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Biology Archive: Biology

Biology Home

March 31, 2009

Happy Birthday, Crustaceous Bionaut!

One of my favorite projects in the magazine over the past five years was the Tabletop Biosphere in Volume 10, written by Martin John Brown. I think the interns enjoyed building the project as well — they had to go out and scoop scum out of a pond, plus they got to visit the cute girl at the tropical fish store, even if she did tell them their little project would never work.

For me, I really enjoyed the biological aspects of the project, and the touch of philosophical dilemmas was an interesting addition to a tech publication (Was it right to start this world? Do you abandon your creations to their sealed fate if things go wrong?). As I write this post, I'm glancing out the window and then at the very biosphere the interns tightly sealed back in 2007. And I'm wondering if a ghost shrimp has a preference in flavor of birthday cake. Because it was exactly two years ago today that our little ghost shrimp, George, was sealed into his Mason jar, and he's still alive! So, Happy Birthday, George the Ghost Shrimp! No one's ever opened the jar to let in any oxygen, and in fact, the jar has been turned upside down by rowdy school children, been shuttled off to at least two Maker Faires, and inspired a second biosphere, which was built for a KQED television program, Quest.

We're not really sure what the Guinness World Record is for longest living crustaceous bionaut, but we do know that the life expectancy of a ghost shrimp is about a year, and the biosphere was predicted to thrive for 3 to 6 months. We're thrilled that it's far exceeded our expectations. As is fitting for such a momentous occasion, I asked editors, interns, and others acquainted to offer their thoughts about George the Ghost Shrimp as he continues his odyssey into the third year.

Here's what people said:

Make Editor-in-Chief Mark Frauenfelder expounded: "In these challenging times, this plucky and resourceful shrimp is an inspiration to us all. Long live George!"

Former MAKE intern Matthew Dalton got a little emotional when we told him about the anniversary: "Go George!! We're all rooting for you!!! That makes me sooo happy ... he's my little baby. *sniffs* I remember picking him out of all the other ghost shrimp, cause he looked like he needed a loving home ... He's such a good shrimp!"

Daniel Carter, MAKE's Creative Director, first expressed disbelief: "WTF? How can that little [guy] still be alive?!" But he has since decided to option the film rights on George's life. While Sam Murphy, photo editor, came up with the plot line. "I think we found our new mascot! George the fix-it shrimp! We could develop this whole heroic back story where he gets struck by an electric charge from Shawn's computer, and all the MAKE information on her computer he absorbs — and becomes super-shrimp," she wrote.

If you've created your own biosphere, or have some other tale of outstanding successes with regards to your projects, please tell us about them in the Comments.

And happy birthday, George!

February 25, 2009

Flashback: Home Mycology Lab

Start a cultural revolution in your own house with Philip Ross' Home Mycology Lab project from MAKE Volume 07, our Backyard Biology issue. Mushrooms are fascinating (and tasty), and this article introduces you to what it takes to make them grow. I love this illustration:

Philip offers a detailed how-to on making your own miniature mycology lab using an off-the-shelf home air purifier with a HEPA filter to create a "clean box" pristine environment. The project takes about an hour to build and about 2 weeks to grow, and provides a fun and easy window into the magical world of mycelium.

Philip Ross has extensive experience with mushrooms, and incorporates them (as well as plant life) into his artwork. Here's an example:

Check out Home Mycology Lab in our Digital Edition. Other projects in Volume 07 include extracting and replicating your own DNA, hacking your plants through grafting and pollination, freezing and reviving a garden snail, building a videocam rocket and a Stirling engine, and a whole lot more. Unfortunately, we're sold out of back issues of Volume 07. The good news is if you subscribe, you can have digital access to all 17 volumes of MAKE!

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