Want A DIY Spectrometor? Visit The Public Lab’s Open Source Scientists At NYC Maker Faire

Whether you are hacking medicine or building your own sensor, the do-it-yourself movement is alive and well in science and healthcare. If you are in the metro New York area, the World Maker Faire should be part of your weekend plans. Not only can you see a 3D printed humanoid, Robot Row and marshmallow shooters, but you can hear from the smart folks at Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science.

The lab believes that citizens should be involved with framing questions, interpreting results and drawing conclusions. The Lab’s collection of project kits and plans include indoor air quality mapping, home testing for endocrine disruptors, a spectrometer for your cell phone, and a water quality sensor.

From the Make blog post about the Public Lab:

“We’re an open source community that creates both hardware and software tools,’ said Shannon Dosemagen, president of the Public Lab. “We take an approach that is DIY style, allowing us to maintain our low cost approach to creating the tools. We’ve spent the last few years developing methodology around teaching and using the tools that we think will be interesting for people to hear about, try out and potentially replicate in the work process that they use.”