Maybe?

Maybe the "New Scientist" isn't a scientist, maybe its a designer? I can always dream... Scientists are always getting into art and design - so now its my turn to be in a different realm. This is the work of Peter Wasilewski, a scientist with NASA, in a series called Frizions.

Posing Nature a question

I heard about this a couple of weeks back - but its entirely cool! Its called "Ask Nature" and was created by the Biomimcry Institute. You can search for a function, and it will tell you what organisms in nature do that... so. I asked it about melting ice. I got back several different cases - one including a plant pathogen called "P. syringae". Try it out!!! So much fun!

Nano-nano Everywhere

So the world of nano is coming into its own lately. Through Puff & Flock - I've found a whole site on Nanoarchitecture.net.... soooooo cool!

Work in Progress

Just to let you all know... We are having our Work in Progress Show tomorrow night, and there is an open day on Thursday if you happen to be near. I'll let you know how it goes. Just doing some details for my work at the moment. Exciting - feedback! For more details on the show and all of the projects involved check out the Textile Futures website.

Post MA confusion

So... I'm coming up to the final days of my MA (well, the last 6 months anyhow). And I'm thinking about what I want to do when I grow up... and I've decided I don't want to grow up (shhh don't tell my mom or sister). So I'm looking into a phd. Just not sure where to do it. All the opportunities are here in Europe, but I want a tiny bit of my real life back (the outdoors, friends, and most importantly FOOD!). The one thing I have found out - is that within North American institutions there is seemingly no slot for my research - the inbetweens of science and design hasn't made it to NA so much - and now I don't know what to do and where to go. I was thinking about MIT - but looking through their departments and research units, I don't fit into any of them really... then I was thinking of UofC Berkley, and I don't really fit in there either. I was thinking maybe I had to get back to my roots and look at design institutions - and the phd's aren't really all that developed at RISD - which is the only place I was considering. Ahhhhh!!! I think I might need to call in some reinforcements. Either that or convince someone to start a department for me. :)

Eco-Pretty!

I was over at Whip-up today - I haven't be over there in AGES, and I forgot how much I love it.  Now I want to make these... Maybe I should make some for my sister for Christmas... I'm thinking they would be gorgeous painted as well.  The instructions can be found here - from esprit cabane...

I don't want a band-aid solution

I've been thinking about design and the environment a lot lately. I think it might be part of the MA ethos - think too much, and live inside your head. So I'm letting this thought out into the wide-wide world. I have been thinking about how much stuff is being done to make people in the western world 'aware' of climate change. But we need solutions, not just words. All the solutions may not be right - but its a step in a forward direction at least. I personally don't need more gadgets that tell me stuff about the world (like this toy airplane that tells me the air is polluted). Wouldn't it be better if we put more effort into making the air NOT polluted, instead of telling people its ? I know measurement is an important thing to deal with making people do something - but do you think that really changes people's awareness really changes their actions? I have doubts. I'm working on my own little solution - I don't know if its really necessary, but I'm thinking about it.