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Archive: Science
May 16, 2008
Phun physics program
Phun is a 2D "physics sandbox," a program created by a Swedish CompSci major as his Master of Science thesis. It's way cool; a great way for kids (of all ages) to learn physics concepts. It's available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
May 16, 2008 02:00 PM
Computers, Kids, Science, Toys and Games |
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Space weather receiver
This very low frequency radio reciever kit is sold by Nasa's Inspire project - a group based around the study radio atmospheric phenomena, aka whistlers. These pulses occur in a frequency range audible to us humans (1 to 30 kHz) - and they sound quite mysterious an interesting. Listen to some samples - Spaceweathersounds.com
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
May 16, 2008 08:30 AM
Science |
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May 14, 2008
WorldWide Telescope
Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope is out... I'm going to install it soon and compare it to Google's "Sky" and Starry Night -- if you've already done so, post up in the comments!
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 14, 2008 09:00 AM
Computers, Online, Science |
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May 13, 2008
HOW TO - Grow shiitake mushrooms
Jenny @ CRAFT writes:
Heavy Petal has a great tutorial showing how to drill an alder log and fill it with mushroom spawn-laced wooden plugs to create a super-cool log that will eventually sprout shiitake mushrooms galore.
My favorite is the last step: "Then you make omelettes."
Posted by Becky Stern |
May 13, 2008 09:00 PM
Science, Something I want to learn to do... |
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May 12, 2008
Fun with metronomes
How to synchronize five metronomes with two soda cans and a board.
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
May 12, 2008 11:00 AM
Music, Science |
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| Comments (3)
May 8, 2008
Brainwaves in a browser
The Gnaural Java applet allows you to playback binaural beat sequences in a web browser - arrange your own programs using the Gnaural software or simply download example programs and load them via the java interface.
If you're looking for something a little 'flashier' - check out this visual HTML Dreammachine. Far simpler than Gnaural, it allows you to control the rate and color of basic full-window flashes.
You can get acquainted with the mental medium via this handy frequency chart listing each range's associated states of consciousness.
(Theta [4-7hz] FTW!)
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
May 8, 2008 02:00 PM
Online, Science |
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The science and poetry of clouds
There's a Cloud Appreciation Society. Who knew? Lots of pictures, art, poetry, science, folk lure, discussion, etc. Cloud books, too (The Cloudspotter's Guide).
The Cloud Appreciation Society [Thanks, Patti!]
Related:
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
May 8, 2008 11:00 AM
Science |
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May 5, 2008
Fractal Laptop Etch
This weekend at Maker Faire Instructables brought their laser cutter and was laser etching laptops, phones, and other things for free. My favorite is Alex Schlegel's fractal-etched Vaio (source image included). If you had your gear etched, add a picture to the MAKE Flickr pool!
Posted by Becky Stern |
May 5, 2008 07:00 PM
Arts, Computers, Imaging, Instructables, Maker Faire, Science |
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April 30, 2008
Home Chemistry at Maker Faire
We're very excited about the release of the second in our line of DIY Science books, Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments, by Robert Bruce Thompson. Bob also authored the first title in the series Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders. At Maker Faire, he will be doing demos of lab experiments from the book on Saturday (1pm - 1:45pm) and Sunday (3pm - 3:45pm) at the MAKE Demo stage in the Maker Shed.
From the Maker Store:
Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments
Our Price: $34.99
For students, DIY hobbyists, and science buffs, who can no longer get real chemistry sets, this one-of-a-kind guide explains how to set up and use a home chemistry lab, with step-by-step instructions for conducting experiments in basic chemistry. Learn how to smelt copper, purify alcohol, synthesize rayon, test for drugs and poisons, and much more. The book includes lessons on how to equip your home chemistry lab, master laboratory skills, and work safely in your lab, along with 17 hands-on chapters that include multiple laboratory sessions.
Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset May 3rd and 4th at the San Mateo Fairgrounds, CA (Upcoming.org). It's for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things. Buy tickets now and save, discount ticket sales end on April 25th, 2008.
If you're in the Bay Area, or plan to attend Maker Faire add "makerfaire" to your Twitter, we'll be giving away tickets and will have updates before and during Maker Faire!
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Apr 30, 2008 04:42 PM
Maker Faire, Science |
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April 28, 2008
Capacitor spool phyllotaxis?
Lenore, of Evil Mad Scientist Labs, glimpses the pattern that connects in a spool of monolithic capacitors:
These capacitors... exhibit the opposite spirals of phyllotaxis that are probably most familiar from the face of a sunflower. Who knew capacitors could be so lovely?
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Apr 28, 2008 08:00 PM
Science |
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April 25, 2008
Attention Capital Makers!
Wow, all of a sudden, it feels like Washington, DC is a happenin' place for DIY-minded techies and tinkerers. Check out this schedule of upcoming events:
Saturday, April 26: RobotFest, Linthicum, MD
Make: DC will be there doing Solarbotics BEAM workshops for kids!
Sunday, April 27: HacDC Pre-Grand Opening Parts Party
And:
Tuesday April, 29:
Dorkbot DC
7 PM - 9 PM (ET)
ALWAYS FREE!
Smith Hall of Art, Room 114
George Washington University
801 22nd St NW
Washington, DC 20037
Steve Hernandez : Machine to Machine (M2M) Communication Utilizing GSM Cellular Networks M2M communication is the process of allowing two or more machines to communicate with each other to exchange data and can encompass both voice and data communications. Steve's going to discuss using the GM862 Cellular Quad Band Module, manufactured by Telit, and available from SparkFun Electronics, in your projects.
Steve Hernandez is an engineer working in areas of telecom that he'd rather not discuss with you, but only because he doesn't like the hassle of having to dispose of your body afterwards.
Jay Swift : Bringing Up Rex In our second presentation on the RepRap project's plan for world domination and the good people that are making that possible, Jay--a member of the Baltimore/Washington RepRap Users' Group--will have us oohing and ahhing as he shows us his neonatal Darwin 1.0 (dubbed Rex by his GF) and tells us where RepRaps come from.
Jay Swift is a high school Junior who got interested in RepRap about six months ago, mainly because he wanted to do something that was more worth his time than K'NEX.
If you--or someone you know--has an interesting announcement or something to share (5 minutes or less), we'll make time to fit you in.
Afterdork
After the presentations, the exchange continues over food and drink at a nearby eatery.
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Apr 25, 2008 01:00 PM
Announcements, Events, Robotics, Science |
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April 24, 2008
Living skin breathes life into building facades
The FLARE system is a modular dynamic display for building facades that acts like a "living skin" to allow the building to "communicate" with its environment. The surface, controlled by a computer, consists of a series of tiltable metal flakes and controllable pneumatic cylinders that act as pixels based on their tilt in relation to the sun. Check out the construction details at the link below.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Apr 24, 2008 08:00 AM
Made On Earth, Science |
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April 23, 2008
Deconstructing the lotus root
Windell, over at EMS Labs, takes a break from experimenting with hardware to play with his food, geeking out over the strange and cool properties of the Nelumbo Nucifera, also known as the Sacred Lotus (amongst other names):
Any plant fiber running down the length of the rhizome would be trimmed down to an inch or so when we cut the rootlet to size. And yet, the fibers drawn between the two pieces can stretch out to many times that length. The only explanation that makes sense to me is if this is not really a fiber that exists in the lotus root, but is instead a chemical-- a polymer-- that stretches into these strings when given the opportunity.
With a little more care to the preparation of the rootlet-- carefully scoring around the entire outer husk, you can pull many more fibers:
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Apr 23, 2008 12:00 PM
Green, Science |
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April 21, 2008
Revisiting Claude Paillard's triodes
One of the most enthusiastic responses we've ever gotten to a Make: Blog post was for the video of French radio ham Claude Paillard's built from scratch vacuum tubes. If you haven't seen the video yet, you're in for a real treat. It still triggers passionate and effusive praise, such as this comment from a former Hughes Research Labs employee:
Dear Mr. Paillard,
I worked at Hughes Research Labs (now, HRL) for over 30 years and, vividly recall how skilled and talented the technical staff was. As a physicist, I relied immensely on our technical staff to fabricate the devices that we invented, without which, nothing would have become practical. It is magnificent to see and evaluate actual devices --- made with such precision (as you so beautifully demonstrated) --- evolve from our calculations and sketchy drawings. Your brilliant work brought back such fond and wonderful memories (you would have been hired on the spot!). In our laboratories, experimental and prototype lasers were made from scratch, just as you beautifully demonstrated with the triode. The gas discharge lasers required many of the skills that you posses, for this class of laser could be thought of as a "vacuum tube" with optical windows at both ends, and filled with a specified amount of spectroscopic purity, low pressure atomic or molecular gas(es), such as helium, neon, carbon dioxide, argon, xenon, etc. Moreover, such lasers require the vacuum-tube equivalent of a filament, cathode and anode to maintain a stable electric discharge, which is used to excite the active laser's gaseous medium. In many cases, a "getter" was "flashed" in the tube (using external RF to heat it up as you so eloquently performed), and, the evaporated material such as cesium (the shiny coating one sees along the inner walls of the tube) is used to absorb contaminants (e.g., oxygen) that would otherwise render the device useless.
To those readers that have never worked in a research environment, it is easy to overlook all the fine skills that are necessary to actually fabricate a triode, each aspect of which is a specialty in itself: metal forming and machining, instrument design, vacuum technology, materials processing, high-power RF technology, glass blowing (including forming and annealing), understanding of the detailed device properties of a triode and how to characterize its electronic performance. Your work is excellent and, viewing your video is refreshing and inspiring, for you make an extremely difficult labor of love appear so effortless --- true genius! Bravo to you!!
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Apr 21, 2008 11:00 AM
Makers, Retro, Science |
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April 16, 2008
Magnetic levitation
More fun with maglev (and LN2).
Magnetic Levitation [Thanks, Patti!]
Related:
- Make stuff float, with the magnetic levitation kit
- Superconducting Maglev train models
- Diamagnetic levitation on a jar lid
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Apr 16, 2008 11:00 AM
Science |
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Solar cells built into windows could change power sources forever
The Queensland University of Technology in Australia in conjunction with Dyesol has developed an innovative solar cell technology that uses dye-infused, translucent solar cells and can be integrated into windows and uses a technology called "artificial photosynthesis" where a dye similar to chlorophyll absorbs light and generates electricity. Imagine these windows installed onto every skyscraper in the world, they might generate enough power to fuel the whole city below.
Transparent Solar Windows Set to Energize Homes
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Apr 16, 2008 09:00 AM
Green, Science |
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| Comments (8)
April 10, 2008
Pneumatic exoskeleton makes lifting a breeze
This soft pneumatic powered exoskeleton uses electronic components to control the flow of air which transforms the burden of weight and kinetic actuation into an easier hurdle for the wearer. Unlike previous versions, this one is light, portable, and low-power and only activated when muscle assistance is needed. Pretty nice way to perform better in a road race without having to subject yourself to steroid abuse.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Apr 10, 2008 09:00 AM
Robotics, Science |
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April 9, 2008
They're infinitely delicious!
Lenore of Evil Mad Scientist Labs has baked up a batch of Sierpinski cookies and details how she did it. Who's hungry for geometric self-similarity? I am! I am!
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Apr 9, 2008 03:00 PM
Crafts, DIY Projects, Science |
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Our kind of catalog
Make: Books indexer extraordinaire Patti Schiendelman sent us a link to this seriously cool UK catalog of "Weird, smart, strange, bizarre, electronic, technology resources and materials." Hey, that sounds like our market demo!
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Apr 9, 2008 12:00 PM
Science, Toolbox |
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April 7, 2008
Fun with magnetism
This video shows some cool effects of magnetism, including a magnet launcher.
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Apr 7, 2008 11:00 AM
Science |
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Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor
Tel: 707-827-7311
Gareth Branwyn
Robot Maker
Kip Kay
Video Maker
Jonah Brucker-Cohen
Researcher
Natalie Zee Drieu
Senior Editor
CRAFT
Becky Stern
Culture jammer
Collin Cunningham
Sound Maker
Marc de Vinck
CNC Maker
Current Podcast
Maker Faire 2008: Vehicles!
Check out all the fun and excitement at this year's Maker Faire in San Mateo, California. People from all over the world came to experience this amazing event. Here are just some of the amazing riding machines we saw.To...
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