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!
The Greener Gadgets 2009 design competition is now open for entries: We invite designers to explore the concept of “Greener Gadgets.” Designs should seek to minimize the environmental impact of consumer electronic devices at any stage in the product lifecycle. Areas of sustainability to consider include: 1. Energy 2. Materials / Lifecycle / Recycling 3. […]
“Canoe” by Canadian artist Peter Fleming is a 20 foot long trough of water resembling a canoe where a gunwale tracking mechanism endlessly paddles forward and back inside the boat. The entire piece is solar powered and was originally built from aluminum, gussets, and bolts so that it was fully collapsible. Check out the link […]
Popular Science’s Adam Weiner points out this entertaining example of Newton’s First Law of Motion, “a body continues to maintain its state of rest or of uniform motion unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force”. In this case, meaning those carts wanted to stay where they were.
Gary Gipson was inspired by the Magbot Pendulum project in Dave Hrynkiw’s wonderful Junkbots, Bugbots & Bots on Wheels. Greg made a few changes. He put the electronics package on a little swinging bot and made the permanent magnet stationary to the base. The bot’s LED eyes light up when he first starts out over […]
From Holy Scrap Hot Springs, Mikey and Wendy have some helpful tips for anybody considering a solar system: The federal tax credit for residential solar installations becomes uncapped starting January 1, which can mean more rebate if you want to setup your own system!
The “Solar Paper Latern” is made from 36 miniature solar panels with each connected up to an electroluminescent diode. The resulting light can remain on indefinitely, as long as the panels are near a spot of strong sun exposure. Solar Paper Lantern by Damien 0’Sullivan @ Saint Etienne Design Triennial
This video demonstrates several life-like “cyborg insects” that may potentially be future “spies” with onboard cameras and surveillance equipment. Check out the video to see how lifelike these “bugs” really are. via New Scientist
