Hello,

I have executed Miller-Urey experiments with Lego bricks.

Find a report here:

http://www.althofer....-with-lego.html

Text is both in English and German.

Ingo.

Edited June 15, 201311 yr by Ingo Althoefer

Interesting experiment. You could also test the effect of element density, i.e. varying the size of the box with the same number of bricks.

The correct term is "clutch power" in English.

Yes, very interesting to read, but I was expecting some explanation as to why do this experiment at the end, what actually was the goal?

Hello Vincent,

  On 6/15/2013 at 6:52 PM, Vincent Kessels said:

Interesting experiment. You could also test the effect of element density, i.e. varying

the size of the box with the same number of bricks.

I just added photos and text on a series of runs with a barrel full with mixed old Lego bricks.

It is in the middle of the site.

It will be interesting to see if there are some brick types which act like catalysts:

Not going into the complexes, but supporting the creation of complexes.

  Quote

The correct term is "clutch power" in English.

Thanks, I corrected this.

Ingo.

*********************************************************************

Hello Hrw-Amen,

  On 6/15/2013 at 7:16 PM, Hrw-Amen said:

Yes, very interesting to read, but I was expecting some explanation as to

why do this experiment at the end, what actually was the goal?

The preliminary explanation is in the middle of the site: The discovery

of the phenomenon happened by chance.

My hope: Maybe teachers in biology and chemistry like to use the Lego-setup

for motivating Miller's experiment .

And finally: The topic is not finished, yet. Maybe others have ideas how to make

more out of it, or maybe I myself.

Ingo.

Edited June 15, 201311 yr by Ingo Althoefer

For some reason I find this very amusing. It's an original idea to even think of testing this. I thought it was funny.

But I am quite surprised by the general high amount of connected pieces. Are you using pieces that have only very little clutch power left? What happens if you do this with newer bricks? I never find these amounts of "complexes" in my sorted part bins. And my bricks have all the time of the world to "connect" ;)

Hello Erik,

  On 6/15/2013 at 9:16 PM, Erik Leppen said:

It's an original idea to even think of testing this.

It came to me by chance: I wanted to speed up the drying process

of wet Lego bricks and found "first" complexes in the towel.

  Quote

... general high amount of connected pieces.

Are you using pieces that have only very little clutch power left?

No and yes.

"No"

In most experiments shown on the website I used new Lego bricks:

* the first one with 1x2 and 1x4 bricks

* the series with the "fat" yellow and red bricks

(* also the green and black bricks for the decay experiment)

"Yes"

Very old bricks (from the late 1960's and early 1970's) in the Ariel barrel.

  Quote

I never find these amounts of "complexes" in my sorted part bins.

You have to supply energy by stirring or shaking.

(Miller also did this with lightnings.)

  Quote

And my bricks have all the time of the world to "connect" ;)

Time is not everything. And likely, stirring by humans helps much more

than shaking automatically.

Ingo.

PS: Soon I will try if freshly washed (old) Lego bricks behave differently.

Hi Erik,

  On 6/15/2013 at 9:16 PM, Erik Leppen said:

... Are you using pieces that have only very little clutch power left?

When reading your comment again, I got another idea:

Maybe, Miller experiments can be used to estimate the age of Lego heaps.

The more complexes, the older.

Of course, different people stirr differently...

By the way: Are there establised procedures to estimate the age of Lego bricks?

Ingo.

Edited June 16, 201311 yr by Ingo Althoefer

Hello again,

  On 6/15/2013 at 9:16 PM, Erik Leppen said:

... I am quite surprised by the general high amount of connected pieces.

Are you using pieces that have only very little clutch power left?

What happens if you do this with newer bricks?

Yesterday and today I made some tests in our washing machine.

I explain with help of photos from

http://www.althofer.de/miller-experiment-with-lego.html

In a first run I took all the (old) bricks from the Ariel barrel (shown on the middle

of the site). At 40 degree Celsius for about 70 minutes in the washing machine

lots of complexes built. In most of them, plates (of size 2x8, 4x8, 6x8) were

involved. Several complexes contained five or six pieces.

Then I took all the (new) yellow and red pieces (48 of size 2x2, 38 of size 4x2)

from the next session on the website and gave them 70 minutes at 40° C

in the washing machine. Not a single complex arose!

Then I took a subset from the Ariel barrel, with about 22 bricks of size 2x2

and 45 bricks of size 4x2. Eight complexes evolved: five of them have

4x2 above 4x2, the other three contain one 4x2 and one 2x2 each.

CONCLUSIONS:

* My old Lego bricks lead to more complexes than my new bricks.

* Plates (with their large reaction surfaces) lead to much more complexes.

Side insight:

Some of the 2x8- and 4x8-plates were damaged during the washing process.

Ingo(dt).

I don't think I ever saw more than ten of these "complexes" over the same amount of years. Maybe the presence of smaller bricks acts as a lubricating action to prevent other bricks from forming connections?

Hello,

  On 6/17/2013 at 2:53 PM, Ingo Althoefer said:

... In a first run I took all the (old) bricks from the Ariel barrel ...

At 40 degree Celsius for about 70 minutes in the washing machine

lots of complexes built. In most of them, plates (of size 2x8, 4x8, 6x8) were

involved. Several complexes contained five or six pieces...

after one more night of sleeping I realized that in my setup the

washing machine is a sort of Monte Carlo artist.

My task after the design process is to simply identify "interesting"

complexes, give them appropriate names, and make photos.

Here are two examples.

Elementary Mondrian style

aircraft carrier

Ingo(dt).

Hello,

  On 6/17/2013 at 2:53 PM, Ingo Althoefer said:

... Yesterday and today I made some tests in our washing machine...

now the old Lego bricks and the washing machine have got their

own website - with new photos.

http://www.althofer.de/old-lego-in-washing-machine.html

Ingo(dt).

Hey! It's interesting to see what people with too much time on their hands come up with!

Unfortunately this isn't one of those times.

Most of my Miller experiments have been of the brewery variety

I'm really on a roll today, aren't I?

Seriously though; I'm washing my son's Duplo today and am noticing them join together in the sink as I smash them around.

Ok, have fun and hope you appreciate the humor. I couldn't resist, Joe

Edited June 19, 201311 yr by Hey Joe

Hi Hey Joe,

thanks for the feedback,

  Quote

It's interesting to see what people with too much time on their hands

come up with!

"Much" yes, but not "too much"...

  Quote

Most of my Miller experiments have been of the brewery variety ...

Funny twist. Just yesterday I presented a MOC on the

Venus Flytrap, in relation to "marksmen's festival" ("Schuetzenfest" in

German).

  Quote

Seriously though; I'm washing my son's Duplo today and am noticing

them join together in the sink as I smash them around.

Please, make some photos of the complexes

and share them with me/us.

  Quote

Ok, have fun and hope you appreciate the humor.

Yes, fun and progress are happy sisters.

Ingo(dt).

Edited June 19, 201311 yr by Ingo Althoefer

interesting experiment!

Hey Ingo! Sorry, but I didn't take any photos. Next time.

Cheers, Joe

  On 6/19/2013 at 11:43 AM, Hey Joe said:

Hey Ingo! Sorry, but I didn't take any photos. Next time.

Okay. I allow your son to eat Nutella while playing with Lego ;-)

Ingo(dt).

Hello,

last night I found out that I was not the first person to put

Lego bricks in a washing machine and to observe consciously

the creation of random complexes.

In January 2013, Richard Bartle has described his experiences in a blog

http://www.youhaventlived.com/qblog/2013/QBlog190113A.html

including some nice photos.

In the gamer scene, Richard Bartle is a wellknown historical person.

Back in 1979/1980, Roy Trubshaw and he togehter programmed the

first realtime MUD game. (MUD means Multi User Dungeon.)

Ingo (has learned also yesternight, that washing at 60 degree Celsius

transforms some old Lego bricks in a way not seen in Lego prospects)