Collaborate Disseminate
Ceramic 3D printers, despite using the same fundamental mechanism as standard FDM printers, are much harder to find. Part of this comes down to the material properties of fired ceramics …read more Continue reading Clay Extruder Enables Printable Pottery
Unlike almost every other kind of microscope, atomic-force microscopes (AFMs) don’t use any kind of optical beam to image their subjects. Instead, they physically detect the subject’s surface with a …read more Continue reading Seeing Bacteria, Nanoprisms, and More with an Atomic Force Microscope
When light reflects off a surface, not all of it reflects off at the same wavelength; some photons impart a portion of their energy to raising the vibrational energy of …read more Continue reading 2026 Frikkin Lasers Challenge: A 3D-Printed Raman Spectrometer
Laser diodes are convenient light sources, but for precise optical work their often-elliptical beam profile leaves something to be desired. One way to get around this is to couple the …read more Continue reading Building a Fiber-Coupled Laser Source for Precision Optics
Every experienced machinist knows the value of taking regular measurements. If one works carefully and checks dimensions frequently, it’s possible to make a part much more precise than could be …read more Continue reading Building a Micrometer-Level Displacement Sensor with 3D Printed Parts
There are as almost as many kinds of coffee as there are of coffee drinkers, with each method for preparing the beverage appealing to a different kind of palate: moka …read more Continue reading Brewing Espresso with Ultrasonic Assistance
Although the basic principle of radio direction finding is easy to understand (measure the phase difference between different antennas, then calculate the angle of arrival from this difference), the radio …read more Continue reading Seeing the World in Radio Waves with the QuadRF
Fluoroscopy is probably the best-known method of X-ray imaging: an X-ray beam passes through the subject to be imaged, and the transmitted X-rays illuminate a phosphor screen. Dense objects, such …read more Continue reading Building Your Own X-Ray Detector Screen
Although crude oil contains a vast diversity of hydrocarbons, a comparatively small number of these make up the bulk of demand for oil. Cracking solves this mismatch: most of the …read more Continue reading Building a Desktop Catalytic Cracker
Although parents and teachers like to point out the deep link between cooking and chemistry, most people don’t deliberately apply any chemical principles beyond acid/base reactions to their recipes. Not …read more Continue reading Optimizing Pancakes from Chemical Principles