Hello silver-list!
I haven't said anything about the Microbial Challenge Test thread
yet. Partly that's because I've been too busy and I'm just catching
up. My other motive has been to watch how things went.
I'm proud of the cooperation and team-building. You've shown that we
can raise funds enough to do some of the more serious testing that
we're going to have to do.
The main obstacle I see at this point is the question that keeps
coming up again and again. What CS preparation do we test. If we
just pick one, then exactly how useful would the information be?
Looking at the results they got for competitive testing of the
Grapefruit Seed Extract, it looks like the silver preparation they
tested, whatever it actually is, *did* kill bacteria. But the problem
is the same. How do these results apply to the CS I make myself, or a
different brand that I buy?
I would like to offer some ideas to discuss and develop. I like them
because they are things a number of us could do to compare results
and build experience, with the costs being small and distributed
among us.
1) Develop and test possible methods of measuring ppm.
I've got at least one idea for a setup to measure ppm that anybody
with access to an analytical balance with resolution of 0.1
milligrams or better could do. Turn around time would be reasonable
and the work done at home for next to nothing.
And nobody's ever been able to tell me that there isn't a simple
chemical assay we could be running with a few drops of this or that
and a color indicator.
Compare these with our TDS-1 meters, laser scattering devices, and
lab testing and maybe we can really measure this fundamental feature
accurately without spending an arm and leg.
2) Develop and test our microscopy skills.
We've got at least 3 folks on list with access to microscopes.
I'm looking forward to seeing pictures from Jim Einert's 'scope with
video attachment. I've been lax in getting back with him about it,
but he's there and ready to start. And he probably still hasn't
recieved enough contributions to repay the person who bought the
Snappy. If anybody else wants to equip a scope with a still camera
adapter, or additional accessories of that sort, we should examine
that as well.
I'd like to know (and see) exactly what shows up under a microscope,
and what techniques are needed to examine CS. I have a couple of
ideas toward sample preparation that might be worth trying.
Above all we need to prove that we really can study particle size and
morphology using optical instruments instead of doing SEM or TEM
(scanning or transmission electron microscopy).
3) Choose a standard recipe and test it.
This is another idea where we could all pitch in. Let's build devices
with the same electrode geometry, power source, water volume, etc.
Then explore the results at different temperatures, using a number of
different brands of distilled water, and so on. Once we gain some
experience with one setup, we can assign people to test variations on
the equipment.
We could finally tackle such questions as the use of electrolytes
like salt or baking soda, heating the water, and running for longer
or shorter times. How does the particle size change as the total
current, electrode surface area, electrode spacing and conductivity
of the water change?
What would it all get us?
We could get all of these started at the same time, if we wanted to.
Before we're even done we'd have results that would help any new
person get started right away. Plus we'd have the ability to test any
commercial CS product or results from various generator designs at
least a few different ways and be able to make sensible comparisons
among them.
Would we have a product to do the Microbial Challenge Test on? Yes,
and anyone would be able to make it the same way any time they
wanted to and be able to *know* what they were going to get.
I've been hesitant to advance these ideas for the simple reason that
I'm still at least a couple of weeks away from being able to do much
more than kibitz from the sidelines. I fully intend to jump right in
there and *DO THINGS* with the rest of you! <grin>
If you think about it, though, we're starting to create a clever way
of conducting scientific research in a virtual laboratory. Anyone can
contribute, and we can benefit from combinations of skills and
knowledge that you would never be able to gather in one place any
other way. And the feedback and cross-pollenation among
experimentalists would be continuous and almost instant.
If you like my suggestions, then let's start planning specific things
to try right away. I'll throw out my ideas and we can design some
experiments to run. Anyone can start on them even if I can't do it
yet. By the time the results start coming in I'll be ready to put
them up on the web site.
I won't stand in anybody's way that wants to do something useful. So
let's decide what's the best stuff to do and get started.
Be well,
Mike Devour
[Mike Devour, Citizen, Patriot, Libertarian]
[[email protected] ]
[Speaking only for myself... ]
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