Which Bowline is Better?
For my science class of '97-'98, I did a science project, entitled "Which Bowline is Better?" It was based on a knot that my grandfather had taught me to tie the summer before. When thinking of ideas for projects, my dad suggested that I base it on the statement by my other grandfather that a slight change made to the knot, making it the left-handed bowline, made the knot worse. After completing the project, I found out that my gradfather had never said this. However, the project worked amazingly well, and in doing it I managed to disprove some practically ancient suppositions about "the King of Knots," not to mention qualify for the county and then state science fair!
