Making Black Powder

Make 13, themed around the concept of magic is on the newsstands!

It's another excellent issue and includes a PVC air cannon modification (by a different author) that is pretty interesting. It's called the boom-stick and is designed to maximize the noise.

I wrote three articles for this issue. The first is describes the DARPA urban challenge and the uber-makers that attended. While most of the competitors were big money corporate and academic types, there were a few entrants that really exemplified the ardent amatuer, and the skillful maker.

The second was the Maker Calendar and lists upcoming events of interest to those who make things.

The third article is about my foray into the world of gunpowder manufacture. I've received some great feedback from readers already -- it's something that a lot of people find interesting. In this article, I describe what I did to make home made black powder. I don't go into step by step directions for making the powder, but there is a good explanation of how to prepare your charcoal which is the really critical step in making the stuff. Everything else is less important.

Visit makezine.com or better yet, subscribe via the link below. TIP: if you select Make's autorenew option, you get digital access to the entire library, back to Make Vol 1!

Why Science Education is Boring

This is excerpted from my recent article in Make Magazine. Is there a problem with the way science is taught? Are schools overprotective? What do experiences like these mean for science education?

When my son Andy was 12 years old, he entered his junior high school science fair. His challenge was to invent something new and useful. To Andy, the science contest was big deal. There was a great deal of schoolyard prestige attached to the event. He badly wanted to win, but inventing is hard work. Inventing something useful is even harder. And inventing something new and useful when you’re 12 is really, really hard.

He thought about it for a while and, after various aborted attempts and blind alleys, came up with the idea of a self-buttering toaster. What a brilliant idea from such a young person! (I readily admit my fatherly bias.) The device Andy designed was intricate yet simple: a wood and steel construction that held a slice of bread at an angle in front of a carefully wound matrix of nichrome wire heating elements. While the bread toasted, the heat from the wires melted a glop of butter on a perforated metal holder positioned over the bread. The butter dripped through the holes and on to the toasting bread. Voila! There was a slice of automatically buttered toast. By my lights, this was a pretty terrific invention for a sixth grader.

The evening of the fair approached, and Andy and I looked forward with anticipation and excitement to a night of glory. The judges, a collection of teachers and parent volunteers, methodically walked up and down each aisle. They asked questions, measured things with rulers, made notes on clipboards, and generally maintained a judgelike demeanor. When the judges came to Andy’s table, the toaster worked perfectly. With self-assurance and a smile, he handed each judge a slice of warm, buttery Wonder Bread for a snack.

The Self Buttering Toaster ---->

But when the winners were announced, Andy’s name wasn’t called. Crestfallen, he approached the judges and asked, “Why didn’t I get a ribbon?”

“Well, Andy,” said a judge, “we thought your machine was dangerous. After all, it uses electricity and it gets very hot.”

“Of course it does. It’s a toaster,” he protested. “It’s supposed to get hot and use electricity. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t be a toaster.” Unswayed by logic, the judges would not reconsider.

So who won? First place went to a girl who made a cap and vest for her hamster. Second place went to a boy who “made” radar.

“Hamster clothes? That’s so lame,” Andy whispered to me during the award ceremony. “And that the second place kid didn’t invent radar. He just cut out some pictures of radar antennas and glued them to a poster board.”

[Life imitates art: In the 4th season episode of the Simpsons called "Duffless, " Nibbles the hamster plays a significant role in the outcome of the Springfield Elementary science fair]

<--- Bart Simpson science project: Can Hamster Fly Planes?

Andy graduated from college last year with a major in archeology and a minor in African languages. Is his technology-light choice of major a result of his science contest experience? Perhaps not, but I sometimes wonder how losing to a hamster hat influenced his future.

Make Magazine #9 out now. Includes Bullwhip!

My apologies for the lack of posts lately. I'll try to rectify that. I've also changed some programming things so the RSS feed to this blog should hopefully work now.

Make #9, the fringe science issue is out and on the newstands. This is the world's best magazine, hands down. I am proud to be writing for it. I've got several pieces in it, including one on how to make a bullwhip. I've made a few now, and they are great fun to make and use.

Speaking of bullwhips, this just in from the website, showbizspy.com

http://www.showbizspy.com/movies.aspx?articleid=1174

Harrison Ford threatens to quit Indina Jones!

Date: 01/02/2007 Harrison Ford has threatened to quit the new Indiana Jones movie, unless he gets to use a real whip. The 64-year-old actor, who plays the daredevil archaeologist, was told the weapon would have to be computer generated because of new film safety rules. Harrison branded the rule "ridiculous" and said he would pull out of the film if he couldn't wield his whip. A source said: "The idea was to take away the risk element the whip carries. "Safety laws have changed since the last film and movie makers have to be much more careful. Now they use computer graphics for any dangerous stuff." Harrison was 39-years-old when the first Indiana Jones movie, 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' was released in 1981. 'The Temple Of Doom' followed in 1983 and 'The Last Crusade' five years later. The trilogy made more than £600 million at the box office. The fourth movie is due for release next year.

I must say, I side with Harrison Ford on this. I think actually being able to hold and crack the whip would be pretty important to getting into the character. While there is some risk, I do not believe them to be particularly dangerous. Better that than say, driving while talking on a cell phone.

Maker File #8 Podcast available

Last month, Make Magazine's Dale Dougherty and I visited the World Championship Punkin Chunkin competition in Millsboro DE It is a unique event, a combination of technology, tongue-in-cheek humor, craftsmanship, and entertainment.

Thirty thousand people come together in a harvested Delaware cornfield to contemplate man's inhumanity to pumpkins.

The machines are interesting, but really, not as interesting as the people. There are characters galore and we (well, mostly Dale) made a podcast that includes some great interviews. It's available on the Make Magazine blog (www.makezine.com) or by clicking here .