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!

Massive printable “Tree of Life” graphic for free download

Massive printable “Tree of Life” graphic for free download

This tree is from an analysis of small subunit rRNA sequences sampled
from about 3,000 species from throughout the Tree of Life. The species were chosen based on their availability, but we attempted to include most of the major groups, sampled
very roughly in proportion to the number of known species in each group (although many
groups remain over- or under-represented). The number of species represented is approximately the square-root of the number of species thought to exist on Earth
(i.e., three thousand out of an estimated nine million species), or about 0.18% of the 1.7 million species that have been formally described and named.

Audio myths dispelled

From ultra-low noise AC power cables to a frequency-calibrated jar of stones, it’s pretty amazing what can be sold in the pursuit of better sound. As it turns out, most of these subtle yet pricey upgrades/enhancements are nothing more than placebo – and hearing is a very subjective thing. Originally presented as part of a […]

Large Hadron… music?

Scientists working on the Large Hadron Collider have put together a sound library consisting of Community Commons music interpreted from from LHC datasets. Here’s an example description: The ATLAS detector viewed from the direction of the beam is circular, allowing us to sweep around it in a clockwise direction, looking for tracks and energy deposited […]

BioCurious, a hackerspace for biotech

The latest way to contribute to the nerd community using Kickstarter: BioCurious, a nascent hackerspace focusing on science, to be located in Mountain View, CA. They need money for rent and pro-grade laboratory equipment. Curious about Biology? Find out more at the new biology collaborative lab space where citizen science moves out of the classroom […]