![Welding gloves and apron](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item1.jpg)
Since I came to AU 10 years ago, the types of scientific problems that we’re tackling have gotten more complicated and ambitious. I use the electronics and machine shops to design and build experiments for faculty, staff, and students across the arts and sciences.
![Digital multimeter](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item5.jpg)
A digital multimeter measures the components used in electronic circuitry.
![Cell heater made with mill and lathe](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item9.jpg)
I recently used a mill and lathe to make a cell heater out of Teflon, aluminum, brass, and glass for a quantum optics experiment. I’m mostly a self-taught machinist; YouTube is a great resource.
![Notebook with written mathematical proofs](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item12.jpg)
It is easier to write proofs and draw schematics in a notebook than on a computer.
![Safety glasses](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item2.jpg)
Some lab equipment can cause serious injury or death. High voltage sources and compressed gases are particularly dangerous.
![Breadboard and circuit](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item6.jpg)
I have been building prototype circuits since I was 13, and I use breadboards to make sure that they work before I commit them to a printed circuit board.
![Cables](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item10.jpg)
Hundreds of cables connect and power everything in the lab.
![Oscilloscope](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item13.jpg)
Oscilloscopes allow me to investigate properties of nature like light, sound, pressure, and temperature. They display these properties in time and can capture signals that are billionths of a second in duration.
![Power supply](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item3.jpg)
Power supplies provide voltages and currents that allow my circuits to operate.
![Metal materials](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item7.jpg)
I consider properties like thermal and electrical conductivity, coefficient of friction, and heat capacity when choosing materials for a project.
![Screwdrivers and pliers](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item11.jpg)
Physicists solve problems with their minds and their hands.
![Function generator](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item14.jpg)
Function generators create waveforms used as stimuli for electronic experiments.
![Calipers and tape measure](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item4.jpg)
Calipers are the easiest thing to grab to take dimensional measurements. We still use inches in the machining world, so we have tape measures with both imperial and metric units.
![Soldering iron](/magazine/article/images/ar_dt_Unpacked_Newport_Item8.jpg)
Soldering irons melt solder to join the components together permanently.