Save the Date: Autumn Research Summit 2026
Our annual in-person and livestreamed gathering returns this fall — here is what to expect.
russ@simplyweb.net
New Member Guide: How to Start Your Own Backyard Experiments
A starter guide for new members who want to move from reading to doing their own research.
Long-Distance Laser Level Test Across a Frozen Lake
A five-mile laser test with time-stamped footage and instrument close-ups.
Understanding Refraction: The Variable Everyone Argues About
A plain-language explainer on atmospheric refraction and why it matters for every long-distance observation.
Monthly Panel: Reader Questions Answered Live
Our research team responds to the community’s most-asked questions from the month.
Mapping History: How the Azimuthal Equidistant Projection Became a Flashpoint
A look at the history of the UN emblem map projection and why it keeps coming up in community discussions.
The Bedford Level Experiment, Revisited
A modern re-creation of the famous 19th-century canal experiment, redone with today’s optics.
Water Level Testing: A Beginner’s Guide to Home Verification Methods
Simple, low-cost methods for running your own level and distance experiments at home, with an honest look at their margins of error.
Q&A: A Former Commercial Pilot on Flight Paths and the Southern Hemisphere
We sat down with a 22-year aviation veteran to talk about routes, instruments, and unanswered questions.
Interview: A Surveyor’s 20 Years Measuring Curvature Claims
A land surveyor discusses the instruments of the trade and how curvature is handled in professional practice.