Homely Scientist

Well the can car was a huge success.  In the end it went like stink and my daughter could probably start a business making them for people.  The device wasn’t without some problems, though.  When it left my house it was working great, but sometime later the rubber band broke.  Oops.  It took a lot of work and panicked phone calls to me to get it running again.
There are two key parts to a successful can car.  First is using a bead or nut on the winding end.  That pencil or chop stick can’t be touching the whole lid, in …read more

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No, I’m not kidding:
The real world version of “kryptonite” – which according to media reports will be officially named “jadarite,” after the place where it was discovered and because it does not contain the element krypton – is white, does not glow and is reportedly harmless to humans and/or natives of the planet Krypton.
Despite the harmless nature of this world’s kryptonite, Superman is far from off the hook. The first storyline in the newly-launched ongoing SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL series, from writer Darwyn Cooke (New Frontier) and artist Tim Sale (whose work has been featured on NBC’s “Heroes”), revealed a new take …read more

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Big news yesterday…
A team of astronomers announced they have discovered the smallest and potentially most Earth-like extrasolar planet yet. Five times as massive as Earth, it orbits a relatively cool star at a distance that would provide earthly temperatures as well, signaling the possibility of liquid water.
“The separation between the planet and its star is just right for having liquid water at its surface,” says astronomer and team spokesperson Stephane Udry of the Observatory of Geneva in Versoix, Switzerland. “That’s why we are a bit excited.” Source: All Wet? Astronomers Claim Discovery of Earth-like Planet: Scientific American

Wow!  Cool!  Let’s …read more

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My daughter A told me last week, while I was at the conference, that she had a homework assignment to do this weekend and wanted us to do it together.  No matter what it was, I was going to say yes.  Single dads don’t get that option often.  Regardless, then she said it was to build a simple machine.  W00t!  Science fun!
When I picked the kids up on Friday morning I found out the details.  She had to design and build a device that used two simple machines and would go at least 2 meters (6.5 feet).  Bonus points were …read more

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Well I was in San Francisco covering the Web 2.0 Expo for the Blog World Expo.  SF is an awesome city and I wish I had more time there because I would have checked out the Exploratorium, earthquake stuff (though I got a tweet today I think that there were some quakes there recently) and other major SF coolness (come on the cable cars are just awesome).
But … I did get to be geek dad this weekend with A.  She needed a simple machine that could go 2 meters (6.5 feet).  Actually it has to use two simple machines.  And bonus …read more

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Since I slipped off the wagon for about 24 hours, I guess my clock has been reset hasn’t it?  So we’re on day two.  No, I’m not going to patch or anything, just straight.  I know, maybe I’m nuts, but I don’t think nicotine addiction is as much of the problem as the habit of smoking.
Sure there is certainly an addiction component to all this, I just miss the action of smoking I guess.
I’m not sure if it’s easier right now or harder.  But I think my will might have gotten a boost.
 
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One of the huge problems with solar energy has been a materials science one.  Silicon-based cells are expensive, fragile, and have limited places they can be applied (easily).  Looks like that’s all going to change:
New solar cells developed by Massey University don’t need direct sunlight to operate and use a patented range of dyes that can be impregnated in roofs, window glass and eventually even clothing to produce power.
This means teenagers could one day be wearing jackets that will recharge their equivalents of cellphones, iPods and other battery- driven devices. Source: Solar power breakthrough at Massey – New Zealand …read more

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I love flying toy planes.  Heck my 12th Grade physics science project was all about that.  This was the post I mentioned in my last last post:
Let’s face it: GeekDad projects are sometimes more fun for the older kids than for the younger ones. So when it comes to flying planes at the park, we’re always looking for something that everyone can do.
We’ve found that with the Hobbico line of free-fly electric planes. They’re amazing. Ranging from $12-$15, they’re beautifully-made with built-up foam bodies and electric motors, rechargeable batteries and chargers. They range from a toy-like 14″ wingspan to a …read more

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 I’ve been following Geekdad for a while now.  There is a post he wrote a bit ago that I still want to comment on, but for the moment, let’s look at this heat conduction experiment.
The premise is simple, what materials conduct heat (through water) best.  While this is an awesome experiment for the kids, the best part was that on the first try the set up didn’t work.  The modeling clay used to keep the objects to test conduction got wet and so the objects fell into the water.
Undaunted, they tried again and had a successful experiment.
Lesson here…some times finding the …read more

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Let’s just say I’ve been having a rough time of late.  For once it isn’t too many irons in the fire, but the other stuff in life.
My kids were with me from Thursday until Monday afternoon.  The stress was really intense.  With all the other stuff going on, I just caved.  I bought a pack of smokes on Monday afternoon.
I had a sense of relief and personal disgust.  The smell brought me back to when I first started smoking.  I didn’t smoke a lot at first, then I took off like gang busters.  By last night the pack was gone.
And …read more

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