The Idea In the fall of 1998 I played Fallout 2: It permanently altered the course of my life - I have been obsessed with radioactivity ever since. The ability to detect/see radioactive particles feels like a superpower. I had already built a geiger counter and a cloud chamber, what was left? A lot. The Tools Kicad...

The Idea At some point in everybody’s life, they get their first taste of infinity. Thanks to my dad carrying around an enormous VHS recorder on his shoulder in the 80s, I have footage of the moment I first saw it in a hall of mirrors at the Ontario Science Centre: Infinity mirrors incorporating LED lighting are...

The Idea At some point in physics class I learned about ionizing radiation and found myself staring at this image: Somehow, people were able to take photos of radioactive particles over 100 years ago using this apparatus: Surely with advances in modern technology (and AliExpress) I could achieve the same at home?...

The Idea As a life-long Star Trek fan (and enlisted Starfleet Officer) I have always been fascinated by sensors. Of particular interest are the sensors used by the human brain (eyes, ears, skin, nose, mouth). Messing with these inputs is a common human past-time, but one form is particularly interesting due to the...

The Idea My dad played classical guitar when I was growing up, so I never learned to play piano. I also never learned to play guitar, but it is the piano negligence I regret the most. In the following decades I have studied music theory and synthesis to obsessively analyze my favorite genre of music, but my lack of...

The Idea As a Christmas tradition each year, I consume my favorite form of chocolate - an oversized Toblerone bar: As a lifelong fan of Pimp That Snack, I have an appreciation for candies that are made bigger and better. The fine people at Kraft Foods certainly understand “bigger”, they now sell an enormous 9lb...

The Idea Like all nerds who have spent too many waking hours in front of a computer, my friends and I like to play (and make) tabletop games as an excuse to get together and argue. Many games have made an appearance, but for 16 years one game has remained a constant presence: Agricola. After 16 years of...

The Idea All roads lead to Raimi. Growing up, my weekends were often spent devouring Hercules and Xena episodes, hoping for an appearance from my favorite character: Autolycus, the King of Thieves. As time went on, I developed a new obsession - the Build Engine shooters: Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Blood. The...

The Idea Coming of age during the golden age of PC gaming, my childhood was a never-ending stream of incredible experiences. My report card, however, was not. For the sake of my future, I stopped playing games in my final year of high school - but not before I got a glimpse of the latest technical marvel that John...

The Idea Send a digital camera as high as possible, have it take photos (and collect atmospheric data), and retrieve everything after it parachutes back down to earth. The Tools Arduino Uno R3 BMP085 barometric pressure and temperature sensor DHT22 humidity sensor ADXL345 3-axis accelerometer HMC5883L 3-axis...

Here is a list of YouTube channels, newsletters, and feeds I regularly follow. If you enjoy what I create, you might find something interesting here. Date last updated: October 6, 2025 YouTubers Tech Ingredients - extremely competent projects mikeselectricstuff - the king of the teardown The Signal Path - detailed...