MetaFilter posts tagged with DIY and science

Bottle rockets. No punks.

loquacious — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:30:05 -0800

Pssst. Hey, kid. Check out these bottle rockets. You can make them yourself . Via: Make.

Discover Your Inner Frankenstein

amyms — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:23:52 -0800

"In Massachusetts, a young woman makes genetically modified E. coli in a closet she converted into a home lab. A part-time DJ in Berkeley, Calif., works in his attic to cultivate viruses extracted from sewage. In Seattle, a grad-school dropout wants to breed algae in a personal biology lab. These hobbyists represent a growing strain of geekdom known as biohacking, in which do-it-yourselfers tinker with the building blocks of life in the comfort of their own homes." They might be discovering cures for diseases or developing new biofuels, but are their experiments too risky? Via. Additional links from the article: "In her dining room lab, Meredith L. Patterson is trying to develop a bacteria that will glow green to signal the presence of melamine." "This home experiment for extracting DNA from strawberries [YouTube video] uses a zip-lock bag, a glass, detergent and some strawberries." "Read more about Katherine Aull's experiment in her closet lab." "DIYbio Group co-founder Mackenzie Cowell explains some of the initiatives [Vimeo video], and the community lab the group is setting up in Cambridge, Mass." Related: The Biohacking Hobbyist Biohacking: The Open Wetware Future The Open Biohacking Project

Art with perspective

hippybear — Sat, 02 May 2009 10:40:21 -0800

Hand-drawn holograms. I've stumbled across a technique for drawing holograms directly upon a plastic plate by hand. It sounds impossible, but I've been sitting on the livingroom sofa making holographic images of floating polyhedra, words, 3D starfields, opaque objects, etc. No laser, no isolation table, no darkroom, no expensive film plates. This takes nothing more than a compass and some scraps of plexiglas. Too cool, if I say so myself! But are they actually holograms? The process has been published, and the author has a pretty good analysis of why the answer is "yes, they are." Evidently others are also working with this method. How can this have been around since 1995? Really? Jeez, where have I been?

Why Do Beans Make You Fart?

netbros — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:16:49 -0800

ilovebacteria.com explains science to people who do not necessarily have a scientific background. You'll find a selection of DIY experiments like egg osmosis, and strange facts like the ever popular why does asparagus make your wee smell? And don't forget to meet the microbes.

Cheers | Prost | Gayola | Na zdraví | Skål | Slainte | etc.

Blazecock Pileon — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:48:15 -0800

Multicultural toasting as an accoutrement for Gunther Anderson's guide to making liqueurs at home [ Principles | Science | Materials | Example recipe | and more... ]

HANDLE CAREFULLY. NOT EXPECTED TO BE A HEALTH HAZARD.

[expletive deleted] — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 13:53:18 -0800

In an attempt to curb the production of crystal meth, more than 30 states have now outlawed or require registration for common lab equipment. In Texas, you need to register the purchase of Erlenmeyer flasks or three-necked beakers. The same state where I do not have to register a handgun, forces me to register a glass beaker.

America's War on Science: Chemistry sets and model rockets, the staples of any geeky childhood, have essentially become a thing of the past.Wired has more on how a security obsessed society is robbing both children and adults of the opportunity to discover science for themelves.

Give me the Oscillation Overthruster!

loquacious — Mon, 30 Aug 2004 15:23:57 -0800

How to build yourself a Glow Discharge Panel. No, really. Woah, that's freakin' cool. UFO stuff, I think to myself. Heh. Oh.. Oh holy crap!

Science toys

skyscraper — Sat, 12 Jul 2003 20:54:05 -0800

Self-built science toys. Too much fun with the world around you. I'm making the Binaca cannon first thing tomorrow.

CrazyUncleJoe — Tue, 15 Feb 2000 12:44:48 -0800

I'll need a jetpack, a sonic devestator, and maybe one of those hoverboards. Future Horizons is like a clearinghouse for all those cool ads I used to see in the back of magazines.