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!
Every time I see some great mechanical, hydraulic, or electromechanical contraption left by the side of the curb for trash, I think about all of the great raw materials inside that I could use. Ed Sobey’s new book, Unscrewed, gives sage advice regarding how to mine the gold in them thar heaps of broken appliances.
When you think of fire art, you likely think of art on the desert playa or the Flaming Lotus Girls at Maker Faire. Here’s some fire art worthy of a gallery setting (think of that call to the insurance company). These pieces were presented as part of the 2011 Combustion Art Competition Awards, held at a recent meeting of the Combustion Institute.
Growing edible plants on your fence, wall, or balcony is all the rage right now, and for many good reasons. The setup is attractive, the greens and/or herbs are inexpensive and yummy, and the idea is just cool! A friend recently sent me a link to this wonderful take on the wall garden; it uses […]
Micheal Dittman and his daughter Paige built longboards together, based on the article in MAKE Volume 26. Besides this being epically cool and sweet in and of itself, they started the project over Spring Break, but when Paige had to go back to school, they continued to collaborate, finish their projects via Skype and email.
Time lapse video by Elias Politis, uppermost, and single image composite of same, immediately above. It’s NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for June 25.
1960’s “Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments,” by Robert Brent and Harry Lazarus, is now freely browsable on Scribd, and can be downloaded as a .PDF after either paying $5 or uploading a document of your own in exchange.
Here’s an excerpt from my new book, The Practical Pyromaniac. It’s a bit different than a lot of the other projects because it deals with making things NOT catch on fire. It’s a pretty simple chemistry project. By the way, it makes paper fire resistant, not fire proof.
