Category Archives: Education

Reminder: Intro microcontroller class tomorrow (Saturday)

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Reminder: This Saturday, April 21, I’ll be giving a seminar at TechShop that’s an introduction to microcontrollers, called Choosing a Microcontroller. This is designed to be an introduction to the capabilities and variety of single-chip computers, as well how to actually pick one for a given application. It’s easy to get overwhelmed looking at the variety of range of micros, from four-bit micros that have a 4-bit wide data path — and actually cost four bits— to AVRs and PICs, basic stamps and Arduinos, to 32-bit gorillas with names like ARM, Blackfin, and Coldfire. So, we’ll try and cut through the fog and help you figure out where to get started.

If you’ve heard people getting excited about or doing cool things with microcontrollers and want to learn more, this might be a great introduction to the field.
Sign up for this and other TechShop classes here!

[Related: EvilMadScientist Microcontroller Projects]

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Make a physics education video and win the Phylm Prize!

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“Phylm,” pronounced as “film,” is a portmanteau built out of the words “physics” and “film.” It’s also the name given to a new award, The Phylm Prize, aimed at spurring interest in physics and the educational use of new media. Translation: it’s a YouTube contest for physics geeks!

We’ve been invited to sit on the panel of judges for the contest, and so we’ll be looking forward to seeing the submissions. Videos up to two and a half minutes long featuring physics will be judged on clarity, accuracy, and creativity. This year’s winner will receive a check for $100 (US) to be dispersed in June 2007.

You can watch the video announcement at YouTube or (embedded) here:

We are guessing that many of you, our fine readers, already have an interest in physics and/or new media, so get started already! Let’s see your submissions! And don’t let the word “educational” intimidate you– educational propaganda is a highly appropriate diversion for evil mad scientists! (Besides, you could probably use the cash for your world domination scheme.)

Here’s some info from the rules on what kinds of things the clips can contain:

  • A critique/analysis of the physics presented in a fictional work. For example,
    could the bus in Speed have made “the jump,” or how strong would Spider-Man
    have to be to throw a car that far?
  • An analysis of physics as revealed by the examination of a real-world video clip.
    For example, what forces does a gymnast experience during his routine?
  • An explanation/presentation of some physics concept or theory. For example, what is the conservation of energy?

Submissions are due by 12:00 am (GMT) May 1, 2007. We’ll be waiting.

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Reminder: POV-Ray class this Saturday

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We posted earlier about (Evil, Mad) classes that we’re teaching at TechShop, the SF Bay Area’s public-access workshop. The first of these, Technical Graphics with POV-Ray is this Saturday afternoon, 3/31.

POV-Ray is free software that can make genuinely impressive 2D and 3D graphics and animations (examples), but the learning curve is such that it can be difficult to get started on your own. So, drop in and learn how to make it look easy!

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Learn how to make cool things at TechShop

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This spring, I’ll be teaching several classes on Saturday afternoons at TechShop. TechShop is a San Francisco Bay Area “open-access public workshop,” located just off of 101 in Menlo Park, where you can go use a wide range of tools to make things. They have full-size milling machines and lathes, welding and rapid-prototyping equipment, Lego, sewing machines, computers, and well… just look at this list of equipment. (Seriously.)

One of the things that TechShop does is hold classes on a variety of topics. These are inexpensive (typically ~$30) drop-in classes that anyone can take without a long-term commitment. Many of them are short “safety and basic usage” classes that teach you what a given machine can do– and how to do it without killing yourself. Other classes teach simple and specialized skills like soldering for kids, blacksmithing, or silk screen printing. I’ll be teaching three (or four, depending how you count) classes, each of which will be held on a Saturday afternoon at Techshop.

Technical Graphics with POV-Ray

The first class is called “Technical Graphics with POV-Ray,” and is a hands-on workshop where you’ll learn how to use POV-Ray, a free cross-platform raytracing program that lets you make killer 3D graphics and animations. You can see some example images that I’ve made in POV-Ray (including the TechShop logo above) here, and master works in the POV-Ray hall of fame here. This is a two-part workshop with part 1 on 3/31/07, 1-3 PM, and part II on 4/7/07, also 1-3 PM.

Make a custom LED Micro-Readerboard

On April 14, I’ll be teaching a little soldering class, suitable for anyone with a little bit of soldering experience (well, anyone whose age takes at least two digits to express in base-10 integers), where you can customize the phrases in and assemble an LED Micro-Readerboard, like the ones that we programmed to be ornaments a few months ago. But, since it’s not the holiday season, perhaps you want to make yours into an LED Micro-Readerboard Nametag instead!

Choosing a microcontroller

Finally, on April 21, I’ll be giving a large-format seminar that’s an introduction to microcontrollers, called Choosing a Microcontroller. This is designed to be an introduction to the capabilities and variety of single-chip computers, as well how to actually pick one for a given application. It’s easy to get overwhelmed looking at the variety of range of micros, from four-bit micros that have a 4-bit wide data path — and actually cost four bits— to AVRs and PICs, basic stamps and Arduinos, to 32-bit gorillas with names like ARM, Blackfin, and Coldfire. So, we’ll try and cut through the fog and help you figure out where to get started.

If you’ve heard people getting excited about or doing cool things with microcontrollers and want to learn more, this might be a great introduction to the field.

Sign up for these and other TechShop classes here. Sign up early, since space may be limited!

Also, if you have suggestions for other classes that you’d like to see taught by the Evil Mad Scientists, you can E-mail us or leave comments here.

This entry was posted in Education, Electronics, EMSL Projects, Engineering, Microcontrollers and tagged , , , . Bookmark the Permalink.

Homopolar motor exhibit at the Exploratorium

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A couple of weeks ago, we visited the The Exploratorium, where we saw this giant homopolar motor, labeled “Daisy Dyno.” This is a classic demonstration of a homopolar motor. There’s a giant permanent magnet. In its jaws sits a big copper disk that is free to spin. A low-voltage but high current power supply is provided, where the positive end is hooked to the bearing in the center of the copper disk.

To run the motor, you touch the loose lead from the negative end of the power supply to the edge of the copper disk. A neat little arrow shows you exactly where to touch. The electric current flows from the center of the disk to that point of contact, which is in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field, which creates a force in the correct direction to cause the disk to spin. In order to help the electric currents move in a fairly straight line between the edge of the disk to the center, the disk has a lot of radial slits cut through it, giving the disk the appearance of a daisy (hence the name) when it’s at rest. In the photo here, it’s moving pretty quickly.

We, of course, are quite fond of motors and magnets and things that spin, and have (so far) written up three under-one-minute science projects that are related: How to build a homopolar motor, how to make the version that spins water instead of a metal disk, and how to make a super-simple directional compass.

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