More on Paddles and Oars

摘要

In the second sentence of my column in WB No. 266, titled "Propelling Small Craft with Paddle and Oar," I wrote, "I open Pandora's box and devote a column to the mechanics of human propulsion of small craft and the geometry of paddles and oars." Like Pandora of Greek mythology, I feared the possible backlash that might ensue from my "healthy dose of speculation"-perhaps as disastrous as the plagues and evils that flew out of Pandora's box. So I was surprised and pleased with a surfeit of affirmative emails-so many, in fact, that I am letting these readers' responses write much of this column. I hope payroll doesn't notice my treachery. Quinn Decker wrote to Tom Jackson, "I am a senior mechanical engineering student at the University of Rochester [New York]. As a part of my fluid mechanics class, my team and I are investigating the different designs used for paddles and oars. This was inspired by Dr. Richard Jagels's article in the January 2019 issue. We were hoping that we could contact Dr. Jagels and ask him about his opinions as well as sources and inspirations for writing the article. We were hoping he could help to guide us in our hypothesis, experimentation, and analysis. Thank you."