Summer online classes

If you wanted to learn 3D printing this summer but there are no classes near you, no worries!  We are teaching two classes through LERN network. The classes are all online and four weeks long.

The first class, Intro to 3D Printing, does not require that you have a printer (but if you do, we can help you get squared away with it.)  The next one starts June 5, and you can still sign up at this link: http://www.yougotclass.org/courses.cfm/MatterHackers/Introduction-to-3D-Printing

If anyone is interested, we'll be happy to throw in some pointers about the models in our new book, "3D Printed Science Projects." (One of the models from the chapter about botany is shown here.) 

The other class, Intro to Maker Tech, is more focused on learning to use Arduinos and similar electronics, with one week also dedicated to 3D printing and other topics. That one starts July 5, and you can sign up at this link: http://www.yougotclass.org/courses.cfm/MatterHackers/Intro-to-Maker-Tech:-The-New-Shop-Class

We hope to meet some new friends! If you can't make either of those, 3D printing will run again in September and Maker Tech in October.

Arduino based student wind tunnel

Can #scientificmakers get started in high school? Read about an Arduino-based wind tunnel at Windward School in West LA. If you want to see the wind tunnel- and many more school projects- come to Windward's second annual Design and Maker Class Colloquium, to be held at their campus on Monday and Tuesday, August 8 and 9. We'll be there teaching some of the hands-on events!  #DMCC2016

Register and info:  http://www.windwardschool.org/design2016

Say hello at Bay Area Makerfaire!

Joan and Rich are going to be hanging out at the MatterHackers booth (zone 2, the Expo building, booth 2123) at Bay Area Makerfaire in San Mateo. We will be there for sure at noon and 3 PM on both Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22nd, to talk about our new book  ("3D Printed Science Projects.") Hope to see you all there!

"3D Printed Science Projects" is now available

Our new book, "3D Printed Science Projects," is now available. We are very excited about this book, which as far as we know is the first book to bridge the gap between some fun and educational science content and 3D models that are easy to print. Rather than just having a set of models you can only print as-is, these are designed to be altered based on the physics or botany of the model. Available from many booksellers -- here is the publisher's page:http://www.apress.com/9781484213247?gtmf=c

AAAS Pacific Division Scientific Maker Symposium and Exhibit

June 16th at University of San Diego

Rich Cameron and I are the co-organizers of the first American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Pacific Division Scientific Maker Symposium and Exhibit. We invited scientists who are using maker tech like 3D printing and Arduinos to present their work and how that turned out for them. We got a very interesting response across a spread of disciplines, and expect a dozen exhibits and a long afternoon of papers.

The program will be held as part of the AAAS/PD annual meeting. The overall meeting runs Tuesday, June 14 through Friday, June 17; our program is on Thursday the 16th. It will be held at the campus of University of San Diego.

To see the list of talks in the symposium, click here.
For general information about the conference, and for a link for registration, click here.
Hope to see a lot of you in San Diego! Be a #scientificmaker

"3D Printed Science Projects" book now available for pre-order

Our new book, 3D Printed Science Projects: Ideas for your classroom, science fair or home, (coauthored with Rich Cameron) is now available for preorder.


This book shows parents and teachers how to use the models inside as starting points for 3D printable explorations. Students can start with these models and vary them for their own explorations. Unlike other sets of models that can just be scaled, these models have the science built-in.

A busy teacher can just print a model for her class to pass around, or an ambitious student trying to do a great science far project can build on them. We have a "Learning Like a Maker" section in each chapter about what we, the authors, learned by making the models. We found that almost all textbooks have variations of the same 2D sketch for 3D (or more) concepts, and when you go to 3D you have to think differently and you learn a lot.

The book cover image is from our plants and ecosystems models, where we allow you to "design" a  plant or flower.

Topics covered:

• 3D Math Functions
• Light and Other Waves
• Gravity
• Airfoils
• Simple Machines
• Plants and their Ecosystems
• Molecules
• Trusses

We thank our friends at MatterHackers for letting us use MatterControl in the 3D printing screenshot examples.

So far it is just available at Apress and through Apress' parent, Springer-Nature, but between now and the planned May release it will propagate to other places computer books are sold.

Preorder: http://www.apress.com/9781484213247?gtmf=s

To create the models, we pestered a lot of scientist friends as well as dusting off my textbooks and spending a lot of time in libraries. Thanks to everyone who made this happen, and is helping us with the last pieces as we scurry to meet our deadlines!

We will be posting more about it as we get closer to the full release.

Two calls for participation: scientific makers and educators

We are helping out with two different events this summer to showcase makers in the scientific and educational spheres.

The first one is June 16 at the annual meeting of the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) Pacific Division. This year the meeting is at San Diego University. Exhibits and presentations are being sought in the area of using "maker" tech (like 3D printing, Arduinos, low-cost open-source sensors, etc) for professional-level science, or to enable citizen science.

If you are interested in giving a talk, proposals are due April 1. If you just want to exhibit a piece of equipment, proposals for that are due April 22.  To apply (and get links for the details) go to the form at http://goo.gl/forms/eDvHfU9fKC

 The second one is August 8-9 at the Windward School in West Los Angeles. Are you an educator using maker technologies in your classroom or other projects? If so, please consider suggesting a talk or hands-on workshop.  Proposals are due March 15. More information here: 
http://www.windwardschool.org/page/Design2016

Hope to see you at one of these events!