Science

DIY science is the perfect way to use your creative skills and learn something new. With the right supplies, some determination, and a curious mind, you can create amazing experiments that open up a whole world of possibilities. At home-made laboratories or tech workshops, makers from all backgrounds can explore new ideas by finding ways to study their environment in novel ways – allowing them to make breathtaking discoveries!

Top 10: Tips for the Amateur Chemist

Top 10: Tips for the Amateur Chemist

We have featured projects from teenage chemist Hayden Parker, who is this semester an entering freshman at Willamette University, several times since he first showed up on our radar at Bay Area Maker Faire 2011. We recently asked Hayden to share some of the most useful practical tips he’s picked up from the home and hobby chemistry community, and this list is the result. Thanks, Hayden! Keep up the good work! – Ed.

The Truth Meter

The Truth Meter

See what happens when someone asks you questions or when you laugh or get surprised. Everyone responds differently. See if you can turn the LED on with your mind. Try it on your friends or adversaries — it’s a great way to get to know someone! We’ve even included a few extra resistors, so you […]

Brain Machine

Brain Machine

Hack your brain! Put on these glasses and headphones, close your eyes, and enjoy some harmless hallucinations as you drift into deep meditation. You’ll come out after the 14-minute program feeling fabulous. Sound and Light Machines (SLMs) help people sleep, wake up, meditate, and more. They work by generating light pulses (seen through closed eyelids) […]

Analog Geiger Counter

Analog Geiger Counter

MAKE contributor John Iovine has been designing and improving affordable Geiger counters for decades. After Japan’s nuclear crisis last spring, his company was swamped with orders. Now they’re working on even better designs and DIY kits. This analog counter detects beta radiation above 36 kilo-electron volts (keV) and gamma above 7keV, signaling each radioactive particle detected with an […]