Danny and Stemmy go to Boston for SCIENCE!!!, Day 2

Yippie skippie!!  Time for day 2 of our Boston trip!  This is technically the first official day of ISSCR, just got here last night for the early badge pick-up and to try and catch the early events.  Overall a good day; today was my poster presentation, which went well, and first day of the exhibitors means plenty of SWAG!!!!!

Ready at the convention entrance!  Huzzah!

Lunch on our own??????  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

It's a good thing we got the badge early; that line looks like it suuuuuuucks.  Incidentally, there are currently around 3400 people in attendance.  Pretty impressive.

 For the start of the day, Stemmy and I went to a pannel discussion on the ethics regarding use of somatic cell donation samples (including organ tissues) for iPSC generation.  Asked a couple of questions, went really well and was very interesting.  Afterwards was lunch break.

Stemmy the drunk has to go here.  I said no.  In a food court where a small salad is $8, we can wait until later.

 After lunch it's time for talks!!!  YAY SCIENCE!!!!  Just quick half hour ones (if even) not meant for questions but more as overviews

Good seat.  This hall is enormous.  Easily accommodated everyone present.

Dr. Yamanaka; the stem cell version of a rock star.  Nobel Prize winner last year for first development of induced pluripotent stem cells.  Incidentally first presented at an ISSCR conference.

One of the slides from Yamanaka's talk.

Presentation of the McEwan award for innovation to James Thompson (first person to culture human ES cells)

Doug Melton, diabetes researcher

Melton's title page

Deval Patrick, MA governor speaking on behalf of the state and hundreds of millions of $$$ for research.

 Post initial talks in the afternoon, it was time to set out on a journey of self-discovery.  Nah, I'm kidding, it's time for EXHIBITION SWAG!!!!!!

Stemmy wanted to hit all the booths, but there's just not enough time.

 Back to talks for the afternoon; not too many of interest, but one big one!

George Daley of Boston Children's Hospital.  Another rock star in the field.  He's the guy news organizations go to when stories on stem cells hit.

 After a long day of talks, exhibitors, and poster presenting (which went decently well, but no pictures allowed), it was back to the hotel.

Stemmy wanted to count swag.  Decent haul, but not much substantial.  Got a shirt with a sheep on it, though.

Long story short, the only substantial food served was during the poster session.  I presented the first hour, so by the end of said time all the food was gone.  Added to not wanting to pay $8 for an effing salad, and Danny orders Domino's from a 4 star hotel.  Cause that's how he rolls.  Also, hotel room service was more expensive than the center.

And thus ends day 2 of our diary.  Tomorrow are sessions I get to pick, lunch with an expert (hopefully provided -.-) and a social night at a pub once all the excitement is over.  Bye until then!