LostInTheText.com » Biology

My first YouTube video posted – an audio experiment

Ryan Bishop — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 10:56:09 +0000

My first entry in the world of online video, a long overdue venture, has sprouted wings and flewn into the vast space of the web.

This audio experiment, created for a friend, is an audiovisual exploration of the sound of a dishwasher, featuring samples from several machines modified with the use of special audio frequencies called “Binaural beats”. I’ve infused the humble, ubiquitous machine we’ve all come to know and rely on, with an emotional side relying on the brain’s unique ways of interpreting sound.

Preserving natural bone specimens with household acrylic sealant

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:04:11 +0000

As any curator or collector knows, the bodily oils and dirt accumulated from handling can quickly turn a good quality bone specimen into an ugly duckling, or worse, destroy delicate sections or tissue. If you intend on the bone or specimen being handled frequently, it is highly recommended that you seal it to prevent further corrosion and damage, generally by way of sealant.

These instructions assume you have thoroughly cleaned and removed any debris from the specimen before starting, as any remaining tissue may produce undesirable fissures or bubbles. If you have a dirty specimen, there’s a handy guide to cleaning and preparing skulls [PDF] from the university of arizona (but it works great for most bones and specimens)

Materials:

1. Transparent Acrylic Sealant. I recommend a glossy transparent sealant for skulls, and matte transparent sealant for turtle shells and other related specimens.Also make sure the acrylic sealant is completely transparent, as some sealants will have a milky consistency if applied to thickly.

2. Vinyl or Latex gloves (be careful with vinyl, since some of the solvents used in the the sprays are corrosive. Be sure to check the label if unsure.)

3. wax paper

4. a table or place to lay the specimen in a well ventilated area (I can’t emphasize the last part enough, as acrylic fumes are a suspected carcinogen, and they’ve got staying power)

Instructions:

1. Lay the wax paper out on the flat surface you’ll be spraying on, leaving at least 6″ of wax paper around each side of specimen.

2.Brush the specimen off one last time, and inspect for any loose dirt.

3. Once totally clean, place the specimen on the wax paper, centered.

4.With gloves on, spray one coat of the acrylic on the specimen, coating the entire visible area.

5. Let the first coat dry. As soon as it’s completely dr, flip the specimen over.

6. Repeat step 4 for the uncoated areas on the specimen.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 once to twice more, to ensure a good protective layer.

8. Let the last coat dry, and you should have an enviable specimen with a shiny new coat!

Science Experiments to Come : a list in progress

Ryan Bishop — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:23:13 +0000

Having recently adapted my former office to a small-scale lab and workshop, I’ve decided to plot out a few of the experiments planned as I refresh myself on some of the biology basics.

1. Calculating the volume of gas generated by fermentation, and plotting the daily rate of gas production

2.Studying the effects of high-frequency sound on the physical structure of various cell types

3.Time-lapse photography of a bacterial colony growing on agar

4. finding “beat” frequencies with a common subjective sensory response across multiple individuals

5. Studying the effect of common household chemicals on a controlled mold colony

6. Calculating the energy required to desalinate a given sample of water using the common methods