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!
When I told my 8-year-old daughter I had a kit to clone fluorescent jellyfish DNA, she was excited to try it. But this is a high-school level project. The reagents are sent in a styrofoam boxย with dry ice, and the projects requireย a polymerase chain reaction thermal cycler (which Genotyp will loan out to classrooms that […]
Aimed at kids 8 and up, this kit has real heart. Its 48-page workbook and components (solar cell, buzzer, two motors, LED, capacitor, copper rivets, pinwheel, etc.) take you through lessons and fun experiments that teach the basics: What is energy, as distinct from force? What forms does it take? How can it be converted […]
Learn about the sense of smell with eight perfume oils and a variety of jars, mixers, and pipettes. Experiments range from fragrance extraction to composing your own perfume scents. My friend and I enjoyed one experiment where we prepared test strips of all the fragrances and then guessed which we were sniffing. I got two […]
TubeSat makes space your personal laboratory. You build a satellite the size of a large soup can, get it launched into a 310km Earth orbit moving 17,000 miles an hour, and talk to it via ham radio a few times a day for 1โ3 months. Smile as you reflect on your new skills in surface-mount […]
This is a solder-together kit for studying the electrical impulses of cockroach neurons. The online instructions are excellent, with videos and plenty of clear photos of the assembly process. My 8-year-old daughter identified and inserted all the electrical components into the clearly marked printed circuit board through-holes, and I did the soldering. She asked me […]
No power rings are involved, here, just boric acid, methanol, and a homemade spirit lamp. It’s all nicely explained by Instructables user The Green Gentleman.
If you’ve contemplated a treadmill desk, but would like a more portable solution, then take a look at the FitDesk. It’s perfect for a couple of laps while checking your email or wiring up for a cycling simulation.
