122 Shot Tower Historical State Park, Austinville, VA 36° 52 8.52 N, 80° 52 14.27 W The Science of the Simple Some of the simplest things are full of interesting science. Take making lead shot. In 1782 a British man named William Watts patented a method of making lead shot that involved pouring molten lead through a copper sieve and letting it fall a long distance before being cooled in a pool of water. He built a tower in Bristol, England, and went to work. His tower is long gone, but others around the world from Melbourne to Virginia are still standing, testa- ments to a really simple technology with lots of science behind it.