Spelunking

I heard a story on the radio while driving the other day, which I found interesting enough to write about it here.

The story discussed the limitations of electronic communications between people underground (e.g. in a cave) and those on the surface. Alexander Kendrick, a 16-year old boy from Los Alamos, New Mexico, working on his science fair project, invented a device that allows text messages to be sent via low frequency radio waves from deep within the Earth. He won the 2009 International Science Fair competition.

This story brought back memories from a few decades back, when along with some other adventurous young people from our local Eagle scout troup, we explored a couple of caves in Greece. A number of impressive caves have been discovered in the southern parts of the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, most famous among them the Diros cave, which is typically experienced by visitors on a boat. After visiting the Diros cave, we ended-up exploring a cave near the village of Harouda in Mani - a cave we entered and exited using a rope ladder, since the only way in was by descending around 20 meters into the main chamber through the collapsed cave roof.

I still remember the unpleasant surprise caused by the discovery of a colony of black scorpions which were nesting in the rock pile caused by the collapsed cave roof -- the exact spot we landed-on as soon as we got off the rope ladder. None of us were stung by the scorpions during that adventure, but it just drove home the point that when mishaps happen under ground, it might be important to be able to communicate with the folks on the surface.

I think what caused me to be even more interested in this story however is the fact that this young man was working on his science project! I have already helped judge one science fair at a local school and I am also helping my daughter prepare for her science project as well.
I think this is a story that would be fun to point-out to all the young people who think that these science fairs are just boring affairs...