Hope and cool science at Maker Faire

LAKEVILLE — Creativity and innovation were on show at The Hotchkiss School on Sunday, April 7, for the fourth annual Tri-State Mini Maker Faire.

What is a Maker Faire? It feels a bit like a science fair, but for adults. People present their hobbies, inventions and crafts to the public in a fun and interactive way. 

The presenters on Sunday ranged from the Freund family of East Canaan with their biodegradable CowPots seed starting pots, to Mark Proctor from Meriden, Conn., who invented a faucet that can be turned on remotely from one’s phone and that also senses motion. 

His invention makes it easy to fill up your bathtub before you get home and have it ready for you, so you don’t have to wait. He showed everyone the coding he used to make it possible, and demonstrated it to an amazed and appreciative audience.

Another participant was the Physics Bus from Ithaca, N.Y., a traveling exhibition in a large school bus filled with fun ways to experience scientific phenomena. Children launched paper rockets by stomping on soda bottles and blew gigantic soap bubbles.

Some makers were there to promote a business, some just to show their hobbies. Chris Clark learned how to take apart and repair laptops out of necessity, and was happy to share his knowledge with anyone interested. A tech company from Mancheter called ARSome Technology provided a headset so fair-goers could experience virtual reality.

The fair was well-attended, educational and uplifting, with many young children showing interest in the activities, and with the makers eager to engage them. The fair definitely showed young children that science can be extremely fun and that anyone can do it. It was the kind of event that gives one hope for the future.