In our first lab, we made a ferrofluid. In this lab, we combined chemicals such as iron (II) chloride, iron (III) chloride, and ammonium hydroxide in order to create a black precipitate. The resulting solid is magnetite. The rest of the lab dealt with the manipulation of this solid using a magnet. If done correctly, the precipitate can be forced into “spiked” shapes. I have always
enjoyed doing labs and was happy to be able to do one today. For me, learning becomes so much more interesting when it is interactive. Making a ferrofluid is ten times more effective than a simple lecture.
Our second lab concerned photolithography. First, we each drew a design on transparent photomasks. Then, we placed them atop a square consisting of a photoresist, copper, and a circuit board. Afterwards, we placed them under UV lamps for twelve minutes. We dipped the circuit boards into developer solution, rinsed it with water, placed it in etchant solution, and proceeded to rinse it again. My design was a stick figure of a girl saying “Hello!” and had my name on the bottom-right.
The lecture today showed us how to “imagine the impossible.” We saw ideas for futuristic cars, virtual medicine, and new cell phones. This lecture was one of the best in that it helped us visualize how to push the limits of our current knowledge and to dream of things that may potentially better our lives in the future.
When I went to Wired NextFest last year, I played a mind game called “Brain Ball.” The objective of this two-player game is to try to get a ball to pass through your opponents’ goal on the other side. Sounds simple enough, right? The problem is that you must do this only by using your brain activity. A strap around the forehead that contains electrodes measures each player’s electrical activity. This information is displayed on a graph for everyone to see. It was so fun! I look forward to owning this game in the future.
http://chemistry.about.com/od/demonstrationsexperiments/ss/liquidmagnet.htm
http://www.mindmodulations.com/mindmods/products/buzz-aldrin-plays-brainball-at-wireds-nextfest.html
http://www.infras.com/Tutorial/sld005.htm