“Science, my boy, is made up of mistakes but they are mistakes that it is useful to make because they lead, little by little, to the truth.” Jules Verne
The experimental method is a wonderful process, indeed, but it takes time. Running a series of trials about most anything, does not fit into a busy life. Social distancing has, ironically, gifted us with that time. We are now able to check a few things out because we are not commuting, working dark to dark or caught upon in the social whirl. We can pursue a few things scientifically. We can, as Sir Francis Bacon actually did, stake a chicken out in the snow to see how long it takes to freeze to death.
Early discoveries in the age of corona virus are wide ranging and basic to the enjoyment of life. I now know beyond doubt which frozen pizza is the best. I have considered – and compared these delicious offerings exhaustively and I possess an informed opinion. I also know the best jigsaw puzzles in the marketplace. I filtered for graphics, price, deliverability and packaging. While my wife is not too happy that the dining table is no longer available, I make no apology for knowledge honestly acquired.
Scanning various media services has made me an expert in documentaries and I can hold forth on subjects ranging from tomato gardening to the history of ZZ Top. My plant identification skills are off the charts. From arbutus to zinnia, I am expert. Cinnamon gums, running shoes and men’s hair products have not escaped my attention.
Frankly, I’m a bit amazed at those who complain about our current isolation. The Curies aside, lab work is often a solo exercise, a lonely pondering – and ponderous exercise – that is not for the social butterfly. The spirit of enquiry requires a certain degree of solitude. We should all be grateful for this chance to do science.
Today I will turn the microscope to screwdrivers. The standard blade, star driver and Phillips variations will be analyzed with attention paid to length and grip. I will discover what is – and what is not – properly screwed.
This time is precious and we should see it that way. This is a gift from heaven. As the great sage Wavy Gravy once said, “there is always a little bit of heaven in a disaster area.”
Hope you find your heaven soon.
Olio Folio 
James – While I don’t know if you saw the text message I sent, you may think of this as a follow-up.
No telling where the hook of curiosity will drag one. It can be powerful. It shouldn’t be limited to any topic or pursuit, to be sure, and shouldn’t even be criticized, necessarily, even if the critic could build a case that doing something else would be a better use of the time and effort. I should know, having spent many hours in utterly indefensible messing about with postage stamps. In the online archives of The Northwest Philatelic Library newsletter, Book Reports, you could find several pieces under my byline, one of which devotes a lot of space to the subject of philatelic paraphernalia. (One of these days I’m going to work on getting atlatl and philately into a coherent sentence. I’ve met guys that made atlatls and if you want a deep dive into a particularly bizarre subculture then be my guest.) But stamp hinges. Tongs. Various types of mounting media. These aren’t hard to find or use, but there is a knack to putting an album page together so it looks like it was done with some foresight and sometimes a little imagination. And, as you say, I should know, since these items have been in constant use over the last two months between preparing meals, (instead of going to work), napping in the afternoon, (again, instead of working), and giving the cats more attention than they deserve. (No cats in the violin shop). One of my co-workers sent an email to all of us in which she suggested that we might be getting bored. What the hell is boredom but an overwhelming lack of curiosity and imagination? They could have used the time and energy somehow. Maybe cultivating a Sylvia Plath level of depression. Getting better at darts. “Doing the garden, digging the weeds”. Just in case you’d like to add another category to your examination of screwdrivers, I would suggest looking into the type used by gunsmiths. Special purpose – special tools. Keep it coming. Don
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