Magnitude and Direction — Issue #154
Learn Morse code, the Doctor in Dr. Who, and Guess Who for you
Welcome to the latest installment of my bi-weekly newsletter, covering some of my favorite new developments in the fields of biotech, data science, engineering, and more. If this is your first issue, it's great to have you! For everyone else, thanks for coming back!
If you like this email, forward it to a friend (I can't encourage this enough) and if you're seeing it for the first time, subscribe here to get it regularly. As always, if you come across something cool you'd like to share, send me a note.
Notes
Hello and Happy New Year! 2024 has certainly gotten off to a dramatic start, but it’s my resolution to keep this newsletter coming to all of you every other Friday with as little interruption as possible.
This edition's font comes via the vast font repository of font.fish and is called Barrio.
Jobs
Laboratory Technician Opportunity
Rockefeller University’s newly minted Ford Center biotech incubator is hiring a Laboratory Technician. Reporting to the Laboratory Operations Manager of the Ford Center Incubator, the Incubator Laboratory Technician will assist in the day-to-day maintenance and operations of the laboratory facilities within the Incubator, including but not limited to handling all receiving and distribution of chemicals to clients, maintaining common supplies and equipment provided by the Incubator, and working with the Laboratory Operations Manager to ensure that Incubator clients operate in a safe manner that is compliant with incubator policy.
Learn more about the role and hoe to apply here.
P.S. - I’m close friends with the Director of the Ford Center, so if you do apply to this role, let me know and I can pass the word along.
Hardware, Prototyping, and Fabrication
➖➖➖ If you're still looking for a new year's resolution, maybe consider learning Morse code.
☀️🔌 This guide will help you set up a solar power system to charge just about any device you could think of.
🍒 Longtime readers may remember that my PhD thesis looked at how auxetic materials could be used to help treat heart failure. It turns out they may also be able to help make better bras.
Software and Programming
📦 There's a whole lot wrong with the UX of shipping and receiving packages.
🧱 This is the classic game brick, but played using two of your browser's windows (and twice at the same time).
🚲 What would your block look like if it was a little more Dutch?
Science, Engineering, and Biomedicine
👽🩺 Maybe they're called Dr. Who for a reason...
🔢 Type any arbitrary grouping of numbers and this website will tell you what to call that number.
🟩 Watch cubes of three or more dimensions float around in space on this website (if you don't have the strongest computer, you may struggle with any cubes more complex than 7 or 8 dimensions)
Mapping, History, and Data Science
⛪ This Instagram account is attempting to catalog all 37 million of the world's churches as small works of pixel art.
😀😎😖 Which of the Guess Who characters do you most closely resemble?
💩 Unfortunately, this appears to be only for the UK, but for the one or two of you who get this newsletter over there, this website shows you where your waste products end up getting flushed away to.
🗺️ Yes, this is yet another wordle-type clone (really a worldle-type clone), but this time for the nations a country borders.
Events and Opportunities
Tuesday, 1/16 (+ 2nd Tuesday of the month) Mid-Atlantic Bio Angels 1st Pitch Office Hours. Continuing the tradition that began with their 1st Pitch Life Science™ series of live events, MABA Office Hours are meant to provide constructive feedback to companies that may be too early for funding, and those who wish to pitch for feedback. This monthly office hours session gives companies 10 minutes to pitch a panel of MABA investors, followed by 10 minutes of feedback from the panel. You need not be part of a startup to attend, either — these pitch events are open to all to attend.
DUE! Friday, 1/19 IndieBio Open Call. For the first time since setting up shop in New York, IndieBio is holding an open call for startups to come and pitch the IndieBio New York Team. If you’re working on an early-stage biotech innovation and think it might be ready to take to the next level, definitely consider applying to this unique opportunity.er applying to this unique opportunity.
Friday-Sunday, 1/19-21 CInC BioDesign 2024 Sprint. The City Innovations Collaborative, a new incubator from CCNY based in the West Harlem biotech hub, is hosting their first ever BioDesign Sprint, a weekend-long hackathon for life science grad students and professionals to prototype new ideas and technologies. Come with an idea that you’ve been itching to bring to life or lend your skills and join a team. Winners will receive seed funding and entry to an upcoming design challenge to commercialize their concept!
⭐Saturday, 1/20 Mouthy Baby Returns to Arlene's Grocery! Coming off a jam-packed double-set at the Brooklyn Music Kitchen, we're once again returning to another familiar venue with a headlining show at Arlene's Grocery. With our friends in Off Wing joining us on the lineup, you can be sure this show is gonna be packed to the gills and full of energy, so get your tickets before they run out!
Wednesday, 1/24 BVS and CURE New Year Biotech Innovation Supplier Expo. In partnership with CURE, BVS is excited to host a Biotech Innovation Supplier Expo in New York, the third in a series of events focusing on new and emerging technologies that are being used to advance science in the life science arena. Some of the top life sciences companies will be exhibiting their latest technologies and services, providing a platform for scientists from both academia and biotech/Pharma to engage in meaningful strategic discussions to help advance scientific objectives. There will be a combination of vendor exhibits, great food & drinks, and lots of networking!
Thursday, 1/25 Nanonite Social Happy Hour. Join the Nanotech NYC meetup and friends for an evening of connection, collaboration, and camaraderie at their Nanonite Social, a recurring event hosted by Nanotech NYC. This monthly meetup offers a unique opportunity to mingle with fellow enthusiasts of nanotechnology in a relaxed and informal setting.
Other events coming up you think I should know about? Let me know here!
Map of the Month
🚉🛤 I imagine many of you who are traveling this holiday season aren’t doing so by rail, but that doesn’t mean you can’t check out this well-designed and interactive map of the Amtrak rail network.
Odds & Ends
💣 This is minesweeper, but... squigglier.