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!
Homemade g force meter, Jesper writes – “This is a fun project. Unfortunately, it takes some time to develop the code, so this is a work in progress and here i’ll just present the project so far. Basically the AccelR8 is a device for measuring acceleration. It can measure +/- 2 g. As it contains […]
Matt writes – “Custom steel bicycle made on the cheap. In a world where the knowledgeable cog head can easily spend over $3000 for a custom built bicycle of any quality here’s someone who went on a crusade to meet the need for almost nothing but elbow grease.” Link.
Rob, one of my favorite Makers, had a melt off! “For most of my life, I’ve enjoyed the luxury of a gas range. However, I now live with an electric stovetop, which is a whole new ballgame. On Thursday evening, I conducted a little experiment with two similar chunks of ice.” Can you guess which […]
Here’s an illustrated guide to build your own gravity measuring device, pretty cool videos. “…a “basement science” experiment which reveals the universality of gravitation by demonstrating the gravitational attraction between palpable objects on the human scale. The experiment deliberately uses only the crudest and most commonplace materials, permitting anybody who’s so inclined to perform it. Einstein’s 1915 theory of General Relativity explains gravitation as spacetime curvature created by matter and energy. So, by demonstrating how every object in the universe attracts everything else, we’re bending spacetime in the basement.” Thanks bf5man! Link.
Another great how-it’s-made-site – “How Stuff Is Made is a visual encyclopedia that documents the manufacturing processes, labor conditions and environmental impacts involved in the production of contemporary products. It is a free, independent, academic resource published by engineering and design students, who research and produce summative photoessays describing these conditions of creation.” Thanks Star! Link.
Outstanding! SciAm is doing a podcast! “In this episode, Scientific American editor-in-chief John Rennie reflects on the Korean stem cell debacle; the National Inventors Hall of Fame announces this year’s inductees; and evolution defender Eugenie Scott discusses the importance of the decision in the recent Dover evolution trial. Also: hear outtakes from the CSI show you’re never going to see on TV.” [via] Link.
Awesome derby car mod – “I wanted to show you all the cool car my son Matthew and I made for his cub scouts pinewood derby. We wanted to do something entirely different and decided on mounting a very small camera to it along with an LED in the back to look like a jet engine. It was powered by a 9V battery which also served as the car’s weight. The car broadcast wirelessly to a receiver which we recorded on mini-DV. We won 7 prizes and finished 4th in the races.” [via] Link.
