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!
Sean Ragan followed a 19th century design by Petrus Jacobus Kipp to create this benchtop gas generator. He writes: If you should find yourself in need of small volumes of gas at about atmospheric pressure for a reaction or project, generating it on the bench can be a convenient and inexpensive alternative to buying or […]
[A mop made out of old socks] [Bike reflectors made from CDs] On Street Use, KK has some nifty pics of improvised street tech spotted on the streets of Thailand. The images are from a book of photographs by Thomas Kalak called Thailand – Same same, but different! Improvisation in Thailand
This wind-driven sculpture is by Jeffery Laudenslager – I love the shapes it makes and how it plays with perspective. The sound of the ocean is really peaceful, too.
A special guest post “home science under attack” by Robert Bruce Thompson… The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that Victor Deeb, a retired chemist who lives in Marlboro, has finally been allowed to return to his Fremont Street home, after Massachusetts authorities spent three days ransacking his basement lab and making off with its contents. […]
The “MaxBlaster” is a 38 million candle power flashlight created by Dutch optics engineer Ralf Ottow. By taking apart a commercial flashlight, inserting a mercury arc bulb, and adding a custom designed reflector, the beam is as powerful as a miniature star when seeing it from a distance. Pretty amazing design, just don’t look at […]
Seed magazine has these great downloadable cribsheets about synthetic biology (Spore fans take note!), genetics, the elements, hurricanes – there are sixteen subjects so far.
Todd Barnes at Toughturtle has some interesting web apps for the iPhone, including the often breathtaking Nasa Image of the Day.
