Interesting email re Stearns Method - How should I reply?

[Stan Pope]

This afternoon, I received the following email regarding the history of Stearns Method. Not sure how I should react. Any suggestions? Also, can anyone confirm the assertions contained therein?

Subj: Pinewood Derby methods
Date: 10/20/2003 3:36:21 PM Central Daylight Time
From: borommarc@earthlink.net
To: StanDCmr@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Dear Stan,

I am very pleased to find that the "Stearns Method" was finally picked up by the cub scouting community. I am, however, disappointed that my contribution to the Pinewood Derby program has been omitted. I, as Pack Master back in 1975, originally asked [censored] Stearns (a neighbor, friend, and cub scout father) if he could do what he finally did mathematically.

The program would never have happened without my ability to translate what he provided into a system that could be implemented at the pack meeting. Furthermore, it would not have finally received the recognition that it finally has (great job!) without the article I wrote - "How to Run a Better Pinewood Derby". I originally had Richard Stearns on the article as co-author. He elected to not include his name, since he felt little contribution to the implementation. I disseminated the article wherever I could find a willing ear. Scouting headquarters, on the other hand, rejected the article each of the several times I submitted it. The technique has been spread by the grape vine, and now by the Internet, and others have written similar programs. I am pleased about that.

What I am asking you to do is to give me my 15 minutes of fame by referring to the method as the "Stearns-Borom Method"

Thanks,
Marc Borom

LongEZ N966EZ
Ryan Field (KRYN)
Tucson, AZ
Personal web page:
http://4dw.net/marcborom

[gpraceman]

It might be hard to prove if the article was never published. Does he have anything to back up his claims, like a statement by Mr Stearns, or some other documentation? I haven't really seen much on the web about the history of the Stearns method, or even what the underlying mathematics are.

[Stan Pope]

More research! I went to the zip file at http://www.usscouts.org/pinewood/cspdref.html and looked at the doc file. There he is, big as life! Authored the article "HOW TO RUN A BETTER PINEWOOD DERBY"

Anyway, it isn't my place to call it one thing when the rest of the world calls it something else ... especially since it appears that the name Stearns Method is what Marc himself called it in his article. But, I may well encode the email in html and hyperlink from my site to it.

Most of the time, I would not use Stearns Method because the charts that it produces are of unpredictable quality. Some are just plain BAD, others are inferior, and some are satisfactory. The accuracy of results from Stearns charts does not compare favorably to Young&Pope (PPN) charts of comparable size.

Nonetheless, Stearns Method was a significant contribution to racing history. And Marc's contribution to it may well deserve more than mention in the software's documentation.

[Stan Pope]

I haven't really seen much on the web about the history of the Stearns method, or even what the underlying mathematics are.

Stearns Method is based on one type of Block Designs, a topic in the branch of mathematics called Combinatorial Analysis and mainstay of experimental design. You might grab a book from the library and spend a relaxing evening (or thirty) brushing up on the theory.

If you think about it, a Pinewood Derby Race is really an experiment whose purpose is to determine the relative speeds of a group of PW cars! So, it is reasonable that techniques of experimental design would be applicable.

[gpraceman]

Stearns Method is based on one type of Block Designs, a topic in the branch of mathematics called Combinatorial Analysis and mainstay of experimental design. You might grab a book from the library and spend a relaxing evening (or thirty) brushing up on the theory.

Yeah, in all my spare time.

Nonetheless, Stearns Method was a significant contribution to racing history. And Marc's contribution to it may well deserve more than mention in the software's documentation.

I don't know that writing that article or what he stated in his email really indicate that he co-developed the method. As you said, even he describes it as the "Stearns Method" in his article. It sounds more like his contribution was promoting the method whenever he had the chance, which is commendable and did factor into race history. However, calling it the "Stearns-Borom Method" would only be appropriate, if he co-developed it.