Ferrous Wheel- Basically a play on words (ie Ferris Wheel, but with "Ferrous" referring to 'iron' in there instead). Been told by some chem forumites that there is another meaing for it, having to do with iron atoms arranged in a wheel pattern as well, a chem joke. Ferrous almost sounds like a real name, like Matt Broaderick in "Ferris Bueller's Day off".
Avatar - Called the Snorri, it is a modern era handmade viking ship called a knarr, a wide and deep cargo style ocean going vessel a la the 800-900s. It was made in Maine by the old methods, including shipwrights and blacksmiths and carpenters on site, built in a guy's garage. Sailed by them following old (circa 1000) viking trade routes from Scandinavia to the 'New World' and back again (from US, to Greenland, to Iceland, and back, etc)
You can read about it in a book called _An Illustrated Viking Voyage: Retracing Leif Ericson's Journey in an Authentic Vikinng Knarr_ (Photos by Russell Kaye, text by W. Hodding Carter). It was also the subject of some Discover/Nat'l Geo specials. The pics and film are awesome, great icebergs, etc.
I've lost my links to their old webpage, where they gave build updates and such b4 this was a relatively big deal.
Anyhow, the ship is an awesome symbol of motion, travel, stepping into the unknown and making a go fer some new vistas, like a rocket ship or space shuttle is looked at today. The viking ships in their day were the pinnacle of oceangoing river and sea travel, and (like the Polynesians) opened the worlds across waters to them.
Keith
Keith
