Gadgets & Geeks/DIY

Build a Cloud Chamber

Science

All around you, and on every surface of the earth, there is radiation pummeling the atoms that make up the matter that we can see and feel. Even as you read this sentence, you are being bombarded by radiation. Pew! Pew! But fear not, it’s completely normal. This background radiation is safe. And though it […]

Jet-setting Cephalopods

Picture of the Week: A Single Snowflake

From a Destitute Phoenix School, an Underwater Robotics Team Rises

Make Your Own Fall Foliage With This Dad-Tested Experiment

Squishy Circuits

The Squishy Circuits team developed this activity so that young children (including my own daughters) would have a playful way to explore circuits. Squishy Circuits use two different types of dough as circuit-building materials—one that conducts electricity well, and one that does not. Both doughs are made with readily available ingredients such as flour and […]

Build Your Own Radio Telescope to Listen to Meteors

The Perseids are a favorite meteor shower of many Northern Hemisphere skywatchers, especially during the mild summer nights of August. But if you can’t get outside or if you’re clouded out, you can still listen to the meteor shower any time of day using a simple FM radio. Meteors are caused by small bits of […]

Build Your Own Radio Telescope to Listen to Meteors

The Perseids are a favorite meteor shower of many Northern Hemisphere skywatchers, especially during the mild summer nights of August. But if you can’t get outside or if you’re clouded out, you can still listen to the meteor shower any time of day using a simple FM radio. Meteors are caused by small bits of […]

Balloon Rockets

This lesson and activity is part of the Chemical Educational Foundation’s® award-winning You Be The Chemist® Activity Guides, a free resource for educators and parents who want to introduce students in grades K-8 to chemistry and science concepts in a fun, hands-on manner. Learn more at www.chemed.org   Target Grades: 5-8   Content Areas: Physical Science Activity […]

Fashion Circuit

You’ve probably heard of light-emitting diodes, a type of energy-efficient light. While they’re good for practical reasons—say, illuminating a room or a passageway—they can also add a little bling to clothing. To incorporate LEDs into your favorite accessories, you’ll start by creating a basic circuit from a battery, two pieces of wire, and an LED. […]