Maker Faire in Austin

Register to be a participant in a mini Maker Faire to be held April 28, 2012 in Austin.

Here is a list of possible contribution ideas:

• Student Projects
• Robotics
• Music Performance and Participation
• 3D Printers and CNC Mill
• Textile Arts and Crafts
• Home Energy Monitoring
• Rockets and RC Toys
• Sustainability
• Green Tech
• Radios, Vintage Computers and Game Systems
• Electronics
• Electric Vehicles
• Biology/Biotech and Chemistry Projects
• Food and Beverage Makers
• Robotics
• Puppets
• Kites
• Bicycles
• Shelter (Tents, Domes, etc.)
• Unusual Tools or Machines
• How to Fix Things or Take them Apart (Vacuums, Clocks, Washing Machines, etc.)

Futuristic Science

Interesting science lecturer and writer, Michio Kaku talks about the future of physics. Here is a short intro on him from Science Friday:
/>Michio Kaku (Futuristic Science)- Science Friday video

Home Biology Blog

Kathy Ceceri is a teacher, writer, homeschooling mom, and artist who blogged about lab activities she and her two sons did during a year of homeschool biology.

While I have always had an interest in science as a hobby, I’ve been more intently following what resources are available to parents interested in providing a quality science education for their children. The end of last school year, I took the idea a little further to encompass all of my son’s education and started considering what it might be like to homeschool. At this point, I’m still thinking about homeschooling–actually I’ve already registered (and paid) for a homeschool AP Biology class with a 12:1 ratio, withdrawn my son from public school, and sent off for curriculum for an online homeschool that UPS says is set to arrive on Monday. I guess I’d have to say that I’m now leaning pretty strongly toward homeschooling. So when I see blogs like Kathy’s and meet homeschooling children (who make me feel like an uneducated underachiever by the way) I think that there has got to be something to this homeschooling. What I’ve found is, the resources are definitely out there to provide your child with a stellar home environment education– Kathy’s blog and list of resources is a good jumping off point. But you don’t have to be a homeschooler, or even a parent of one, to enjoy some of the science activities that Kathy and her sons did at home–just an enthusiast with some time on your hands.

Here are some of Kathy’s other blog sites:

Home Physics

GeekDad

Crafts For Learning

Entertaining math vlog

I am completely in love with this little vlog on math in life that someone recently pointed me to: http://vihart.com/doodling/

Also check out the Stop Motion Silly Band Fight (be sure and catch the ending on topology & silly bands) http://vihart.com/

Nature Rocks

Nature Rocks! Let’s Go Explore Austin is a great website that comes from a joint effort of the Children in Nature Collaborative of Austin

the city of Austin’s Westcave Nature Preserve, and REI. The website is a go-to place for many of the nature events going around in Austin. Most of the events are free or low-cost. Austin always has an abundance of nature & science events taking place & they’re a great way to encourage a natural curiosity in your children–whether they’re interested in bats, geology, star-gazing, cave ecosystems, ecology, hiking, kayaking, etc. In my own family, I find that I’m usually the one who is initially excited to go exploring, but once my child is immersed in the activity, it’s hard to get him to leave. —Nature definitely rocks.

Texas Nature Challenge

The 2011 Texas Nature Challenge has officially started. This is a great way to get to know local natural resources and ecosystems with your family.

The Texas Nature Challenge, put together by Texas A&M, is a scavenger hunt that has you traveling to different nature spots around Austin and completing simple challenges. The challenges are set up as a way to “introduce you to wildlife that live in the city” Go online to register your team and then be sure and pick up a “Family Adventure Journal” from an REI store beginning May 14th. There will be a closing ceremony July 16th from 11-1pm at Zilker Hillside Theatre.

Other Texas cities can also participate, see Texas Nature Challenge website for more details.

Beginning May 14^th, Nature Challenge teams are invited to come by any Central Texas REI store to pick up their “Family Adventure Journal”

Texas Nature Challenge.

Interactive Video Art & Science Show at UT’s VIS lab

 

A friend told me about this show tonight that will be taking place from 5pm-8pm at the Texas Advanced Computer Center Visualization Lab (VIS lab) at the University of Texas in the ACES building (room 2.404A). It will feature work from artist/entomologist Gracen Brilmyer, film & multimedia artist Fons Scheidon, professor of Romantic literature and science Rob Mitchell among others.

“Processing and Arduino: Creating Your Own Digital Art Tools”

…is the title of a free on-line course offered by Creative Techs & O’Reilly  and is taught by Joseph Gray.

The course introduces you to two simple tools: Processing, a programming language for visual thinkers, and Arduino, a hardware platform for working with electronics.”   In this course you’ll write a drawing application using processing, program interactive interfaces, program a hardware interface for drawing tools using arduino.

Joseph Gray is a designer who taught himself programming. He uses it to create interactive art installations. Crystalline Chlorophyll , below, responds to the movements of its viewers by growing more intensely green as their movement increases.

Joseph Gray's Crystalline Chlorophyll, shown here with permission of artist

Another work, S34sc4p3, a piece installed in a window of a gallery interacts with the traffic outside.

He has collaborated with musicians to create an interactive digital+musical experience for the audience, see those pieces on his website, Grauwald Creative.

Turning a building into pixels

This YouTube video shows the collaboration of Mother NY,  LEGS, and Target in repurposing the Standard Hotel in NY as a pixelated screen. The choreographed dancers in the lit windows add to the whimsy and somehow bring down the barriers in our minds as to our relationship with our surrounding architecture.   I love the idea of bringing art to our everyday experience — we all like to see a little magic in the ordinary.

And, another little bit of animated whimisical genius, but this time sweet & funny : “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” by Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate, on vimeo

both of these videos were found on Motionographer

Visualization of Information

I’ve always admired the way a single, powerful image can eloquently express an idea. Plus, it’s just prettier. David McCandless, a self-described “data journalist and information designer“, along with AlwaysWithHonors.com, a Portland-based design duo, have created a pretty color wheel called Colours in Cultures that  illustrates the significance different cultures place on various colors.

David McCandless says of his work:

A passion of mine is visualizing information – facts, data, ideas, subjects, issues, statistics, questions – all with the minimum of words.

I’m interested in how designed information can help us understand the world, cut through BS and reveal the hidden connections, patterns and stories underneath. Or, failing that, it can just look cool!

My pet-hate is pie charts. Love pie. Hate pie-charts.

Also, check the really cool GOOD Transparencies and Space Debris graphics on the AlwaysWithHonors website. I love seeing science+nature topics made more accessible through art. Now, we just need to convince public schoolbook publishers the impact a really great illustration can have on education.