AboutDan Fink Expertise Though my experience is mostly in the fields of electricity, magnetism, and physics, I have a broad science background. My career is in the field of alternative power sources -- solar, wind, water and battery power. But any questions about electricity, magnetism, energy conservation, power generation, electric motors, and even general physics are very welcome--especially from kids. They ask the best questions of all! I pride myself in answering science questions accurately, with ideas for SAFE, easy experiments that kids can perform by themselves--and that let them prove the answers to their own satisfaction. I think science should be fun, and available to everyone, regardless of age.
Experience I have volunteered in our local public schools for 5 years. I currently make presentations at our schools about electricity and magnetism, with a focus on solar, wind, water and other alternative power sources. I try to demonstrate at our schools how easy it is to make electricity, with simple devices using spinning magnets and coils of wire--powered by wind, water, bicycles, gerbils...etc. And of course solar panels! I am the webmaster of Otherpower.com, an alternative energy website. I have lived 10 miles from the nearest power pole for 11 years--I make all my own electricity from scratch with sun, wind and water.
Publications Otherpower.com
Wondermagnet.com
Co author of the book "Homebrew Wind Power" ISBN 978-0-9819201-0-8
My articles appear regularly in such magazines as Home Power and Back Home Education/Credentials BA Technical Journalism
Question Hi
I heard that fishermen can use ultrasound as a bait to attract whales, since whales use ultrasound themselves to communicate to each other, and I would really like to find out more about this. If you could tell me more about how ultrasound is used as bait for fishing whales or point me to some resources online about this subject, that would be appreciated.
Thank you
Answer I was unable to find any references online to commercial whalers or scientists using ultrasound to attract whales. Whales are also believed to use BOTH infrasound (very low frequencies) and ultrasound (very high frequencies) in communication -- low frequencies travel longer distances underwater.
I DID find:
references to whalers using sonar to *locate* whales.
Reports about concerns that human-made underwater noise pollution (including ultrasonic) can disturb and affect whale communications and migrations: http://members.fortunecity.com/anemaw/whale.htm
Studies that whales use ultrasound for hunting fish -- it's been known that pods of whales trap schools of fish by surrounding them in bubbles. Now it seems scientists think the whales produce ultrasonic noise by collapsing bubbles internally, and the ultrasound scares the fish into staying within the air bubble "fence" to be gobbled up.
