Science lessons with the camera board
Before we get down to it today, a quick notice: Matt Timmons-Brown, freshly released from GCSE exam hell, will be dropping in to do some video interviews for his Raspberry Pi Guy YouTube channel next week. Do you have any questions you’d like him to put to Eben? Let us know in the comments.
Steve Foster is a Computer Science and Science teacher in the UK. He’s been using the camera board to make demos for science lessons: we’ve shown you before how to make time-lapse or slow-motion video, but Steve’s been putting both of those to really good use across the curriculum. We thought these videos were such a good demonstration of how you can use the Pi outside Computing lessons that they deserved a wider audience – and they’re fascinating to watch even if you’re not at school any more. Enjoy!
22 comments
Everette Allen
On Questions for the interview how about asking Eben to give an update on the “monitor module” ie the HDMI display and board. Thanks!
monkeymademe
Question: Since the Raspberry Pi… Are you guys sick of seeing Raspberries (in terms of the food.) ;-)
JBeale
The text transitions get a little repetitive, but the reactions themselves are very well done; thanks for the videos!
J Alway
I second the request for an update on the Raspberry Pi Display.
Homer Hazel
My science teacher did the gas in the bottle trick when I was in the 7th grade. It happened in real time. All I remember is a sort of a “WHOMP” and maybe a bit of flame. Of course, that was back in 1957 so we did not have any sort of camera. Seeing it in slow motion is a true delight! Thank you.
Steve Foster
Questions I ask my students:
Oil fire: Why does the fire get worse? Why shouldn’t we hang tea towels on the front of the cooker?
Whoosh bottle: Why does the flame colour fluctuate from blue to orange? Why does the flame ‘glug’?
Icing sugar: Why wouldn’t a sugar cube burn in this way? Is it just sugar that burns like this, or would other powders? How can sugar processors guard against incidents like this happening?
Egg/cress: Why do some seedlings grow quicker than others? Do the shoots only move vertically upwards? Why do the fully-grown plants wave around? Would they grow as well without Yoda? ;-)
Ivan Roulson
What we now need is a speeded up view of all of the students having to trek off to the fire assembly point when the alarms are triggered.
…from a non-science teacher who has had to stand in the rain after a rather “dynamic” science demonstration in another part of the school!
Lovely demonstrations though – I’ll be careful with the deep fat fryer.
Matt Hawkins
Q: when can we expect to see the Pi 2 Model A?
Jon B
I’m interested in purchasing a raspberry and try to use it to surf the web. Is this something it can handle?
jbeale
It’s better to discuss these topics in the forums. Anyway the R-Pi works about like a mobile phone from several years ago as far as web surfing. Yes it can be done, but on most “modern” web pages it is slower than you’re probably used to. I’d say it’s a much better choice as a tool for learning to program, for physical computing (eg. data acquisition or interactive control), or a media player.
John Read
How soon do you think we will see a computing device with the power of a Raspberry Pi that is smaller than a USB stick ?
G
The size of the current board is dominated by the connectors, SD card etc. If you search for pictures of the Raspberry-Pi you will comes across a very early version in ‘stick’ form.
John Read
What you think will be the Internet of Things ‘killer app’ ?
Alan Mc
Great videos & demos Steve.
It brings back vivid memories of my champion “loy-plougher” science-teacher [that’s traditional Irish ploughing with a spade] who once made us a “custard-bomb” version of the burning sugar experiment {when he wasn’t teaching how to make silage}. Your video magically triggered olfactory memories of instantly-caramelised/carbonised Bird’s custard-powder. Thanks for that. Pity we didn’t have the Pi back then.
Steve Foster
The air was ‘pleasantly sweet to breathe’ for some time afterwards :-)
QEII and Phil
Ask him if there’s any chance of He and Liz producing ‘pi-kelets’ I mean a girl can’t wait forever IYKWIM
Ton van Overbeek
Q: Problems at :
Any consequences for RPi production, price ???
Liz Upton
No, no consequences at all; the Pi part of their business continues to do very well.
Ton van Overbeek
Should read “Problems at Farnell”
jungle-boogie
Hello,
I’d like to know why Eben would recommend people learn python on C. I’m certain Eben knows and uses python frequently, but I’m also certain he knows C quite well.
I understand python may be easier as it’s more high level; however, wouldn’t C be taught in computer science classes? Maybe the overall objective is learn python so you will then learn C.
Also, I’d be interested to hear what other language(s) Eben are close to C.
Thanks!
Mike
It’s better to discuss these topics in the forums. Anyway the R-Pi works about like a mobile phone from several years ago as far as web surfing. Yes it can be done, but on most “modern” web pages it is slower than you’re probably used to. I’d say it’s a much better choice as a tool for learning to program, for physical computing (eg. data acquisition or interactive control), or a media player.
Oscar
Your video magically triggered olfactory memories of instantly-caramelised/carbonised Bird’s custard-powder. Thanks for that. Pity we didn’t have the Pi back then.