My most recent post for Makezine. I really want to get my hands on these!
Stanford bioengineering professor Manu Prakash, PhD is on a mission. He wants to make it easy for field researchers to identify and diagnose dangerous microbial diseases like malaria, African sleeping sickness, schistosomiasis, Chagas and more.
To do that, he and his team have created the Foldscope — an inexpensive, disposable paper microscope that uses tiny spherical lenses. In addition to a low price point of 50 cents, the Foldscope is remarkably durable, waterproof and adaptable, weighs just under 9 grams, can be built in minutes, requires no external power and, since it travels as a flat, printed sheet, takes up very little space. It has the potential to be a game-changing tool in the world of medicine and microscopy.
Can you design two sleds -- one fast and one slow -- to deliver our Secret Agents to the lair of the evil Mr. Fluffly? You'll need to balance the effects of gravity and friction to make your design work. Join in the engineering fun with this installment of the Super Secret Science Challenge!
This week's suggested supplies:
2 cardboard or plastic trays
2 drinking straws
2 bamboo skewers
2 pencil
2 pipe cleaners
4 binder clips
4 paperclips
1 piece of copy paper
1 piece of wax paper
1 piece of plastic sheeting
1 piece of cotton fabric
4 old AA or AAA batteries
Assorted tapes -- invisible, masking, duct, packing, etc.
A small toy to act as the pilot
A wood plank, plastic rain gutter, or other material to act as the track
For this week's challenge, students will need to play with the balance between the force of gravity (and weight) on the sled and the friction between the sled and the track. The position of the pilot and any ballast (like the batteries or binder clips) can make for a great discussion about the center of gravity.
Meanwhile, the decision between using a flat bottomed design, versus one with runners leads to an excellent discussion about how friction works. (The more contact, the more friction.) Additionally, the materials selected for the bottom of the sled (or even for a parachute behind it) can greatly affect how fast the sled moves on the track.
You can use anything you want as a track, but make sure the starting point and end point are clearly defined. The angle of the track will greatly affect the way the sleds run, as will any curves or bends. This can be fun for experimentation.
This week we have new heroes on our side: The B Team. They need to parachute into enemy territory and bug Mr. Fluffy's Lair! Are you the right Science Officer for the challenge? Let's find out, with this week's Super Secret Science Challenge!
Today's list of suggested supplies are:
1 yard of string
1 plastic shopping bag
1 sheet of newspaper
3 sheets of copy paper
1 lunch bag
5 coffee filters
1 8.5x11” piece of aluminum foil
A small paper cup
8 paper clips, assorted
1 pipe cleaner
Various tapes -- invisible, masking, duct, etc.
A small toy as the pilot
To make this challenge even more fun, give your scientist two goals: create a parachute with the longest hang time possible and try to land right on a target. I drop my parachutes from a height of 2 meters (roughly the height of a door frame) with the feet of the "B Team" member as the bottom of the unit. Encourage students to create more than a single parachute for the challenge, as it can be tough to meet both objectives with one or, allow students to move the target to where they predict the parachute will land.
A parachute is a fairly simple creation. It's primarily composed of a canopy made of some type of material, which creates lift (and drag) through the frictional force of air resistance. The parachute is connected to the pilot, who is held in a harness, by lines that connect to the canopy. The pilot is pulled by gravity towards the ground.
Good luck Agents! Hope you have fun making your creations!
I think this is just the coolest biotech process I've seen recently!
Using a piezoelectric printhead, researchers at the University of Cambridge were able to print cells from an adult animal’s central nervous system, forming layers of two types of cells taken from the retinas of rats. Though the scientists were concerned that the delicate cells would not survive, they found that viability was not affected and that there were no significant differences between cultures of printed and traditionally prepared cells. Read more...
Like most self respecting nerds, I love fractals. So what better way to celebrate winter than creating a fun card based on the famous Koch Snowflake (also know as the Koch star and island)!
A fractal is a geometric figure that has some pretty awesome special features. They have "self symmetry," creating detailed repeating patterns that are often described as "the same from near as from far." They're found all over the place in nature and are used in math and science in a variety of applications.
One of the easiest to create by hand, and also one of the easiest to understand, is the Koch Snowflake. First described by Helge von Koch in 1904, this fractal is based on an equilateral triangle. To build it one, you create an equilateral triangle, then remove 1/3 of one side of the triangle and replace it with an new, smaller equilateral triangle. You repeat this process on each side, then repeat it on each side of each new triangle, and so on. The result is a shape that can literally have infinite perimeter, but finite area. Cool right?
So, for an extra nerdy card, I used the Koch Snowflake shape and created a fun, glittery pop up.
The process is simply to make a Koch snowflake template, trace that into a card and cut around the shape with a craft knife, leaving the shape attached to the base at a few points. Then fold the pop up in the opposite direction of the card, creasing the contact points carefully. Finish by backing with contrasting cardstock to create the front of your 4.24" x 5.5" card.
To make it more festive, I created snowflake "covers" that were just the Koch snowflake. These I embossed and glittered to make them stand out beautifully. I also used the inside of the double snowflake to create a custom stamp, simply tracing it onto craft foam and cutting it out, then adhering it to an acrylic block with some double-stick tape. I used it as I would any other stamp. This card reads "Baby, it's cold outside."
Now, I'll have really detailed instructions up on CRAFT soon, I hope, but in the mean time, why not just grab my templates and make a card the easy way?
Print the PDFs below onto cardstock and cut until your heart's content!
If you have a digital cutter, like I do, this all becomes very easy, indeed! I have an old first generation Silhouette from Quickutz. You can pick them up for about $100 on eBay, and they are amazingly useful. I use the free software Inkscape to design my digital cutting files and then the free software for the Silhouette to manipulate and cut the shapes. It's totally awesome!
Anyway, if you have such a machine, all you need to do is download the appropriate DXF or SVG file and let your computer do the work for you! You may opt to throw in a perforation or scoring line down the center when you cut to make folding easier, but I just used my Scoring Board. Now you can make cards for all your nerdy friends!! Huzzah!
After I made the last fractal Christmas card, my daughter pointed out that it also looked a lot of like a pile of present. (Kids!) So I decided to play with that idea a bit.
I selected a set of coordinating scrapbook papers, and cut the inside of the card just as I did last time. For a quick review...
For this version, it's important to measure and cut accurately, so that the pieces we cut for "presents" fit well. That said, go ahead and cut a second insert from a piece of plain or scrap cardstock. We'll use this for templates. Just cut along the folds.
Then it's time to trace and cut. We'll need one large piece as the central present. Then cut three of the mid-sized present, one from each of three types of paper. Lastly, cut nine small pieces -- two each from the three different papers and three from the last.
Now, we get to play paper tetris. Ink the edges of all the the present pieces, so that they have some depth when attached. Use a bit of glue stick to attach the paper pieces onto the base. Then attached the base to the outside of the card. Ink the edges and you're nearly done.
I added some strips of paper for "ribbons" and attached the inside to the outside. Then I gave the front a bit of decoration.
Add the sentiment and I'm good to go! This got me thinking, what other fractal-based patterns can I cut and make into cards. As it turns out, I am not the only one who is obsessed with this technique. Yale offers a fun free pattern using blocks. They actually have a whole lab activity using Cantor sets to make fractal folds. There is also a book called "Fractal Cuts" by Diego Uribe, that you can buy new or used on Amazon. (Yea, I totally ordered it.) So I played with another boxy design.
Then using the same template method as above, I made another "present" card.
The family and I are on our annual holiday trip to Fairfield, CT, visiting my in-laws. One of our favorite places to check out while up north is the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport, CT. They have a great Planetarium, several permanent exhibits -- a whole floor on space, and energy exhibit, a sound and light gallery, sport science and LEGOs -- as well as visiting exhibits that change twice a year. Recently the museum added a First in Flight exhibit in tribute to Gustave Whitehead as well.
Let's start with Gustave. I know most of us think Wright Brothers when we think First in Flight, but folks in Connecticut can get fussy about that. See, research Jon Brown, building on the work of locals Stella Randolph, Andy Kosch and Retired Air Force Major William J. O’Dwyer, recently showed that Gustave Whitehead was in fact the first to build and fly an airplane. Whitehead's "Number 21" took off on the Bridgeport-Fairfield line on August 14, 1901, two years before the Wright's accomplished the feat. Discovery hosts a wonderful half-sized model of the plane as well as information about Whitehead.
The first visiting exhibit we encountered was the Adventure Science. This indoor low ropes course was a complete blast! The museum's website describes it as "highly interactive" and they aren't kidding. There are zip lines, climbing structures, bridges, ropes and more. The installation is meant to highlight the museum's new Adventure Park, a 5-acre aerial forest park opened last year. Both exhibits were designed by Outdoor Ventures, a Southport Company that specializes in such constructions.
The entire exhibit was designed to demonstrate scientific principles and physics concepts such as gravity, the interaction of forces and more. The exhibit also serves to educate about the natural sciences and structures of the forest, human physiology and even the psychology over interacting with the activities.
According to museum director, Jeffery Bishop, “The Discovery Museum is all about interactive learning and we saw this as an ideal way to capture people’s imaginations like nothing else. This exhibit will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that science can be a lot of fun!” I'd say they met their goal. This exhibit is aces!
The second visiting exhibit was also full of hands on fun. "Take Flight" had activities for building paper airplanes, rockets and helicopters as well as great launchers to set them moving. My niece Maddie, loved using the metal tubes provided to shape rockets form plain paper. The bicycle pump launcher packed a punch, sending the rocket far and fast.
Caitie loved making heli-cup-ters and flying them in the vertical wind tunnel. Using a simple Italian ice cone, kids cut flaps along the edges to create a whirling flyer. Gwen preferred a more traditional folded paper model. Either way, the girls had a blast sending them zooming into the air over the blower. (Hint: To do this at home, try an inexpensive box fan on blocks and pointed towards the ceiling!)
Before leaving the exhibit we also gave the classic paper airplanes a try. The museum provided instructions for two examples, so that kids could compare how they flew while learning about lift and wing shape. The launcher here was similar to a much sturdier version of the rubber band shooter that's easy to attach to your own paper airplane at home. I loved the use of hula hoops and other targets!
While at Discovery, we also took in a show at the Planetarium. In addition to various educational movies, the museum offers "The Skies Tonight" shows that cover the constellations, planets and other heavenly bodies you can find at that time of year. They even provide a star map to take home, to help you out once you're in the dark. The presenter was very thorough, interesting and knowledgeable, but kept the presentation quick paced enough that it was perfect for kids. (The museum suggested ages 8 and up, but my 7-year-old had no trouble sitting through the presentation.
The presenter also showed a great short movie entitled, "Two Small Pieces of Glass" about the 400 year history of the telescope. Produced by PBS in 2009 for "International Year of Astronomy," this fun film explained all about how telescopes work, how they've changed over time, how they've been used throughout history and how they continue to shape out knowledge of the Universe. Everything from basic refraction and reflection through red shift were covered using language than anyone can understand. And as an added bonus, PBS provides a whole teacher's guide with activities and further resources, so you can keep learning after the show.
As a side note, the film's plot was centered around a star party the two main characters were attending. The presenter encouraged us to look for and attend star parties in our local area. I MUST do this. Luckily, there are websites out there to help you find local star parties!
There are lots of little gems throughout the museum, from "The Sun as Art" photographs to the signed prints by Buckminster Fuller (below). Some of the exhibits are certainly in need of rehab, but still provide a lot of fun and education. Plan at least 3 hours to visit, so you can check out everything offered.
So if you happen to be anywhere near Bridgeport, CT between now and March 2014, you should definitely head over to the Discovery Museum and check out all their great exhibits. Have fun!
(Note: I was NOT compensated in any way by Discovery Museum or its affiliates. I just think it's a cool place. You should take a minute to donate!)
This week, field agents Misty, Sunshine and The Weather Weasel have been captured by the evil Mr. Fluffy. They need to build a super complicated, crazy contraption to distract the villain before he can use his Puppinator to change all of the world's dogs into cats!
This week's materials are:
6-4x6 and 2-3x5 Index cards
3 dixie cups
4 bamboo skewers
assorted cardboard (corrugated and chipboard)
6 feet of twine
10 paper clips
10 assorted rubber bands
2 marbles
1 ping pong ball
3 toilet paper tubes
1 balloon
4 drinking straws
4 pipe cleaners
2 clothes pins
10 tongue depressors
1 disposable spoon
masking tape and scotch tape
This week's challenge encourages students to build a Rube Goldberg Machines. These contraptions are designed to make simple tasks much more complicated, often with silly results. Aside from being tremendously creative projects that are a lot of fun to build, Rube Goldberg Machines also give students the opportunity to explore simple machines.
Simple machines -- such as inclined planes, levers, wheels and axles, pulleys, wedges and screws -- are mechanical tools that make work easier by changing the direction or amount of force used to complete a task. We use simple machines every day, and when we combine them, we can create complex machines. Challenge older students to identify examples of simple machines within their crazy contraption.
Have fun! And please, don't hesitate to share your pictures of your machines!
In this day and age it isn't always enough for a student to be able to use a computer for game play, web browsing and word processing. The future needs them to be able to use computers in more advanced ways.
Luckily, it's becoming easier and easier for kids to learn to program and design technology. For example, there is Scratch, a tile-based visual programming language designed by MIT. Kids can use it to create stories, games, and animations then share them online as part of a community of other programmers. It's the perfect first language for kids to develop the thought processes needed for higher-level coding. Kaleidoscope offers classes in Scratch, for exactly that reason.
The importance of coding is getting more and more recognition. In fact, a group technology superstars -- Microsoft's Bill Gates, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Susan Wojcicki of Google, to name a few -- have teamed up to create a nonprofit called Code.org. As a kick-start, they've issued a challenge for every school child to spend an hour programming in December. Is your school up to the challenge? (If your school needs help, Kaleidoscope can provide educational programs for students and training for teachers.)
But what if you child wants their efforts to be more real world than virtual? Welcome to the world of robotics! These days it's easier than ever to get started with building and programming your own machines. (For example, you could take Kaleidscope's Robotics One Day Intensive on November 9!)
Many makers love to use Arduino, an open-source electronics platform. It was designed for artists, designers, and hobbyists that want to create interactive objects, like robots! Arduino has a wide variety of hardware available -- for everything from robotic limbs to wearable electronics -- and it uses a programming language and software that is easy to learn, based on the popular C/C++. With components that are relatively inexpensive and a huge community of enthusiasts to draw from, it's no wonder that Arduino is fast becoming the standard.
Before you think this is all too complicated for kids, stop. There are young folks making amazing things these days. From Super Awesome Sylvia to RoboGrrl, kids are using their creativity to make some of the most amazing projects!
So this Winter, take some time to cozy up with your computer and really get to know it. Encourage your kids to code and create. Those skills will not only lead them to a life-time of exciting, fun projects, it will help them shape the future of technology.
