DIY science is the perfect way to use your creative skills and learn something new. With the right supplies, some determination, and a curious mind, you can create amazing experiments that open up a whole world of possibilities. At home-made laboratories or tech workshops, makers from all backgrounds can explore new ideas by finding ways to study their environment in novel ways – allowing them to make breathtaking discoveries!
The main light source of the future will almost surely not be a bulb. It might be a table, a wall, or even a fork. An accidental discovery announced this week has taken LED lighting to a new level, suggesting it could soon offer a cheaper, longer-lasting alternative to the traditional light bulb. The miniature breakthrough adds to a growing trend that is likely to eventually make Thomas Edison’s bright invention obsolete. Thanks Rob! Link.
Nissan unveiled Pivo, its imaginative electric car concept, in partnership with renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at the company’s Nissan Ginza Gallery in downtown Tokyo. Pivo, which will be on display at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, features an innovative cabin that revolves 360 degrees, eliminating the need to reverse. Thanks to its compact body, the car is also exceptionally easy to maneuver. Pivo is powered by Nissan’s compact, high-performance lithium-ion battery and its unique Super Motor, resulting in zero emissions. Link.
Check out the video on the site – Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, scientists and data visualizers stitched together a full year’s worth of monthly observations of the land surface, coastal oceans, sea ice, and clouds into a seamless, photo-like mosaic of every square kilometer (.386 square mile) of our planet. Link.
Richard writes “Making High-Temperature Superconductors – This is the Makers way of doing it. I did this for my Grade 11 Science Fair project, that was in 1987. This site did not exist then!” Read on for the instructions on making ceramic superconductors in a high school science laboratory. Link.
Interesting idea on how one could create a DIY, take anywhere drive in movie – In this digital day and age there are a lot of ways to enjoy movies. Computers, DVD players, portable video players and media centre computers are just some of the means through which your movie experience might come together, and consumer grade video projectors are getting better, cheaper and more portable by the day… Link.
Here’s an update on the iPod subway map saga – the MTA wants $500 to license the maps for one year so ipodsubwaymaps.com could once again allow the downloads – I used to make NYC maps for all my devices when I worked there, it’s pretty awful that public transportation maps are not really public. Link.
John Wiseman rounds up all the details from the Darpa 2005 Grand Challenge and then some. If you’re curious on how the computer driven cars were able to finish the course, along with the comparisons from last year, videos and the course data file – check it out. [