Maker Faire
I did drop by the Maker Faire this weekend, and the coolest thing I saw was the Cyclecide rodeo, a whole set of traditional amusement park rides, all of which go at least as fast as their traditional versions but all of which are unconventionally human-powered by stationary bicycles. I really wanted a chance to pedal a few of them and spin myself (or other people) around, but the lines were too long. It was a beautiful spectacle to watch, though, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.
The second coolest thing I saw was the 3D printing section, including great mathematical sculpture and a remarkable commercial printer (under $20,000) that could print arbitrary objects, including complete interlocking gear trains, in a single pass. It used a firm but water-soluble material for the negative space so that you could simply wash the negative space away from your completed project. It's strange to think of 3D printers available in the price range that color laser printers occupied in recent memory. (I wonder if the 3D printer manufacturers are getting any pressure to include forensic tracking mechanisms in their printers to help identify who printed a particular object.)
