Micro-bit for Mad Scientists

28 mad scientist themed projects and experiments to teach STEM topics and coding with the BBC micro:bit

The BBC micro:bit is a tiny electronics board developed to teach kids and beginners about coding and hardware. This small board hosts sensors, LEDs, wireless capabilities, and a small bundle of brains, and has been used in projects around the world, from displaying simple smiley face animations to being sent to space to take pictures. The BBC gave one million units away to all 11 year olds in the UK in 2016, and it's proving increasingly popular in the U.S.

This book will show you how to code in MicroPython and JavaScript Blocks, simplified versions of the popular Python and JavaScript programming languages, through building some dastardly and eccentric electronics projects with the micro:bit. Experienced hardware writer Simon Monk takes the reader through the projects with step-by-step instructions, color diagrams, and all the code needed to get the builds working. Readers will make a magnetic door alarm, moving eyeballs, an irregular wall clock to drive guests as mad as the scientist, a lie detector, a set of walkie talkies, and a whole host of other mad inventions, and learn essential STEM concepts along the way.

Simon Monk is a full-time author and maker, mostly writing about electronics for makers. Some of his better-known books include Programming Arduino: Getting Started with Sketches, Raspberry Pi Cookbook, and Hacking -Electronics. He is also the co-author of Practical Electronics for Inventors and wrote Minecraft Mastery with his son, Matthew Monk.