Under the guidance of Professor of Physics Leslie Hebb, Hobart cross country's Duncan Kipkoech spent the summer exploring the history of science through the vintage laboratory equipment stored in Eaton Hall's cabinets and storerooms before the building is razed to make way for the new integrated science center, the Fish Center for the Sciences, slated for construction in January.
 
The computer science and chemistry major, Kipkoech, was one of two students to uncover the equipment that comes from physics – mechanics, electronics, optics and thermodynamics – reflecting the evolution of teaching and research across the decades.
 
"Their work is a liberal arts project looking at the history of scientific laboratory equipment – a combination of science, history and art," says Hebb.
 
The duo tested the equipment and determined whether they're still functional, including items such as a 1940's -manufactured variable inductor, which helped World War II soldiers communicate without the enemy eavesdropping or intercepting messages.
 
"On the outside, it looks like a wooden box with a metal slate, screws and two rotating knobs on top," said Kipkoech. "In the inside, it's a complex inductor, having several coils around copper and iron rods. Turning the knobs alters the position of the coils which causes a change in magnetic permeability thus varying the inductance of the inductor."
 
In fact, the research group has uncovered many secrets while diving into their summer research project. Kipkoech and company explored World War II-era technology and even opened a sealed package from 1945. Within the first week, they discovered a flux meter, an instrument used to detect magnetic fields, which came with an original instruction manual. "The manual said that the information of the technology was only allowed for the United States and only allowed to be seen or shared with people working for the United States," said Lopes.
 
Kipkoech is creating an online exhibit to record the findings. The process, he says, is exercising his writing and coding skills and giving him hands-on experience documenting research. They are also creating a digital archive and exhibit of the relics as they research their origin and function and photograph or film the instruments. "I have managed to unlock a new interest in how the application of physics was key to developing most of the 20th century electronics. With the World Wars and the technological eras emerging in that century, physics knowledge was used to engineer the necessary tools." says Kipkoech.
 
The Thika, Kenya, native, is entering his second season with the Statesmen cross country team. In his first season, Kipkoech earned the Charles P. McCoy '68 Award as well as the Rookie Award for Cross Country. He was named the Liberty League Rookie of the Week once and led Hobart at both the Liberty League Championships as well as the NCAA Niagara Regional Championships. Kipkoech posted a season-best 8-kilometer time of 26:58.8 at the CCOC Championships, finishing third out of 48 runners.