Category: science

‘Forrest Mims’ Science Experiments’: Good projects for the new or experienced amateur scientist

by Si Dunn

You don’t need science degrees and big grants to perform useful, meaningful research, says one of America’s foremost amateur scientists, Forrest W. Mims III. In his well-written new book, Forrest Mims’ Science Experiments: DIY Projects from the Pages of Make:, Mims notes that amateur scientists are continuing to do “what they’ve done for centuries. They’ve discovered … Continue reading ‘Forrest Mims’ Science Experiments’: Good projects for the new or experienced amateur scientist

Step away from the ‘smartphone’ and try using your hands and mind to make something – #bookreview

by Si Dunn

The Make: Series of How-to Books A British scientist made headlines a few years ago when she warned that young people no longer make or repair things. It has become all too easy for them now, she cautioned, to simply throw away old or broken devices and buy new ones. A key point was that … Continue reading Step away from the ‘smartphone’ and try using your hands and mind to make something – #bookreview

Make: Paper Inventions – A fun how-to book for kids and their adults

by Si Dunn

      Make: Paper Inventions Kathy Ceceri Maker Media, Inc. – paperback Don’t just hand this book to your kids, say “Have fun,” and then go off to play with your computer. Get out the glue, scissors and paper and join in. You might enjoy seeing what happens  when you (1) cut all the … Continue reading Make: Paper Inventions – A fun how-to book for kids and their adults

Tinsley Harrison, M.D., Teacher of Medicine: An inspiring biography of a dedicated physician – #bookreview

by Si Dunn

Tinsley Harrison, M.D.: Teacher of Medicine James A. Pittman Jr., M.D. (NewSouth Books – hardback, Kindle) Dr. Tinsley Randolph Harrison is an important figure in 20th-century American medicine, and both his legacy and his influence live on in 21st-century health care. Before his death in 1978, Dr. Harrison taught medicine for 54 years and was fond … Continue reading Tinsley Harrison, M.D., Teacher of Medicine: An inspiring biography of a dedicated physician – #bookreview

Computing with Quantum Cats – Strange and exciting times are ahead – #science #bookreview

by Si Dunn

Computing with Quantum Cats From Colossus to Qubits John Gribbin (Prometheus Books – hardcover, Kindle) John Gribbin’s new book, Computing with Quantum Cats, is an entertaining, informative and definitely eye-opening look at quantum computing’s recent progress, as well as its exciting near-future possibilities. The “conventional” (a.k.a. “classical”) computers currently on our desktops, in our briefcases, … Continue reading Computing with Quantum Cats – Strange and exciting times are ahead – #science #bookreview

Make: Volume 32 – Zany and practical projects and articles for DIY builders – #bookreview

by Si Dunn

Make: Volume 32 (O’Reilly, paperback) Make: is a science, technology, and do-it-yourself (DIY) projects magazine published quarterly in paperback book format. Volume 32 not only has intriguing articles about private rocketeers, flying motorcycles, and human-size replicas of videogame costumes and weapons. It also has about two dozen “complete plans” for a wide array of useful and … Continue reading Make: Volume 32 – Zany and practical projects and articles for DIY builders – #bookreview

What Makes You Tick? – Do we exist only inside our brains, or does the mind have a longer reach? – #bookreview

by Si Dunn

What Makes You Tick? A New Paradigm for Neuroscience Gerard Verschuuren (Solas Press, paperback) What is the connection between the mind and the brain? Does the mind exist independent of the brain? And does the human mind communicate with something—or someone–beyond its “biological substrata and physics”? Gerard Verschuuren tackles these and other mystery-laden questions in … Continue reading What Makes You Tick? – Do we exist only inside our brains, or does the mind have a longer reach? – #bookreview

Surviving Orbit the DIY Way – You, too, can launch a satellite – #diy #science #bookreview

by Si Dunn

Surviving Orbit the DIY Way Sandy Antunes (O’Reilly, paperback – Kindle) Okay, it’s not exactly Star Trek. For less than the price of a reasonably good used car, you now can build your own picosatellite from a kit, get it launched into low Earth orbit by commercial rocket, and receive data from space. Surviving Orbit … Continue reading Surviving Orbit the DIY Way – You, too, can launch a satellite – #diy #science #bookreview

Illustrated Guide to Home Forensic Science Experiments – Real CSI basics – #bookreview

by Si Dunn

Illustrated Guide to Home Forensic Science Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson (O’Reilly, paperback – Kindle) Movies, TV shows and detective novels have elevated forensic science to a cultural fascination. And in real life, a clue uncovered with a microscope or a chemical test frequently is the one that … Continue reading Illustrated Guide to Home Forensic Science Experiments – Real CSI basics – #bookreview

Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments – Serious science for homeschoolers and biology hobbyists – #bookreview

by Si Dunn

Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson (Make:Books/O’Reilly Media, paperback, list price $34.99; Kindle edition, list price $27.99) This is serious science in the form of a 359-page workbook devoted to 30+ lab experiments that can be performed at home, with the right equipment and materials. … Continue reading Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments – Serious science for homeschoolers and biology hobbyists – #bookreview