The galvanic series (or electropotential series) determines how well two metals will work together to make a battery. When two metals are submerged in an electrolyte, while electrically connected, the less noble (base) will experience galvanic corrosion. The rate of corrosion is determined by the electrolyte and the difference in nobility. The difference can be measured as a difference in…
The common juice boxes and cartons are finding new lift after its juices have been drank. People are making them into wallets and other goods. Juice box wallets are beautiful and useful. A juice box and cartons are made of liquid packaging board which is usually six layers of paper, polyethylene plastic, and aluminum foil. Paper is used to shape the…
Plarn is a yarn made from recycled plastic bags. By cutting the bags in to strips and stringing them together a strong colorful yarn is made. The plarn (short for plastic yarn) can be crocheted, stitched, fused or weaved into a wide range of items. Here we have collected a bunch of the most interesting…
Recycled Orchestra “The world sends us garbage, we send back music” There’s an amazing video floating around YouTube that has brought a ray of sunshine to a very dark week for all of us. It’s the trailer for an upcoming documentary called Landfill Harmonic, which focuses on one remarkable group in Paraguay: an orchestra that plays…
That white styrofoam we use for packaging, coffee cups and other things can be repurposed into a wide range of things. When Styrofoam is mixed with gasoline or other chemicals it will breakdown into a gooey glob that when dried will be a hard plastic instead of the light fluffy stuff we think as styrofoam.…
The triboelectric effect is a type of contact electrification in which certain materials become electrically charged after they come into contact with another different material through friction. Rubbing glass with fur, or a comb through the hair, can build up triboelectricity. Most everyday static electricity is triboelectric. The polarity and strength of the charges produced differ according to the materials, surface roughness, temperature, and other properties.…
Insects like termites build amazing complex structures with no central authority. Each termite is replaceable independent and relentless. As man builds robots these simple tiny termites are giving us examples on how to make much better robots to do complex, dangerous and monotonous things. Given the size of a termite they build mounds taller than…
Excellent post on using the bluetooth HC-06 module, how to set it up and differences between the HC-06 and the HC-05 modules. http://mcuoneclipse.com/2013/06/19/using-the-hc-06-bluetooth-module/
Dhaka, Bangladesh, is one of the worlds poorest and largest cities. With 9 million people over 3000 tons of waste is generated every day. There is little priority on recycling and waste pickers are the among the lowest class of people and often abused. Due to many factors, less than half the 3000 tons a…
Aquaponics is a method by which you grow plants and nurture aquatic animals together in a system that recirculates the nutrients produced, to the benefit of both plants and animals. The aquaponics approach is gaining in popularity as a sustainable gardening method. The idea take conventional aquaculture, (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish…
Minnesota brewery Lakemaid got shutdown by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after it published a video on YouTube showing the company delivering cases of beer to ice fisherman. According to the FAA, using a drone for “commercial” purposes (like selling and delivering beer) is against the rules, unless the company has the FAA’s permission. “The…
A creative inventor has come up with a wind turbine to charge your cell phone while riding your bike. It looks like a little fan built into a iphone case and of course he named it ifan. Tjeerd Veenhoven, of the Netherlands, says it takes about 6 hours to fully charge a iphone with his…
A man has posted a page claiming to be building a solar power forge that can heat steel to over 1000 °f, hot enough to get it red hot and forge it. He used a home made parabolic mirror to heat steel instead of the traditional gas, coal or charcoal furnace. The idea of a solar…
I found a great video on the making of a simple electric generator. It produces enough power to light a small light bulb. It uses scrap cardboard, wire and magnets. A good friend told me about how education programs are running into problems due to the lack of electricity in the homes and the…
The Arduino is a palm sized micro controller. It is a computer-like device that allows you to control real things in your world with a computer. They are every inexpensive costing around $30. You can build robots, 3d printers, control your heating or home lights, connect to the internet, connect to your phone or a…
Watch the video of the first metal 3D printed gun. The firearm was made by a firm holding a Federal Firearm License. The gun is a copy of a standard U.S. military side arm, the 1911 model. Although there have been 3D printed plastic guns, this is believed to be the first 3d printed gun made…
This is kinda techie but interesting if you’re digging deep in to repurposed plastics. I discovered a post on what solvents work with specific plastics. Pure nail polish remover (Acetone) works with most plastics. The process of solvent welding is simple. You apply the solvent to the pieces you want to stick together, push the pieces…
“Plastics, like diamonds, are forever.” The above quote is from Captain Charles Moore, oceanographer and racing boat captain known for articles that recently brought attention to the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ . A recent study of remote beaches in Hawaii found that the beach sand contained over 50% plastic. The plastic is washed upon the shore after being…
In Bolivia and other Latin nations a group are helping people build their own homes our of plastic bottles. The Casas de Botellas, which translates to Bottle House, are giving people new hope and dignity. The bottles are filled with honey, sand, rubbish, linseed oil and milk. The bottles are added to dirt, livestock blood, cement, lime,…
Across Africa local artisans are making beautiful bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry from plastic, paper and glass saved from local land fills. These recycled treasures are sold thru a variety of web sites. In the Northern African country of Burkina Faso artists are making bracelets from old plastic mats that are used for rugs and prayer mats.…
Interesting article on a start up that vets, funds and invests in solar projects from small to large projects. http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/science/Can-Billy-Parish-Make-Renewable-Energy-Hip.html
In many of the worlds slums, people are packed into every available space. Home are built next to each other with no windows to let in light. People live in darkness 24 hours a day. Electricity for lights is either unavailable, sporadic, or too expensive leaving millions in darkness at high noon. Simple recycled plastic…
New York Institute of Technology architecture students funded a plant to build a recycling center in Costa Rica, and fund a documentary film about it. Using KickStarter the students funded their projected. Costa Rica known for biodiversity, national parks, and a thriving eco-tourism sector, has a severe trash problem; lacking appropriate infrastructure and policies, over sixty…
Waste pickers in Pune, India formed SWaCH (Solid Waste Collection and Handling) a cooperative of self-employed waste pickers. For over 10 years, SWaCH has worked in partnership with city authorities, providing door-to-door collection for a small fee and unlike other contractors that favor landfills and incineration units SWaTCH recycles and composts the city’s rubbish. Each week…
Academy Awards nominated Waste Pickers is a wonderful documentary focusing on the plight of waste pickers from Brazil and an artist that changes their lives. The Brazilian artist Vik Muniz based in New York decides to make the difference and travels to the largest landfill of the world outside of Rio de Janeiro, with the intention to…
