COMPLETE: Coffee Break Collection 11 - Science - jo

[LibriFoxy]

Coffee Break Collection 11 - Science by Various.

This project is now complete. All audio files can be found on our catalog page here:

https://librivox.org/coffee-break-collection-011-science-by-various/

This is the eleventh collection of our "coffee break" series, involving public domain works that are between 3 and 15 minutes in length. These are great for study breaks, commutes, workouts, or any time you'd like to hear a whole story and only have a few minutes to devote to listening. The theme for this collection is Science - The fascination with research, discovery, and experimentation has contributed to humanity's greatest feats. (Summary by Rosie).

1. How to submit to this collection:
   
   Please select and record any very short piece about science. I would like this collection to focus on nonfiction science and fiction about the study of the scientific method and topics within science (biology, technology, engineering, physical sciences, etc.) rather than science fiction. Though everyone reads at different speeds, you'll likely need to look for pieces with fewer than 2500 words to be within the 15 minute maximum. (Remember, if you record something and it ends up being longer, there are other collections to submit to!) You do not sign up or post in the thread before recording; as long as the work is clearly in the public domain, just go ahead and submit your section according to the instructions below.
   
   Please try to read a complete piece. Short stories, essays, self-contained chapters (like in a travel or humor book), and letters are all great. If you wish to read an excerpt from a larger piece, it should be okay if it truly stands on its own. Just post here in the thread with your idea if you aren't sure!
   
   For coffee break collections, we ask that each reader submit no more than three sections.
   
   If you have no idea where to begin, search Gutenberg for a variety of keywords related to this topic, and see what comes up! I suggest trying science, nature, experiments, laboratory, biology, chemistry, geology, physics, astronomy, and research If you find a good collection of shorter works that would go well here, post your findings in the thread!
   
   Some ideas:
   Here is a collection of science essays from 1634!
   
   Wells' A Short History Of The World, with some anthropology and paleontology
   
   If you've ever wanted to learn how to care for glassware, On laboratory arts
   
   General science (for a girl's high school curriculum from 1912)
   
   Marvels Of Scientific Invention
   Click "Post reply" at the top left of the screen and tell us which story you are submitting to the collection. Please include all this information:
   
   • link to the text source
   • author name
   • title of the story
   • title of the collection or anthology, if it's from a greater work
   • duration (runtime) of the file
   • if this is your first recording: how you would like to be listed in the LibriVox catalogue. We can also link to a personal web site/blog.
2. New to recording? Please read our Newbie Guide to Recording!
3. Please don't download or listen to files belonging to projects in process (unless you are the BC or PL). Our servers are not set up to handle the greater volume of traffic. Please wait until the project has been completed. Thanks!
   

   Magic Window:

   
   
   BC Admin
   Keywords that describe the book: science, nature, experiments, laboratory, biology, chemistry, geology, physics, astronomy, research
   
   ============================================
4. BEFORE recording: Please check the Recording Notes: http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6427#6430
   
   Set your recording software to:
   Channels: 1 (Mono)
   Bit Rate: 128 kbps
   Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
5. DURING recording:
   No more than 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning of the recording!
   Make sure you add this to the beginning of your recording:
   START of recording (Intro)
   • "[Title] for the LibriVox Coffee Break Collection 11 - Science. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
   • If you wish, say: "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
   • Say:
     "[Title] by [Author] from [Collection or Anthology]"
   
   END of recording
   • At the end of the section, say:
     "End of [Title] by [Author]."
   • If you wish, say:
     "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
   
   There should be 5 seconds silence at the end of the recording
   
   Please remember to check this thread frequently for updates!
6. AFTER recording
   Need noise-cleaning?
   Listen to your file through headphones. If you can hear some constant background noise (hiss/buzz), you may want to clean it up a bit. The latest version of Audacity is recommended for noise-cleaning. See this LibriVox wiki page for a complete guide.
   Save files as
   128 kbps MP3
   coffeebreak011_shorttitle_authorlastname_128kb.mp3 (all lower-case) (e.g. coffeebreak011_modestproposal_swift_128kb.mp3).
7. Transfer of files (completed recordings) Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file. Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.
   • Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader: https://librivox.org/login/uploader
     
     (If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin)
   • You'll need to select the MC, which for this project is: knotyouraveragejo
   • When your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread.
   • If this doesn't work, or you have questions, please check our How To Send Your Recording wiki page.
   
   Any questions?
   Please post below

[knotyouraveragejo]

Hi Rosie

I'll MC this collection. Did you fill out the new project template to get a project code for this collection?

[BellonaTimes]

Dang, LF, you read my mind.

Source suggestions:
https://archive.org/search.php?query=publisher%3A%22Hanson-Roach-Fowler+company%22

The 8 volume World Book Encyclopedia 1917-8

https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Foster%2C+Ellsworth+D.%2C+ed%22

The six vol American Educator Encyclopedia, by one of the same WB editors, from 1919; haven't determined yet how much the articles mirror each other.

Also the Encyclopedia Britannica of 1911 currently available on PG.

[WoollyBee]

Ooh, yay, I love these collections! Hope I can find time to contribute something in the next few months.

[LibriFoxy]

Hi Rosie

I'll MC this collection. Did you fill out the new project template to get a project code for this collection?

Thank you so much for signing on!! I haven't yet, but will when I get home tonight! Could you refresh my memory for how to find it again? (My last BC was during the transition). Yay!

Any DPLs out there?

[knotyouraveragejo]

Here's the link to the new project template generator and a document with some tips for filling it out.

http://librivox.org/add_project

Tips for Using the New Project Generator

Since this is a special type of project, you don't need to copy the whole template code for the top post. You can keep the top post as you have entered it and just post the code that will be in the template generator code.

If you haven't used the new workflow system as BC or DPL, you will need to set up a password for access to the workflow system so you can enter the information into the section compiler which then appears in the Magic Window. Here are some links to detailed instructions for logging into the system and setting a password the first time, as well as for entering and editing information in the section compiler.

First Time Logging in to the Workflow

Instructions for BCs and DPLs

A version of the above is also in the LibriVox wiki in case you can't access Google Docs for some reason.

BCs - How to Update the Magic Window

If you have any questions, let me know.

[LibriFoxy]

Thanks for all the resources, Jo! Wow, I had a huge brain lapse there. For some reason, I thought this was something new to help out with generating the MW. I actually HAVE used the new workflow for a few projects and though I copied this initial first post from Coffee Break 10, it was done using the new code generator. (I don't know what I was thinking!) But it looks like I did forget to add the PL level section (Standard) and indicate that it'll be 20 sections. Anything else that still needs to be added?

[Availle]

It's probably better if you redo this.

If you fill out the new template and click "next" at the bottom, you will see in the forum code a "project code" generated and a bit more information between two lines of ==== ==== where the Magic Window will be. This is the part we need to set up a new project (or at least, it will make setting the thing up much easier).

You can fill out the template, generate the post for the new project, and simply copy/paste everything between the ==== ==== into your post above.

Clear as mud, I'm sure...
Please ask if you have any other questions.
(Sorry jo for barging in here).

[knotyouraveragejo]

It would be most helpful, Rosie, if you could fill out the new project template again and let me know what project code you are given in the forum code that is generated. That is all I really need to make the task of entering this into the database a lot easier, since all the information you enter into the code generator is stored in a temporary database entry that I can retrieve using the project code that it generates. Otherwise I have no way of finding it, and I will have to reenter all this information manually like in the "old" days.

Thanks

[silverquill]

"Any DPL's out there?" she wonders.

Yep, there be at least one.
This would be so much fun to do. I've already queued up a couple of interesting pieces to record, but I'd love to DPL too.

You really in Boston? If so, hunker down. I was in Conn for the Blizzard of '78, and now in N. Andover, Mass, just across the Merrimack River from Lawrence. We have the highest snowfall totals in the forecast for Tuesday's blizzard - 30 inches!

[LibriFoxy]

No problem! I got a new code, added the PL section, and the MW prep section is all ready (project code xHj3Jebu).

silverquill, thanks so much for your willingness to DPL!! Now we can get moving! And yes, I've bought all the necessary groceries, cancelled my office for Tuesday, and we're ready to hunker down (That's actually why I started the next coffee break collection - amusements are needed!)

[knotyouraveragejo]

OK we all good to go here. MW is added, Larry is in as DPL and when I finish this post I'll move the thread to Readers Wanted Short Works!

Hope you weather the storm with power and internet intact! I'm on the southern end of this one so the predictions are not as severe down here in the Philadelphia area. Stay safe!

[silverquill]

Here is possibly a piece to get this project started

It is a poem by Alfred Noyes, best known, perhaps, for his poem The Highwayman which seems to have made it into a lot of textbooks.

It came in a little over the 15-minute limit, so if by its nature or length you think this is not suitable for this collection, that's fine. I may be able to find another venue for it.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6574
Alfred Noyes
Copernicus
The Torch-Bearers: Watchers of the Sky

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/coffeebreak011_copernicus_noyes_128.mp3
16:44

[LibriFoxy]

Hi Larry!! Thanks so much for your submission!! What a great piece. Unfortunately, we're really trying to keep the coffee break collections at 15 minutes or less, and you're right about the subject matter being more on wonderment of the historical astronomy greats than about science itself, but it'd be a perfect contribution to the Short Poetry Collection!

[silverquill]

Hi!

I perfectly understand about the previous submission.
I had another interesting one about the planet Mercury, but it would probably be in the 30-35 min. range. So, here is the third piece I had on my list. I hope it will fit here.




Robert Fulton in Scientific American Vol 2 No1 Sep. 26, 1846 ed. Rufus Porter
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27867/27867-h/27867-h.htm#fulton

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/coffeebreak011_robertfulton_porter_128.mp3
5:51