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!
Happy first day of autumn! I was cutting off the dead stuff on some wild irises in my yard last weekend and noticed how delicate and beautiful the dried blossoms were. This got me thinking about the dried up, deep brown blooms (Curly Dock) you always see by the side of the road this time […]
Sacha De’Angeli of Chemhacker has announced the release of version oh-point-one of ChemHackerSTM, a scanning and tunneling microscope (SMT). I’ve gotten the scanning tunneling microscope built and working (well, 0.1 is just proof of concept). To celebrate and in anticipation of MakerFaire and Open Hardware Summit, I’m releasing all designs and source code using GPL3.0. […]
Titanium is really cool for a lot of reasons, but this Instructable by, ah, “Thursday” highlights one in particular: It is incredibly easy to anodize, and produces really striking colors when anodized. So, you know, if you’re interested in anodizing this is an way to start experimenting. Thursday has stripped the anodizing process down to it’s absolute minimum here: small titanium bits, white vinegar, a stack of 9V batteries, and a counterelectrode. Now I want to see somebody use all those differently-colored rings to make a chain-mail photomosaic.
In response to the vibrating conveyor belt post, Ranjit Bhatnagar let us know about the sketching device #1 that he built back in 2002.
Sometimes you don’t have the option of calling for an ambulance. That’s when something like the Zambulance comes in. Made by Zambian bicycle manufacturer Zambikes, this modified bike trailer is outfitted with a mattress and a tent-like curtain to offer shelter from the heat and rain. What used to be a 2-3 hour ox cart ride can now be accomplished in as little as 30 minutes.
No, this is not one of the sci-fi video game replica weapon props I keep posting about–it’s a real, functioning homemade coil-gun by Jason, aka YouTube user Larsplatoon, aka Photobucket and 4hv.org user Saz43, who has been working on it for two years. It’s billed as a “1.25kJ Coilgun,” but I dunno how that figure was computed. If it is muzzle energy then projectiles from this weapon deliver more kinetic energy than a .45 handgun but less than an M16 rifle, which I frankly doubt. But judge for yourself by clicking the embedded player below to be taken directly to the test firings at 2:50, in which various housewares get shattered and punched full of holes. I’m guessing 1.25 kJ is the theoretical maximum energy that can be delivered by the capacitor bank, and that the real muzzle energy is significantly lower.
Here’s a message from Ariel Waldman, announcing the first US Science Hack Day, happening right in the heart of Silicon Valley! Makers can post their ideas to the wiki and hack with us when the day (Nov 13-14) comes. I’m helping to organize the event. Hope to see you there! — Eri We’re super excited […]
