Tuesday: Exploration, Medicine, technology & Design

Dr. Mae Jemison - astronaut, 1st African American Woman in space

Sally Ride, - astronaut, 1st American Woman in space
Myra Adele Logan, - 1^st woman to operate on the human heart

Ann Hamilton, - Medicine related to industrial areas

Rachel Zimmerman – Created a translator through symbols, she created technology to get disabled individuals who could no longer communicate with words. Blissymbols

Ada Lovelace, - father was poet Byron, she worked on the initial seeds of computers Analyst, Metaphysician, and Founder of Scientific Computing

Janine Benyus, - Biomimicry
Sylvia Earle - Deep Ocean Research

EXPLORATION:

Dr. Mae Jemison- Astronaut
Born in Alabama, Lived in Chicago, currently lives in Huston TX, but remains a global citizen.
(1956 - present)

Mae's parents believed education was extremely important and hence was the reason for moving to Chicago when she was 3 years old. At age 4, her Uncle inspired her interest in Archeology and Anthropology. She has degrees, experience, and skills in African studies, African American studies, Chemical Engineering, Science, Dance, Coreography, Astronaut, Education, Teaching, Medical work and more.

She is dedicated to equality for all people and improving the status of those who are inhibited by social injustice. She has traveled all over the world and worked on improving the health of those in less fortunate countries than our own.

Since leaving NASA - she has focused her attention of providing opportunities for education in the sciences and beyond.

Bio Taken directly from TED talks: http://www.ted.com/speakers/mae_jemison.html
"In 1992, Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman to go into space. She's become a crusader for science education -- and for a new vision of learning that combines arts and sciences, intuition and logic.
Mae Jemison is a poster child for an education that combines arts and sciences. As she says, "I always knew I'd go to space." Trained as an engineer, Jemison is a medical doctor, and she practiced in LA before becoming the Peace Corps' Medical Officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia. While running that effort, she researched Hepatitis B, schistosomaisis and rabies with the CDC and NIH.
Back in the US, she'd returned to her California practice when selected in 1987 for NASA's astronaut program. She was the science mission specialist on STS-47 Spacelab-JEndeavour and her crew launched from and returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In completing her first space flight, Dr. Jemison logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds in space." (September 12-20, 1992), a cooperative mission between the United States and Japan. From NASA's factsheet: "The eight-day mission was accomplished in 127 orbits of the Earth, and included 44 Japanese and U.S. life science and materials processing experiments. Dr. Jemison was a co-investigator on the bone cell research experiment flown on the mission. The
In 1994, Jemison founded the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, which runs an internationally-known science camp called The Earth We Share. She also founded BioSentient Corp. to explore bringing NASA biofeedback technology to public market. Jemison is also the first real astronaut to appear on Star Trek" Bio Taken directly from TED talks: http://www.ted.com/speakers/mae_jemison.html

Mae Jemison on teaching arts and sciences together

"Dr. Jemison founded The Jemison Group, Inc., located in Houston, TX, to research, develop and implement advanced technologies suited to the social, political, cultural and economic context of the individual, especially for the developing world. Current projects include: Alpha, (TM) a satellite based telecommunication system to improve health care in West Africa; and The Earth We Share, (TM) an international science camp for students ages 12 to 16, that utilizes an experiential curriculum.".....
......"She feels very honored by the establishment (1992) of the MAE C. JEMISON ACADEMY, an alternative public school in Detroit." Quotes taken from the bio of Dr. Jemison at the site: http://quest.nasa.gov/women/TODTWD/jemison.bio.html

She has also created these educational programs as well:
(1994) The Earth We Share, a space camp for ages 12-16.
(1995-2002) taught environmental studies at Dartmouth College.
(present) The Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology in developing countries.

Resources:
http://quest.nasa.gov/women/TODTWD/jemison.bio.html
http://www.jemisonfoundation.org/drmae.htm
http://www.ted.com/speakers/mae_jemison.html
http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/jemison-dr-mae-c-1956
http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/18670/

Sylvia Earle - Deep Ocean Research
This was all Taken from the TED bio - and can be read at: http://www.ted.com/speakers/sylvia_earle.html

"Sylvia Earle has been at the frontier of deep ocean exploration for four decades. She's led more than 50 undersea expeditions, and she's been an equally tireless advocate for our oceans and the creatures who live in them.

"Sylvia Earle, called "Her Deepness" by the New Yorker and the New York Times, "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress and "Hero for the Planet" by Time, is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer with a deep commitment to research through personal exploration.

Earle's work has been at the frontier of deep ocean exploration for four decades. Earle has led more than 50 expeditions worldwide involving more than 6,000 hours underwater. As captain of the first all-female team to live underwater, she and her fellow scientists received a ticker-tape parade and White House reception upon their return to the surface. In 1979, Sylvia Earle walked untethered on the sea floor at a lower depth than any other woman before or since. In the 1980s she started the companies Deep Ocean Engineering and Deep Ocean Technologies with engineer Graham Hawkes to design and build undersea vehicles that allow scientists to work at previously inaccessible depths. In the early 1990s, Dr. Earle served as Chief Scientist of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. At present she is explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society.
Sylvia Earle is a dedicated advocate for the world's oceans and the creatures that live in them. Her voice speaks with wonder and amazement at the glory of the oceans and with urgency to awaken the public from its ignorance about the role the oceans plays in all of our lives and the importance of maintaining their health.

"We've got to somehow stabilize our connection to nature so that in 50 years from now, 500 years, 5,000 years from now there will still be a wild system and respect for what it takes to sustain us."

Sylvia Earle" This was all Taken from the TED bio - and can be read at: http://www.ted.com/speakers/sylvia_earle.html

Sylvia Earle's TED Prize wish to protect our oceans

RESOURCES:
http://deepseanews.com/2009/01/new-ocean-atlas-from-her-deepness-sylvia-earle/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/science/earth/13ocea.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1
http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Illustrated-Atlas-National-Geographic/dp/1426203195/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1277691865&sr=8-1-fkmr0
http://www.ted.com/speakers/sylvia_earle.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Janine Benyus - Biomimicry

"Janine Benyus is dazzlingly brilliant naturalist and the author of six books, including the groundbreaking Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. She is co-founder of the Biomimicry Guild, which helps designers, engineers and community leaders "consult life's genius for more graceful ways to live on earth." Image and bio taken from: http://www.blackwoodland.org/bioneers/national_speakers.htm

"Janine Benyus has a message for inventors: When solving a design problem, look to nature first. There you'll find inspired designs for making things waterproof, aerodynamic, solar-powered and more. Here she reveals dozens of new products that take their cue from nature with spectacular results." taken from Ted: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action.html

"Biomimicry is the science and art of emulating Nature's best biological ideas to solve human problems. Non-toxic adhesives inspired by geckos, energy efficient buildings inspired by termite mounds, and resistance-free antibiotics inspired by red seaweed are examples of biomimicry happening today -- and none too soon. Humans may have a long way to go towards living sustainably on this planet, but 10-30 million species with time-tested genius to help us get there."

Janine Benyus: Biomimicry in action

Janine Benyus shares nature's designs not shown in class (Science museum class) - but being made available for your own info. I will show this - but starting at minute 11. she kinda babbles in the beginning.

Janine Benyus – Biomimicry “Innovation inspired by Nature”

• 3.8 Billion years of Research and Design testing

• 10 – 30 Million + species that are well adapted to the solutions

• Design solutions solved in the CONTEXT of living on Earth, and making things without damaging it.

• The Emulation of life’s Genius

• It is not ‘high tech” if it is not sustainable and safe for the environment, now and generations to come.

3 questions:

1) 1) How does life make things?

- Without heating, beating or treating? (Our current system is 96% waste, 4% product) – Nature has 0% waste - and all of it gets re-absorbed and used into a system.

2) 2)How does life make the most of things?

- How does information turn into matter and the structure always aids in the function of the creature?

3) How does life Make “things” that disappear into a system?

Questions like “HOW DOES NATURE……………

- Organize spring?

- Optimize its packing space?

- Waterproof?

- Heat and Cool a structure?

- Build houses for it’s young?

- Allow for coexistence of all those around it?

- Repel bacteria?

- Move fast without turbulence or friction?

- Gather water in environments where there are no liquid pools of water?

- Gather, create and use Energy efficiently?

- Use CO2 as a building Block rather that see it as a waste product?

- Filter water?

- Design strength building in a structure with the minimal amount of matter? (like bones and trees)

- How can you get many functions out of one material? (Like chitin on an insect)

Currently we use all the elements on the periodic table, many of them carcinogenetic and work with 350 different polymers to create things. Nature uses basically 4 elements and only 5 different formulas of polymers to do the same things and more with no carcinogens or waste.

- Work with Nano technology, and safely?

- Energy use, and how to optimize it?

- How does nature move water up without a pump?

- How does nature produce energy (like the electric eel), and INSULATE itself from the 200 volts of energy it creates?

- How does nature shut on and off?

- Self assembles?

- How can we reduce Drag / friction (the loss of energy)?

- Hoe does it listen specifically to something amongst all the noise?

- Provide Ecosystem wide services that all work together in concert?

Janine Benyus’ BIG IDEAS

#1 – Self assembly: shells – mother of pearl that is stronger than ceramics yet assembled at room temperature, lenses that are flexible, silicon w/ out carcinogens. How to create & build something WITHOUT HEATING, BEATING OR TREATING.

#2 – CO2, as a building block:

#3 – Solar Transformation: Harvesting the sun’s energy and using it efficiently for growth.

#4 – Power of Shape:

#5 – Color with out pigment: thin film interference

#6 – Shape and form that cleans itself without detergents:

#7 – Quenching Thirst – how to get water out of thin air.

#8 – Separation Technology – to get metals without mining.

#9 – Green Chemistry: Nature uses only 4 elements on the periodic table and only 5 polymers to create everything we see that is biological. It takes us 118 elements and most of them are carcinogenic and 350 polymers to make what we see around us that are man made.

#10 – Timed degradation: being able to dissolve on cue

#11 – Resilience and healing: looking at species that are able to dry out and come back to life in the presence of water after years and years (inspired vaccine development), and re-generate limbs

#12 – Growing and farming

#13 – Life’s Design is always simple

#14 – Life Creates Conditions Conducive to life

Resources:

http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/
http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_shares_nature_s_designs.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/03/better_by_desig.php

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/keyword/biomimicry.html

-------------------------------------------
Sally Ride, - Astronaut,

Sally Ride: 25 Years Later

First U.S. Woman in Space:STS-7

NASA 50th Anniversary Moment - Sally Ride

Ada Lovelace, - father was poet Byron, she worked on the initial seeds of computers Analyst, Metaphysician, and Founder of Scientific Computing

"Ada Byron was the daughter of a brief marriage between the Romantic poet Lord Byron and Anne Isabelle Milbanke, who separated from Byron just a month after Ada was born. Four months later, Byron left England forever. Ada never met her father (who died in Greece in 1823) and was raised by her mother, Lady Byron. Her life was an apotheosis of struggle between emotion and reason, subjectivism and objectivism, poetics and mathematics, ill health and bursts of energy.
Lady Byron wished her daughter to be unlike her poetical father, and she saw to it that Ada received tutoring in mathematics and music, as disciplines to counter dangerous poetic tendencies. But Ada's complex inheritance became apparent as early as 1828, when she produced the design for a flying machine. It was mathematics that gave her life its wings."

"Ada called herself "an Analyst (& Metaphysician)," and the combination was put to use in the Notes. She understood the plans for the device as well as Babbage but was better at articulating its promise. She rightly saw it as what we would call a general-purpose computer. It was suited for "developping [sic] and tabulating any function whatever. . . the engine [is] the material expression of any indefinite function of any degree of generality and complexity." Her Notes anticipate future developments, including computer-generated music.
Ada died of cancer in 1852, at the age of 37, and was buried beside the father she never knew. Her contributions to science were resurrected only recently, but many new biographies* attest to the fascination of Babbage's "Enchantress of Numbers." taken from: http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/lovelace.html

Myra Adele Logan, - 1^st woman to operate on the human heart

"She not only delivered babies on the way to the hospital, but also repaired numerous stab wounds to the heart. Remaining at Harlem Hospital, she became an associate surgeon there, and was also a visiting surgeon at Sydenham Hospital. In 1943 she became the first woman to perform open heart surgery, in the ninth operation of its kind anywhere in the world. She also became interested in the then-new antibiotic drugs, researching aureomycin and other drugs and publishing her results in Archives of Surgery and Journal of American Medical Surgery. In the 1960s, Logan began to work on breast cancer, developing a slower x-ray process that could detect more accurately differences in the density of tissue and thus help discover tumors much earlier. In addition to maintaining a private practice, she was also a charter member of one ofthe first group practices in the nation, the Upper Manhattan Medical Group of the Health Insurance Plan, a concept that houses physicians of various specialties under one roof and that is the norm today.
Logan found time in her busy schedule to stay committed to social issues. Early in her career, she was a member of the New York State Committee on Discrimination, but resigned in protest in 1944 when Governor Dewey ignored the anti-discrimination legislation the committee had proposed. She was also active in Planned Parenthood as well as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and after her retirement in 1970 she served on the New York State Work men's Compensation Board. Her myriad medical and civic achievements led to her election to the American College of Surgeons.
Logan married the well known painter Charles Alston in 1943. The couple had no children, devoting their lives to professional pursuits. She was a lover of music and a fine classical pianist. She also enjoyed the theater and reading. Myra Adele Logan died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York on January 13, 1977, of lung cancer at the age of 68. Her husband, Charles Alston, died only a few months later." information taken from: http://www.faqs.org/health/bios/37/Myra-A-Logan.html

Hybrids of Art and Science

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Camp Curie: Tuesday: Exploration, Medicine, technology & Design