As most of you loyal readers are aware, one of my ongoing crusades is to transform k-12 science education from boring rote cookbook style exercises in contrived tedium into the interesting explorations they SHOULD be.So I constantly have science teachers asking me, "...but what sort of experiments should I have the kids do, and how much would the materials cost? Those Pasco kits are just so convenient."Yes, the pre-fab shrink-wrapped curriculum materials make it easy on the overloaded teacher, but there ensues no opportunity for student innovation or creativity. An example, you ask?Well here is an example for any class discussing fuel, or energy, or Newton's laws of action and reaction. And it involves fire, which tends to keenly engage the teenage mind.Have your middle or high school science students make jet engines and test them.Sounds dangerous? That's what protective glasses and gloves are for.Sounds expensive? Try almost free with a recycled jar.Sounds out of reach of most secondary students? Pah! Let them try and they will surprise you.Make Magazine has a great podcast and written directions on how to make a Pulse-jet engine out of a used jam jar. The ...

All you Atlanta natives have no excuse for missing the 2007 Robocup competition, currently ongoing (July 1st-10th) at Georgia Tech. The official competition just began yesterday (Tuesday, July 3rd), but the event continues through finals on July 10th.It's so cool I don't think I need to even say anything more about it other than check out these images and videos. And get over to GaTech and check it out!

Have all of you student and teacher readers out there already registered for the FIRST Lego Robotics League? Well, what are you waiting for? Register for the First Lego League Here.This awesome robotics contest registration opened May first (and will likely fill up by the end of the summer: 1,715 teams have already signed-up!) so get those applications in!Here is the tentative schedule for the year:May 1Registration Opens Mid-MayRegistration Materials and Robot Sets Begin to Ship AugustField Setup Kits Begin to Ship September 5International Challenge Release Mid-to-late-SeptemberTeam Registration Closes/Last Day to Order Products October 1-12Tournament Applications Accepted (If FLL is handling applications) November- JanuaryTournament Season April 2008World FestivalRegistration costs $200 per team, but also be sure to order the Field set-up kit (which should start shipping around August first) when you register, or it will be difficult to practice.Click on the following links to find:Product Information and PricingContact InformationTeams and Tournaments in Your AreaAnd don't forget the opportunities for the younger and older set with the JFLL [Junior First Lego League], and their community web site. Check out these budding scientists!And, of course, there is the FIRST league proper for the older kids.Hell, I want to sign-up. ...

Last weekend, my wife and I took the kids to the Maker Faire, where I ran into some folks from MIT's Lifelong Kindergarten group. I would have to say that of the whole Maker contingent, they were showing the most refined educational tools of the bunch, kits and software to teach young children how to program.The Scratch programming environment (download Scratch for free here) was designed to eliminate the requirement that a programmer understand code syntax and grammar before being able to do anything useful. The main tool here was to devise a simplified language encapsulated in graphical blocks with shapes that only fit together properly when slotted in the right order and positions. The software package includes mechanisms for a host of graphically interesting drawing, sprite control, and audio effects, as well as a built-in mechanism for code sharing and community building. Don't miss the project pages to check out all the cool code a host of kids have already written. One thing that I particularly about the Scratch system is that they have included a physical interface component called the Scratch Board, that allows children's programs to interact with the real world with sensor blocks, buttons, sliders and so on, ...

This has become one of my favorite events anywhere, anytime. You'll find a great collection of art, technology, science projects and demonstrations, contests (like the "King of Fling" catapult contest) kits for sale, tools...and of course the people that make and use them! It is a completely unique collection of interesting things and people.I strongly recommend the Faire to any family that can make it to the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend, not just the nerds among you. There really is something for everyone. Even my one-and-a-half-year-old daughter was enthralled last time around, so don't miss it! Click on the picture link above for more info and tickets!

Check out this Scout troop from Austin, TX who just shattered the world record for "Most model rockets launched in a 5 second window." Their new record of 965 crushes the old mark of 400.

I just picked up a copy of the book by Dean Kamen and Woodie Flowers chronicling several of the winning designs from the FIRST robotics competition. The innovation emerging from high school students is staggering.Purchase the book here at Amazon and be inspired.

Don't miss this week's Make Magazine blog feature podcast on weekend starter robotics projects with pdf hardcopy support this week. It's a great source for parts, kits, how-to videos and general tutorial resources. The kits and instructions are PERFECT for first-time electronics hackers and roboticist wanna-be types. The materials costs are modest and the projects can be completed and tested inside a few hours.The article also includes a few links to some nice sources of parts (particularly the wonderful little pager motors)and kits for those less inclined to scour the junk bins and create your own, Check out PagerMotors.com and Solarbotics.com.The tiny kits follow in the fine tradition set by one of my old MIT acquaintances, Mark Tilden, who's book entitled "Junkbots, Bugbots & Bots on Wheels" is the canonical must-read source on how to build disassemble all those old Sony Walkmen otherwise gathering dust in the junk drawer and use their component parts to build nifty little artificial critters. You can get Mark's book here from Amazon.Create your very own artificial creatures in a weekend? How cool is that?

Here's a REALLY simple example of how anyone can make a simple motor in about 10 minutes or less from Make Magazine.Building it is simple. Explaining how it works is a little trickier, as there are no alternating poles or brushes typical of the garden variety motor. Check out the homopolar motor description on Wikipedia, and another example of how to make a homopolar motor here at scitoys.com

Have you ever found yourself saying something, and the very moment those ill-considered words passed your lips, there was a subtle foreshadowing that you had touched off a chain of events that would soon escaped your control? Well, I was reminded of one such historical gaffe from my teaching years this morning.It all began innocuously enough in my high school Physics class when a student asked the disappointingly common question, "...but what will this REALLY be good for in the rest of my life?" My response was reflexive. "You can use the techniques and problem solving skills in addition to the knowledge of physical systems to understand literally ANYTHING in the world around you."Seems harmless enough right? But then I went on to say, "Pick a topic, ...any topic whatsoever, and we will apply these techniques to analyze it." And yes, that was where I had failed to truly anticipate the effect of surging hormones on pubescent males. What else could possibly be on the minds of teenage males? Of course they said, "BOOBS!"It's true, I could have said something like "...yeah, very funny. Pick another topic." But I really wanted to ...