Episode #551: From Trash to Tools: The Open Hardware Revolution Powering Solarpunk Science

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop interviews Joshua Pearce, the John Thompson Chair in Innovation at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Ivey Business School at Western University, about the revolution in open source hardware for scientific research. They discuss how three-dimensional printing, Arduino controllers, and open source designs are dramatically reducing research costs—often by 85-95%—while democratizing access to lab equipment worldwide. Pearce shares stories from his 2013 book "Open Source Lab" and explains how the movement has exploded since then, covering everything from filter wheel changers and ball mills to metal three-dimensional printers and battery research equipment. The conversation explores recycle bots that turn plastic waste into filament, the role of AI in accelerating hardware development, and how open source licensing creates a global knowledge management system where improvements are shared across the scientific community. For those interested in learning more, Pearce recommends checking out the journal HardwareX , repositories like Thingiverse and My Mini Factory , and appropedia.org for open source scientific tools and appropriate technology designs. Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and introduction to Joshua Pearce, discussing his work on open source lab equipment and the evolution since publishing his book in 2013 05:00 Early development of open source hardware including the breakthrough filter wheel changer project built by a high school student that saved thousands of dollars 10:00 Discussion of how Arduino and RepRap three-d printers enabled the democratization of scientific tools, making complex equipment accessible to anyone 15:00 Economic impact showing average tool savings of 85 percent, with Arduino and three-d printing combinations reaching mid-90s percent cost reduction 20:00 Case study of PhD student Mariam building complete battery research tool chain from scratch using open source designs and three-d printed components 25:00 Recycle bots enabling transformation of waste plastic into three-d printer filament for pennies, revolutionizing material costs and sustainability 30:00 Collaboration between universities and open source companies creating fluid handlers and acquisition systems, accelerating research capabilities globally 35:00 Large language models assisting code translation and research planning, though hallucinations require careful verification and domain expertise 40:00 Importance of fundamental knowledge when using AI tools, comparing vibe coding acceleration with necessity for understanding underlying principles 45:00 Testing standards and calibration methods for open source equipment, balancing precision requirements against cost-effectiveness for specific applications 50:00 Metal and ceramic three-d printing developments including MIG welding techniques and sintering processes for creating functional parts 55:00 Knowledge management through open source licenses, repositories like Thingiverse and Apropedia enabling global collaboration and continuous improvement Key Insights 1. Open source hardware has evolved dramatically since Joshua Pearce wrote his book in 2012-2013, to the point where he can no longer keep up with all the developments in the field. What started as a collection where every single example could fit in one book has exploded into an entire ecosystem with dedicated journals and thousands of researchers contributing. The vision was that scientific papers would eventually include hyperlinks to equipment designs that anyone could download and replicate, and that future is largely here today. There are now so many open source ha