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!
This past weekend, the World Maker Faire in NYC had a wide range of makers showcasing a variety of projects and skills. Front and center was the New York chapter of DIYbio, a scientific outreach group of local citizen scientists, and the BioBus, a mobile microscopy lab built on a 1972 transit bus. For the […]
Possibly the creepiest thing we’ve seen all season, here’s mercury(II) thiocyanate’s decomposition initiated by heating. The terrarium adds a nice effect, like we’re watching some kind of sand monster out of Star Trek. Video queued to 1:20, when the action starts. One Facebook commenter noted, “I guess when you burn mercury thiocyanate, it opens up […]
China launches Moon mission… A Chinese rocket carrying a probe destined for the Moon has blasted into space. A Long March 3C rocket with the Chang’e-2 probe took off from Xichang launch centre at about 1100 GMT. The rocket will shoot the craft into the trans-lunar orbit, after which the satellite is expected to reach […]
Flickr user gdafm saw my recent rebar bike post and sent us a link to these photos he took in Ampareas, Peru, of a pedal powered grain mill made in large part of welded rebar, including pedals and a rebar bike seat. [Thanks, gdaf!]
I like this idea from Ottawan Craig Reyenga, who bolted a nice leather car seat from a junkyard Volvo that he picked up for $15 into a rolling base to make his own computer chair.
Have you always wanted to monitor your brains signals, but didn’t have the money or expertise for an expensive setup? I caught up yesterday with Jacob Shiach about the Arduino EEG Project, which I first heard at the Open Science Summit in Berkeley, CA back in July. Here’s what Jacob had to say: From an […]
You know how we’re always lamenting how lame science kits have become, as hyperactive safety concerns overwhelm common sense and individual responsibility? It may get worse. See the grade school bio sciences kit above, with little more than table salt, vinegar, potting soil, plastic tools, and binder clips? If a new safety ruling takes affect, […]
