Chapter 5 — Your first safe experiments
Theory sticks when you measure something. This chapter points you into the lab pages — safely.
Ground rules
- No hazardous chemistry, open flames for chemistry, high voltage, pressurized gases, or biological agents at home.
- Prefer kitchen/tabletop physics and simulations.
- DNA wet work → supervised university / core facility only.
- Strong neodymium magnets: pinch hazard; keep away from pacemakers and magnetic media.
Full list: Experiments (10 starter labs).
Pick one path today
| If you liked… | Start with | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Cheerios / floatiles | Capillary assembly | Exp 2 on Experiments |
| Soap / packing | Bubble raft | Exp 3 |
| Sticky-end intuition | Paperclip rules | Exp 4 |
| Swarms | NetLogo/Python sim | Exp 5 |
| Errors & traps | Tile CA with noise | Exp 6 |
| Magnets / modules | Patchy 3D-printed modules | Exp 7 |
| Reconfiguration | Grid reconfiguration puzzle | Exp 8 |
| DNA design-only | Origami design sketch | Exp 10 |
Mini checklist before you start
- Write a one-sentence question (“Do clumps form faster with more agitation?”).
- List materials you already have.
- Decide what you will count or time (not just “looks cool”).
- Take before/after photos.
- Note one failure mode.
Connect hardware later
When you outgrow kitchen demos:
- Manufacturing — 3D print, laser-cut, PCB services, microcontrollers, DNA-as-a-service
- Supply chain — BOM thinking, Digi-Key / McMaster / Adafruit, university cores
Watch one more demo, then do the lab
Re-watch the Kilobot swarm, then open Experiment 5 and implement a tiny local-rule simulator of your own.
Try this (commit)
Circle one experiment number. Put it on your calendar for 90 minutes this week. Bring a notebook.
Where to go after Chapter 5
- Vocabulary deepening → Concepts
- DNA track → DNA
- Robotics track → Robots
- 2–4 week plan → Learn
- Papers → Papers
You finished the beginner track. Keep the honesty banner in mind: demos teach principles; products are still mostly future work.
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