Random chance can set all kinds of activities into motion. Remember Abed’s discussion of the dice role and its impact in Community? Do you recall the potential impending doom as a kid shaking the Magic 8 Ball, one of the toys in the National Toy Hall of Fame? Sure, you could settle with a coin toss or dice roll, but why? How about mixing up your next Dungeons & Dragons event with something different? Today we’re building a study model of a device that generates random numbers and provides different random results based on probability theory, including a 360 degree rotating octahedron that acts like an orrery, triggered by a button, with a rack-and-gear drive, overrunning clutch, and a driven wheel. It’s the UGEARS Random Generator, the third model we’re testing after the 2-in-1 Arithmetic Kit (reviewed here) and the Gearbox (reviewed here). The Random Generator is part of the model maker’s STEM Lab series, educational tools and fun models that aren’t just for kids. This kit is full of surprises, and as it comes together you’ll see how science puts the “magic” in the Magic 8 Ball.
