Lighting Young Brains On Fire

Northwestern University's Office of STEM Education Patnerships has recently hired Roth Mobot's Patrick McCarthy as their Designer of YouSTEM Alternative Learning Environments. Patrick will be instrumental in designing, developing, and implementing after school self-running interactive "drop in" labs for teens to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math.

"Chicago has excellent after school facilities for sports, the arts, and digital media." Says Patrick. "Soon students will have spaces where they can hang out and explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math on their own terms and at their own pace. These new YouSTEM environments will encourage independence of thought, demystify technology, make mathematics a natural language, and foster an intuitive approach to invention. I also want to show teens, and... well, everyone, that social networks can be used as powerful developmental and educational tools. And it's going to be fun!"

Amplify Your Slinky

As Seen On Page 4 Of 6/30 Chicago Reader

Patrick McCarthy of the duo Roth Mobot teaches a class on how to build a contact microphone, which picks up vibrations through solid objects rather than through the air. It’s part of Getting Bent, a series of first-Sunday workshops in circuit bending: “the creative recycling of discarded consumer electronics to create unique experimental electronic art by adding wires, knobs, and switches to control new connections within the device’s pre-existing circuitry.” Participants are encouraged to bring objects to amplify, like sheet metal, cardboard, acoustic instruments, Slinkies, and coat hangers.

Roth Mobot Lecture/Demo/Performance at Chicago Public Library

Saturday, June 25, 2011
11:00 AM - 12:0 PM
Chicago Public Library
1150 W Fullerton ~FREE~

As part of Chicago's summer Music Series, Roth Mobot will lecture about Circuit Bending technique, demonstrate a few devices, discuss various experimental music principles, and perform on their home made circuit bent instruments.

For more information visit http://www.chipublib.org/events/details/id/64945/

Roth Mobot's Circuit Bending Workshop Series Mentioned in Reader's "Best of Chicago" Poll

The Chicago Reader named the Experimental Sound Studio "Best Experimental Music Resource" in its recent "Best of Chicago" poll.

As a pilot program for the ESS's expansion into academia - Roth Mobot has been commissioned to conduct a series of advanced Circuit Bending Workshops at the studio.

In addition to their studio and gallery work, the ESS hosts the annual Experimental Garage Sale, brainchild of GetLoFi.com.

Museum of Science and Industry's "Roth Mobot Technology Workshops" Series

CAD design and final printed circuit board

We will be conducting a series of workshops in the Museum of Science and Industry's Fab Lab this summer.

Inspired by a recent visit to the museum and the consistency of one of the museum's workshops (sheep's eyeball dissection) we struck upon how to simplify circuit bending workshops with the use of a common, eminently hackable circuit used as a text book example. Just think of it -- no surface mounted components, no crystal clocks, no unanticipated IC encapsulated components -- to name a few of the many benefits of this ambitious approach.

We designed a simple 555-based oscillator circuit with easily accessible and hackable components. The MSI's Fab Lab made quick work out of autonomously milling duplicate boards on their in-house equipment.

Roth Mobot to Speak at s.t.e.a.m. Conference

The Upward Bound Math and Science Program, in collaboration and sponsorship from the Chicago Teachers’ Center and Northeastern Illinois University, are hosting the 1st annual s.t.e.a.m student conference Saturday, May 21st, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, at Northeastern University.

The s.t.e.a.m (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Agriculture/Architecture,Mathematics) student conference is for middle and high school students who attend schools in the greater Chicago land area to foster science, technology, engineering, art/agriculture and mathematics learning through project-based and career-oriented workshop sessions.

Patrick McCarthy, half of the circuit bent duo Roth Mobot, has been invited to speak at this year's conference. His lecture / hands-on demonstration will focus on the intuitive accessibility of  technology, focusing on reclaiming discarded electronics and converting them into unique audio and video instruments.

New Workshop Series at Chicago's ESS

Chicago's Experimental Sound Studio has enlisted Patrick McCarthy — one half of the circuit-bent duo Roth Mobot, to teach a series of five affordable workshops over the course of the summer. Whether you want to drop in once to learn how to construct a contact microphone, or if you’d rather immerse yourself in a comprehensive curriculum of soldering and hardware hacking, we invite you to tailor your experience by enrolling in any combination of these classes.