State of the American Obituary report

As many of you are probably aware, I’ve spent the last couple of months working on the Interactive Innovation Project for Fall 2009.  This is the capstone project of my year at Medill. The project has been about obituaries in print and online, and about how obituaries drive readership to local media outlets. One of … Read more

Understanding complex adaptive systems

So this is an interesting thing. I had two classes this quarter at Northwestern University, and they both had similar, but seperate objectives. First, it was a project to highlight my interactive graphic design skills. Secondly, it was a project to highlight my interactive storytelling skills. Ok, so with the approval of the instructors for … Read more

Practicum week, or, slaving away in the science factories

Testing what polymers came out of the experiment with Emily Pentzer

So, I spent the last week working on a practicum assignment, which was basically to hang out with some scientists, and watch and learn what the day-to-day work looks like in the universe of nanotechnology.  Luckily, Northwestern University has one of the most advanced nanotech facilities in the nation, and I was lucky enough to get to spend the week with researchers there.

First of all, I should say that the entire experience was a made much more pleasant and practical by Denise Dooley, the outreach coordinator for the International Institute for Nanotechnology. She helped set up various meetings with scientists at the Institute, and arranged for me to observe several experiments by their researchers. She was quite helpful and very courteous through the entire experience, and I owe her a big thanks.

Want to know the gory details?  Hit the jump for more:

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Genetically engineered virus creates a better battery

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have successfully demonstrated a technique for fabricating a better battery using a genetically engineered virus. They announced their technique for the battery earlier this month, maintaining that it allows them to use a much wider variety of materials for potentially higher-capacity, rechargeable batteries. The interdisciplinary team of MIT scientists … Read more