Field: DIY
How Brilliant Labs CEO is creating a “symbiosis of humanity and artificial intelligence”
CEO Bobak Tavangar discusses the philosophy behind Brilliant’s latest device, Frame, and his vision for the future of AI.
How one streamer learned to play video games with only her mind
Perrikaryal uses an EEG to translate her brain activity into game commands, turning her mind into a video game controller.
How to find success with the 4 conditions of “intelligent failure”
Intelligent failure occurs in a low-risk environment and leads to growth or new knowledge. To fail intelligently, follow five strategies.
The mathematically correct way to tie your shoes
One of the great accomplishments of childhood comes when we successfully learn how to tie our own shoes: making a "bow" for the first time.
Open-source “Davids” are taking on GPT-4 and other Goliaths
Powerful tech companies keep LLMs like GPT-4 shrouded in secrecy. But a new wave of open-source LLMs is giving the power of chatbots to the people.
How to prove Einstein’s relativity for under $100
Muons only live for 2.2 microseconds before decaying. Thanks to Einstein's relativity, they make it to the surface of the earth. Here's how to prove it.
How do DALL-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and other forms of generative AI work?
DALL-E and other types of generative AI can produce images that look like photographs, paintings, or drawings that were created by humans.
A nun built a hydroelectric plant that’s providing free power to a town in Africa
Blackouts are a daily disruption in the country, which sources most of its electricity from a run-down and mismanaged hydropower system.
Blasting mushrooms with UV light boosts vitamin D by 4,600%
Roughly half the world population, including in America, has insufficient levels of vitamin D. UV irradiated mushrooms can help.
Chile is making its own glaciers
Chilean climate experts will attempt to DIY their own glaciers in 2022, in hopes of supplying fresh water through the dry summer months.
Microsoft posts video of DIY laptop teardown
In response to pressure from right-to-repair advocates, Microsoft has released a new teardown video for its Surface Laptop SE.
Apple finally agrees you have a right to repair its tech
In a reversal of its previous stance on the right to repair, Apple is now giving customers access to parts and tools for DIY repairs.
Kids build DIY microscope from LEGO & cheap phone parts
A DIY microscope made out of LEGO bricks and smartphone lenses could be a powerful learning tool, teaching kids the basics of microscopy.
YouTuber builds VR gloves for just $22
YouTuber Lucas VRTech developed a pair of open source, finger-tracking VR gloves that cost just $22 in materials.
Reclaiming city spaces with “tactical urbanism”
In partnership with Ford
From guerilla gardening to pop-up parks, tactical urbanism is catching the world by storm.
Scientists hack kombucha for new materials
Scientists are using a modified kombucha SCOBY to create materials that sense pollutants, purify water, or make damage-sensing packaging materials.
Cable companies won’t, so rural America is building its own broadband network
The pandemic revealed how essential the internet is. Now, electric cooperatives that once put rural America on the grid are installing fiber optics.
A professor's teaching hack lights up twitter
Educators new to online teaching are struggling to adapt. This teacher created a DIY lightboard that is being widely shared on Twitter.
Hackers build a DIY satellite tracker to eavesdrop on space
The NyanSat guided challenge asks hackers to build a satellite tracker, making low-earth-orbit satellites more accessible.
Scientists test DIY coronavirus vaccine on themselves
Scientists have developed a DIY coronavirus vaccine they think could provide protection against COVID-19 — and they’re testing it on themselves.
Series|
Challengers
This carbon-negative dream house ships in a box
A startup described as the “IKEA of houses” is determined to make beautifully-designed, energy efficient homes affordable for everyone.
Dad builds amusement park for daughter
This dad couldn’t find a theme park that worked for his daughter with special needs - so he built one.
Ever wonder what happens to leftover crayons?
This dad is melting down old crayons for kids who need them most.
The final Maker Faire
The maker movement is grieving a big loss with the shutdown of Maker Media. Freethink's Alexandra Cardinale spoke...
Giving animals new legs
Derrick Campana is a prosthetics engineer helping animals walk again with artificial limbs.
A "LinkedIn for cancer" helps myeloma patients find help – and hope
The site aims to help scientists discover new treatments – and empower patients to advocate for their own care.
Can DIY science (finally) cut the cost of insulin?
A century after its discovery, insulin is still incredibly expensive, but DIY bio-manufacturing could change that...
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DIY Science
The homemade internet service
We all get tired of our internet service. But what if instead of just restarting your router, you started your own internet service?