Similar Projects

Open Wetware/Biobricks

The most directly similar project to this one is the Synthetic Biology project at MIT, headed by Drew Endy. It has two parts: one is a wiki of laboratory procedures called Open Wetware, the other is known as “Biobricks” and is an effort to create a standardized registry of "biological parts" for use in engineering biological things. The Biobricks Foundation oversees it.

There are a number of good background resources on this page

CAMBIA

"Science as a Social Enterprise" , which includes the BIOS Open Source Biology Project. They see science ” as a tool for social justice.”

An important paper demonstrating the relevance of open source methods to biology is Broothaerts W, Mitchell H J, Weir B, Kaines S, Smith L M A, Yang W, Mayer J E, Roa-Rodriguez C, Jefferson R A (2005) Gene transfer to plants by diverse species of bacteria, Nature 433:629-633.

Make (and its ilk)

Make Magazine is an open source-inspired hobbyists' magazine and community, filled with fantastic ideas for DIY, at home projects, and an ethic of sharing information and techniques for tinkering and vernacularizing technology. Drawing on the proud amateur and hobbyist tradition that itself informed hackers and open source geeks (stretching back to the days of early HAM radio), Make's genius is in the way they encourage and guide people to love tinkering and building. They have a sibling mag for Crafters called, predictably, Craft

Arduino

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. The microcontroller on the board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing).

Open Source Cinema

Open Source Cinema is experimenting with applying the techniques of open source to filmmaking. It might seem puzzling at first (what good is a film made by a thousand people?) until you realize that the Director has a very strong vision of the general shape of the film, but wants contributors to help make that vision better– there is a wiki with the basic script, (much like ours) that guides the project, but the materials and ideas come from the community. The movie will be about issues related to re-mix culture and intellectual property rights in film and music.

A Swarm of Angels is a similar project, though it isn't clear yet what it's about

Open Source Circuits

Open Source Circuits is an open source electronics wiki. Mostly about sharing knowledge and how-to stuff.

Qwerk

Open Source Robotics

http://www.terk.ri.cmu.edu/index.php http://www.charmedlabs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29

Full Belly Project

Open source-style agricultural technology creation

http://www.fullbellyproject.org/index.asp They have made great use of the website Instructables, which is filled with How To kits of all kinds http://www.instructables.com/id/ERSV3ZTAA8EP287HYR?ALLSTEPS/

Grameen Bank and Grameenphone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GrameenPhone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grameen_Bank

Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group

From their website: “Appropriate, or intermediate, technology is a broad based term referring to technologies that can be produced and maintained by small communities. Most often it refers to technologies that attempt to keep in balance local natural resources while serving basic infrastructure needs such as water, electricity, cook fuel, heat, sanitation, and housing. Most appropriate technology discussions revolve around the understanding that much of the benefit of quality infrastructure can be gained without harming the environment, without using complex hard to manufacture systems, and without requiring the prohibitive level of financing needed for large infrastructure projects. With the proper tools and knowledge communities of limited means, often in very simple and elegant ways, can solve on their own problems which the industrialized world has relegated to expensive specialists.”

http://www.aidg.org/

Engineers without Borders

“EWB is a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students.”

Note: Open and continuing projects page includes many groups that might be able to implement and test the Nanomagnetite project. http://www.ewb-usa.org/

D-Lab

DLab is Amy Smith's appropriate technology development laboratory at MIT. Amy Smith is a Macarthur Genius, a Lemelson Prize winner, and a ” MacGyver for the Developing World”

Appropedia

Appropedia is an encyclopedia of appropriate, alternative and sustainable technologies]]

HowtoPedia

HowToPedia is another encyclopedia of appropriate, alternative and sustainable technologies.