LoginArticles: Scrappy circuits, ham radio inspires student, why measurements are important, why copper is important
Here are some articles I found intersting. The first details a cheap way to teach kids (and adults, too!) about circuits….Dan
Scrappy circuits
The best dollar you can spend on a child’s STEAM education is to take them to the dollar store, buy an electronic item, and then take it apart. Learning how a handheld fan, LED light, remote control, or headphones work will help show how wind turbines, traffic lights, speakers, keyboards, and other modern devices function.
The next step is to take apart a dollar store item and make it better — combine two items, replace a switch, create something new and unique. Scrappy Circuits is the perfect way to get started.
I first developed Scrappy Circuits with Chris Connors and Eva Luna while working at Xraise, an education outreach program at Cornell University. What began as an exploration of DIY switches ended later as a self-made invention system sourced from a fifty-cent LED tea light. Educators can build it with their class for about $20. Anyone with access to office supplies and a dollar store can make the five Core Bricks for about $1. Here’s how to create each one.
I think that we short-change ham radio’s usefulness in getting people to pursue STEM careers…..Dan
Ham radio inspired this Scranton University student to pursue engineering
Many college students participate in sports, listen to music, or play video games in their spare time, but IEEE Student Member Gerard Piccini prefers amateur radio, also known as ham radio. He’s been involved with the two-way radio communication, which uses designated frequencies, since his uncle introduced him to it when he was a youngster. His call sign is KD2ZHK.
I’ve always been something of a measurement nerd……Dan
Why measurements are important
Practically everything you use in your everyday life works because of measurement science. Without precise measurements, your car wouldn’t run, your phone wouldn’t work, hospitals couldn’t function, and the ATM would fail.
NIST is the national measurement institute of the United States. Most people in the U.S. have no idea that there is a single organization within the federal government that makes sure all measurements in the U.S. are correct and trustworthy — and that they are accepted by other governments worldwide.
Copper is one of those things that we take for granted…..Dan
Copper: Conductivity Benefits and Environmental Impact
Most circuit designers probably aren’t thinking about, much less worrying about, the metal copper. But as the electrification of the world continues, copper conductors used in applications from microchips, other components and circuit boards, to household, industrial, and automotive wiring, and critical workhorses like batteries and electric motors, points to the need to spotlight its starring role.
