This is one bright bulb - and now he flies with Eagles

Nevada County resident Darren Chambers has been awarded with the rank of Eagle Scout for building a hand-cranked mechanism at the Imaginarium that creates enough energy to brighten a light bulb.

An Eagle Scout Court of Honor was held earlier this month at the Imaginarium science museum in Nevada City to award Chambers, who is a member of Boy Scout Troop 855.

Chambers used his flair for science and mechanics to design and build the hands-on exhibit that demonstrates the interactivity of gears.

He worked with museum director Judy Nielsen to design a durable, safe and age-appropriate display, raised funds to build it and recruited more than 20 skilled volunteers to build the project.

In the exhibit, gears rotate freely on shafts attached to magnetic bases that can be moved around on a metal tabletop. A crank tops one gear.

By arranging the gears appropriately and turning over a crank, a user can generate enough energy to illuminate a light display.

The finished exhibit is well-used at the Imaginarium by children and adults alike.

Chambers earned 32 merit badges, held numerous leadership positions and accumulated nearly 100 camping nights during his seven years in the Boy Scouts. He continues as an assistant scoutmaster in the troop.

Chambers graduated from Nevada Union High School in June as a class valedictorian with a 4.2 GPA.

He is now majoring in mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the son of Keith and Carol Chambers, of Peardale.