Category Archives: Maker

DIY Pinhole Viewer

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Try this at Home - Eclipse Pinhole Viewer 

This DIY pinhole viewer can be used to observe the sun any time, but it will be especially useful for the solar eclipse on April 8th! For more information about how to experience the eclipse at the Science Center, visit www.osc.org/eclipse.

What is an annular solar eclipse? 

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on the planet. However, there are different types of solar eclipses. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon completely blocks the face of the Sun, causing a brief period of darkness during the day. A partial solar eclipse happens when the Moon, Sun, and Earth are not perfectly aligned, causing only a part of the Sun to be covered and giving it a crescent shape. An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon is at its farthest point from Earth, making it appear smaller than the Sun in our sky. This creates a ring effect around the Moon. The term "annular" refers to this ring effect.

What is going to happen?

The April solar eclipse will begin at 1:46 pm, peak at 3:03 pm, and end at 4:17 pm giving viewers an adequate amount of time to see this celestial event as it happens. ⚠️ IT IS NEVER SAFE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN DURING A PARTIAL ECLIPSE WITHOUT SPECIALIZED EYE PROTECTION! This can cause severe retina damage. Our staff will be on hand to highlight how to correctly use solar eclipse glasses.

 

You can use this DIY pinhole viewer to safely experience the eclipse from anywhere!

Materials:

  • Cardboard box (like a cereal box, skinny delivery box, etc.) 
  • Aluminum foil 
  • Paper
  • Tape
  • Scissors
  • Pointy thing 

 

How to make your DIY pinhole viewer! 

  • Figure out where your pinhole will be! You want sunlight to shine through the hole and travel as long as possible inside the box before hitting the other side. 
  • Trace the bottom of the box on a piece of paper. Cut out the paper and tape it to the inside of the box. This is your projection screen! 
  • Carefully cut two holes in the top of the box. One will be your viewing window, and the other the pinhole.  
  • Cover one of the holes with tin foil and poke a tiny hole to make your pinhole. 
  • Now just head outside! Hold the box so you are looking down through the viewing window and position yourself so that the sun shines onto the projection screen. 

The Science of AI Art

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A picture is worth LESS than a thousand words, and we can prove it! 

Our brand-new OSC Flight Lab workshop, Painting with Pixels, will teach you how to get the most out of image generators that use Artificial Intelligence! 

The Science of AI Generated Art 

What is AI? 

According to IBM, AI, or Artificial Intelligence, “leverages computers and machines to mimic the problem solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind.” This definition provides a good understanding of the purpose of AI, but it doesn’t really provide a good perspective on just how ubiquitous AI has become in modern society. You likely use AI in one form or another every single day:  

  • Nearly every aspect of your smartphones uses AI to give you the best possible user experience, from improvements to your photo quality and filters on your selfie camera, to autogenerated text-message responses.  
  • Navigation systems like Google Maps and Apple maps use AI to optimize routes based on real-time traffic data.  
  • Online shopping and video streaming platforms use AI to make recommendations based on your browsing and purchase history.  
  • Even your modern smart-home appliances use AI to learn user behavior and make automatic adjustments. 
  • And more! 

As it turns out, every AI that has ever existed falls into only one category, called Narrow AI (aka Weak AI). Narrow AI systems are designed to excel at one particular task or set of tasks. 

How does AI generate Art? 

The AI starts with an image that is just pure noise – literal random pixels of random colors. When a prompt gets submitted to the program, it is first sent through an encoder – essentially a translator to make sure the input you give the AI is in a format it can understand. Then, using this translated prompt, it does something called diffusion, a process in which the pixels of the random noise are manipulated to create recognizable shapes over time. 

There has never been an artist on Earth that has made good art without doing a lot of bad practice art first, and the same applies to AI. Every AI needs to go through training to be able to perform the task it’s built for! This concept is the basis of Machine Learning. We train AI that is designed to generate art by progressively feeding the AI noisier and noisier images of different types of objects with the goal of having the AI successfully denoise those images into something that is recognizable as the original image. The images that it successfully creates get fed back into the data it’s trained on, the images that it fails on get thrown out, and this process is repeated thousands of times until the AI is sufficiently trained. 

Diffusion Animated GIF

 

You can make AI art of your own at home! 

Things you’ll need: 

  • A computer or smartphone with internet access 
  • Adult supervision 

Directions: 

Step 1: Open an internet browser, navigate to the Bing Image Creator, and log in. 

Step 2:Next, think about the image you want to create and come up with a prompt using the Perfect Prompt Formula found below. 

Step 3:Type your prompt into the Bing Image Creator and submit.  

Step 4:Wait while the image generates and enjoy! 

The Perfect Prompt Formula: 

Coming up with a creative prompt for your image generator can be hard, but using the following four ideas in your prompt can help you take advantage of the AI’s capabilities and make better art! 

The best prompts on average have about 40 words and follow this structure: 

“A __[Perspective]__ view of a _ [Description of Subject]__ in the style of __ [Stylization]__, background is __ [Description of Background]__, feelings of __ [Emotion]__.” 

Perspective
Stylization
A Well-Defined Scene
Emotion
Perspective
Stylization
A Well-Defined Scene
Emotion

We always want our art to evoke some sort of emotion in the viewer. If you look at a piece of art and feel neutral, that is likely an ineffective piece of art. You can subtly inject colors, shapes, themes, and emotion into your art by putting the keywords "feelings of” in your prompt. Sticking to the standard emotions (i.e., sad, happy, angry) often leads makes the AI just giving everything faces, which may or may not be what you want, so feel free to get abstract with this. 

graphical user interface, application, website

Want to dive deeper? Check out these articles: 

https://www.paepper.com/blog/posts/how-and-why-stable-diffusion-works-for-text-to-image-generation/ 

https://www.lexisnexis.com/community/insights/legal/practical-guidance-journal/b/pa/posts/ai-can-create-art-but-can-it-own-copyright-in-it-or-infringe 

https://research.aimultiple.com/data-collection/ 
https://towardsdatascience.com/what-is-an-encoder-decoder-model-86b3d57c5e1a 

https://www.masterborn.com/blog/art-of-ai-will-ai-art-generators-displace-human-creativity 

Mummy Sock Puppets

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BOO! It's Spooky Season, and we're celebrating with DIY mummy sock puppets!

Mummies aren't just a great costume for Halloween night. Mummification was a 70-day process of preserving the bodies of pharaohs, members of nobility, and even animals. This process has allowed us to know what these great individuals looked like 3,000 years ago and to understand the preservation of human bodies.

Research shows that Egyptians began the processes of mummification around 2600 BCE. This practice endured for well over 2,000 years, continuing into the Roman Period. However, the quality of mummification someone received was dependent upon the price paid. Pharaohs such as Tutankhamen and others were prepared with the utmost attention to detail, laid to rest with treasured items.

Learn to make your own Mummy Sock Puppet!

Want to try your hand at making your own mummy sock puppet? This is a fun and easy activity you can do right at home! 

Materials

  • Sock
  • Fabric Markers
  • Buttons
  • Yarn
  • Thread
  • Sewing Needles
Materials needed to make sock puppets, including a sock, scissors, sewing needles and various threads.

Step 1: 

Gather materials. 

 

Step 2: 

Use the fabric marker to mark where you want to sew the button eyes.

A woman draws eyes on a sock puppet using a fabric marker.

Step 3: 

Thread the needle and sew on both buttons.

Step 4: 

Either sew on yarn accessories or wrap your sock puppet in yarn to mimic a mummy's wrappings. Make sure you don't wrap too tight so you can remove your hand from the sock puppet!

a man sews buttons onto a sock puppet
a woman wraps yarn around a sock puppet

Step 5: 

Tie off thread/yarn loose ends and enjoy your sock puppet!

Expand on the Activity

Did you love making your spooky sock puppet? Check out these other fun and easy experiments you can do right at home to help you get into the spirit of the season!

simple spooky STEM experiments

Simple Spooky STEM Activities to Scare Up Some Fun

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays at the Orlando Science Center, so we’ve rounded up some of our favorite simple spooky STEM activities that you can do at home!

TRY IT OUT

How to demonstrate static electricity with Orlando Science Center

How to Demonstrate Static Electricity and Shock Your Friends

Learn a phantom-tastic physics lesson while you learn how to demonstrate static electricity! Put a little boogie in tissue paper ghosts to make them dance in this fun and simple science activity.

TRY IT OUT

what to do with leftover candy with Orlando Science Center

What to do with Leftover Candy? Learn Some Sweet Science!

This experiment is sugar, and spice, and everything science! Join us as we dive into some chemistry (and our candy stash) and we'll give you a fun trick for what to do with your leftover treats.

TRY IT OUT

Can You Hear Me Now? Learn to Make a DIY Cup Phone

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Can you hear me now? Learn how to make a DIY Cup Phone!

How do phones allow us to talk to people who are so far away? We can find out by making a DIY cup phone using things you might have around the house. 

Telephones turn sound waves into electricity that can be sent using cables. Once the sound electricity reaches you, magnets are used to convert the electrical signals back into sound waves. The sound vibrates the air around it, so you can hear what the person on the other end of the line is saying. 

Ready to make your own? Follow the written steps below!

Materials you will need: 

  • 2 Styrofoam or paper cups
  • Twine or other string
  • Scissors
  • Markers (these are optional!)

Directions

Step 1: Use the scissors to poke a hole in the bottom of each cup.

Step 2: String a piece of twine between the cups by pushing each end of the string inside the holes you just made. Use a long piece of string to help the sound travel farther.

Step 3: Tie a knot in the end of the string inside the cups to keep the cups from falling off.

Step 4: Feel free to decorate your cups with markers if you want, but there's nothing wrong with keeping them plain!

Step 5: To use the phone, all you have to do is talk into the cup while someone else holds the other cup to their ear. Make sure to keep the string tight; if the string is sagging, the sound won't travel effectively!

The Science of Cup & String Phones

  • You may have heard that sound travels - but how?
  • Sound is made up of waves that we can hear. These sound waves are formed by objects vibrating, or shaking back and forth very quickly. 
  • Sound travels through air, water, and solid objects as vibration. 
  • The sound of your voice vibrates the cup, which cases the string to vibrate, too, as sound travels down it. 
  • Our ears collect the sound vibration, where nerves send them to our brain. 
  • Our brains process the signals, and then we hear the sound!

Civil Engineering Experiment for Kids

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Build curiosity with a hands-on civil engineering experiment for kids

A civil engineer uses math, physics, and design to create large structures like buildings, roads, and bridges. Some shapes hold up better against different types of pressure than others. ​​For example, some stand very well against wind, while others hold up against the side-to-side shaking of an earthquake. ​​

In this civil engineering experiment, kids of all ages can put on their thinking caps and hard hats and see if they can design a structure to withstand the forces of nature.

Can YOU figure out which shape works best for which situation? 

 

Materials:

  • Dominoes 
  • Tray or other platform to build on 
  • Desk fan 
  • Weights or something small and heavy
materials needed for civil engineering experiment for kids

 

Step 1:

Build 3 shapes: Start by constructing 3 of the most common architectural shapes, an arch, a pyramid, and a cube. 

  • The arch should include an opening in a structure that is curved on top and designed to distribute weight. 
  • In architecture, a pyramid is a monumental structure having a rectangular base and four sloping triangular (or sometimes trapezoidal) sides meeting at an apex or truncated to form a platform.
  • Your cube is a solid three-dimensional figure, which has 6 square faces, 8 vertices and 12 edges. 
example of popular shapes used in cicil engineering made out of dominos

Step 2:

Test your shapes!

Now we’ll test each structure against different conditions! 

  1. Test each structure – the arch, the pyramid, and the cube – by placing a weight on top of it.  Do they all hold up under the weight? 
  2.  Remove the weights from the structures.  Test each structure by using the fan to force wind against the sides of them.  Do they stand up against the wind? 
  3. Make sure all three structures are on the tray. Using your hands, gently shake the tray side-to-side on the table.  Do the structures stay together and pass the test? 
Testing civil engineering experiment #1 with weight
Testing civil engineering experiment #2 with wind
Testing civil engineering experiment #3 with motion

Step 3:

Analyze the results and create some more or stronger shapes! 

Let's take a look at the science behind these shapes and the forces behind them. 

Gravity is the force that pulls things towards the center of the Earth. In doing so, it holds us down on the ground. Certain areas around the world get a lot of wind.  Wind exerts a lateral force on the sides of buildings, pushing against them. One of the hardest places to build cities is in areas with earthquakes. Earthquakes cause the buildings to move side-to-side. ​ 

Now that you've gone through your first round of testing, here are some fun questions to ask your kids about their civil engineering experiments:

  • Which shape worked best against each natural condition? 
  • Where in the world would you find these structures? 
  • Where would you build these structures? 

As you head back to the drawing board, what have you learned, and what can you improve?

  • Does the size of the structure matter? If you have enough dominoes, try scaling them up by making each one 2 or 3 times bigger. 
  • How about the intensity of the conditions? Try putting more weights, increasing wind speed, and shaking the tray more. 

 

Expand on the Activity

What is an automata? Marvel at this DIY machine in motion!

Female Chief Project Engineer Interview • Angela Kruth, P.E. of FINFROCK Shares Her Story

The Science of Pancakes

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The science of Flipping Pancakes

Pancakes are a common staple at the breakfast table, whether you’re at home in your PJs or drinking coffee at a diner, and it’s not hard to see why: they’re fluffy, light yet filling, and typically covered in delicious syrup. It’s designed to be comforting cuisine! They might be simple and quick to make, but there’s a lot of chemical science at work that’s easy to miss with your standard sleepy-morning eyes, so we’re going to examine the major steps along the way, from batter consistency to the right color. Let’s dive in to the science of flipping pancakes!

Naturally, the first step when making pancakes is to prepare your batter.

You can create it by either combining dry and wet ingredients like flour and eggs, or by using a pancake mix from your local store, which we’ll be looking at today. Pancake mix will take less time overall than measuring and combining all the other materials since they’re blended already, and contains dehydrated fats like powdered butter, egg powder, and buttermilk. Dehydrating fats, or drying as much moisture out as possible, prevents bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing and ensures the mix stays fresh for long periods. When we add a liquid like water or milk to it, it rehydrates the fats and produces the batter substance we’re looking for.

Before adding the liquid, your bowl contains plenty of dry ingredients and each one has its own role to play. The first ingredient is commonly used in the kitchen: flour. Flour is a powder ground from types of grains. One of these flours, wheat flour, contains two types of proteins that link together and make gluten. 

So what's happening? 

The natural chemical leavening agent we’ll be using is baking soda. This helps pancakes rise up while being fluffy and soft. Baking soda is a base with a high alkaline. When it mixes with an acid or in this case, the buttermilk, it creates bubbles that release a lot of gas.

If you’ve ever combined baking soda and vinegar before then you’ve seen the chemical reaction!

Pancake batter ready for pancakes

Now it’s time to add our liquid to help rehydrate the fats. Box mixes usually call for water, but today we’re going to add milk. Milk will up the fat content of our combination, leading to tender flapjacks with more richness and flavor. Now, you might be wondering what kind of milk to use. 

The liquid helps to activate the baking soda and buttermilk, creating the reaction we just covered. These bubbles will rise as you stir. As this is happening, the CO2 bubbles will be trapped by the gluten in the batter when your pancake solidifies, leading to fluffiness! Avoid mixing the ingredients too much though. This can overwork the gluten formation and leave you with tough pancakes. You’re looking for a mixture that’s still lumpy yet blended.

Now that we’ve added our milk, it’s going to rehydrate it so the fat properties can take effect!

When you mix flour with eggs and liquid, the gluten molecules get more flexible and bind to each other to form networks, or nets. These nets trap the air from the carbon dioxide gas, causing the pancake to lift and have a chewable texture.

You can think of it like a hot air balloon, with the gluten as the balloon and CO2 as the warm air. As the CO2 rises up, it expands out the gluten netting giving it lift.

Pancake Batter Bubbling

Let's get cookin'! 

Now that we have our dry and liquid ingredients together, it’s time to get started! There’s a huge variety of ways to cook these cakes, but for this post we’ll be using a nonstick griddle pan. A nonstick surface is useful so we can flip our cakes without too much adhesion, and a griddle pan evenly distributes heat across the cooking surface so the entire cake is done at the same time. To start, you’ll want to heat the pan on medium heat, but avoid settings higher than this. Too hot would burn our breakfast and too low takes longer to finish! Once the pan is hot enough after a few minutes, take a scoop of batter and pour it in!

Do you see or hear anything when the mix hits the hot pan? You may hear a little bit of a sizzle. This sizzle helps indicate our next step taking place: the Maillard Reaction! This step creates the aroma and golden-brown color on the pancake.

the science of the Maillard Reaction

The Maillard Reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids in the proteins and the carbon and oxygen atoms from sugars. They all bond together on the molecular level and result in a rich palette of distinct and varied flavors. Basically, the proteins and sugars in the mix transform into new flavors, aromas, and colors from the intense heat of the pan. This reaction is how we get coffee roasts, the crust on a steak, or the color and smell of baked bread!

After about a minute, you’ll see the pancake start to firm up and bubbles appear on top. The pancakes turn from liquid to solid through gelatinization. This is when the molecular bonds of starch molecules start to break down when heat and water are introduced. The starch granules absorb the water, swell up, and burst, which causes the batter to thicken and form. The bubbles on top let you know when it’s time to flip the pancake to the other side. This is the gas being forced out of the pancake batter. Cooking raises the temperature and increases the pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide. Bubbles form and rise as the volume of CO2 increases and the capacity of the batter firms up. Once the bubbles pop and release gas, you’re good to flip!

Browning Pancakes

You’ll let it cook for about a minute on the other side. It’ll take less time since there’s already heat in the pancake. Once you get the golden-brown crust you want, take it off the heat and onto your plate! Since you’ll have plenty of remaining batter, you might as well make more. Even as you get low on batter, you can still eat delicious tiny flapjacks! When it’s all ready, serve it up and add your favorite topping. Maple syrup, whipped cream, loose berries, chocolate chips…whatever your heart desires! As we can see, there’s a lot of science that can go into serving up the simple flapjack.

Hydro-Dipped Painted Pot Activity for Kids

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Dip into gardening with a hydro-dipped painted pot activity

Lend a hand to our pollinating pals with a hands-on hydro-dipped painted pot activity that kids of all ages will enjoy! 

Hydro-dipping is the process of decorating an item by dipping it into water with a film of paint floating on top. The paint sticks to the object perfectly and completely, no matter its shape! 

Materials:

  • White terracotta pot (A regular terracotta pot will work too, the colors will just look slightly different!)  
  • 5-gallon bucket, or another large container 
  • 1 large button  
  • 1 pipe cleaner  
  • 1 dowel rod   
  • Paper towels 
  • Hydrophobic Marbling Paint (We use the brand Marabu) 
Materials needed for hydro-dipped activity

Step 1:

Create a Hydro-Dipping Mechanism! Thread both ends of your pipe cleaner into the button, then pull your button down towards the middle. Next, twist your pipe cleaner ends together. This will be used as a hydro-dipping mechanism for your pot. Poke the twisted ends of the pipe cleaner through the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. The result should leave you with pipe cleaner to hold while dipping so your hands stay clean. 

Creating a dipping mechanism

Step 2:

Prepare your Dipping Station! Fill your bucket or container with enough water for your pot to be fully submerged when dipping. At this time, it’s a good idea to set up your paint, dowel rod, and some paper towels near your bucket.  

pre hydro-dipped pot

Step 3:

Pick your Palette! Choose at least two colors of paint and shake about 5-6 drops of each into the bucket.  

pick your pots colors

Step 4:

Give it a Swirl! Working quickly, use your dowel rod and gently make a few swirls in the paint. This will help achieve a marbled look when dipping the pot. Be careful! The paint will want to stick to the dowel rod!  

swirl your paint

Step 5:

Dip your Pot! Slowly dip your pot into the paint. You can use your dowel rod to help push your pot down into the water by gently pressing down on the bottom of the pot with the dowel rod. 

hydro-dip your pot

Step 6:

Clean the Water! Before pulling your pot back out of the water, use the dowel rod to move any excess paint still floating on the top of the water away from your pot. This is to avoid your pot getting a double coating of paint and looking clumpy. Once the water around your pot is clean and clear, pull your pot out!  

clean the water

Step 7:

You are an Artist! Admire your beautiful work! The paint should be dry almost instantly, you will just need to wait for the water to dry before planting any seeds! Place your pot on your paper towels, and you’re all finished! 

the completed Hydro-Dipped Painted Pot

Expand on the Activity

 

While you're working, let's learn HOW your hydro-dipped painted pot activity is working! 

Paint is hydrophobic – which means it doesn't mix with water. Just like oil separates from water when combined, so does hydrophobic paint! The paint floats on top because it is less dense! Surface tension also helps to pull the paint towards our pot as it moves, giving us an even coating.  

Try using your pot to create a pollinator garden! Sadly, deadly pesticides have hurt Florida's pollinator count greatly. But we can support our pollinators by providing them with the Florida native wildflowers that they love to eat! Even a small garden makes a big difference. A patchwork of pollinator gardens around the country could provide enough habitats to restore healthy communities of pollinators!  

Bee Identification Game: To Bee or Not to Bee

Homemade Gifts Inspired by Science

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Add a genius personal touch by giving homemade gifts inspired by science! 

We all know that one person who is impossible to shop for. Ditch the plastic packaging, and try adding a personal touch to your gift-giving by trying one of these homemade gifts inspired by science! 

Not only will you be creating a one-of-a-kind project, but you'll learn a little and have a lot of fun in the process! 

You don't need to be Michelangelo to create these homemade works of art

Try an ancient art technique 

In this DIY Fresco art activity, we will be doing a modified version that kids of all ages can do at home!

DIY Fresco Art For Kids • An Activity in Ancient Art

Homemade cards created with chemistry!

Creative cards

Using supplies you can find around the house, customize homemade greeting cards with this marbleized shaving cream technique. Just add calligraphy! 

How to Make Marbleized Paper to Create Custom Cards and Artwork

Nailed it!

Here's a novel idea, add a stunning iridescent effect to any card, or create a custom bookmark. All you need is a few drops of clear nail polish! 

How to Create Iridescent Art: A Colorful STEAM Bookmark Activity

That's a Warp!

It’s a common misconception that wrapping paper can be recycled simply because it’s paper. However, coated, glittery, and textured paper materials cannot.

When these unrecyclable materials get mixed in with recyclable products, it can result in the whole lot being thrown away. Instead, try using paper materials like newspapers, old maps, comics, or make and design your own using recyclable paper bags and DIY stamps!

Kids Homemade Stamps DIY — Recycled Custom Creations

Reduce, reuse, UPcycle! 

Stitch outside the box

Give your clothes a second life by adding accents or embellishments. Get inspired with some of these embroidery ideas! 

Embroidery Techniques to Try: From Basics to Sashiko

Copy & Paint

Looking for an easy way to customize a t-shirt, tote bag, or even a pair of jeans? With this puffy paint technique, you have a chance to refine your design and keep yourself from suffering the agony of using puffy paint with a shaky hand.

Puffy Paint Technique: Try This Trick for Nearly Perfect Pictures!

DIY Tie-Dye 

Turn your avocado skins into a fashion statement! Learn how to extract tannin from the pit and skin of avocados to make your own fabric dye!  

Make Avocado Dye to Upcycle T-Shirts

3D Printing Assistive Technology • How the Maker Movement is Making A Difference

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How open-source 3D printing is changing the world of assistive technology

The concept of 3D printing, or Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) has actually been around since the early 80s thanks to Dr. Hideo Kodama, with the first 3D printer commercially available in 1986. 3D printing became a revolution in the STEM community with use by engineers, inventors, and even medical professionals when a 3D printed kidney was successfully transplanted to a patient in 1999!

As 3D printing technology became more diverse and affordable, it has continued to gain popularity among scientists, makers, and hobbyists alike. From a 3D printed car to a 3D bioprint of Vincent van Gogh’s ear, it seems creativity is the only limit.

 

3D printing also increases accessibility with much success in printing casts for broken bones, prosthetic limbs, even wheelchairs that can be customized and created for a fraction of the cost. These are a cost-effective way to keep up with a child as they grow, or damage their current one in the act of being a kid.

Limbitless Solutions, a UCF-based nonprofit organization, dedicated to empowering children through expressive bionic arms at no cost to their families surprises 7-year-old with 3D printed Iron Man prosthetic arm presented by Iron Man himself, a.k.a. Robert Downey Jr.

While it seems almost anything can be 3D printed, it must first be designed and modeled – a process which is often easier said than done. Even that skill is no match for the triumph of the human spirit. Open-source websites have become popular hubs for professionals and makers to freely share their designs.

Websites such as Thingiverse, e-NABLE, and NIH 3D Print Exchange - COVID-19 Supply Chain Response, not only allow designers to help each other improve their work, but makes affordable technology more accessible.

From 3D modeling to soldering a circuit board, The Hive: A Makerspace Presented by The Isaacs Family is one of OSC’s newer exhibits, that focuses on learning new maker skills, as well as new and creative ways to use them. Whether you’re a tech tycoon, or a happy hobbyist, it’s never a bad idea to add another skill to your metaphorical, or literal, toolbelt.

A boy examining a 3D printed object in The Hive.

Learn more about the Maker Movement!

Inspirational Queer Makers Who Made an Impact on Orlando Science Center’s Makerspace

Melrose Center 3D Printers Put to Work to Create PPE for Orlando Health

How to Turn Leftover Food into a Science Experiment

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Whoever said "Don't play with your food" never learned how to turn leftover food into a science experiment

Grab an apron and convert your kitchen into a chemistry lab with ingredients you can find around the house!

From DIY tie-dye to marshmallow molecules, join us as we reduce, reuse, and recycle leftovers and food scraps into some exciting science experiments! 

 

Science experiments that look good enough to eat!

Science and chill

This (literally) cool fan-favorite science experiment is not only delicious, but dives into the science behind this classic sweet treat. 

Ice Cream Science Project: How to Make Ice Cream in 3 Simple Steps

Chemistry rocks! 

Check out the chemistry behind candy with this crunchy and colorful creation.

DIY Rock Candy

DO play with your food!

Never trust a molecule, they make up everything

This make-a-molecule activity is a great way to introduce little learners to chemistry or and makes a delicious study tool for rising researchers!

Kitchen Chemistry for Kids: Get Hands-On, Then Get Your Snack On

Dig in!

If your little learners really DIG dinosaurs, step into the role of paleontologist with a chocolate chip cookie archaeology activity for kids!

A Sweet Archaeology Activity for Kids

Science is sugar, spice, and everything nice

If you need to give your sweet tooth a break, check out what to do with leftover candy! You'll love this sweet take on STEM!

What to do with Leftover Candy? Learn Some Sweet Science with this STEM Experiment

Turn scrap food into science

You don't need a Ph.D. to make your own pH indicators 

Turn your leftover fruits and veggies into natural DIY pH indicators and use them to test the pH of things you find around your home!

DIY pH Indicators: Turn Your Kitchen Into a Chemistry Lab!

Try this DIY tie-dye

Did you know that you could use avocado scraps to make fabric dye at home? Learn how to extract tannin from the pit and skin of avocadoes!

Make Avocado Dye to Upcycle T-Shirts

Rise and (coffee) grind!

Real fossils can take 1000s of years to form, but you can make your own in about an hour using coffee grounds

Create Your Own Dinosaur Fossils With Items Found In Your Kitchen!