Want to talk about a difficult science project? I’ve got one for you – a universal language translator. One of the most complex parts of our existence is language.From the time you are a baby your parents try and teach you how to speak, what to say and the correct way to say it. By the time you are an adult you are fairly proficient in your own mother tongue.

Now what happens if you meet someone from another country who does not speak the language you do? Naturally there will be some common signs that you can use to communicate with another human being. For instance you will open you mouth and point inside if you are hungry. Or you will smile and nod to agree with something they try to tell you. It may be difficult but you will get by.

Now imagine if you have to communicate with an alien life form what will you do? For the signs to work you need to have a fairly similar anatomy. Not going to happen with a little green man who has three legs and one large eye is it? So how would you make a universal translator to help you understand what your alien visitor is saying?

To translate a language you need to be aware of words in both languages that are being used. Its highly unlikely that you would know alien speak and so how do you translate words that hold no meaning for you? And that is where lies the challenge in building a universal language translator. Here is a not so challenging science project.

This is the question which man has sought to answer ever since he grew aware that he was on one of a great number of planets. All kinds of science projects and experiments have been carried out over the years to see if it was possible to contact some one else in the universe.

People have transmitted radio waves out into space in the hope of getting some response. There have been others who have spent lifetimes analyzing the noises that they can gather from the outer space hoping to see some pattern which would prove there was intelligent life making the sounds.

The most effective way seems to be to actually reach the other planets and see for ourselves if something intelligent lives there. This is why we have so much interest in space programs. The spirit of the explorer rings true in most human beings as their curiosity is as boundless as ever.

Maybe you will be the person to answer this question. You may be the person who finds intelligent lifeforms on another planet. Of course all it takes is persistence in the right direction. Space travel may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it does still have an important role in our collective future. Find ways to beat gravity here.

In our lives today energy in some form or the other is vital for a comfortable existence. That energy is most prevalent in our lives as electricity. For many of us there is no getting away from using electricity in one form or the other in any given day. Here is a simple science experiment.

For one day try not to use any energy which you have not harnessed yourself. Are you up to the challenge? Imagine your daily routine. Follow yourself in your mind going from one event to the next in your mundane daily existence and notice every part of your life where you use ready made energy.

Once you have identified all the energy needs that you have in a single day work out which ones you will need to replace them with. For instance if you use the car to go to school you are using energy from fossil fuels. This can be replaced by cycling to school and using human muscle energy.

You get the general idea. Now make a list of things that you will be able to do by harnessing your own energy and you will also end up with a second list of what all you can not do without ready made energy. Now here is the point of the exercise, these are things that you may not be able to do in the not too far future as we end up depleting our natural energy resources. Scary isn’t it, this science project.

Craters are formed when the surface of a planet or satellite is struck by a meteorite. The larger the size of the meteorite the bigger the crater. Here’s an interesting science experiment that reveals more about the nature of how craters are formed and how they can affect other craters.

For the small science experiment you will need a plastic tub which you can fill up with flour. Just pour it in and don’t press it down. It should stay loose and fluffy to form the craters well. Now collect some small objects such as rocks or marbles or balls. Just make sure that they have some weight so that they can form decent craters. About a glassful of cocoa power will also be needed.

Have a measuring tape ready to take readings of the lenght andwidth of each crater you will form.  And now we are ready to begin. Keep the tub on a newspaper so that you don’t make too much of a mess when the flour flies as you form each crater. Now fix a distance from the tub from which you will drop the objects into the tub full of flour.

As you drop in an object and a crater is formed gently pick up the object and measure your crater. Now sprinkle some cocoa powder into the crater before you drop the next one. Repeat the process with each crater you make. You will notice that the existing craters begin to change shape as the new ones are formed. What more do you observe? Make notes about this science project to reveal more about the nature of craters.

Think of terms such as  evaporation,condensation, precipitation and collection and the water cycle diagram springs straight to your mind. However have you considered that you can convert the simple water cycle into a science project? It is not too difficult if you put your mind to it. Consider each stage and the way you can make it happen.

Start with evaporation. All you need is some way to boil the water. You can do this by using a flame under a test tube of water. Now connect the top of this test tube with a long glass pipe. Remember the cooling process will take some time to kick in before condensation begins.Angle the glass tube at a downward angle to a test tube in which the precipitation occurs.

Now the lower test tube will collect the water that was evaporated from the original test tube. Here we have the full set of processes that the water cycle has. Simple to make if you conceptualize it well. Just make sure that the glass tube which joins the two test tubes is secured firmly.

In case it is not sealed well all the water vapour will escape your experiment area and there will be no water cycle on display. For the display board you can add a colorful diagram showing the water cycle taking place in nature. You can add definitions of the various processes involved in the water cycle. You can do so much with the display board.

The fossil fuels that we use to generate energy for our many uses have been depleting at a very fast rate. Already there are worries that it may not be possible for coal power plants to stay operational for more than a few decades more. The human race has increased its demand for energy and there is no way that the traditional fossil fuels will be able to meet it at the alarming rate that the demand is growing.

This is where the hunt for alternative means of energy generation come into play. To be able to generate energy from a renewable source and not cause pollution to the environment is what proponents of clean tech are pushing. These people talk about harnessing the abundant solar energy, wind power and hydro power that is available in nature and using it to generate green energy for human consumption.

The idea is not new, as scientists have been experimenting with the concept of solar cookers and windmills for ages. Now there is just a far greater sense of urgency to find quick efficient and reliable ways to get energy that is clean and green. The general population is waking up to the need and the financial investors are now more willing to forward funds for projects that involve clean tech.

There is even a fast track section as the US Patent office for those projects which involve developing new methods of clean tech. So you can get your clean tech patent in under two months rather than the regular patent registration process which would take you two years. Hopefully some of these science projects will yield positive results and solve our energy crisis.

The general assumption that most people make is that the bigger it is the better. However this branch of science begs to differ. With innumerable different science projects they have strived to prove that small may be the new big. With nano technology we talk about the science of the really really small. And I mean tinier than you can imagine small.

Most of the science projects that involve nano technology have particles so small that you can not see them with the naked eye. You have to view them with a very powerful microscope.  So how can something that is so small be of any use to a human being that seems like a giant before it?

There are many uses of nano technology. One of them is developing new materials with special properties. For instance think about space age materials. Particles that are light as a spider’s web and thinner than a normal thread but have the strength of steel. Does it sound like some science fiction novelist talking about an impossible material? It is not. This is a real invention of nano technology.

Nano technology also has many uses in medical science. There is under development a nano particle which will be shot in through the nose as a person inhales and travel straight to the lungs. From there it will be absorbed from the lymph nodes into the blood stream and head straight for the diseases part in the body. There are many more science projects in the pipeline.

Sound can be seen in the form of vibrations caused by the sound waves. Here you can use the sense of sight to experience the sense of sound. People who are deaf can feel music when they touch the music system speaker and feel the vibrations. This happens because the sound waves vibrate the particles in the air through which they travel.

Once again here is a science experiment with which you can experience the sound vibrations in action. For this experiment you will need a plastic bottle with its bottom cut out. Cover the cut opening with a plastic bag and hold it in place with a rubber band. This will give you a sort or bottle drum.

Now light a candle and make sure there is no fan on to make the flame move. point the open neck of the bottle drum at the candle and tap the drum end of the bottle with your fingers. You will see that the flame will begin to dance with the vibrations of the air particles which were trapped in the bottle and moved out thanks to the drumming.

If you drum hard enough the flame will be put out as the air will rush out in a fast movement much like how you would blow out the candle with your own breath. If you found this experiment fun to do you may want to try out some more. Check out the science fair project ideas here.

Can you see sound? Oh yes you can. At least you can see the vibrations which are produced by the sound waves. Here are a few simple activities or science projects which will allow you to see sound. You can do these activities around the house. Some young kids may need parental supervision so make sure they are around to help.

For the first sighting of magical vibrations caused by sound you will need a bowl, some clingfilm to cover the bowl, some grains of rice or sugar, a baking tray and a wooden spoon. Now cover the bowl with the clingfilm and sprinkle the rice or sugar on top of it. Now hold the baking tray above the bowl, close to it but not touching it.  Use the wooden spoon to strike the baking tray to make a loud sound. The sound will travel in waves and reach the clingfilm and make it vibrate and because of this the rice or sugar on it will jump. And so you can see the vibrations of sound in them.

In the second experiment we will use a bit of modeling clay and a drinking straw. You will also need a volunteer friend or parent to help you. Here’s what you do. Locate the pulse of your volunteer on the wrist and place the modeling clay in the exact same spot. Now fix the drinking straw in the clay and watch it vibrate each time the heat beats. Try out more science projects here.

We spoke of making  a science project out of getting ready to live off grid in the last blog post. Here we will try and answer a few crucial questions to see how we can make a success of it. When you go off grid are you going to do it in your current home? Most homes have built in conveniences and getting rid of them all will not be easy. It may be necessary for you to move to another home.

If you need to move, will you choose to build a new home or restore an old one? Think about what is more affordable here. What part of the country will you choose? The more temperate the easier for y0u to live without heating or cooling. You also need to consider if you will continue to work at a job?This will involve more problems to solve.

Such as how long will your commute be? Remember you will be walking or cycling to your place of work. No petrol cars or buses. How far can you afford to live from the place that you work? Usually ten minutes walking distance should be acceptable. Is the location you are looking at economically sound? There should be access to groceries, church, schools, and medical care. Think of as many questions you can answer in this science project.