David Schneider

4 min read This basement seismometer is relatively compact yet still sensitive enough to detect the low-frequency vibrations from distant earthquakes. James Provost In September of 2023, I wrote in these pages about using a Raspberry Pi–based seismometer—a Raspberry Shake—to record earthquakes. But as time went by, I found the results disappointing. In retrospect, I realize that my creation was struggling to overcome a fundamental hurdle. I live on the tectonically stable U.S. East Coast,

5 min read Inexpensive parts can be assembled in a bucket to make an effective acoustic bird detector. James Provost Birding is booming. You may realize your local nature spots are especially busy during seasonal migrations, when birds move between their summer and winter grounds. Species that you had been noticing disappear may have been replaced by ones that hadn’t been there before. Or you may have seen migrating birds on the wing—say, a flock

4 min read A secondhand DSLR with a telephoto lens can capture astronomical images with a little help from software and a clamp [right] to keep the focus steady. James Provost I hate the eye strain that often comes with peering through a telescope at the night sky—I’d rather let a camera capture the scene. But I’m too frugal to sink thousands of dollars into high-quality astrophotography gear. The Goldilocks solution for me is something