Topic: aluminum
How to make simple homopolar motor ‘race cars’
Lay out a 'race track' of tinfoil, attach two round neodymium magnets to the ends of an AA battery x2 (or more) -- the polarity of the magnets matters, so experiment to see how your vehicle behaves (or doesn't) -- the...
The Ingenious Design of the Aluminum Beverage Can
When we first think of aluminum, we think of aluminum foil or aluminum cans, those ubiquitous containers that line beverage shelves in almost every grocery store. But have you ever thought about the decades of design ...
Submarine Sandwich & Western Spaghetti – Stop motion by PES
Come visit the deli where a Submarine Sandwich is made from sports equipment, toys, and other playfully-delicious looking stuff. Stop motion filmmaker PES is well-known for filling his films with visual surprises, whe...
To the Scientists of the Future: Materials science with EUPHRATES
Created by EUPHRATES and Masahiko Sato for Japan's National Institute for Material Science (NIMS), these three "To the Scientists of the Future" short films are a mesmerizing combination of materials research innovati...
Pouring 1200F molten aluminum into an anthill?
To study the architecture of ant colonies and their nests, entomologist and myrmecologist Walter Tschinkel developed a way to “record” their three-dimensional underground chambers: he pours 1200F molten a...
Leidenfrost Maze: Self-propelled droplets on a hot jagged surface
The Leidenfrost Maze, designed and built by Carmen Cheng and Matthew Guy at the University of Bath, demonstrates how Leidenfrost droplets can be self-propelled in a controlled way by the jagged...
Cook food using the sun’s heat – How to build a solar oven
From a yard in Kampala, Uganda, Moses explains how to build a solar oven using a tire, some glass, newspaper, silver foil, tape, a black pot, and a few hours. If you’re cooking outside or don’t have an oven, solar ...
Behind the Scenes of How the Tesla Model S is Made
On a state-of-the-art assembly line in Fremont, California, 400 cars a day are being created by 3,000 workers and 160 robots. This is Tesla Motors, and the cars they’re making are currently the most advance...
Walking mechanical woman and man
Brass, aluminum, stainless steel, and copper turn into more than just materials under the care and engineering of kinetic artist Mark Galt, who made a walking mechanical woman, above, and man, below: There are ...
How is an Etch A Sketch made?
How is an Etch A Sketch made? MAKE: Inventions host Steve Hoefer gives a bit of historical background on the classic toy, and then, with the original patent and some trial and error, tries t...
Windswept by Charles Sowers
On older buildings, it’s not too uncommon to see the crowning touch of an ornamental weather vane — a rotation device which indicates the wind’s direction. But what happens when a bunch of weather...
Theodore Gray’s Periodic Table Table: A rare collection of elements
Wolfram Research co-founder and author Theo Gray has made the most amazing Periodic Table table for his collection of elements! And he’s collected so many in a variety of forms over the...
Aluminum foil boat floating on a sulfur hexafluoride sea
It’s not magic, kiddo. It’s science! Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a colorless, odorless gas that is more dense than air at 6.12 g/L (at sea level). This density is why you can pour it into a glass con...
All That Glitters: The History of Shiny Things
All That Glitters: The History of Shiny Things! What a excellent addition to our collection of How Things Are Made. via The Retronaut, h/t @cosentino.
