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!
While Princeton University’s National Spherical Torus Experiment was shut down for improvements over the winter break, scientists and engineers availed themselves of the opportunity to recalibrate the reactor’s neutron sensors. To do so, they assembled a circular toy train track around the torus and ran a toy locomotive carrying a chunk of neutron-emitting californium-247 along it for three days. The New York Times explains:
I’ve been listening to a lot of BBC podcasts (audio programs) lately, mostly their science shows – here’s a great one from a couple weeks ago… ‘Amateur’ is not a term that’s always considered as a compliment, but it should be, argue amateur scientists. The word amateur comes from the French ‘amour’, meaning someone who […]
It’s that time! Top 10 astronomy photos of 2009… …astronomy is so visually appealing as well! Colorful stars, wispy, ethereal nebulae, galactic vistas sprawling out across our telescopes… it’s art no matter how you look at it. And our techniques for viewing the heavens gets better every year; our telescopes get bigger, our cameras more […]
Regular parabolic mirrors are great for concentrating sunlight for solar heating, however they are bulky and can be difficult to repair. That’s where Dominic Wanjihias’ flat parabolic mirror comes into play.
Wooden pallets are easy to come by and can be made into a neat sled (or sledge) using Stiffey’s Instructable.
Pardon me while I go chemistry geek. It has recently come to my attention that Leo Gross and co-workers at IBM Research in Switzerland have developed a special atomic-force microscopy technique that can image actual molecules with enough resolution to “see” individual bonds and hydrogen atoms. Shown uppermost is a computer-generated model of the pentacene molecule, and below it, an actual image from the microscope. The microscope’s probe is tipped with a single molecule of carbon monoxide. Unbelievable.
It’s tin that’s been etched with a focused ion beam (FIB) instrument, with bits ion-welded platinum for the nose and to hold the tin spheres together. I guess it’s impractical to work with actual ice when you’re at the 10 micrometer scale. A human hair is about 50 micrometers across. It’s the work of Dr. David Cox and co-workers at the National Physical Laboratory in London.
