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Archive: Science
August 28, 2008
Is it safe?
Polymer Identification by Burnination from Zach 'Iowa' Hoeken on Vimeo.
Avoid chlorine gas!
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Aug 28, 2008 02:43 AM
Science |
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Testing ...
Polymer Identification by Burnination from Zach 'Iowa' Hoeken on Vimeo.
Avoid chlorine gas!
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Aug 28, 2008 02:43 AM
Science |
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August 20, 2008
Light transmitting concrete
LitraCon hopes to be selling light transmitting concrete later this year. Amazing looking stuff. Via optics.org
"Thousands of optical glass fibers form a matrix and run parallel to each other between the two main surfaces of every block," explained its inventor Áron Losonczi. "Shadows on the lighter side will appear with sharp outlines on the darker one. Even the colours remain the same. This special effect creates the general impression that the thickness and weight of a concrete wall will disappear."
Posted by Patti Schiendelman |
Aug 20, 2008 03:18 PM
How it's made, Science |
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August 18, 2008
DIY mechanical magnetic levitation
Bill Beaty documents his recipe for levitating neodymium magnets using two rotating coppers tubes. Note: The aptly named "Fantastically Dangerous Mechanical MagLev" could indeed seriously injure a person (you'll notice Bill uses a clear plastic covering over the tubes to prevent the aforementioned nastiness) -
While working on science museum exhibits in 1990 I came up with the above idea: it is known that a spinning metal disk will lift and fling a strong magnet. Therefore, metal rods with opposite spin will lift a magnet but WON'T fling it sideways. It works! I used "sched-80" heavy wall copper tubes about 1-3/8" diameter, 12" long, with 1/4" wall thickness. I hammered aluminum plugs into the tubes, carved shaft-tips with a lathe, built endblocks and bearings, spun them with an AC/DC motor, and managed to levitate a stack of two 3/4" diameter neodymium magnets. The spinning tubes must move at about 5000 RPM before the magnet starts floating.- All-mechanical magnetic levitation with neodymium supermagnets [via Hacked Gadgets]
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Aug 18, 2008 02:29 PM
DIY Projects, Science |
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Why is it so?
Great collection of clips from TV science teacher Julius Sumner Miller "Why is it so?"
Why is it so? - the ground-breaking TV series with the enigmatic Professor Julius Sumner Miller - ran on the ABC from 1963 to 1986. Professor Miller's infectious enthusiasm for physics delighted, educated and entertained generations of Australians, most of whom have at some point asked each other 'Why is it so?' in the characteristic Julius Sumner Miller voice.The Lab has found some of the funniest, most entertaining segments from the Why is it so? series, and made them available for twenty first century enjoyment - over both dialup or broadband connections. Now you too can watch some 'enchanting experiments' with the good professor!
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 18, 2008 12:00 AM
Retro, Science |
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August 16, 2008
Austin Event: Space Squid Party
Like science fiction of a humorous bend? Or, just curious what bold zine could claim to be "Earth's least established publication of fine sci-fi and humor?"
Space Squid is releasing issue 5 and throwing a free soiree tonight:
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16th, 5pm-7pm, BIKINIS SPORTS BARA big SPACE SQUID party! For the biggest SPACE SQUID issue yet!
There will be free copies of Space Squid #6 (with a COLOR COVER)! Enjoy some FREE APPETIZERS!* Drink some deliciously intoxicating regular-priced BEVERAGES! Marvel at the DINING ETIQUETTE of the Space Squid editors! Meet Central Texas' finest hacks (and some actual published authors)! Chat with a Squidgrrl! Buy a Squid t-shirt at unheard of prices ($7)!
Learn more about Space Squid here; those not fortunate enough to be in this center of the Lone Star state can download their latest issue for free.
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Aug 16, 2008 07:50 AM
Events, Science, Toys and Games |
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Evolution of the typewriter
I found this great article about the evolution of the typewriter on the site of the Science Museum in Kensington, England.
QWERTY refers to the most common form of layout of letters found on the keyboard of a typewriter or computer. The name refers to the first six letters at the top of the board. The initial idea and later development of this design came from one of the first pioneers of the typewriter, Christopher Sholes, who invented the first commercially successful machine. The original layout of letters was in an ABC format, but Sholes found this continually jammed his typewriters. To solve the problem, he asked his brother-in-law, a mathematician, to work out an arrangement that would for most of the time prevent the bars from clashing. Sholes later claimed that this was a highly 'scientific arrangement'. From this the QWERTY idea was evolved in 1873.
More:
Jeremy Mayer's typewriter reassembly
Posted by Patti Schiendelman |
Aug 16, 2008 07:00 AM
How it's made, Kids, Science |
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August 15, 2008
Project reads local C02 levels and displays them through chalk formations
"Statlab" by Dutch artist Tjerk Stoop, is an environmental art project that samples local air quality and displays the average CO2 levels through a chemical reaction where chalk particles are dynamically formed. The result is a graph "where the difference in the amount of chalk particles per tank is a global measure for the fluctuating CO2 concentration within one week." Interesting visualization of pollution information with a nice visual aesthetic that renders typical scientific data more palatable to the average citizen. Check out the link below for lots more info on this installation.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Aug 15, 2008 04:00 AM
Arts, Science |
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August 13, 2008
CotBots will sense your space and dial home about it
The "CotsBots" are inexpensive, modular mobile robots created from off-the-shelf components. The bots are "meant as a platform to investigate algorithms, cooperation, and distributed sensing in large robot networks." Each bot includes built in radio communication, and are written in TinyOS, an open source system for large-scale distributed sensor networks. Pretty cool idea that we hope to see proliferating around curriculums soon.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Aug 13, 2008 06:00 AM
Robotics, Science |
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August 12, 2008
Slow motion lightning
Inspiringly beautiful video of cloud-to-ground lightning -
You can see all steps of lightning. First the stepped leader (clound-t-ground), second the upward leader (from tower), third the attachment between these two leaders, 4th the RETURN STROKE (the main stroke of a discharge) and after, the subsequent strokes.The capillary-like pattern of the stepped-leader seems particularly striking(npi), wikipedia expounds -
The negative charged leaders, called a "stepped leader", proceed generally downward in a number of quick jumps, each up to 50 meters long. Along the way, the stepped leader may branch into a number of paths as it continues to descend. The progression of stepped leaders takes a comparatively long time (hundreds of milliseconds) to approach the ground. This initial phase involves a relatively small electric current (tens or hundreds of amperes), and the leader is almost invisible compared to the subsequent lightning channel.- Lightning on Wikipedia
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Aug 12, 2008 06:30 AM
Imaging, Science |
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August 11, 2008
PVC benchtop gas generator
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 renting a gas cylinder. It turns out there are a number of useful gas-generating reactions between solid- and liquid-phase reagents. Kipp's design incorporates the clever feature that stopping the flow of gas separates the liquid and solid reagents inside the instrument and thereby stops the reaction. Thus the generator only produces gas when you need it, and may remain in a stable equilibrium state on the bench for days at a time, ready to resume operation as soon as you open the valve.
Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments by Robert Bruce Thompson
Posted by Becky Stern |
Aug 11, 2008 09:00 PM
DIY Projects, Science |
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Home science under attack
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.Deeb is not accused of making methamphetamine or other illegal drugs. He's not accused of aiding terrorists, synthesizing explosives, nor even of making illegal fireworks. Deeb fell afoul of the Massachusetts authorities for ... doing experiments.
Authorities concede that the chemicals found in Deeb's basement lab were no more hazardous than typical household cleaning products. Despite that, authorities confiscated "all potentially hazardous chemicals" (which is to say the chemicals in Deeb's lab) from his home, and called in a hazardous waste cleanup company to test the chemicals and clean up the lab.
Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for Marlboro, stated, "I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere. This is not what we would consider to be a customary home occupation."
Allow me to translate Ms. Wilderman's words into plain English: "Mr. Deeb hasn't actually violated any law or regulation that I can find, but I don't like what he's doing because I'm ignorant and irrationally afraid of chemicals, so I'll abuse my power to steal his property and shut him down."
In effect, the Massachusetts authorities have invaded Deeb's lab, apparently without a warrant, and stolen his property. Deeb, presumably under at least the implied threat of further action, has not objected to the warrantless search and the confiscation of his property. Or perhaps he's just biding his time. It appears that Deeb has grounds for a nice juicy lawsuit here.
There's a lesson here for all of us who do science at home, whether we're home schoolers or DIY science enthusiasts. The government is not our friend. Massachusetts is the prototypical nanny state, of course, but the other 49 aren't far behind. Any of us could one day find the police at the door, demanding to search our home labs. If that day comes, I will demand a warrant and waste no time getting my attorney on the phone.
There's a word for what just happened in Massachusetts. Tyranny. And it's something none of us should tolerate.
Robert Bruce Thompson is the author of Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments - 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.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 11, 2008 09:30 AM
Science |
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Seed cribsheets
Seed magazine has these great downloadable cribsheets about synthetic biology (Spore fans take note!), genetics, the elements, hurricanes - there are sixteen subjects so far.
Posted by Patti Schiendelman |
Aug 11, 2008 07:00 AM
Kids, Science |
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Homebrew flashlight adds a new star to the galaxy
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 it directly. Check out how it was built at the link below.
Handheld Sunbeam via Popular Science
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Aug 11, 2008 06:00 AM
Electronics, Science |
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August 10, 2008
NASA image web app for iPhone
Todd Barnes at Toughturtle has some interesting web apps for the iPhone, including the often breathtaking Nasa Image of the Day.
Posted by Patti Schiendelman |
Aug 10, 2008 07:00 AM
iPhone, Science |
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August 6, 2008
Fun with POV and Lissajous figures
This week, EMS Labs has a nifty piece on Lissajous figures which Windell was able to generate using an LED display on one of the EMS Labs' breakout board business cards suspended from an oscillation rig built from a file folder frame, wooden dowels, and BBQ skewers.
Lissajous figures are interesting curves that occur in systems where oscillation happens in more than one direction, for example when a pendulum hanging from a string moves in its plane. The "standard" way to play with Lissajous figures is on an oscilloscope, and the easy way is of course in a web app, but there is also something to be said for a demo that you can hold in your hands. In what follows, we build a simple apparatus that takes a persistence of vision approach to displaying Lissajous figures.
A simple persistence of vision approach to Lissajous figures
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 6, 2008 11:00 AM
Electronics, Imaging, Science |
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Black swallowtail caterpillars
Sharon Stiteler blogs as Birdchick - she's an avid birder and beekeeper, and is raising black swallowtail butterflies. She has some great videos of caterpillar activity - the top video is a caterpillar shedding its skin, the next one is a caterpillar sticking out its stink horns, a defense mechanism.
Apparently raising black swallowtail butterflies is not a walk in the park - Naturespeak has a post about a parasitic wasp that will lay eggs in the caterpillars - the caterpillars go about their business making chrysalids, but the wasp maggots eat the caterpillar and eventually emerge from the chrysalids as adult wasps.
If you'd like to try your hand at butterfly ranching, you can go to Butterfly School - virtually - they have an online guide that covers several different species.
Posted by Patti Schiendelman |
Aug 6, 2008 07:00 AM
Kids, Science |
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August 5, 2008
DIY dialysis machine saves baby's life
Apparently even kidney dialysis machines designed for children were too big for Millie Kelly's 6-pound newborn body, so Dr. Malcom Coulthard (UK) made her a miniature dialysis machine - in his garage. It just goes to show that innovation can still happen at the individual level, even in the medical field.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Aug 5, 2008 09:00 PM
Made On Earth, Science |
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Lensless micro-microscope on a chip
Fig. 1 (a) Architecture of the optofluidic microscope (OFM); set of three arrows: illumination; single arrow: flow direction. (b) Photograph of the OFM prototype compared with a U.S. quarter. The actual nanoaperture array is 600 µm long. (c) The top view of the OFM; denotes the isolated aperture; denotes the corresponding aperture, as explained in the text. (d) Photograph of the orientation of the aperture array with respect to the channel. (e) Experimental scheme for the OFM prototype. (f) Transmission time traces from aperture and associated with the transition of a C. elegans.
DC artist, programmer, and Dorkbot DC co-overlord Alberto Gaitán tells MAKE:
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences recently published research inspired by eye floaters in "Lensless high-resolution on-chip optofluidic microscopes for Caenorhabditis elegans and cell imaging" by CalTech's Xiquan Cui, Lap Man Lee, et al. And as if cheap (~$10), portable, on-chip, lensless, hi-res microscopy for developing countries' infectious disease management wasn't promising enough, it also holds promise for backyard microscopists and mobile-device-mounted passive sensorwebs for biohazard detection. No telling what cool hacks await if it becomes available through Digikey!
Lensless high-resolution on-chip optofluidic microscopes for Caenorhabditis elegans and cell imaging
New Micro-Microscope Is Portable And Cheap [NPR piece on the technology]
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 5, 2008 02:00 PM
Imaging, News from the Future, Science |
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August 4, 2008
Tiny bladed turbine
Dunder and Blixem writes on Flickr:
A light weight bladed turbine. Built to test the concept this little engine is fast but temperamental. Note the 2 cent coin used as a backing plate.
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 4, 2008 11:30 AM
Science |
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