discussion

Arduino Won? Hack a Day Responds

Arduino Won? Hack a Day Responds

Veteran Hack a Day writer Caleb Kraft has written a thoughtful response to Phil’s yesterday editorial Why the Arduino Won and Why It’s Here to Stay (which also got a nice mention on the official Arduino Blog). It’s worth reading in its entirety, but the short version—which you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever had a skilled hacker flame you for using an Arduino when a much simpler circuit could’ve done the job—is that those who have the skill-set to do without the Arduino should stop poking fun at those who don’t, and help educate them instead. Hear, hear!

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan24
What are self-healing cutting mats made from?

What are self-healing cutting mats made from?

When I was in graduate school, I took a seminar class from a chemist whose work in developing self-healing polymers was widely admired. I had seen these self-healing cutting mats in the MicroMark catalog, and always wondered what they were made of. So I asked him, in class. He looked at me like I’d grown a second head: “You mean to tell me you’ve seen self-healing polymers on the market? In a consumer product?” Later I brought him the catalog, and showed him the listing. He was stumped, and more than a bit dubious.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan13
SWM seeks experienced chemist for “explosive polymerization”

SWM seeks experienced chemist for “explosive polymerization”

So I’m crowd-sourcing the problem. Is there a specialist in the house who knows something about explosive polymerization? And if so, can you tell me: What is the polymerization analog of a small firecracker? Some kind of diminutive goo-bomb that will go off impressively but without injuring bystanders or spraying horrible toxins everywhere? If you can help me come up with a reasonably safe system, I’ll make it happen. I’ll even sign a waiver first.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan26