Tim Hunkin's The Secret Life Of Machines - TV Series Online

SplashWellyKid

The website for the three series of The Secret Life Of Machines by author, cartoonist & engineer Tim Hunkin gives lots of extra information and cartoons, for those who remember seeing the shows or may be a good learning resource for children.

It's a 'how things work' style show, presented in an informal but educational way.

Series One (1988):
vacuum cleaners
sewing machines
central heating
washing machines
the refrigerator
television

Series Two (1991):
cars
internal combustion engine
quartz watch
telephones
radio set
video recorders

Series Three(1993):
fax machine
the lift/elevator
word processors
electric light
photocopiers
the office

The site specifically states that the programmes have been made available online in several places (as they couldn't find a wholesale retailer to produce DVDs or videos).

Streaming & phone downloads:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/SLOM/

Downloads:
http://www.techno-fandom.org/slom.shtml
http://sciencezero.4hv.org/tslom.htm (monthly download limits, so you may need to return next month if they are too busy)

They are great fun so well worth a watch!

Also, Tim Hunkin's own website is very entertaining, with details of many of his projects, including the excellent Under The Pier Show of ingenious quirky animated arcade machines built from oddments, which is a free exhibition at Southwold Pier (although you need to pay if you want to use any of the machines yourself, rather than just watch others set them working!). A free (or cheap) day out for the Summer hols :cool:

Pip26

Hi splashwelly - this is really great site!

Thanks for posting - hope lots of people manage to see and explore this !!!

Thought this link ab. excellent:

http://www.rudimentsofwisdom.com/

Really recommend people try it - literally hundreds of interesting things done in cartoon strip style. Great for children, families, clubs, schools, home edders, anyone interested .. etc., etc., etc., - def. worth exploring!!!!!

Thanks again for post.

SplashWellyKid

Cheers Pip26, jb5 & Raksha - glad you found it useful. We had a great time at Southwold Pier a few years ago playing on the arcade machines. Hunkin's stuff is all very clever, often built from junk & scraps, & he explains how he's done it in a lot of detail. The experiments & science info is presented with much humour as well as being educational.

Splash