Make:

Toys, Tricks, and Teasers

Handy and fun tips, tricks, and teasers.

Articles in this series:

The Slow Fall from MAKE: 28: Toys and Games
Dropping a magnet through an aluminum tube takes longer than you’d think. Why? by Donald E. Simanek

Kinetic Illusion Toys from MAKE: 26: Karts and Wheels
Deceive the eye with impossible falling motion. by Donald E. Simanek

Fooling Around with Pulleys from MAKE: 23: Gadgets
MAKE readers hope that the things they make will work as intended. That doesn't always happen. Meet the fool's tackle. by Donald E. Simanek

Puzzle of the Crowned Pulleys from MAKE: 22: Remote Control / Wireless
Real-world problems in physics sometimes take quite a while to figure out, unlike the contrived problems in textbooks that must be solved by next week. by Donald E. Simanek

The Chinese South-Pointing Chariot from MAKE: 21: Desktop Manufacturing
For fun or function? A Chinese south-pointing chariot. by Donald E. Simanek

Golden Star Origami from MAKE: 19: Robots
Make a five-pointed star with a single cut. by Donald E. Simanek

Reflections on an Illusion from MAKE: 18: ReMake America
An illusion that never ceases to fascinate is the mirror-produced "real image" -- you'll reach out to grasp it, but your fingers close only on thin air. by Donald E. Simanek

The Spinning Cylinder Illusion from MAKE: 16: Spy Tech
This is a toy, a puzzle, and an illusion all in one, with only one moving part. No batteries are required. I like simplicity, especially when it produces puzzling complexity. by Donald E. Simanek

The Penetrating Magnets Illusion from MAKE: 15: Music
Magnets are fascinating things, and they behave in unexpected ways. I will show you a little-known property of magnets, which actually allows them to pass through one another. by Donald E. Simanek

Toys, Tricks, and Teasers from MAKE: 13: Magic
Martin Gardner's mathemagic. by Donald E. Simanek

Toys, Tricks, and Teasers from MAKE: 12: Upload
Putting a spin on a puzzle. by Donald E. Simanek

Toys, Tricks, and Teasers from MAKE: 11: Alt Vehicles
Friction. There's the rub. by Donald E. Simanek