Turning Trash into Toys
Arvind Gupta describes himself as a toy-maker. He has been making educational but fun toys for over 30 years. In the video, Gupta, an IIT Kanpur electric engineering alumnus, demonstrates how everyday household objects — some that we may consider as trash — can be used to teach science principles. He uses straws, rubber tubes, CDs, matchsticks, and pencils, besides other objects to demonstrate centrifugal force, the workings of an electric motor, concepts of structural engineering, and sound vibrations.
One of the “toys” he demonstrates to the audience at the INK Conference involves a pencil with grooves on it and a paper fan attached to the lead end. Gupta rubs the grooves with a stick, and the result — the fan rotates. This simple 100-year-old toy has six major research papers written on it!
Gupta believes in democratising Science. “It is not a rich man’s game. Science must reach everybody,” he says, to an audience captivated by the powers of simple toys to teach science.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnCqR2yUXoU