| This volume contains 400 of the approximately 520 articles written for the Alaska Science Forum, a weekly series of short columns discussing facts about the north and questions interesting to northerners. The series commenced in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in March 1976 and later appeared in other newspapers in Alaska and northwestern Canada under various headings: The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner used the title Community Science Forum and the articles have appeared in the Anchorage Times under the column name Diggings. Other papers carrying the articles regularly or sporadically are the Cheechacko News (Kenai), Cordova Times, Copper Valley Views (Copper Center), The Frontiersman (Palmer), Homer News, Ketchikan News, Kodiak Daily Mirror, Lynn Canal News (Haines), The Nome Nugget, Peninsula Clarion (Kenai), Southeast Alaska Empire (Juneau), Tundra Times (statewide), Valdez Vanguard, and Yukon News (Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada). |
| The primary motivation for making this compilation has been the many requests for such a volume from teachers in Alaskan schools and others who have found the articles useful for reference. Previously published articles not included here are those deemed of passing interest or those which largely duplicate information contained in others, though some duplication remains. Except for a few minor wording changes and correction of errors, the articles are presented here as originally written. |
| Articles written by other contributors are followed by the authors' names. The month and year of initial publication appears at the end of each article together with a keying number that ties to a filing system wherein reference materials are retained. |
| I am most grateful to the 36 others whose contributions have broadened the scope of the series. Also, I gratefully acknowledge the many members of the faculty of the University of Alaska and other professionals whom I have consulted to obtain accurate information during the preparation of articles. It would indeed be difficult to prepare the articles without the availability of the immense talent pool that exists on the Fairbanks campus of the University of Alaska and elsewhere in the Fairbanks areain no field did I lack for expert advice. |
| Despite the fact that the text of all articles was preserved on magnetic cards and, consequently, little typing was required to prepare this volume, the effort was still considerable. It was performed by the staff of The Northern Engineer under the direction of that journal's editor Carla Helfferich. Teri Lucara typeset the text and Deborah Jo Davis did the layout. It was an education for me and a pleasure to work with these three. Patricia Ann Davis not only did the cartoons scattered throughout the volume but also the cover art. The cover is based upon an original drawing by David Stone of the Geophysical Institute. Photographs and drawings presented without acknowledgment are mine or from collections held by the Geophysical Institute. |
| I am pleased to acknowledge University of Alaska historian Dr. Claus-M. Naske whose urging started the writing of the articles appearing here. The Alaska Humanities Forum provided initial funding. Later, both the National Science Foundation and the Geophysical Institute supported the work. |
| The many people who wrote letters and orally communicated suggestions and questions have made substantial contribution to what appears in this volume. Finally, I wish to thank the Director of the Geophysical Institute, Dr. Juan G. Roederer, and the Institute's Assistant Director, Professor Albert E. Belon, for their encouragement and support. |
 | | NEIL DAVIS |
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