I'm a "dirt-ologist". I love studying the interface of human and environment interaction, often asking the rather rhetorical question: "Do we change the landscape, or does the landscape change us?"
I also captain the ISS Insanitekian, a startup adventure of a lifetime.
If you are familiar with my personal blog, you’ll recall that this past summer I took a stab at growing luffas for the first time ever. This picks up where that posts left off at: the harvest and how to process luffa. There are lots of places and advice you can go to on the …
The Way of the Eagle by Daniel P. Mannix My rating: 2 of 5 stars This story came as part of an ancient Reader’s Digest I found laying around a garage sale. It piqued my interest because I am a bit of a naturalist myself, and I thought it’d be an interesting read. Doubly so …
A Broad Problem Brain injuries are one of the most misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and underfunded neurological conditions that can effect a person. This condition is often triggered by an event, such as a blow to a head or a puncture that injures the brain. However, long after the brain is considered healed, the effects are a …
I am reading a pop-sci book called Pandora’s Seed, which looks at how our genetics tie into our cultural inheritance. In the preface Spencer Wells starts discussing the why behind his book. The why, is of course, rooted in the question âwhat impact does this research have?â This is a good question for all of …
Accidental Inventions: The Chance Discoveries That Changed Our Lives by Birgit Krols My rating: 2 of 5 stars I thought this book was pretty… and pretty useless. It takes several (maybe 50?) inventions that we use every day, gives you a vintage looking picture, sometimes a modern one worthy of Etsy, and a short paragraph …
If you’ve ever wondered about how to explain something, anything, then you’re in good company. Andrés Flórez undertook the momentous task of trying to explain his Ph.D. research with dance for the annual Dance Your Ph.D. competition held by the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS). I sat down with Andrés to get an …
Science literacy. It’s more than a buzz-phrase, it is a foundation stone of science itself. Without it, we would not have lively debates, new ideas building off old ideas, and the all important critical thinking to keep the cycle going. Generally, teachers look for “literacy” in the form of understanding and doing well on exams. …
Editorâs note: This is the the fourth story from a brain injury survivor and the first advocate. To read more personal stories, please visit the index. My name is Tim and I am a survivor of a traumatic brain injury. I suffered a TBI in 2006 due to blunt force to my head from a …
Editor’s note: This is the the third story from a brain injury survivor and his thoughts. To read more personal stories, please visit the index. In January 2006, an MRI showed that I had a brain tumor. In February 2006 my tumor bled, paramedics rushed me to the hospital, and I survived emergency brain surgery …
“Show me, don’t tell me!”, the English professor cried at us for the 15th time that week. It was frustrating, really. How does one show a dog walking with its owner? If I thought that was hard, then showing the various aspects of my own research would be a challenge. Fast forward to several years …