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Video: Starting with Play-Doh, ending with electrical circuits

Most folks, when receiving a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, aren’t planning on a career that involves too much Play-Doh. AnnMarie Polenberg Thomas, Ph.D., felt otherwise and has added to field of Play-Doh circuit building.

The University of St. Thomas professor and executive director of the Maker Education Initiative explains in the video below how she came to want to create electrical circuits using Play-Doh and how she actually ended up doing so.

One of the most interesting parts of the video isn’t necessarily the difficulty she had with creating the electrical circuits, but the difficulty she had in creating the Play-Doh. Complex machinery, no problem. Children’s putty, harder than it looks.

It’s an interesting story, and she’s created a website for the Squishy Circuits project, complete with some instructions on how to make your own!

As Thomas says in the video, “Never forget the importance of play in what you do.”

Via Squishy Circuits

DVICE