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Lego Microscope

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Re: Lego Microscope

#41

Post by throwaway287391 »

Dachande663 wrote: post #16
busyant wrote: post #12

I know a chem prof who built a Lego spectrometer. https://publiclab.org/wiki/lego-spectrometer Legos are just wonderful. edit: I know nothing about woodworking or crafting any building materials, but I always wish I could perform those types of projects. And whenever some potential project comes up, I think to myself, "but I could build it with Legos."

Please note, the plural form of LEGO is LEGO, not Legos. As per LEGO themselves[0]. [0] https://twitter.com/lego_group/status/842115345280294912?lan...

Even you're misconstruing their recommendation. "LEGO is always an adjective" implies there is no plural form, because there is no noun to begin with. You're supposed to say "LEGO brick(s)", apparently...

Re: Lego Microscope

#42

Post by dividedbyzero »

em-bee wrote: post #26
jerf wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Lego corporation is welcome to care about that for trademark reasons, but the rest of us don't really have a need to do so. "Legos" is clearly in common usage, failure to YELL ABOUT LEGO IN ALL CAPS and all.

you are of course right, and people have been trying to get the word lego to be used as a common term for all lego compatible bricks, but that's dangerous as for now lego can stop anyone from publishing anything about alternative brands using the term lego. so they have to avoid doing that or will get in trouble. better to avoid the term lego altogether and just call them bricks.

I use "bricks" (or the very neat tearm "Klemmbausteine" in German) in any context where Lego legal might want to interfere, and stick to Lego/Legos otherwise. It's a common term beyond any reasonable doubt by now, and corporations really shouldn't pry their greedy tentacles that deeply into everyday life.

Re: Lego Microscope

#43

Post by tzs »

busyant wrote: post #12

I know a chem prof who built a Lego spectrometer. https://publiclab.org/wiki/lego-spectrometer Legos are just wonderful. edit: I know nothing about woodworking or crafting any building materials, but I always wish I could perform those types of projects. And whenever some potential project comes up, I think to myself, "but I could build it with Legos."

> edit: I know nothing about woodworking or crafting any building materials, but I always wish I could perform those types of projects. And whenever some potential project comes up, I think to myself, "but I could build it with Legos."

I bought a case for the Raspberry Pi camera that has a LEGO-compatible back and a small LEGO set (10692) specifically for making things to hold the camera where I want it. It has worked great.

Question for LEGO geeks: my set only has one L-bracket, and it is quite small. Looking at other sets at local stores, they also only have one or two small L-brackets.

Is there some way other than L-brackets that people use when they want some LEGO assembly to connect perpendicularly to some other assembly?

Or should I just order an assortment of brackets from a third-party LEGO brick marketplace site, like this [1].

[1] https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=P&catStrin...

Re: Lego Microscope

#44

Post by whoisburbansky »

snypher wrote: post #25
kuu wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. It's a pity that shipment costs to my country multiply the price by 5 :\

Yes, even $10 for the paper microscope is too much. It was designed to be cheap to increase access to instruments and make them more likely to be used. Selling them in this way really makes me wonder where the profit goes. For comparison I have a Carson Microbrite 60x-120x and it was $12. Edit: as an aside, how do they have discontinued items in their store that are for 'international' orders only?

I was under the impression that the individual kits are sold for much more in order to be able to fund subsidized kits for classrooms.

Re: Lego Microscope

#45

Post by shoefindortz3 »

em-bee wrote: post #26
jerf wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Lego corporation is welcome to care about that for trademark reasons, but the rest of us don't really have a need to do so. "Legos" is clearly in common usage, failure to YELL ABOUT LEGO IN ALL CAPS and all.

you are of course right, and people have been trying to get the word lego to be used as a common term for all lego compatible bricks, but that's dangerous as for now lego can stop anyone from publishing anything about alternative brands using the term lego. so they have to avoid doing that or will get in trouble. better to avoid the term lego altogether and just call them bricks.

You might not really need to avoid using the term in a way that is understood by the general public. There are quite a few (United States) precedents for losing trademark if a term becomes genericized. For example: Asprin, Escalator, Flip Phone, etc.

There is a wikipedia list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_and_genericize...

Re: Lego Microscope

#46

Post by imagineerschool »

jimmySixDOF wrote: post #7

Back in 2017 I supported a Kickstarter for Foldscope - The Origami-inspired Paper Microscope. I got a classroom package and they are still in use for all I know. Foldscope is analog and priced to fit low income countries STEM needs but this Lego hack is nice too. [1] https://www.foldscope.com/

Thank you! I have used Foldscopes with my students and had SO MUCH FUN!

Re: Lego Microscope

#47

Post by eigenket »

jerf wrote: post #20
Dachande663 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please note, the plural form of LEGO is LEGO, not Legos. As per LEGO themselves[0]. [0] https://twitter.com/lego_group/status/842115345280294912?lan...

The Lego corporation is welcome to care about that for trademark reasons, but the rest of us don't really have a need to do so. "Legos" is clearly in common usage, failure to YELL ABOUT LEGO IN ALL CAPS and all.

Where are you from? In Britain I'm pretty sure I've never heard anyone say "Legos", it sounds very American to me.

Re: Lego Microscope

#48

Post by pbhjpbhj »

tzs wrote: post #43
busyant wrote: post #12

I know a chem prof who built a Lego spectrometer. https://publiclab.org/wiki/lego-spectrometer Legos are just wonderful. edit: I know nothing about woodworking or crafting any building materials, but I always wish I could perform those types of projects. And whenever some potential project comes up, I think to myself, "but I could build it with Legos."

> edit: I know nothing about woodworking or crafting any building materials, but I always wish I could perform those types of projects. And whenever some potential project comes up, I think to myself, "but I could build it with Legos." I bought a case for the Raspberry Pi camera that has a LEGO-compatible back and a small LEGO set (10692) specifically for making things to hold the camera where I want it. It has worke…

You can put a flat Lego piece perpendicular between two rows of studs. I don't think it's quite as secure as having an L-bracket though.

Re: Lego Microscope

#49

Post by seesawtron »

etrautmann wrote: post #36
seesawtron wrote: post #17

How about a paper based microscope developed by Manu Prakash at MIT? [0] Its supposed to cost 50 Cent. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foldscope

This was developed at Stanford right? That’s where Manu Prakash works and that link says Stanford as well.

Studied at MIT, opened his lab at Stanford. I am unsure about where the intellectual property lies.

Re: Lego Microscope

#50

Post by blacksmith_tb »

tzs wrote: post #43
busyant wrote: post #12

I know a chem prof who built a Lego spectrometer. https://publiclab.org/wiki/lego-spectrometer Legos are just wonderful. edit: I know nothing about woodworking or crafting any building materials, but I always wish I could perform those types of projects. And whenever some potential project comes up, I think to myself, "but I could build it with Legos."

> edit: I know nothing about woodworking or crafting any building materials, but I always wish I could perform those types of projects. And whenever some potential project comes up, I think to myself, "but I could build it with Legos." I bought a case for the Raspberry Pi camera that has a LEGO-compatible back and a small LEGO set (10692) specifically for making things to hold the camera where I want it. It has worke…

This pattern is what people call 'SNOT'[1]. As my 10yr old has moved up to more complex sets, the percentage of those increases, sicne they allow designers to achieve different effects. I would personally recommend the 1x2 or 1x4 blocks with studs on one side, those are fairly sturdy.

1: https://swooshable.com/snot

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