Magnets can be great fun to work with and can be the source of dozens of science experiments and science fair projects. You can exploit the properties of a magnet to do simple experiments in the home and even use them to make complex working models. Why it is even possible to produce repelling and attracting toys with the use of a simple pair of magnets.

Another interesting fact is that if a substance made out of iron stays in touch with a magnet for a fairly long period of time, it will gain some of the attracting properties of the magnet. This is also known as magnetic transference. The easiest way to see this in action is by sticking a metal paper clip to magnet and then tagging on more paper clips to it.

Thanks to the power of the magnetic field of the magnet that you are using the paper clips which are not in touch with the magnet directly, will also stick to the paper clips before them. They will be able to make a nice long chain. This chain will not break even when you remove the paper clip attached to the magnet from the line.

This happens because of the magnetic transference of the attraction of the magnet to the the paper clips. Simple science projects are always the best way to understand complex theories.

I enjoy any science project which uses magnets. This one here is an interesting and simple to make project involving match box cars that move without you actually touching them. Naturally its the magnetic force in action and it a great way to understand the concept of the magnetic field.

All you need is a few empty matchboxes which you can redesign as cars. Paste some glazed paper on them and draw in the details with a felt pen. Add a four wheels to each car and make a magnet sit in the matchbox in the middle.  Once your match box cars are ready you can place them on a smooth surface like a dining table to begin the experiment.

As you bring a car with a like pole close to the car before it the car in front will also start moving on its own without you touching it. If the poles are opposite then you will see the car in front reversing into the car behind. You can make them go the full length of the table and see how the distance affects the magnetic force exerted as well.

This is a game which young boys will not tire of very fast. In fact it can be even more fun if you have two sets of cars and set up a race between the participants. Have fun with science projects like this and science will never seem boring again.

Did you think that Artificial Intelligence belonged to the future and science projects? Then you will be surprised to know that the concept of Artificial Intelligence is nothing new. In fact examples of beings with Artificial Intelligence were found even in ancient Greek Mythology. Let us consider these little known examples of Artificial Intelligence from the past.

Talos of Crete, Pygmalion’s Galatea and the golden Robots of Hephaestus are all associated with Artificial Intelligence. Why restrict the past to Greek Mythology even the Egyptians had animated statues. Not to mention the humanoids built by King Mu of Zhou. An intelligence like that poccessed by humans but in a vessel which is not human has fascinated philosophers and scientists for ages.

Poet Percy B. Shelley’s wife Mary Shelley is famous for writing the story of Frankenstein. A sub human artificial intelligence robot built up of salvaged human parts. The story is a gory representation of the way we tend to see artificial intelligence in any creature which is not born human.

Even Asimov was fascinated with robots and how it was possible to make them safe for humans. Remember the directives that any programmed Robot had to follow? So we can see that Artificial Intelligence is a subject which has fascinated human beings for ages. How close we are to developing such independent thinking robots is yet to be seen, but it is an ongoing science experiment open for participation.

With more people becoming fascinated with science projects involving Artificial Intelligence it is just a matter of time before we truly have Conscious Intelligence. These robots will be like real people who will have the faculty of reason. They will be able to walk, talk and act like humans.

They will be able to actually think about the circumstances that they are faced with and then take a decision based on the facts that they know. Very much in the way humans take their decisions today. They may even be able to assist us in taking decisions in the future.

Does that mean that we are now headed over for a dangerous world where there will be rogue robots just like there are rouge men? There is always a new threat with each new invention and as Conscious Intelligence has not really been developed yet we can not claim to know the threats that it will bring with it.

Yet since Artificial Intelligence or Conscious Intelligence is all about human ingenuity we can safely assume that it will also have the faults of a human being. Just like fire can be used to sustain life and to take life, any new technology can also be used for good and for evil. The trick lies in achieving the right balance with each science project based on AI.

As I mentioned in the last post Artificial Intelligence is not some futuristic science project awaiting completion. It is surprising but we are already living with AI in our midst. We don’t even realize that the gadgets and devices which use the technology of AI and make our lives easier use AI.

Our concept of AI is more in tune with the walking and talking robots that we see in science fiction movies. The fear that these robots will multiply and take over the human world is a common theme in these sci-fi movies. However the AI that we use today is very far from the Conscious Intelligence which will be capable of doing such a deed.

Conscious Intelligence is genuine Artificial Intelligence which does not need human intervention to learn and grow. While Artificial Intelligence relates only to programmed responses which the robot can perform Conscious Intelligence will allow the robot to think for itself and make decisions.

This is far from becoming a reality today. The robots that are constructed today can not take their own decisions. They merely follow a set of steps to arrive at a decision following a “Yes” or “No” type of flow chart. This is very different from something that can reason things out for themselves.

Eventually some one will design the perfect robot with Conscious Intelligence. We wait for that ultimate science project to come to life.

Most of us think of a future world when we hear the term Artificial Intelligence. It is no longer a distant science project but an everyday reality. We are living in the midst of Artificial Intelligence and it is making our lives much simpler than before.

The computer is a great example of Artificial Intelligence in action. So are your mobile phones and even the humble calculator. In fact the number of gadgets that use artificial intelligence is multiplying each decade. Everyone has some such device which uses AI.

The robots that we identify with AI may not have come to life in the manner of the Star Wars characters but there are smaller robots which are already in existence today. Many of them are used by the medical profession to study and improve medical care facilities.

There is a considerable market out there for Artificial Intelligence and every day some new design is being built from the drawing board. With a basic programmed chip it is possible to build your own little robotic arm to help you with some repetitive chore at home.

Don’t worry the robot will not take over your life. The AI is not quite that advanced yet. Why not try using Artificial Intelligence in one of your science fair projects? Take a look at the different projects that you can do at Awesome Science Projects.