In this article, I'll show you how to make a portable prank stun-baton. Powered by static electricity, simply charge up the baton, and discharge it for a static surprise. The concept behind this device ties in with Leyden jars, and their tendencies to retain static electricity.
The Earthen Ring Quartermaster is as elusive as a long-beaked echidna, so how do you find him in World of WarCraft: Cataclysm?
As some of you Mad Science readers will remember, we recently covered the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis. Passing a current through water can rend it apart, but we can also recombine that oxygen and hydrogen to make electricity! This is the principle behind those vehicles run by hydrogen fuel cell engines.
In this article, I'll show you how to create a simple yet accurate demonstration of the "rising ionized gas" principle. In other words, a transformer, two metal prongs and lots of evil laughter. Remember those large "towers" in the background of Frankenstein movies with a "lightning bolt" rising upwards every few seconds? That's called a Jacob's Ladder; one of the coolest awe-inspiring demonstrations of high voltage. Here's a video of the final product: Materials and Tools
One of the creepiest musical instruments ever is undoubtedly the theremin, a device originating from the early 20s that emits eerie sounds with a just a wave of the hand. If you've seen the original movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, you know what I mean—freakishly creepy. Playing the theremin can be off-putting for some, since it's a relatively pricy gizmo, but a new geek gadget called the EaTheremin aims to make all of us professional, dinnertime theremists.
If you've ever been inside of a real laboratory, you probably noticed how expensive the equipment is. You'd never be able to afford even just one of those ultra high-tech machines required to splice genes or split atoms. Even the lesser machines can be prohibitively costly, including a stir plate.
In this Photoshop CS2 video tutorial you will learn how to deep etch an image with the magnetic lasso. Notice how the demonstrator uses the edge contrast value to make the lasso ignore the grey area. This tutorial is aimed at new users. Make sure to hit "play tutorial" in the top left corner of the video to start the video. There is no sound, so you'll need to watch the pop-up directions. Use the magnetic lasso in Photoshop CS2.
Fish are among the most popular of all domestic pets. From the humble goldfish to the most complicated and beautiful aquatic micro-environments, they offer owners years of pleasure and serene viewing. Moreover, they are relatively easy to care for; however, like many pets, there is a lot to learn about this finned friend. Good tank maintenance will keep your aquarium healthy for years to come. Keep your fish healthy by watching this film, which will show you the basics of keeping your fish ta...
Computer viruses are terrifying. They are undetectable, dangerous, and operate constantly right under your nose. For the average computer user, there are only a few repair options. You could buy expensive antivirus software that causes more problems than it fixes, you can wipe your hard drive clean and lose all of your important data, or if all else fails—just switch to Linux.
There are many reasons to take cold showers. It can improve circulation, stabilize blood pressure, improve skin and/or hair, and improve immunity. Cold showers are not easy to just jump into. It does take some time to adapt to the shock of getting into cold water and then staying with it.
Science-fiction writer Jules Verne predicted many scientific breakthroughs, including the moon landing, tasers, and nuclear submarines. In his 1874 book The Mysterious Island, Verne writes:
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills.
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills.
UPDATE: Winner announced. See the winning photo here. This week's Giveaway Tuesday is all about macro photography. The prize is a combo lens for your camera phone that can shoot BOTH macro and wide angle—but as far as the entries go, we only want to see your extra close-up shots.
Apple's newest version of their Final Cut Pro software was just released today, built from the ground up for modern 64-bit Mac computers, capable of handling 4K video and featuring the new Magnetic Timeline. But this time around Apple is doing something totally different when it comes to sales, making Final Cut Pro X a download only program from the Mac App Store, meaning no more trips to the Apple Store and no more boxes and discs to keep track of—just purchase from the comfort of your own c...
Beauty is a fine line between art and science for Pe Lang, a Swiss sculptor living and working in both Berlin and Zurich. The autodidact artist specializes in graceful, hand-built kinetic sculptures made of magnetic, electrical and mechanical devices, all of which are elegant and completely mesmerizing. "Positioning Systems - Falling Objects" is one of his newest contraptions, which feels like a mix of home waterfall fountains, mechanical metronomes and a busy manufacturing plant.
EL Wire is a bit tricky if all you want to do is glow. But there's a lot to know about the technology, as well as helpful information to get you addicted to it. EL Wire is a thin copper wire that gives off a beautiful glow when an electric charge is applied. There are 10 colors of EL Wire, and each wire has it's own unique characteristics. Typically EL Wire is used for safety as well as costuming. It has such a low power point that it can run off as little as watch batteries to make it glow!
Tetherd Cow Ahead posts an interesting science experiment. All you really need is a little bit of iron powder and a magnet, and you can unveil the info behind the magstripe on a credit card.
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to change your water heater anode rod. Steps:
Are your exterior lamps looking totally out of place? Bring them back into the fold with a simple spray paint face lift. As every fashion-conscious gal knows, accessories make all the difference. The same is true for your house: the decorative touches, accent pieces, and color schemes can make the difference between a house that looks all together or altogether tacky. Exterior lights are a perfect example: do your lamps match your home like the perfect pair of earrings match your outfit? If n...
A new model of Google Glass has appeared on the FCC website, along with a handful of high-res pictures.
If you're like most people, you probably wish you had more space in your home. With a few clever organizing hacks, you can free up more space in your living space and feel more in control of where and how you store your possessions.
Maglev trains. Why are they so cool? Well, for starters, they float. The idea of levitating trains have been around since the '60's. The first commercially available levitator was introduce in 1984, Birmingham, England. The fastest known floating train is Japan's JR-Maglev, reaching speeds of 581 km/h.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be really good. Jack Nicholson was appealingly disturbed in As Good as it Gets. I bought a script about an intriguing OCD detective named Monk. His OCD made him magnetic and brilliant. Well, this next tutorial takes the cake. HowTo teach your cat to use a light switch.
Snowflakes aren't much to look at during a storm, but when you look real close, you can see just how marvelous they really are. But winter is over and most of us can no longer enjoy the intricate nature of ice crystallization, unless you're sticking your head in your freezer. Or unless you build your own snowflake cultivation machine, which shoots 2,000 volts of electricity through a cold, moist chamber.
We've all heard of the power that red wine holds. It can help lower risks of heart disease, boost your brain power, and can even recharge your car battery. But last year, a group of Japanese physicists made headlines when they announced that they could induce superconductivity by soaking metals in red wine. But why red wine?
Tesla coils are electrically satisfying in so many ways. But what happens when a guitar-playing city coil has a run-in with a backwoods, banjo-playing, inbred coil? A musical duel to the death! Watch these two Tesla coils battle it out as they play Dueling Banjos. Shocking. Just shocking. Okay, so it's no secret that Tesla coils can create a wonderful light show of electricity, but by modulating the frequency, they quickly turn into powerful singing Tesla coils—the key to any electromaniac's ...
His name is Don Pettit, but I like to call him Space MacGyver. He's well known for his paper clip fixes and ingenious coffee invention in zero gravity, and we've all seen the NASA astronaut in his Saturday Morning Science videos during his first stay on the International Space Station. And now he's back on the ISS with a brand new physics-related show... Science Off the Sphere.
So, when Christopher brought up Nikola Tesla in his very first post on Fear of Lightning, it got me interested in learning more about the man behind alternating current. There is plenty of info out there on the Internet, widely available for free, but sometimes it's just nice to have a book in your hands... or on your computer or mobile device.
I love this project. It involves fire, projectiles, electricity, and is easy to put together from commonly available parts. This mini cannon fires airsoft pellets, is fueled by alcohol, and is made almost entirely from parts found in a standard BBQ lighter. The total cost is under $5. About half of the BBQ lighters out there have a divide in the gas reservoir which makes them not work for this project. In case you have trouble finding a suitable lighter, the exact one I use in this video is a...
Apple's iPhone is considered one of the best smartphones in the world. Many cell phone makers have tried to take down the juggernaut, with some Android-based devices coming close, but in order to become an actual iPhone killer, something revolutionary needs to happen in the mobile world. And Human Media Lab (HML) may be the ones to make it happen.
Turkey's been consumed, you've awakened from the food coma, and you've escaped the madness of Black Friday. Isn't it about time you tackle a new project? We've got some great new projects for you to help illuminate the darkness of winter.
China's latest futuristic project is a massive "3D Express Coach", a clever project proposed by Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co. as a solution to traffic in the extremely overpopulated country.
In this experiment, we're going to get Mn2O3 (manganese(III) oxide) from MnO2 (manganese(IV) dioxide). Mn2O3 forms brightly red or a dark red colored crystal. It is used in Li-ion batteries, since (in a form of a crystal) it conducts electricity (much like MnO2).
If you're the kind of person who misses the bright, sunny days of summer during the colder months, Michail has the perfect addition to your home. He built this "Nuclear Explosion" Chandelier that's as bright as daylight, so you can recreate the feeling of summer, no matter what time of year it is. It puts out 99,400 lumen (a typical 60W light bulb only produces 800 lm), so it takes quite a bit of electricity to run. Michail used 7 metal-halide lamps, which are much brighter and more energy ef...
Hello! This post is about the electrical socket. Imagine that somebody pulled the cable out of the possible protection outlet too fast? The result can be seen on the following photo. What to do next? Step 1: Preparation
If a solar-powered air conditioner that requires no electricity or moving parts sounds to good to be true, well, then you're not as ambitious as this clever high school student. Instructables user Fozzy13 put together an awesome DIY tutorial on how he built his own air conditioning unit in his car that works using the principles of evaporation, convection, and capillary action. This air conditioner works by using sunlight to heat air at the bottom of the unit. The hot air rises, allowing the ...
It appears there are endless things you can do with Coke. The Nokia Coke-powered phone is not in production, but certainly an interesting idea. Designed by Daizi Zheng, the Coke phone is an eco-friendly solution to charging your cell.
Michael Faraday was an English chemist and physicist - a bona fide electromagnetism and electrochemistry genius. Without him, men couldn't walk on live electrical wires. Wait, what?
Is your new puppy keeping you up at night? Stop yelling at that poor whimpering pup. Remove the duct tape from his snout. Loathe as I am to admit it, sometimes love is the answer. Brilliant and simple. We present to you the real dog whisperer. Is your new puppy keeping you up at night? Stop yelling at that poor whimpering pup. Remove the duct tape from his snout. Loathe as I am to admit it, sometimes love is the answer. Brilliant and simple. We present to you the real dog whisperer.
