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!

Tin can contact microphones

If you’re into lo-fi sound, this is a pretty cool trick. What’s more, it’s super easy to DIY. If you’re as busy as I am, though, and you still want to experiment with a tin can mic, it’s hard to argue with the $7 price tag on these from the guys who run getlofi.com. I like the fact that they leave the original labels in place, and that they use 1/4″ jacks. It would also appear that they have some clever trick for resealing the empty can in a good-looking way. At first I thought they were actually using a can sealer to close them back up, but close inspection of the photographs makes me think they probably open them with a side-opening can opener (Wikipedia) and then glue or solder the original lids back in place. Still cool, though.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan
Math Monday: Mathematical beading

Math Monday: Mathematical beading

By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics Beading is a traditional craft which recently has been applied to make interesting mathematical models. Here are some impressive examples by Bih-Yaw Jin, starting with a beaded Mobius strip. A beaded helical surface twists through space like a cork screw. All five Platonic solids are shown here, […]

Continue Reading Gareth Branwyn4

The Coke Zero and Mentos Rocket Car

One of the hands-down favorite, perennial attractions at Maker Faire is the “Diet Coke and Mentos guys,” aka Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz, aka EepyBird. Huge crowds excitedly gather to watch explosive geysers of carbonated combustion and to be showered with plumes of sticky sugar-water (which must be so much fun to wear around the […]

Continue Reading Gareth Branwyn2
World Science Festival in NYC

World Science Festival in NYC

This week kicked off the World Science Festival, a five-day extravaganza in New York City. There’s still time to catch today’s and this weekend’s events, including the Sunday Street Fair in Washington Square Park, where you can find Maker Faire folks at the New York Hall of Science booth. If you’re in the neighborhood from […]

Continue Reading Becky Stern
Lego ship in a glass bottle

Lego ship in a glass bottle

Not to be confused with this Lego ship in a Lego bottle. Something very like this stunt has actually been on my personal to-do list for about six months now (well, I was gonna build a Lego spaceship in a glass bottle), but I kept putting it off. “Jeremy Moody built the first Lego ship inside a bottle!” is the headline over at Brothers Brick. Oh, that stings! [Thanks, Rachel!]

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan2