What hobbies does science offer?

[Sab0]

I am looking for funny activies and science-related hobbies

I am already involved in these activies:

Programming (I learn how computers work)

Growing mushrooms (edible ones, yum!)

Any ideas to share in this threads (I'm not a scientist like You, I still have to finish my scientific high school)?

Edited September 12, 2015 by Sab0

[Phi for All]

I am looking for funny activies and science-related hobbies

 

Fun activities using science would include things like model rocketry, building electronics kits, and running chemistry experiments.

 

Funny activities using science would include things like making tennis balls out of lead, putting graphite on the eyepiece of a microscope, and using a Van de Graaf generator to make someone's hair stand on end.

[Sab0]

 

Fun activities using science would include things like model rocketry, building electronics kits, and running chemistry experiments.

 

Funny activities using science would include things like making tennis balls out of lead, putting graphite on the eyepiece of a microscope, and using a Van de Graaf generator to make someone's hair stand on end.

Haha

Sorry, I thought that in the English language "fun" was just a noun and "funny" the only adjective.

Edited September 12, 2015 by Sab0

[swansont]

I like geocaching, which takes advantage of relativity and uses a billion-dollar satellite system to help you find tupperware containers in the woods.

[Sab0]

I like geocaching, which takes advantage of relativity and uses a billion-dollar satellite system to help you find tupperware containers in the woods.

Geocaching is expensive

[Klaynos]

Geocaching is expensive

Most people these days can do it with their phone. The biggest site online has a free option.

[Sab0]

I just got some ideas

generating energy using Tesla's methods

creating pure silicon and crystalizing it (this might be dangerous...)

Edited September 12, 2015 by Sab0

[MigL]

The fun, science related hobby that I have is bugging and annoying others on this forum.

[ajb]

Astronomy... you actually don't need any equipment to learn the position of the brighter stars and the constellations. You can study the movement of the planets and the Moon without any equipment.

 

However, the minimum equipment I suggest is a pair of binoculars, a planisphere and a small torch with a red filter.

[imatfaal]

Why not check out some of Sensei's posts and consider building yourself a cloud chamber. I did it whilst at school and it is pretty amazing to spot Sub atomic particles in a home made experiment.

[Sensei]

Why not check out some of Sensei's posts and consider building yourself a cloud chamber. I did it whilst at school and it is pretty amazing to spot Sub atomic particles in a home made experiment.

 

Alternatively building Cockcroft-Walton generator (I have 50+ kV), produce Hydrogen from electrolysis of water, fill up-side-down round-bottom glassware flask by gas, put electrodes, and turn on CW generator to ionize Hydrogen gas (or any other gas obtained from some chemical reaction).

Then split light emitted by it, on prism, to obtain spectral lines on white wall f.e.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Sensei

[CharonY]

 

 

 

Funny activities using science would include things like [...] putting graphite on the eyepiece of a microscope, [...].

 

Don't. Do. That.

[dimreepr]

 

Don't. Do. That.

 

 

Come on, who wouldn’t laugh at a scientist with a black eye?

[CharonY]

I do not mind the eyes. But having anything even vaguely powdery close to expensive optics will make me go Hulk.

[dimreepr]

I do not mind the eyes. But having anything even vaguely powdery close to expensive optics will make me go Hulk.

 

 

Please calm down, we don't want another incident.

[StringJunky]

I do not mind the eyes. But having anything even vaguely powdery close to expensive optics will make me go Hulk.

There's nothing worse than crap on a lens... They are so all or nothing.

[Acme]

Botanical photography. Edited September 14, 2015 by Acme

[CharonY]

But back on topic, many naturalist hobbies are closely related to branches of biology. Birding, insect collecting (not endangered ones, obviously), plant/ mushroom collecting etc.

[studiot]

Science is vast so it depends upon what interests you and what resources you have available, including where you live.

 

Geology - rock, fossil and mineral hunting.

 

Metereology - That's weather science not astronomy. Sending up your own balloon can be fun and the telemetry can be an electronics project as well (you say you have built a computer)

 

Microscopy - These days super enlarging electronic stills and video cameras can be output to computer cheaply enough for an amateur scientist.

[Sab0]

I will consider mineral hunting (my town is placed on a mountain and there are lots of quarts and calcites, I will also look for magnesite, since I live in Italy).

Botanical photography could be fun and interesting too! Thank You

[DrP]

I consider most sports a science based hobby. Lots of science in golf and many other sports from equipment development (which isn't a hobby I suppose) to body mechanics and brain science of muscular memory. In most ball sports one has to consider the spin on the ball, the surrounding air and wind conditions, hardness of the ground, how hard to hit the thing... etc... all science.

[Phi for All]

I do not mind the eyes. But having anything even vaguely powdery close to expensive optics will make me go Hulk.

 

OK, but at least it washes off. You still look like a raccoon from that Sharpie ink. Just sayin'.

 

Botanical photography.

 

I was going to say gardening. You learn twice as much if you combine these two hobbies.

[Acme]

 

Botanical photography.

I was going to say gardening. You learn twice as much if you combine these two hobbies.

 

Yes Sir; good point. As Yoda would say, combine them I do.

 

Botanical photography could be fun and interesting too! Thank You

You're welcome. Besides growing & photographing veggies at home, I collect native plants, seeds, or cuttings that I gather in the field and cultivate them. While I am in all ways an amateur hobbyist, I was accepted as a contributing photographer to a local university's online herbarium and have found a niche photographing seeds. The collection has very few such photographs and as a hobbyist I have an advantage over the professionals in that demands on my time are more flexible.

 

Just one example to illustrate (if it's not a derail or imposition). I have been trying for 3 weeks to get this shot of the seeds of the Round-leaved Violet - Viola orbiculata. Once the pods mature & open, the seeds are squeezed out in short order and being less than 1mm in diameter they are lost in the soil. Rats! Yesterday, to my hobby heart's delight, I caught the perfect moment. After taking this shot I collected the seeds in a bottle for later photographing alongside a rule in my 'lab'.

 

Well, I do run on................

 

[DrP]

Awesome photo... I used to use flicker for landscapes, sunsets, local crops and whatever took my fancy.

[Acme]

Awesome photo... I used to use flicker for landscapes, sunsets, local crops and whatever took my fancy.

Thanks Doc. While Flickr used to be mostly a storage spot, it now provides a lot of social networking functions, such as Groups, that are used by hobbyists of all stripes. Membership is free and currently you get 1 terabyte of space. Lots of sharing of info of the kind hobbyists value.