Solar powered laptop bags and handbags

// August 5th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Science Art, Science at Home

Voltaic Generator Bag

Winter sun is something worth enjoying. Spreading out lizardlike and soaking up UV rays to make Vitamin D is an excellent endeavour. I often take my laptop out with me and blog in the sunlight.

Today as I was doing just that, my laptop started complaining about low charge. It made me wonder if you could solar power your laptop. Turns out you can.

You can have a panel on just about anything. Most only charge small devices like a phone, but you can have one on your desk, one on your bike, or even one on your hat (powering a small fan which spins faster as it gets more sun.)

The one pictured is a laptop bag with solar panels on the front, and it’s capable of charging a laptop. They charge a battery inside the bag, which you can run your laptop on.

Solar Handbag

I did a bit more snooping, and I found some fashionable handbags that do a similar job. These were sold on auction in mid July (one of a kind, probably couldn’t have afforded them anyway), and feature sexy solar panels that can charge your ipod, camera or phone as you walk.

It’s part of the portable light project, which has sadly finished. They create flexible photovoltaic textiles for use in developing countries. The material lends itself to traditional weaving and sewing, so people can incorporate the technology into their own culture. Open source electricity.

The solar units charge during the day, and at night work as lamps. They also have a USB port to charge phones, making it easier for traveling artists to connect with stores or midwives to seek clinic advice and diagnosis.

A mighty fine endeavour, but I’d be happy with something that quickly charged my iPod nano because he has problems. It leaks charge all over the joint like a poorly toilet trained puppy. I leave it switched off and locked in my bag, and next time I try to use it, it’s gone to Davey Jones locker. Perhaps it be time to update to an iPhone…

New blog features animated MRI’s of fruit

// July 24th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Science Art

I have stumbled across Inside Insides, a blog of fruit and vegetables as seen through an MRI machine. Each fruit or vege has an animation, so you can see inside it from one end to another. Pictured is a screen shot of the latest entry – celery.

Me favourites be the broccoli which looks like fireworks and the artichoke which looks like a kaleidoscope.

Is this another example of art and science? The line is so blurry now we pirates get confused.

Art in a plate of agar – designs made with bacteria

// December 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Science Art

Bacteria and fungi are not generally thought of as attractive pieces of art, indeed I know the times I have lapsed in used-by-date judgment I have beheld them with disgust. Disgust, followed by destruction – straight to the bin or a boiling hot death.

Still, they have a certain something… especially when dressed up like this.

These two piratey concoctions were created by the Gregory Lab at the University of Guelph. They were made with e-coli plated onto green agar. I’m not 100% on the process, but if it was me I would print out a design and place a plate of green agar over it – then with an inoculator (sterilised wire loop on a stick) trace the outline onto with e-coli culture, then let it grow for a while. It might not smell great (blegh, e-coli always smells like ass), but at least it LOOKS cool.

Niall Hamilton counters with a range of plates made using fungi and bacteria. I particularly like the way the texture of the grass vs the mushroom head, either the different varieties grow at a different rate or he plated the grass a few hours after the mushroom. Using fungi gives you a range of colours to choose from (I think the pink is Aureobasidium pullulans), for e-coli to grow in different colours you need to genetically engineer them.

Speaking of genetically engineering bacteria, here is Salmonella typhimurium made to express fluorescent and carotenoid pigments. This was created by iGEM Team Osaka, who work on a range of projects, including art of an almost-alcoholic bacterial cocktail. Yum!

These images were found at Microbial Art, and they have plenty more on show. As the role of microbiology becomes larger in society, I think we’ll be seeing more and more microbial artwork. I hope we do, anyway.

Not So Humble Science Cookies

// December 17th, 2009 // No Comments » // Just for Fun, Science Art, Science at Home

Science and dessert… oh yeah. The two best things in the world, barring only the horizon blue and bare and far from shore. Not So Humble Pie is making incredible science inspired cookie and cupcake art, these pictures look absolutely unequivocally delicious and come with recipes! My mouth is watering just thinking about them.

Brains… Brains… Mmm… Ganache

Gel electrophoresis, separating DNA based on size and taste

Not made for splitting

Better than your average agar

I’m going to make the labcoat toting gingerbread for Christmas. In fact, I’ll make them ALL and have a giant sugar-high science party! RSS her, it’s even better than daily food porn.

Nanoart – scientific art on the smallest scale

// December 14th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Science Art

These raunchy bunnies make up in style what they lack in size – each one is about a quarter of a millimeter in size, and the bow is the width of a human hair. Made by nanobliss which specialises in carbon nanotubes and silicon, and holds various exhibitions (they also have a nanobama). Find out how it’s done here.

A nanorose made of crystalline wurtzite indium nitride, synthesized via molecular beam epitaxy using pure indium and a high efficient nitrogen source, hydrazoic acid by these guys. And if you know what this means, tell me!

It’s a creepy looking Santa, just in time for Christmas! This guy is definitely small enough to fit down your chimney, or through your keyhole if you don’t have a chimney. Welded over your keyhole? He can fit through cracks in the walls or vents in the ceiling, there’s no escaping nanosanta. He’s been coloured artificially for added creep-out effect.

These images are from the MRS website which runs competitions twice a year. There are plenty more on their website, but these were my favs.

The Particle Zoo – Gift Idea for a Physicist

// December 10th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Just for Fun, Science Art

I came across this cool gift for a physicist, or anyone, because they are totally geeky and super cute.

Squee!

The Particle Zoo have soft quarks, leptons, nucleons, and theoreticals like the Higgs Boson and the Tachyon (which in the X-Files made time-travel possible!). PLUS they have the same range in antiparticles, which are kept on a seperate page to prevent mutual annihilation. They also have a pack for beta decay with a neutron that turns inside out to reveal a proton, and releases an electron, an electron anti-neutrino and a W-Boson.

It’s the attention to detail that really gets me, they are all weighted according to the particle weight, they all have neat stuff, like the W-boson is two sided, one positive (W+) and one negative (W-). For Christmas you can get mini-versions on ribbon as Christmas Decorations – nothing says I’m a massive physics geek than a Christmas tree spotted with quarks.

I think I’ve learned more about particle physics by searching this site than I did after year 12 physics. That wouldn’t be hard though.

Gift Ideas for a Chemist or Chemistry Grad

// December 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // Just for Fun, Science Art

Chemistry is a most excellent discipline full of colourful chemicals, of peering into a world of unknown forces, and of creating new materials that have never before existed ever. To show the chemist in your life how much you appreciate their saving the world on your behalf (yes, Chemists are superheroes. You didn’t know?) here are some chemical gift ideas.

Wines of Substance

Not only is their website super sexy, they have very handsome bottles of wine to boot. I would be buying these for my old highschool chem teacher who first got me excited about science, but they don’t ship to Aus. If you’re in the US, these are made in Washington. Maybe you could send me some!

Little Chemistry Man Made of Metal

Technically he’s a chemical engineer, but look at him mixing metal stuffs and chugging away at his comp. This would be the perfect present for someone in metal chem, or who works with metal catalysts a lot.

Beaker Mug

Caffeine… Is there anything we need more on a long night in teh lab? The only trouble with this is you may end up ingesting your latest experiment by accident. The same site has cool salt and pepper shakers with chemical signs on them.

Dr Karl’s Fact or Fishy Boardgame

The science version of Fact or Crap. The question-master reads out a statement like “Bacteria have no sense of smell” and you have to decide if it’s Fact or Fishy (It’s Fishy, all living things have a system to sniff out molecules in the environment to find food or threats.) You play for tokens, and the game ends when you’ve used them all up. It’s totally THE BEST SCIENCE GAME EVER! I played it with a bunch of other Science Communicators at the RiAus and it was a blast, and I’ve got it at home as well. It’s most fun to play with other scientists, because you get really into answering as fast as possible and complaining about the phrasing and the level of scientific rigorousness. The bad news is that it’s only in Australia so far (you can get them at toy stores and some bookstores in the science section), but if you Direct Message Dr Karl on Twitter he might could airmail you one. Or you can e-mail me (captain@aschoonerofscience.com), and I’ll see what I can do to get you a copy.

Molecular Jewelry
I’ve posted on the awesome jewelry of Molecular Muse before, but if you STILL haven’t bought yourself or someone near you a serotonin necklace or a dopamine pair of earrings you’re letting down the team. The Molecular Muse also does an endorphin choker, caffeine necklace, capsaicin (chili) necklace, theobromine (chocolate) earrings, zingerone (ginger) necklaces, DNA earrings… the list goes on! Great for someone who’s into natural product extractions or biologically significant molecules. Her full range is here.

You can also check out my Gift Ideas for a Microbiologist or Pathologist. If you’ve got something to add, post a comment!

Magnetic Movie

// November 26th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Just for Fun, Science Art

I’ve been sitting on this story for a while, and then I forgot about it. Oops!

This movie is very VERY sexy! It won the Scientific Merit Award at the Imagine Science Film Festival for 2009, and the visuals are just stunning! Behold the awesome power of MAGNET!

Magnetic Movie from Semiconductor on Vimeo.

Gift Ideas for a Microbiologist or Pathologist

// November 20th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Just for Fun, Science Art

Christmas is coming up (freak out!) so here are some funky gift ideas for someone obsessed with bacteria, a microbiologist, pathologist, or anyone interested in science and medicine.

Giant Microbes make a crazy selection of bacteria, viruses and human cells in soft plushy goodness. I’m a sucker for teh cute and fluffies! They’ve just released six new products, including yoghurt, bird flu and this platelet cell.

Swine flu is also available which might be a good (or annoying) get well soon present. Nothing says “I care” like a big cuddly version of the virus making you feel like crap. They also have little ones packaged in a petri dish for some of the fancier viruses, like Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis.

Or how about a cheesy shirt, cap or cup from Cafe Press? Check out this bacteria-inspired wall clock.

Or a book about microbiology like this one I blogged about here. Small Wonders was written by a microbiologist, and is full of the amazing things bacterias do told with utmost humour. You can by it on Amazon.

Or a new lab coat with added sexy. Check out this one by buffalonerdproject OMG OMG OMG it has the SKULL AND CROSSBONES!

It’s only $50 US and you can buy it here. It’s pretty awesome. She also make a bacteria style tie called Mr. Euglena. SO cool! She combines science with sewing and has plenty of other unique creations.

I should totally jazz up my old lab coat pirate-style. If you have any other ideas for Christmas gifts, post them in the comments.

Microbes Close Up in Full Colour

// November 6th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Science Art

The smallest, but most prolific life around us is usually invisible to us. Most of us don’t stop to think about how cannon blastingly amazing it all is. These remarkable images are guaranteed to make you appreciate the smaller things in life.

From the wonderful Jennifer Frazer at The Artful Amoeba, may I present: Pollen from sunflower, morning glory, hollyhock, lily, primrose, and castor bean plants. 500X magnification; the bean-shaped pollen grain at lower left if 50 micrometers (μm) long. Believe it or not, these microbes are actually an entire plant — the male gametophyte.

Jennifer also alerted me to this interactive picture, a sliding scale that takes you from a coffee bean down to a human egg, bacteria, viruses and a single carbon atom. It’s even better than Honey I Shrunk the Kids or The Incredible Shrinking Man (remember the giant spider? SO SCARY! My skin crawls with the mere memory of it.) The program is REALLY pretty with fantastic graphics, it really makes you appreciate the relative size of microbes, and would be great if you had to do a project on cell sizes.

And finally, I give you one of my favourite bloggers, Lab Rat.

Yep – ’tis coloured poop! This design proposal was created for him during a science/design workshop dubbed E. chromi, to help them visualise the work they’ve been doing hunched over PCR plates creating colourful e-coli cultures. Seriously. Coloured bacteria. Lab Rat, this is like the coolest science project EVER! He blogged about it and his own ideas for scientific art here.

A big mug o’ grog to both them bloody brilliant bloggers Lab Rat and The Artful Amoeba, you prettify my RSS.