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!

Austin Event: Green By Design Workshop

I’ve heard this workshop provides a good overview of home efficiency upgrades, including lots of ideas for DIY projects: Austin Energy Green Buildingรขโ€žยข holds its one-day Green by Design workshop four times a year. Austinites preparing to build, buy, or remodel a home can learn how to improve energy and water efficiency, increase comfort, and […]

Solar Heating In A Weekend

Solar Heating In A Weekend

They’re not Make or Craft, but a few other magazines do have a healthy sprinkling of DIY projects among their archives. Here’s a good one from Homepower: Passive Solar Retrofit… In A Weekend (pdf). As I find sustainable projects, especially those that are lower-tech, I find it interesting to look at any disadvantages and think […]

Wave farm

Wave farm

The first wave farm is open for biz, er, waving… The worldรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs first commercial wave farm went live at the end of September in Agucadoura, located off the coast of northern Portugal. Designed by Pelamis Wave Power, the farm employs three Wave Energy Converters – snakelike, semi-submerged devices that generate electricity with hydraulic rams driven […]

Pump water by walking to work

Pump water by walking to work

“Human Pump” by Gunwook Nam attempts to solve the global water crisis by capturing kinetic energy generated by human foot traffic in order to power a large system of pumps to move clean drinking water to the earth’s surface in the form of a waterfall. Some very nice renderings of the design at the link […]

An Interesting WIndmill Design

I spotted this different take on a vertical-axis wind turbine at Maker Faire Austin last weekend: I haven’t found any further documentation on Rusty Forbes’ design online, but the Makers’ site claims this will work in winds from 5 to 90 miles per hour. Any takers to try and document building one? Also, check out […]