

Toys from Trash - DanBC
http://arvindguptatoys.com/

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zaf
Great resource.

Discovered the site several years and helped in creating an offline version
(only iOS) with all the content (as of 2012):

[https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toys-from-trash-arvind-
gupta...](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toys-from-trash-arvind-
gupta/id561396478?mt=8)

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DanBC
I particularly like:

CD spectrascope:
[http://arvindguptatoys.com/toys/cdspectroscope.html](http://arvindguptatoys.com/toys/cdspectroscope.html)

Using polarised light to see stress in plastic:
[http://arvindguptatoys.com/toys/seestress.html](http://arvindguptatoys.com/toys/seestress.html)

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zaf
My favourite is the Homo Polar Motor:

[http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/toys/homopolarmotor.html](http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/toys/homopolarmotor.html)

So simple yet so magical.

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cconcepts
Wow, this is really cool. I feel the quote on the front page is apt for a lot
of us here at HN:

"And somewhere there are engineers helping others fly faster than sound. But,
where are the engineers helping those who must live on the ground?"

We live in a world where return on capital and/or time invested is the common
measure of success, but someone like this is having untold impact on many
people's lives simply by applying their brilliant mind in a less commercially
incentivised way.

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harryjo
These are great.

Always funny what these "make toys at home" folks think people have lying
around their homes:
[http://arvindguptatoys.com/toys/Heartpuzzle.html](http://arvindguptatoys.com/toys/Heartpuzzle.html)

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monk_e_boy
Wire is pretty common, sure you may not have any. I have plenty in my house,
old coat hangers, wire for the garden, etc.

Wire and a set of pliers (to cut and twist the wire) is really useful stuff.
Need to make a trellis for your plants? Chop a few twigs off a tree, tie
together with a little wire. Need a little fence? Same deal. Maybe plastic
zip-ties have made wire redundant?

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ExpiredLink
It's not trash, though.

