Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly, and 27 Other Saturday Science Projects. [Hardcover]

Neil A. Downie (Author), N. A. Downie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

How do you crack nuts with a piece of string? Reverse gravity? Cobble together a clock out of a coffee cup, a soda bottle, and some water? Use a vacuum cleaner and 19th-century railroad technology to fashion a makeshift bazooka that can launch paper projectiles? Create a rainbow in a block of Jello? This is a one-volume romp through a whole array of counter-intuitive science experiments that require little more than common household items and a sense of curiosity. The book describes 29 unusual but practical experiments, detailing how they are done and the math and physics behind them. It should delight both casual and inveterate tinkerers. Of varying levels of complexity, the experiments are grouped in sections covering a wide field of physics and the borders of chemistry, ranging from dynamic mechanics ("Kinetic Curiosities") to electricity ("Antediluvian Electronics") and combustion ("Infernal Inventions"). Detailed explanations, along with simple mathematical models using high-school level math, are given in boxes accompanying each experiment. Armchair scientists should welcome this edifying alternative to idleness, enriched by historical and literary anecdotes introducing each topic.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Downie runs a weird-science club in England that, through the construction of Goldbergian gadgets, teaches kids the physical principles behind technology. In these recipes, he exhibits a playful attitude that disarms any hesitation about cannibalizing everyday stuff--radio-controlled toys, for example--for the quite basic gear that many of Downie's projects require. Most illustrate the physics of waves or mechanics, and for the hard-core gadgeteer, Downie appends to each project an explanation of the mathematics describing what's going on with, say, a rotating, ribless umbrella, but every project is built around inspiring delight and wonder. There is an upgrade of the classic cups-and-string telecom technology, which Downie calls the string radio. He illustrates the basic idea of modern smart-bomb warfare in the shape of a (perfectly safe) guided carpet missile, and throughout he sprinkles a number of amusingly useless labor-saving devices: Anybody need a string-driven nutcracker? A fertile and funny idea-book for the Erector set crowd. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

This is great interactive stuff . . . As well as the fun there is science too, equations and all. -- Douglas Palmer, New Scientist

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691009856
• ISBN-13: 978-0691009858
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,894,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Book, November 11, 2001

By 

W. Watson (Nevada City, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly, and 27 Other Saturday Science Projects. (Paperback)

I've only had this book for a few days, but have found the projects unusual and offbeat. For the most part, they are not a rehash of old science projects. They are well described and each one has a good description of the science and math behind them. The illustrations are not overly detailed, but they do the job quite well. I found it a little odd that the description of what the project is about is separated from the chapter on the project. The summaries of what is interesting about the projects and simply what they do is in the front of the book. If you open to a project within the book, you'll wonder what the real appeal of the project is until you go to the front of the book.

The author is quite a tinkerer and at least one of the project toys is patented. I believe a few others are heading toward patents.

Several projects require access to a small amount of Mecanno (or Erector) set parts. These companies almost do not exist it the U.S. any longer. However, Brio recently started distributing Erector sets again. I'm sure one could find substitutes for the Mecanno parts at a local hardware store or maybe even make them.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science Challenges for all ages, October 12, 2008

By 

Dr. F. K. Schweighardt (ALLENTOWN, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly, and 27 Other Saturday Science Projects. (Paperback)

Neil Downie has developed another outstanding summary of science projects/challenges for all ages. At this time, when bcominig a scientist may not be the #1 career--- these projects get the attention of the student,parent and teacher alike. The opportunity to try, fail and try again--usually ends in success. We need this type of approach to encourgae our children to consider science as a career.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly, and 27 Other Saturday Science Projects., April 12, 2007

By 

A. L. Hitchins "Interested enthusiast" (Hamilton New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly, and 27 Other Saturday Science Projects. (Paperback)

The technical language was easily understood and presented in a clear interesting manner.
Mr Downie has inspired me to have a real go at these projects.
As we say in New Zealand "Sweet As".