Danny @danwchan@scholar.social

It has been amazing to watch this guys research process over the past years . I'm inspired by the dedication to the project which contributes to scientific advancement.The impact is facinating as its format broadens the potential audience and its concerns are tied to a social environment which is not academic research. Those who watched as it developed did not have to pass an entrance exam, they only had to be interested in the subject. Wow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsNoiFj3wlw

At an upcoming event the speakers are scientists who I have read a fair but of their work. I haven't thought much about them in a while and I feel I'm moving forward with a different part of my life now. At one point I had deep technical/philosophical Qs I wanted their opinions on. I thoguht knowing where their ideas came from would help me plan where I would try to drive my own ideas. Now, I'm unsure how their thoughts lie in my life.

Lab skills: 1/2-night beginners #classes in #NYC

Heya! I'm helping out with a community lab called Biotech without Borders. Part of this help will be teaching adult #science classes there to further the mission to "enable the #hands-on #practice of #biotechnology by communities, groups and countries hitherto underrepresented in the #biotech landscape"

I'm gonna start with two 1-night classes

On gel #electrophoresis:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lab-skills-night-how-to-cut-and-measure-dna-tickets-55879592365?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

On #spectrophotometry:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lab-skills-night-learn-spectrophotometry-tickets-55879673608?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Oh man here's a long due update about the Open Plant project I has started to work on at Genspace: I moved to Biotech without Borders (BwoB) because I wanted a more flexible space near my home. I ordered a bunch of reagents, but then I realized that BwoB doesn't have heat and the incubator only cools. So a few weeks later and I revised the code to used the millis() timer and 2 relays (OLED display needs more memory). Still fixing up the documentation: https://github.com/danwchan/openplant_incubator

Love Witch (2016) a visually beautiful story. It made me laugh but it also challenged me to empathize and made me consider some nuances of power.

Mind the Gap (2018) a powerfully intimate story of family and America through the lens of skateboarders and domestic abuse. I felt lucky to have heard this true story.

The Cakemaker (2017) a complicated story of love + loss told with little judgement. I was sad that these characters did not have better outlets for their grief.

@quokka I always thought your username had a familiar ring to and after an animalogic video I think I know why! What a cute mammal to align yourself with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj-EGNN5HwQ

Chicken candy doesn't taste like chicken

Oh I realized I haven't updated on this project in a while. Members successfully propagated the wild samples in axenic conditions and the incubator has really helped with their growth. We received samples from the UK of cam and tak strains so we have the common lab strains now. They were a little dried out so we're hoping that gemma will revive.

Something about the resigned tone of this long read from the NYT made me quite teary. Almost all the events transpired before I was born and it made me think about when I first learned about climate change and how it was argued for and against. I appreciate knowing some historical context to this whole saga. It's hopeful that we are seeing economic arguments for emissions reduction (among other +'s), but I'm still feeling a little blue. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/01/magazine/climate-change-losing-earth.html

#nowreading

Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate by Rose George

This is one of two books (the other: box) I'm reading to kick-off research for my own TBA trip on a cargo ship to write and explore what it means to disconnect among the artifacts of our globalized consumerist society. If you have suggestions let me know!

The group exercise for tonight.

https://scholar.social/media/SROAT8XFKwy3q-v2pTE

Tonight I'm at biotech without borders for a NSF funded talk about genetic engineering of humans. Looks like it'll be a discussion format. Before we start Dr. Jorgensen is explaining the challenges of opening up the scientific enterprise.

https://scholar.social/media/_WRWqNkvjNVSzGs0Cls