Made On Earth

Please have this kid contact MAKE – A 14-year-old German boy has been ordered to pull down a 300ft long roller coaster which he built in his backyard. The boy, unnamed due to German privacy laws, from Offenburg built the 16-foot-high wooden construction over the summer holidays. He even designed his own carriage which can reach speeds of up to 30 mph. But local town planning officials say he must pull it down again because he did not ask for planning permission. They say the construction is too large and not built to rollercoaster safety standards. The boy has until mid-September to tear it down if he wants to avoid a fine. Link.

A Maker in our comments writes “I made PVC marshmellow guns for my two boys this weekend. At first, they had no idea what I was doing. After my 8 year-old saw the first mini-marshmellow fly out of the tube and smack the wall, he was hooked and so was his 5 year-old brother. Thanks for helping me be a hero for $5.71 (cost for 2 guns). My oldest slept with his gun last night and was amazed that when he woke up it smelled like marshmellows. “Yup,” I said, “I love the smell of marshmellows in the morning.” The male bonding has begun. Thanks for the Make”. Link.

Politicians and automakers say a car that can both reduce greenhouse gases and free America from its reliance on foreign oil is years or even decades away. Ron Gremban says such a car is parked in his garage. It looks like a typical Toyota Prius hybrid, but in the trunk sits an 80-miles-per-gallon secret — a stack of 18 brick-sized batteries that boosts the car’s high mileage with an extra electrical charge so it can burn even less fuel. Gremban, an electrical engineer and committed environmentalist, spent several months and $3,000 tinkering with his car. [via] Link.