Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande My rating: 3 of 5 stars I gave this book 3 stars for I’m not really sure what I think of it. I’m an atheist, but my core family is very religious, so I come from a unique perspective. It is neither how to prove …
Art of the Brain with Michelle Hunter
Science communication is an interesting profession. You can choose to communicate with writing, dance, or many other mediums - including fine art. You don’t even have to start in science. I had the honour of sitting down with Michelle Hunter, a New York contemporary artist with an eye for science. Michelle is an artist that …
Researching solutions to the problem [Invention Cycle]
In the previous step of the invention cycle you learnt how to get beyond wishy-washy thoughts to listing the actual problem. Now, it’s time to find a solution… and see if that solution is really an invention you can patent. To do this we’re going to break this into two parts: researching a solution and …
Creating a “dirty budget” {Financial Friday$}
If you’ve never heard of the term “dirty budget”, don’t be alarmed. It’s actually a phrase my mother used to use referring to a “quick and dirty budget”. It means something that works roughly but needs refining. This sort of budget is the budget you turn to in a rush when someone asks you for …
Examing and picking apart problems [Invention Cycle]
So, you want to be an inventor, eh? Perhaps you have some ideas already, but don’t know what to do now. Invention often doesn’t start with a eureka moment. Instead, it starts out with cursing that something went wrong, quickly followed by tearing apart the problem to find out what’s wrong in the first place. …
Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love by Myron Uhlberg [book review]
Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love by Myron Uhlberg My rating: 4 of 5 stars Summary Hands of My Father was an interesting memoir about Uhlberg’s youth. He was a boy growing up after the depression, during times of war, and most uniquely, was born to …
Winter experiments: Making ice cream from snow
When I was a little girl my granny Cleo would make fresh ice cream out of the freshly fallen snow. I can clearly recall sitting in her living room anxiously awaiting for the snow to accumulate so we could scoop off the top layers without fear of getting anything but clean, fresh snow. Then, we …
Starting a business on a shoe-string working poor budget {Financial Friday$)
We know it’s possible because Insanitek is proof. Grace, our CEO and founder, wrote a wonderful post on what she’s gone through to get this far. However, she’s not the only one making that leap of faith with no money. Forbes shows that it’s also a trend that’s on the upswing with a demonstration of 20 …
The invention process [Invention Cycle]
There is no right way to invent something. Some people take a slow, methodical route testing theory after theory before ever working with their hands. Some go straight for the supplies and start tinkering. Still, others, and a great majority of inventors, use a combination of the two. There really isn’t a magic ratio for …
On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Dave Grossman {book review}
On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Dave Grossman My rating: 2 of 5 stars This is one of those books you have to take with a grain of salt. While reading it, it was very clear that the author grew up in the anti-Vietnam era, and much …