Our goal is to try have a fun activity each week that anyone can participate in regardless of their scientific background. After that activity, we are also looking to do group projects that preferably have the following characteristics:
Allows people from multiple disciplines/backgrounds to work on the project
Develops a new capability for the space or builds a tool that lets us do more science
Involves the development or design of something new and improved beyond just duplicating designs already available online (optional but preferred).
Our goal is to solve problems or develop new solutions that might not only be of interest to Science but to other committees as well. We also want to fulfill the official makerspace mission of freely sharing research and discoveries, using what is learned to teach others. If you have an idea or request relevant to your committee, please post under the “Project Proposals” page on Science’s source page (Project Proposals - Science - DMS Source). We plan to vote on initial project selections at our next monthly committee meeting on 11/17.
I know that you are just kidding and I hope that you will join us on the project we decide to do as a group (a good amount of electronics can be required for many of the things we want to do).
But I’d like to take the opportunity to remind everyone anyways that intentionally setting things on fire, explosives, controlled substances, and reactions that generate deadly gasses are not allowed at DMS Science.
I understand that theres a good amount of interest in all of the above and have been asked about all of them (most often but not always as a joke). However, what makes for an entertaining Youtube video does not necessarily have much scientific value and is often not something we can safely or legally do here.
For further clarification, yes we do have a rocketry SIG. But we are using a hybrid solid rocket (fuel is completly safe as its just 3d printed plastic - not explosive, pyrophric, or hypergolic). And no test fires indoors are planned either. And any larger tests are planned to be offsite rather than on DMS premises.
Just a reminder that initial project selections will be voted on in about 1 week at the monthly committee meeting (11/17). Would welcome any project proposals to be added to source. Thanks!
Carbon capture on personal vehicles. This project would entail investigating ways to reduce carbon emissions by collecting and removing CO2 from an automobile’s exhaust. One method may be to mechanically separate the molecules using centrifugal force somewhat akin to separating hot molecules from cold molecules https://youtu.be/ArcaDeDQFRc?si=LXnpXBAnH0KsATKU
Stronger 3D prints. Recently there have been ways revisited to increase the strength of 3D prints by decreasing the voids between layers. Could DMS come up with a better way? How could we reduce the gaps or eliminate them? Could we print vertical layers every few millimeters to act as structural supports? Would a print head with a unique profile that swivels make a difference? https://youtu.be/9IdNA_hWiyE?si=aAIwuMoO__Dfis-T
I’d like to keep the Science source page as the one place for finding Science committee information. I know ceramics does monthly pins for their stuff but I feel like if every committee started doing that it would get kind of cluttered.
Thanks for your comments and suggestions. Here are some of my thoughts concerning each:
1. Carbon Capture: In my opinion, carbon capture on a small scale is not efficient and might even cause more emissions from the energy required to run the machine compared with the amount of CO2 captured. That said, I have a friend who is interested in doing this on a small scale and I’ve discussed potential applications for the CO2 generated. Once you’ve captured some CO2 you need to have a real use for it or you are just wasting energy.
2. 3D Print Strength: There isn’t an immediately obvious method (at least to me) of increasing strength beyond the staggered layer method that was mentioned in that video. Additionally this typically involves messing with 3D printer firmware/software which I feel would fall under 3D printing. An alternative project that can help with this but fits better under Science would be building a tensile strength tester to gather data. I’ve mentioned this previously as a potential project and this also matches the “build scientific tools to increase our capabilities” preference.
4. Nuclear reactors: General consensus is already that from a technical perspective small, useful and safe nuclear reactors are possible. This is more a political/public policy question at this point. Discussion would be welcome but I don’t think this is a project.
5. Tele-robotics: There’s some overlap with electronics and we also haven’t had many robotics people here at DMS. I’m trying to recruit a guy doing a robotics startup to join but our Staubli robot arms at Science haven’t moved in over a year already when the previous guy doing that got busy with work.
6. DIY Self-Watering System: I am interested and have ideas. Kobin also previously did some work on developing a modular aeroponic system. I didn’t realize that he’d already done some work in this area until I discussed this as a potential project.
7. 3D Printed Prosthetics: We have a member who led a group doing this in college.
Improving hydrogen generation efficiency from water electrolysis using better catalysts has been an area of research for some time now. Fuel cells are also a very active area of research as is hydrogen storage. That said, I’m not sure we have facilities and equipment necessary to advance knowledge in this area.
Putting together a model car running on hydrogen should be within our capabilities but I tend to lean towards projects where we can contribute new knowledge. But perhaps if enough people are interested it might be fun doing.
