Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-3 (BCAT-3) Tabletop Space Station Experiment Continues

Abstract

"As above, so below," thus begins the Emerald Tablet that was inscribed in 300 B.C., long before we could look into the heavens and see a space station that might serve as a platform for exploring other worlds and for exploring the natural ways that order arises out of chaos. To raze the ancient intent of this quote (and lift it out of context), we note that the effects of gravity would be balanced (removed) at the center of the Earth (below) and that this is also the case aboard the International Space Station (above). Yet, those of us on Earth are caught in the middle, where the effects of gravity are profound and disturbing for observers wanting to study nature s self-organizing tendencies, tendencies that are masked by sedimentation and convection on Earth.