Techshop and Genspace
New technologies are becoming available to entrepreneurs, students, artists, and those of us who want have an insatiable desire for lifelong learning and playing with the latest toys.
Just a few quick examples…
TechShop offers access to training and use of amazing equipment such as 3D Printers, Casting Kilns, Computer Programmable Embroidery Machines (yes – design your logo then have the machine sew in onto any fabric), Computer Programmable Milling Machine (scan and upload that broken piece of metal to make your antique car run then have it drilled and cut to exact specifications), Computer Programmable Wood Router (free designs available for amazing furniture you can have cut out to specification!), Laser Cutters ( just Google some images – amazing! Think of what you can do for Christmas gifts this year!), and even a Water Jet (Ian made his own knife by designing on a computer and programming a water jet to carve it from a sheet of metal). AMAZING!
GenSpace promotes citizen science and access to biotechnology. They offer for as little as $150 access to equipment and training to extract our own DNA, analyze ancestry through bioinformatics, splice genes into bacteria, and learn all the standard techniques such as using pipettors, gel electrophoresis, amplifying DNA with PCR reactions, working with restriction enzymes to build plasmids, and growing and transforming bacteria.
Check out what artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg has done with hair that fell from a stranger’s head or saliva left behind on a piece of gum (and discover a whole new set of ethical conundrums that are coming into focus)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=666Kq95xm1o
Dr. Ellen Cavanaugh
I live in the intersection of mathematics (originally trained as a math teacher), a business owner, a parent, and a theologian exploring what brings meaning to life. My passion is for every child in our world to thrive. I believe the most important resource each child has is you, their parent. May we together Grow a Generation that of innovative, critical thinking collaborators, emotionally intelligent and resilient, with great leadership and vision.
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