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!

How-To: Ultralight camp pot from Heineken “keg” can

How-To: Ultralight camp pot from Heineken “keg” can

In the summer of 2002, Heineken introduced its 24 oz. “mini keg” can in the US. Besides having twice the volume of a normal aluminum beverage can, the “mini keg’s” unusual design includes a number of ridges and rings that make it much more rigid. Sometime around 2004, so far as I can tell, ultralight backpacking enthusiasts began experimenting with using the new can design as a cooking pot.

The community has evolved the design of these cooking pots to a remarkable extent, and although there seem to be as many variations as there are builders, a few common features seem to be emerging:

1. The top of the can is removed with a side-cutting can opener and preserved for use as a lid. The tab may be bent up to provide a handle, or a small knob may be attached.
2. The side of the can is wound with 1/16″ fiberglass wick to provide an insulated gripping surface
3. An elastic silicone wristband is stretched around the rim of the can for drinking comfort.

I’m sure to screw it up if I try to give any particular person “credit” for any of these ideas, but the embedded video overview from Minibulldesign Cult gives the best general overview of the idea I can find. And Rick of Wilderness Survival Forums has produced a good phototutorial describing the fiberglass winding process.

Robotic knifefish uses one fin to travel in all directions

Northwestern University professor Malcolm MacIver’s GhostBot is a robotic fish that can swim forward, backward, and vertically using its incredible ribbon-like fin. Ghostbot’s locomotion is inspired by a knifefish in MacIver’s aquarium, which a colleague observed making an unexpected, vertical movement. Further observations revealed that while the fish only uses one traveling wave along the […]

Collin’s Lab: Infrared heart sensor

Collin’s Lab: Infrared heart sensor

The beating of the heart is often recorded via sound or simply with touch – but there’s also another interesting and somewhat lesser known option – light. An infrared emitter/detector pair can be used along with a programmable microcontroller, to effectively visualize the effects of the human body’s hardest-working muscle.
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/collins_lab_infrared_heart_sensor.html