Makers

Dr. Silicone (How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Siloxane Bonds)

Dr. Silicone (How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Siloxane Bonds)

I wanted to make a spatula that would last forever, with FDA approved food grade silicone and a high heat safety rating. (I molded a couple prototypes at home, thinking that if it worked right I’d make a few for friends and family as gifts. The models were cool, but lacked polish.) Once I made the decision to move to a professional manufacturer, more interesting questions arose. How do we optimize flexibility in the blade? What material should we use in the core to give it balance and minimize heat retention? And most of all: how heat resistant can we get it to be?

Indiana High School Students Make a Winning 849 MPG Car

Indiana High School Students Make a Winning 849 MPG Car

After 10 months of work and support from a volunteer team of parents and community members, a group of students from Mater Dei High School in Evansville, Ind. recently recently won the Shell Eco-marathon Americas competition for an ultra high MPG vehicle. At 849 MPG, I’d say that’s pretty high. They also won the grand prize winner in AutoZone’s Show It off, America social media contest. The single-person car has an aluminum frame and is powered by a 50-cc engine