Life in the Lab: Hot air balloons, photo shoots, and ‘Wan’s Wings’
Hi everyone,
So, we didn’t end up going to The Capital Grille. Something much, much better came along. A group of us spontaneously went to a hot air balloon festival. The South County Hot Air Balloon Festival is an annual event in Kingston, Rhode Island, complete with hot air balloons, carnival rides, shopping, and a BBQ contest. I was determined to get in a balloon for the sake of marking it off my bucket list, but by the time the balloons were in the air, we were distracted by the carnival games. Also, the clown balloon was actually kind of terrifying.
The carnival, however, was a major success. My friend Nicole (from Dr. William’s lab) and I went on the pirate ship and another ride that made us want to throw up, while the others played carnival games. One of the researchers who works for Dr. Richardson, John, managed to win four prizes. Four. Without his glasses. One of those prizes included a giant banana. We’re not entirely sure how he managed to do that. We think it was witchcraft despite the fact that our inner scientists know that witchcraft isn’t real. Our outer scientists aren’t convinced.
Back in the lab, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry decided to have a photoshoot to get pictures for the PC website. I put on a lab coat for the first time the entire summer and did research in front of the camera. I also pretended like I was doing research in front of the camera when Max was doing the work. Don’t worry, Max got his 15 minutes of fame, too. He wasn’t happy about it, but he definitely got in a few shots. Dr. Breen also made an appearance; he appeared to mentor me while I did the fake science. So much for candid. I’m convinced, however, that this shoot is the final step in pushing my acting career. Stay posted for that, and look for my face, my sloppy bun, and Max on the PC website. The experience was actually pretty fun.
Now, I’m going to switch gears a little bit and highlight another lab. To really switch gears, I’m going to tell you about a lab in the Engineering-Physics-Systems Department. On the first floor of Al Mag, I found Pre-Engineering major Claire from the Class of 2017 painting. A lover of spicy food and the Minnesota Twins, Claire grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, and has been working in Dr. Mecca’s lab since we were freshmen.
And she’s certainly done a lot since then. Dr. Mecca has been working with the Ghana Sustainable Aid Project, and his lab has designed a toilet that is already in use in several countries. Claire is currently working on modifications to make it more efficient.
When I walked into the lab, Claire was actually painting a miniature model of one of these toilets that she had drawn, made on the computer, and then printed out on the 3D printer in her lab. How cool is that?! The 3D printer in her lab is essentially like Max in mine, but I’m not sure if her printer has a name. Apparently he can sing, though, or at least that’s what it sounds like when something is printing. The toilet model is made with detachable pieces and will be used to teach different countries around the world how to manufacture the toilet. This particular model toilet is headed for Bolivia. Good work, Claire!
It may seem that the labs are pretty separated and don’t have a lot of contact during the week, but even then we manage to stay pretty connected. The other morning we all had to evacuate the building because the fire alarm went off, so that was a bonding experience. Some labs are even in joint rooms; everyone has their own space, but a shared room makes for more company, more exposure to different types of experiments, more experience, and ultimately a more enjoyable time in lab.
Last Friday Dr. Wan, a biology professor who is a specialist in UV Radiation and skin aging, invited all of the research students to his house for a cookout. He made his famous “Wan’s Wings,” which were incredibly delicious, and people brought side dishes and desserts. There was Kan Jam and comradery as far as the eye could see. Biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology were all in attendance, proving that scientists in different fields can, in fact, get along, especially when chicken wings are involved.
Next week is also the last week of research for most (sad!), so everyone is busy preparing their presentations for the 8th Annual RI SURF Conference to be held at URI on Friday, July 31st. Most students, myself included, spent time this week writing abstracts and deciding what font we want to use in order to seem more intelligent. Writing abstracts and presentations is certainly a pain but it’s good practice for future researchers and professors. Our school and undergraduate program is small enough to give the students a crack at preparing the presentation rather than the professor or a graduate student writing it. Therefore, it’s an honor, despite the fact that most research students feel more comfortable weighing out materials than writing.
Stay tuned for the SURF Conference and my (and Max’s) final farewell!
The Dr. Breen Team
