have in common? They are all businesses that Marcus Lemonis turned around. Marcus is the star of the CNBC reality show, The Profit. He takes a major equity stake in failing…
The Green Way and the Gray Way
I love trade journals. I subscribe to about a dozen devoted to water and wastewater. I firmly believe that one can become an expert in the world of water just by spending an hour every day reading them. The most…
Why It took four weeks to write two paragraphs
I'm really under the gun. I am writing a book on how water quality instrumentation works and it is months overdue. I have a mandate from my editor that I must have a first draft complete by August. Or else....…