Teachers’ Pet Projects
We asked teachers to share their favorite classroom & science fair projects.
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!
Make an LVDT with soda straws
It’s the McLVDT, a linear variable differential transfomer, made from McDonald’s straws. The creator writes: I made a primary coil on a normal sized straw, and made two secondary coils on the outside of the larger McDonald’s straw. Since the McStraw is large-bore (perfect for those thick high calorie shakes), the smaller straw with the […]
Car launching!
Now why didn’t we think of this? Bill Gurstelle writes: It is exactly what it sounds like. This year several cars, trucks, and two school buses were launched. I’m absolutely going to be there next year. Car Launching
Country Scientist — Doing Science With a Digital Scanner
When the subject is two-dimensional, flatbed digital scanners can also play a major role in imaging science.
Made On Earth — Pedal Smoothie
David Butcher built the Pedal Powered Prime Mover (PPPM): a souped-up stationary bike generator.
Color thermal inkless printing technology
My father recently drew my attention to an article in IEEE Spectrum about the so-called “Zink” printing technology commercialized by a group of former Polaroid employees. Zink, an acronym for “zero ink,” uses special paper with three layers of embedded dye crystals activated by heaters in the print head. Solely by controlling the temperature and duration of heat pulses delivered by the print head, the yellow, magenta, and/or cyan layers may be selectively activated. It is essentially a refinement of the black-only thermal printing technology commonly used, for example, in cash registers and label makers. By eliminating the requirement for ink or toner, Zink promises to produce dramatically smaller and more portable color printers, and has already been incorporated in several “digital polaroid” style cameras with integral photo-printers, such as the Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera. [Thanks, Dad!]
The Bloop of Cthulhu?
This may be one of those situations where my love of a good story gets me in trouble with the more hard-minded scientific types among you, so please understand first that this is intended mostly in fun. Nonetheless, there are some intriguing facts here.