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!
Ira Flatow on Science Friday‘s program will feature “Exploring the Tech DIY of โHackerspacesโ” in the first hour. When the humble garage workshop just isnโt enough, or basement tinkerers tire of trying to go it alone, some turn to ‘hackerspaces,’ organizations that provide space, tools, and like-minded colleagues for unusual do it yourself projects. With […]
In June 2011, HP launched their Hacking Autism initiative, which seeks new ideas for touch technology applications beneficial to people with autism.
โCome see what happens when we imagine the world differently!โ If youโve seen any of the ads for Maker Faire New York, taking place this weekend, September 17 and 18, at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, youโve seen this invitation. Makers have a gift for imagining the world differently, and one maker […]
We have hundreds of posts in the archives with the keyword โplasticโ in the title, but many of them are about particular objects made from plastic, rather than general methods for working with plastics. So I went through and cherry-picked ten of what I considered to be the more inventive and unusual methods-based โplasticsโ posts. The photos arenโt sexy, but if youโre interested in weird things you can do with plastic, at home, this is the post for you. And some of these methods will probably turn out to be not so โstupid,โ after all
Although potentiostats are the foundation of modern electrochemical research, they have seen relatively little application in resource poor settings, such as undergraduate laboratory courses and the developing world. One reason for the low penetration of potentiostats is their cost, as even the least expensive commercially available laboratory potentiostats sell for more than one thousand dollars. […]
Interesting homebrew process from Charles Lohr, who demonstrates it here with a multicolor-LED-controlling capacitive touch sensor that works from the reverse side of the glass, i.e. you can use it without actually touching the copper. No holes are drilled in the glass, so all components have to be SMT. Cool stuff.
A while back I did some experimentation with stewing plastic bags in canola oil and then pressing them into solid forms. The process I followed used this method for molding a self-lubricating replacement bushing on a washing machine. While the results were certainly interesting, they had a side-effect of being impregnated in the oil, leaving grease stains in their path forever.
