If you like to hack things (other than software, but sometimes including software,) a source for interesting projects is Make Magazine. I’ve now gotten a couple of them and have found them highly entertaining and sometimes informative.

This weekend I was looking for a fun activity to do with my 3.5 year old daughter (who likes magic) and decided to try out the project where you use $1.21 in change (pennies and dimes,) an icecube tray, saline solution, and an LED to make a battery and light. It was an interesting time starting with getting materials, I couldn’t find an icecube tray anywhere. So we fell back on 3oz paper cups (which was a good thing, as the cups could be “formed” into squares and the clips with change actually stayed attached.) Effectively, each cube well becomes a battery cell where a penny and a dime are attached to adjacent cells, you can measure current.



You can read about the project at Make here. Others tried and had difficulty with the slope of the icecube tray etc. We tried and managed to get 24 cells in a series producing 6v DC at about 110milliamps, enough to light up three bulbs. Needless to say, it was a great introduction to electricity and was somehow “magic.” Some of the posters had difficulties with the project, but we found it pretty much worked as advertised (less the icecube tray.) It was fun and I encourage you to try it sometime.

16 days to OSU/Michigan
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 9-0 Next up: at Illinois 11/4
Tune: Managua, Nicaragua by Guy Lombardo
Technorati Tags: Experiment | Homemade Battery | LED | Mike Harding Blog

This week the Bucks travel to Champaign, Illinois to take on the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and for the right to possess the Illibuck trophy.

The Illibuck Trophy


Last year OSU blasted the Illini 40-2, with the 2 points coming from a block of an OSU point after touchdown attempt. This year Illinois has shown some signs of improvement, upsetting Michigan State on the road and consistently better play from both their offense and defense. They played Penn State and Wisconsin tough for 3.5 quarters and are definitely showing up to play each game. Isaiah “Juice” Williams is an exciting dual-threat, freshman quarterback who is improving week by week. The rushing game is strong with 3 serviceable tailbacks. The defense is allowing around 125 yards/game rushing and 175 yards/game passing. Special teams are, well, still developing let’s say.

Let’s be plain, on paper this should be a 63-0 blow out game and tune up for the Bucks. But this game isn’t played on paper and I’ve said I expect a let down game this season. I think it’s this week folks. I’m not saying Illinois will win, it will simply be more difficult and closer than anyone expects. Why this week? It’s the 10th consecutive game of the season, a few players are banged up and showing signs of fatigue, the game is on the road against a team with nothing to lose, there is no compelling reason for the Bucks to do anything more than show up (no revenge, embarrassment, or other factors at play.)

I think this game stays close for 3 quarters and then we see the Buckeyes pull away in the last quarter. Let’s call it 34-10 when the dust settles. It wouldn’t surprise me if OSU trails at halftime. It also wouldn’t surprise me that 10-14 of the points a direct results of big plays in special teams and/or defense to spark the victory. Vegas installed OSU as 27 point favorites. Go Bucks!

17 days to OSU/Michigan
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 9-0 Next up: at Illinois 11/4
Tune: Samba Pa Ti by Santana
Technorati Tags: Ohio State | Illinois | Football | Mike Harding Blog

Click the play button…



A new method for controlling “congressional urges.”

– or –

A pilot from Japan for a new reality show on Fox.

– or –

New non-lethal questioning technique borrowed from the Bush administration.

Pick one you like, or make up your own (if you do make up your own, please share, post it in a comment.)

17 days to OSU/Michigan
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 9-0 Next up: at Illinois 11/4
Tune: King of Pain by The Police
Technorati Tags: Humor | Politics | TV | Mike Harding Blog

A few months ago I posted an entry about biodiesel fuel which is a great example of biomass at work. A plant undergoing a process to transform it into a fuel for use (biorefining) in our current infrastructure, in this case, transportation.

That’s a great specific case, but biomass is, when you get right down to it, harnessing the power of photosynthesis. Biomass can be easily characterized as biofuels (biodiesel and ethanol,) biopower (typically burning plant waste to generate electricity,) and bioproducts (converting plants into chemicals that replace petroleum products.)

As is true with most renewable technologies, biomass has been around forever. While you might not really think of it this way, a wood fueled fire providing heat really is biomass at work.

Advantages to biomass include the fact that the fuel stock is renewable, plentiful, and generally neutral in CO2 emissions. We certainly know how to grow things very effectively. Disadvantages include particulate emissions from oxidation and farming related issues – water usage and pollution through fertilizers and insectacides. Also, each square meter of ground dedicated to biomass may be a square meter taken out of food production.

Garden variety soybean field (a prominant source of biofuels.)


Like wind and solar, biomass has it’s place in the renewable portfolio and has the potential, particularly in the transportation sector, to move us toward energy independence from fossil fuels.

17 days to OSU/Michigan
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 9-0 Next up: at Illinois 11/4
Tune: When it’s over by Sugar Ray
Technorati Tags: Energy | Renewable | Biomass | Mike Harding Blog