More Links

More Links

Low Cost Equipment for science and technology education:

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001023/102321eb.pdf

The second part:

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0007/000728/072808eb.pdf

This link has science articles and experiments from the old magazine Modern Mechanix:

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/category/science/chemistry/

You will notice under my links some are no longer there. I have removed any links that are no longer working. Please remember when a new link goes up get the information you need and store it because you don't know how long it will be up.

DIYBIO and Genetics

Over the past weekend I did some web surfing and I found this site called "Learn Genetics":

1) http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/

It teaches the basics of genetics. It shows you how to virtually build a DNA molecule, talks about DNA to protein and all the basics needed to understand genetics. There virtual labs such as 1) DNA extractions, 2) PCR, 3) Gel Electrophoresis and 4) DNA Microarray.

2) There is a link to HOW TO EXTRACT DNA FROM ANYTHING LIVING:

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/extraction/howto/

3) A link on how to build a gel electrophoresis chamber, including power supply (one of the best I have found):

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/gel/build_gel_box.pdf

A lot of what is on there can be transferred to using plastic dishes instead of building the chamber completely form scratch. But still the lessons for working with plastics are good an can be beneficial if you go that route.

4) Another link that shows you how to run that chamber using kitchen supplies such as agar, table salt, food colouring and filter papers (I would use coffee filters):

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/gel/electrophoresis/

5) Teachers Lesson Plans:

http://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/

I have not had much time to go through this content yet but I plan to.

Over all a very interesting site with a lot of do-it-yourself projects.

More Useful Links

1) I would like to thank Tom, a viewer of this blog. He sent me the following link for Constructing Inexpensive Lab Equipment. The link I have as I talked about before is no longer working. I browsed the link Tom gave me and I was able to download the files from there. There are many pdf files to get, so go get them before they get lost.

http://web.archive.org/web/20070704042228/icase.unl.edu/guidbo
ks/guidebok.htm

Here are some more important websites for the citizen scientist.

2) This pdf file was sent to me by Jake(thanks Jake) another reader of the blog. I was able to find a link for it.

The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments - How to Set Up a Home Laboratory - Over 200 Simple Experiments by Robert Brent. I have the soft cover version of this book and I am very glad to find a pdf of it. This way I do not have use the original and worry about damaging it. When looking at this book on the internet you find that many talk about it being a dangerous book, but again let us face the facts that is what can make science fun. So be careful with it. It shows how to setup a home lab and build some of the equipment needed. It has many chemistry experiments as well.

http://chemistry.about.com/library/goldenchem.pdf

3) This link gives you a list of chemicals to outfit your lab and where you might be able to find them. It is part of the Make Science Room. It is a good source I have been searching to see if I can find many of these chemicals especially here in Canada.

http://blog.makezine.com/science_room/general/setting_up_a_home
_science_lab3/

All 3 of these links and all other links are posted on my Links portion of the blog, lower right hand.

Again I would like to thank many of my readers for their responses and ideas. With input from others it will make this a better blog.

Useful and Deleted Links

The Other night I was checking my Links list and found the link to Constructing Inexpensive Lab Equipment no longer works. I hope people have downloaded the files and saved them or printed them out. That is why it is often a good idea to print the pages of a web site up or make sure you download any information needed because you never know how long a site will stay up.

I have found 3 useful links for older books that where used in building lab equipment and to do experiments from. They are:

1)The New Unesco Source Book for Science Teaching. Is sort of different edition of the book 700 Science Experiments for Everyone. I am not sure if this book is out of print. A look online and you can still find this brand new. I haven't been able to find a pdf or site for the original book.

unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0000/000056/005641E.pdf

2)The Scientific American Book of Projects. This book is out of print and is a very interesting book.

www.sciencemadness.org/
library/books/projects_for_the_amateur_scientist.pdf

3)The Make Science Room. It is related to the book "Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments" by Robert Bruce Thompson that I talked about in an earlier post:

http://blog.makezine.com/science_room/

I am glad I found the first 2 because I have the books and I would rather read through the PDF files instead of my old books. It is too easy to damage them.

Again make sure to get it while they are up, you don't know how long that will be.