Make:

Country Scientist

The purpose of the Country Scientist column is to provide projects that will encourage readers to do science. Whether you're a student looking for a good science fair project, or an adult wanting to begin a personal science study, I hope that you'll find this or a future project worthy of pursuing.

Articles in this series:

Using Sensors with Data Loggers from MAKE: 30: Smarter Homes
Data logging is the automatic collection and saving of information. by Forrest Mims III

Track the Leading Greenhouse Gas from MAKE: 29: DIY Superhuman
For as little as $20, you can begin tracking the atmosphere’s most important greenhouse gas, water vapor. by Forrest Mims III

Record Your World from a Picture Post from MAKE: 28: Toys and Games
All that’s necessary is a digital camera and a platform to place it on, so that it can be used to collect images at regular intervals. by Forrest Mims III

Startups: Origins of the PC Revolution from MAKE: 27: Robots
Today's smartphones and tablets, laptops and desktop computers all trace their ancestry to the arrival of the hobby computer era of the 1970s. by Forrest Mims III

Ultra-Simple Sunshine Recorders from MAKE: 26: Karts and Wheels
Sunshine is essential for plant growth, which is one reason scientists have developed so many methods to measure it. by Forrest Mims III

Capturing and Studying Airborne Dust, Smoke, and Spores from MAKE: 25: Microcontrollers and Arduino
In this column we'll experiment with the simplest air samplers, those that rely on gravity or wind to deposit particles in the air onto adhesive tape or a bare microscope slide. by Forrest Mims III

Becoming an Amateur Scientist from MAKE: 24: Space
Sometimes the capabilities of the amateur scientist rival or even exceed those of their professional counterparts. by Forrest Mims III

The Infrared Thermometer: An Essential Science Gadget from MAKE: 23: Gadgets
While I've spent 20 years measuring sunlight, haze, the ozone layer, and the water vapor layer using various homemade insruments, a couple of IR thermometers are among the most important gadgets in my science toolbox. by Forrest Mims III

Data Mining from MAKE: 22: Remote Control / Wireless
How to analyze scientific data. by Forrest Mims III

Snow Science from MAKE: 21: Desktop Manufacturing
Conduct winter experiments. by Forrest Mims III

Doing Science With a Digital Scanner from MAKE: 20: For Kids of All Ages
When the subject is two-dimensional, flatbed digital scanners can play a major role in imaging science. by Forrest Mims III

How to Study Tree Rings from MAKE: 19: Robots
Tree rings can tell us about past precipitation, climate, major volcano eruptions, and forest fires. by Forrest Mims III

Image Analysis from MAKE: 18: ReMake America
Easily analyze scientific images. by Forrest Mims III

How to Photograph the Solar Aureole from MAKE: 17: Lost Knowledge
Build a simple occluder for your digital camera to shoot the sun's halo. by Forrest Mims III