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!

I Heart Japanese Maples

I have always treasured Japanese Maples. Long ago I decided that Acer Palmatum were precious and began to covet them, and since then, my feelings have only grown stronger. I live in the redwood forest, where the trees are all evergreens. One reason I’m so attracted to the Japanese Maples is because they are one […]

Fluid polygons and polyhedra

Fluid polygons and polyhedra

We’ll call it Math Wednesday. Marc de Vinck turned me on to these amazing fluid-based polygons and polyhedra: When a vertical water jet strikes a circular horizontal impactor, the water is deflected into a horizontal sheet. At sufficiently high speeds, the flow results in a circular water sheet, whose radius is set by a balance […]

Queen’s Tears Bromeliad

Queen’s Tears Bromeliad

Billbergia nutans is the most unusual bromeliad I have ever seen. Named Queen’s Tears, this hearty plant is called one of the most commonly grown bromeliads by Wikipedia, but I think she is a rare beauty. I picked up my first Queen’s Tears from a Brazilian at the Sebastopol flea market 8 years ago, and […]

Earth Day 2010: Caring for things

Earth Day 2010: Caring for things

Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios. — John Prine For Earth Day 2010, iFixit.com has announced an ambitious goal: To teach every person on Earth how to fix each thing they own. To that end, iFixit has expanded their wiki-like platform for online repair manuals beyond the Apple product line. In this […]