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!
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Notes
For those of you who are going to the opening reception for Data x Design (more on that and the rest of NYC Open Data Week below), I’ll see you there! (If you have no clue what I’m talking about, then this is a great edition of M&D for you to read in full!)
This edition’s font is called Madimi One.
Jobs
No new job opportunities in this edition, check earlier editions for previous posts.
Hardware, Prototyping, and Fabrication
💻 In a world of increasingly closed-off hardware, the Framework laptop is a refreshing change of pace, being not just modular but — according to iFixit, at least — perfectly self-serviceable.
💨✈️ What makes airplanes fly? (or, more specifically, how do airfoils make airplanes fly?)
🤖 Watch this guy build what is essentially an ancient Greek vacuum-less Roomba, by hand.
Software and Programming
📃🌎 You'll probably want to avoid trying to print out any of these PDFs.
🧑💻 If you're really passionate about saving the environment, you might want to consider switching from Python to C. (Note: I will not be doing this any time soon.)
📱 Don't worry about closing your background apps, it's not doing anything.
Science, Engineering, and Biomedicine
☀️🌑 With the second Great American Eclipse in a decade coming up next month, here's everything you need to know about catching the astronomical phenomenon (tl;dr — Mazatlan, Mexico is the place to be).
🧪💅 There may be no easier way to have the magic of chemistry at your fingertips than with nail polish.
💉 It looks like it's totally fine to collect vaccinations like trading cards.
Mapping, History, and Data Science
🕑 How often does a 9-to-5 actually go from 9 to 5?
👷👷🏻👷🏽👷🏾👷🏿 These graphs showing how commonly people of a certain race or ethnicity work particular jobs more than others contains a lot of professions you might expect, but also a few surprises.
⤵️⤴️🚗 This map shows the curviest, most tortuous roads in the world.
🗣️📈📉 The State of the Union was delivered in words last week, but how do things stack up by the numbers?
Events and Opportunities
There are SO MANY events coming up this spring (and one of them is a Mouthy Baby show this time…)
Saturday-Sunday, 3/16-3/24 Open Data Week NYC. Every March, New Yorkers come together online and across the five boroughs to celebrate public data in New York City and mark the anniversary of the City’s first open data law, which was signed on March 7, 2012. Throughout Open Data Week, NYC's civic tech and open data communities rally together to offer opportunities for more people to learn about and engage with municipal public data. The 2024 Festival kicks off at the opening of Data Through Design‘s annual art exhibition. Throughout the week, participants can engage with NYC Open Data at dozens of virtual and in-person events, closing out the week with BetaNYC’s annual civic tech conference, NYC School of Data, taking place at CUNY School of Law in Long Island City.
Tuesday, 3/19 (+ 3rd 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.
Tuesday, 3/19 Exclusive Documentary Screening at West End Labs. Elevate Research Properties is pleased to extend an invitation to join them at West End Labs for an exclusive screening of the acclaimed documentary film _Of Medicine and Miracles_, a poignant and powerful tribute to perseverance, innovation, and the human spirit, delving into the gripping true story of Dr. Carl June’s groundbreaking journey to find a cancer cure through the unconventional use of the HIV virus. This film is a one-of-a-kind experience that cannot be streamed or viewed anywhere else. Connect with peers from the NYC life science community while enjoying movie-night themed refreshments for an evening of learning, networking, and entertainment in one memorable event!
Wednesday, 3/20 Virtual Career Panel: Community Engagement & Education Careers in Life Sciences. The LifeSci NYC Internship Program invites you to join them for a virtual career panel on Community Engagement & Education Careers in the Life Sciences. The panel will feature industry professionals representing a range of career pathways, including Dr. Meredith Beckford-Smart, Executive Director at Genspace NYC; Marisa Mitchell, Executive Director at HYPOTHEKids; and Rachel Swanson, Manager for Environmental Education at Hudson River Park.
Wednesday, 3/20 Astronomy On Tap X Taste of Science Present: Eclipse! Join Taste of Science NYC and Astronomy on Tap NYC for a fun and informative evening previewing the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse happening on April 8! While we won't get 100% totality here in NYC, the path of totality runs nearby and the evening's speakers will explain all the details. PLUS – you'll learn how to make your own DIY eclipse viewer, and everyone in attendance will receive a free pair of eclipse glasses (with more for sale!)
Wednesday, 3/20 Breakthroughs in Precision Oncology. JLABS NYC, In partnership with the Cancer Research Institute, will be hosting a Therapeutic focused program including a scientific seminar, followed by a panel discussion with leading oncology experts from the Cancer Research Institute, MSKCC, NYU and Qiming U.S. The discussion will be moderated by Tingting Zhang-Kharas, Head of JLABS US Northeast.
Thursday, 3/21 ECHO Networking Event: March Madness at InnoLabs. Derek Brand's long-running bio-entrepreneurship happy hours venture over to Long Island City this month for a special crossover edition in celebration of March Madness. Whether you've got a team in the tournament or not, this will be a great, casual hang with some of the best folks in NYC biotech.
Thursday, 3/21 3D Bioprinting Biofabricating Skin Components. Join 3DHEALS for an extraordinary event delving into the cutting-edge realm of 3D Bioprinting and Biofabricating Skin Components. From advancements in tissue engineering to the intricate process of bioprinting skin components, attendees will gain invaluable insights into the future of medical technology and the future of commercializing these technologies.
Thursday, 3/21 Facts Machine: Piece of Mind. Facts Machine is a science comedy show (and science trivia showdown) by and for people who are curious about everything–but especially the things that make them laugh! As part of Brain Awareness Week, the Facts Machine team of science communicators and researchers will be hosting a show at Caveat all about the brain, featuring two NYC-based neuroscientists and loads of laughs. Expect deep dives on the deep brain, comedy about consciousness, and trivia that’ll blow your mind!
Saturday-Sunday, 3/23-3/24 Ivyhacks.AI Columbia University and Cornell Tech co-host this in-person technology hackathon bringing together students, technologists, and other innovators looking to explore the frontiers of what’s possible today with artificial intelligence.
Monday, 3/25 Transit Techies Meetup. The next Transit Techies Meetup features Candy Chan, an architect and urban designer who has gained notoriety for her Project Subway NYC, which is creating 3D maps of New York's subway stations. Candy will be speaking about her work and the broader implications it has for data-gathering, modeling, and civic engagement.
Wednesday, 3/27 Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Investment in FemTech. BIOTECH XYZ is hosting a panel event for Women's History Month "Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Investment in FemTech". The panelists will shed light on both the investment opportunities and challenges linked to establishing a company or venture dedicated to advancing women's health through therapeutics, diagnostics, as well as breakthroughs in digital technology and AI. There will also be time reserved for Q&A from the audience at the end.
Thursday, 3/28 Hudson Valley Tech Startup Showcase. Join the Hudson Valley Venture Hub and HV Tech Meetup group for their biannual startup showcase event, hosted by the Senate Garage in Kingston. Hear from some of the region's most promising technology-forward startups as they deliver a 5-minute pitch for capital. A judging panel of local angel investors will select 3 winners to receive $10,000.
Friday, 3/29 Virtual Hardware Job Fair: AI, Robotics, and more! Join the national hardware and technology communities for a virtual job fair featuring top companies that are hiring full time for various roles and summer opportunities. Companies will be across NYC, SF, and several other locations. There'll be an intro and kickoff on 3/29, and connections with companies will be made as part of a virtual matching process.
Monday, 4/1 Applied Science: Vol. 3. Join a mix of artists, designers, technologists, and scientists over food and drinks for a casual evening of networking and intermingling between disciplines that showcases the breadth and depth of innovation and creativity in New York City. Practitioners in creative fields ranging from biochemistry to industrial design and beyond are invited and encouraged to attend!
Wednesday, 4/3 Biomedical Discovery Through Generative AI. Join JLABS NYC for a forward-looking event showcasing how GenAI is accelerating drug discovery, from targets to development. Gain insights from leading pioneers and explore how this disruptive technology can benefit your organization and expedite medical breakthroughs. Don't miss this chance to network, learn, and push the boundaries of pharma R&D!
Friday-Sunday, 4/5-4/7 CInC Biodesign Sprint 2024. The City Innovations Collaborative (CInC), 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!
Friday 4/12 TEDxCUNY 2024: Unravel. CUNY’s annual TEDx conference returns this spring, featuring talks from students, faculty, and other luminaries as they quest to unravel the complexities of life and weave the fabric of our future.
⭐Sunday, 4/14 Mouthy Baby @ Heaven Can Wait. New York's favorite tooth-adjacent rock band is back for our first show of the spring at Heaven Can Wait in the heart of the East Village. The lineup includes all the Mouthy Baby originals you've come to love and a few classics that get the crowd going as well. Come chase away the Sunday Scaries and join us for an evening of good times and great tunes.
Wednesday, 4/17 3rd Annual CAT Symposium. The 3rd annual CAT symposium will showcase CUNY-wide academic-industry research and workforce development partnerships that further innovation and entrepreneurship in NY. The event will feature exciting NYC-based startup companies representing diverse applications such as Sensing, Sustainable Materials, Climate Tech, Energy Storage, and Drug-Discovery sharing first-hand experiences navigating the challenges of funding, partnerships, and lab-to-scale of their technologies. Find out what’s happening in the West Harlem Innovation Triangle and discuss the present and future of frontier technology development to advance human and planetary health.
Wednesday, 4/17 Sustainability in Biotech. Join Nucleate NY, MilliporeSigma, and NYU Biolabs for a discussion on sustainability in biotech! Following the panel, connect with experts, the Millipore team, and the broader New York biotech community over drinks and light bites.
Friday-Sunday, 4/19-4/21 MIT Hacking Medicine Grand Hack. One of healthcare’s biggest hackathon is back at MIT for a weekend of fast-paced tech development, pitching, and networking, all with a goal of jump-starting the next generation of healthcare innovations. Applicants from all institutions are welcome to apply and applications are open until March 18th!
Friday, 5/10 Nucleate New York 2024 Activator Demo Day. Join Nucleate New York to celebrate their 2024 Activator cohort and the growing biotech/deep tech ecosystem in New York! Cohort teams and participants span all major biomedical institutions in the region, with cohort ventures based on pioneering academic work, creating therapies for unmet medical needs, novel therapeutic platforms, and sustainable technologies for planetary health.
Other events coming up you think I should know about? Let me know here!
Map of the Month
🌳 In honor of NYC Open Data Week, the next Map of the Month is the famous and perennially cited NYC Tree Map.
Odds & Ends
⌚ This is totally what these celebrities are up to right now.