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!
James Burgett of ACCRC’s skull of junked electronics (photo via Dale Dougherty) The Alameda County Computer Resource Center could really use your help, as Dale writes on boingboing: ACCRC is in desperate straits. The Bay Area electronics recycler is going through tough times with an emergency re-org and a lack of funds to pay taxes […]
treasure stolen gold low the sun and busy bees prepare for winter We collected honey from our two backyard hives this fall and I’ve finally finished jarring it. The new hive, split from last year’s hive, produced over 20 pounds of honey. This is more than our first hive produced last year, but the older […]
What do you do with all those extra resistors, capacitors outdated Ic’s and dull red LEDs? Make SpareBots! Part sculpture, part recycling, SpareBots are a festive way to make figures, work with your hands and tell a story, like the SpareBot rodeo below: Flickr user Charlie Beldon has posted up some neat little sparebots into […]
Antique voltmeter displays current air quality from the web – By Tom Igoe… One thing that disappoints me about computers is how little character they possess. Antique instruments of information display, like Victorian pendulum clocks, barometers, and compasses, and Babbage’s calculating engines, have a presence that modern computers lack. I dig the look of the […]
Make a device that identifies dangerous liquids by analyzing light – By Eric Rosenthal… After air travel security banned bottled water and baby formula, I began wondering why they didn’t use a device to determine the contents of liquids. If a liquid was detected to be safe, security could allow it on the plane. Spectrometers […]
Dean sent in this really interesting build of a VW Microbus model. The original kit was a VW Beetle, but not much of the final vehicle was original. Click through the website to see a lot more information about the build. More about Modifying a VW Beetle model
(images via dartmouthwaveenergy.com) A horrible name and simple design for pumping water (which can then drive turbines) via wave action on a buoy tethered to the ocean floor (via Treehugger). Not suddenly solving all the world’s energy woes, but large numbers of this relatively simple, DIY-friendly design could have a nice impact towards sustainability…
