Science

The latest DIY ideas, experiments and demonstrations in the science of space, medicine, health and energy.

High Voltage! Put Safety First During Your Tesla Coil Performance

High Voltage! Put Safety First During Your Tesla Coil Performance

By Caleb Kraft

Caleb Kraft

Senior Editor for Make: I get ridiculously excited seeing people make things. I just want to revel in the creativity of the masses! My favorite thing in the world is sharing the hard work of a maker.

I'd always love to hear about what you're making, so send me an email any time at caleb@make.co

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Spark safely with these responsible Tesla coil tips from the pros

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Steve M. Potter

The Making of a Scientist/Maker/Teacher

By Dale Dougherty

Dale Dougherty

DALE DOUGHERTY is the leading advocate of the Maker Movement. He founded Make: Magazine 2005, which first used the term “makers” to describe people who enjoyed “hands-on” work and play. He started Maker Faire in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006, and this event has spread to nearly 200 locations in 40 countries, with over 1.5M attendees annually. He is President of Make:Community, which produces Make: and Maker Faire.

In 2011 Dougherty was honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change” through an initiative that honors Americans who are “doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.” At the 2014 White House Maker Faire he was introduced by President Obama as an American innovator making significant contributions to the fields of education and business. He believes that the Maker Movement has the potential to transform the educational experience of students and introduce them to the practice of innovation through play and tinkering.

Dougherty is the author of “Free to Make: How the Maker Movement Is Changing our Jobs, Schools and Minds” with Adriane Conrad. He is co-author of "Maker City: A Practical Guide for Reinventing American Cities" with Peter Hirshberg and Marcia Kadanoff.

View more articles by Dale Dougherty

I first met Dr. Steve M. Potter at Maker Faire Atlanta, which was then hosted by Georgia Tech, where he was a professor of neuroengineering. He describes this field as the intersection of brain science and technology. His life experience combines the curiosity that led him to study how learning happens in the brain, the […]

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Soldering With A Hand Tremor: The Camera Gimbal Hack

Soldering With A Hand Tremor: The Camera Gimbal Hack

By Caleb Kraft

Caleb Kraft

Senior Editor for Make: I get ridiculously excited seeing people make things. I just want to revel in the creativity of the masses! My favorite thing in the world is sharing the hard work of a maker.

I'd always love to hear about what you're making, so send me an email any time at caleb@make.co

View more articles by Caleb Kraft

Jonathan Gleich has developed a bit of a hand tremor, which makes soldering quite difficult. If you’ve ever tried soldering anything more complex than a through hole resistor, you’ll know that even a the normal shakiness of a hand can really be a road block to getting things done. Jonathan, being the industrious maker that […]

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The What, How and Why of CO2 Monitoring

The What, How and Why of CO2 Monitoring

By Dale Dougherty

Dale Dougherty

DALE DOUGHERTY is the leading advocate of the Maker Movement. He founded Make: Magazine 2005, which first used the term “makers” to describe people who enjoyed “hands-on” work and play. He started Maker Faire in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006, and this event has spread to nearly 200 locations in 40 countries, with over 1.5M attendees annually. He is President of Make:Community, which produces Make: and Maker Faire.

In 2011 Dougherty was honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change” through an initiative that honors Americans who are “doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.” At the 2014 White House Maker Faire he was introduced by President Obama as an American innovator making significant contributions to the fields of education and business. He believes that the Maker Movement has the potential to transform the educational experience of students and introduce them to the practice of innovation through play and tinkering.

Dougherty is the author of “Free to Make: How the Maker Movement Is Changing our Jobs, Schools and Minds” with Adriane Conrad. He is co-author of "Maker City: A Practical Guide for Reinventing American Cities" with Peter Hirshberg and Marcia Kadanoff.

View more articles by Dale Dougherty

Guido Burger is the CO2 Tech Guru. He has been working on all aspects of CO2 devices used indoors to give feedback on room ventilation. Last year, he wrote the cover story, CO2 Traffic Light, for Make: Germany and since then he’s continued improving the device. In this video, he explains why monitoring CO2 is important and shows us the components of a CO2 device and guides us through the hardware and software build.

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Plan CO2 — A Thing or Two About Monitoring CO2

Plan CO2 — A Thing or Two About Monitoring CO2

By Dale Dougherty

Dale Dougherty

DALE DOUGHERTY is the leading advocate of the Maker Movement. He founded Make: Magazine 2005, which first used the term “makers” to describe people who enjoyed “hands-on” work and play. He started Maker Faire in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006, and this event has spread to nearly 200 locations in 40 countries, with over 1.5M attendees annually. He is President of Make:Community, which produces Make: and Maker Faire.

In 2011 Dougherty was honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change” through an initiative that honors Americans who are “doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.” At the 2014 White House Maker Faire he was introduced by President Obama as an American innovator making significant contributions to the fields of education and business. He believes that the Maker Movement has the potential to transform the educational experience of students and introduce them to the practice of innovation through play and tinkering.

Dougherty is the author of “Free to Make: How the Maker Movement Is Changing our Jobs, Schools and Minds” with Adriane Conrad. He is co-author of "Maker City: A Practical Guide for Reinventing American Cities" with Peter Hirshberg and Marcia Kadanoff.

View more articles by Dale Dougherty

Tim Dye of TD Environmental Services is a leading expert in air quality sensors. He knows a thing or two about CO2. When I first started thinking about how we might use CO2 to measure the proper ventilation of indoor spaces, I thought of Tim and his work on air quality monitors.

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Plan CO2: Making A Public Display

Plan CO2: Making A Public Display

By Dale Dougherty

Dale Dougherty

DALE DOUGHERTY is the leading advocate of the Maker Movement. He founded Make: Magazine 2005, which first used the term “makers” to describe people who enjoyed “hands-on” work and play. He started Maker Faire in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006, and this event has spread to nearly 200 locations in 40 countries, with over 1.5M attendees annually. He is President of Make:Community, which produces Make: and Maker Faire.

In 2011 Dougherty was honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change” through an initiative that honors Americans who are “doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.” At the 2014 White House Maker Faire he was introduced by President Obama as an American innovator making significant contributions to the fields of education and business. He believes that the Maker Movement has the potential to transform the educational experience of students and introduce them to the practice of innovation through play and tinkering.

Dougherty is the author of “Free to Make: How the Maker Movement Is Changing our Jobs, Schools and Minds” with Adriane Conrad. He is co-author of "Maker City: A Practical Guide for Reinventing American Cities" with Peter Hirshberg and Marcia Kadanoff.

View more articles by Dale Dougherty

When I saw the big emoji (old school – smiley) on Carter Nelson’s RGB Matrix Portal Room CO2 Monitor project on Adafruit, I knew he was on to something. I wished that I would begin seeing more such displays in places like restaurants and shops, not to mention school classrooms, offices and makerspaces in the coming months. In Carter’s Adafruit project, the CO2 monitoring device presents a concise public-health message.

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Reuse Hollow-core Doors To Make Plywood and More

Reuse Hollow-core Doors To Make Plywood and More

Tim Sway

By Tim Sway

Tim Sway

TIM SWAY is a Connecticut-based artist and maker who specializes in reclaimed, upcycled, and eco-friendly woodworking. His mission statement is to “Make Worthless Things Priceless” and he’s currently focused on making affordable and eco-ethical guitars. You can learn more about him at youtube.com/TimSway, NewPerspectivesMusic.com or timsway.net.

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Reusing isn’t new, but items deliberately made from reclaimed materials have become statement pieces. The “upcycling” movement and rising interest in eco-conscious wares has given value to the valueless. Decrepit and dangerous barns once left to decompose are now painstakingly picked for profit. Even shipping pallets have earned a place as sought-after sources of wood. […]

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