Homely Scientist

 I know this might seem hokey, but wait read on:
We’ve all dreamed of having a mini-greenhouse that we could plug into our computer, but until today it was just that — dreams. But dream no longer. Geeks.com is selling a USB-powered Mini Greenhouse that includes a computer interface which helps you monitor growth rate and that includes a calendar, wallpaper and bookmark settings to aid you in monitoring the growth of your greenhouse. Source: USB: Grow Plants with the USB-Powered Mini-Greenhouse – Gizmodo
What about using this as a great science experiment with your kids?  I’m sure the software is fun …read more

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No, this is not a goofy free energy thing like I saw at Gnomedex on Saturday (ugh, it still bugs me).  This is real science, real physics, and doesn’t violate the laws of thermodynamics: heck it uses them!
This papercraft engine only needs to sit on a cup of hot coffee to drive its pistons. No, it’s not the precious caffeine that drives the motion, but the Stirling engine design, in which the difference between alternating hot and cold gas pressure is harnessed for power. Source: Cheaper Than Gas: Paper Stirling Engine Runs Off Hot Coffee – Gizmodo
Boing Boing has …read more

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Yeah I know lots of people think earthworms are yucky, but they are essential to plants and good soil.  The cool thing is that you can have worms in your kitchen chomping away at your veggie waste and all the while making kick-butt fertilizer for your garden!  It’s called vermiculture.  I had a worm bin for a while and it was pretty successful for a while (I got it and the worms from these folks), I had trouble keeping the stuff moist and such.  I think I bit off more than I could chew.
Well, worm poop is big business you …read more

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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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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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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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Hsien sent me a link to Science With Me a little while ago, I didn’t have a chance to blog it until now, but she did!  Anyway, it’s a cool site with a free membership so you and your kids can learn about static electricity (which I had my own run it with today) and fingerprints.  Everything seems to be written in nice, kid-friendly language and the experiments are short and easy (maybe messy too!).
Looks like I know what I’ll be doing this weekend with the kids!  Oh, what to choose, what to choose…
Technorati tags: kid science, science education, experiments …read more

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You have to love bringing the good old chemistry set into the 21st century.  Come on, foaming test tubes is sooo last century.  DNA is hot man (sorry for you DNA folks, yes I caught the pun … old DNA sequencing techniques used radioactive materials, so they are "hot").  Hsien (our faithful leader) highlights a fun DNA kit for kids.
Can you imagine?  Dad, I need a DNA swab from you, we suspect you ate half of the last cookie ….
Tags: science for kids  DNA

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Hey did you know if you put grapes in the microwave they will do this:

I know!  Cool eh?  How do you do it?  Read here.
Tags: glowing grapes

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