NASA!!!!! Also conference. I suppose.

Today was by far the best day during the Galveston conference.  It was the trip to NASA in Houston!  It wasn't really long (only about 2 hours) but it was fairly cheap ($30) and it was a blast and definitely something I've wanted to do for a long time.  Sadly still not feeling great headache wise but made it through.  Also fell asleep on the bus a bit.  Anyway!  Important things first!

Of course FOOD!  Not great as there was nothing special (waffles or whatnot) but waaaaay better than what I normally have.  So that's certainly a plus.

After the morning session we got a box lunch (turkey sandwich.... yay?) and were off to Houston!!  At long last a nice sunny day.

Pass to get in!  Yea yea!!  Can't wait!

AAAAAHHHHHHHH OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!

So, this place is huge.  Like, ridiculously huge.  As in completely insane.  There is an enormous amount to do all throughout several buildings and I picked just a couple.

Because f***ing angry birds, that's why.

These are the parachutes from the Orion spacecraft (shuttle replacement currently in development).  They are longer than the 4-ish story building they're in.  Crazy.

The major fun thing that I went to do at the space center was to take a trolly ride to the more 'intense' aspects of the center.  It goes to 3 locations - the command center, the SVMF (Space Vehicle Mockup Facility), and the 'rocket park', containing a hangar housing the Saturn V rocket that was due to be used for Apollo 18 before it was cancelled.

Sign for the mission control center.  OMG YAY!!

Apollo program dedication just outside the control center

WHAT????  Push button to operate the door??!!!!  NASA is awesome!

Just inside the control center is an exhibit of sorts to showcase the watches given to the astronauts on Gemini, Apollo (except 1, starts with 7), and Skylab (aboard the ISS).  Easy way to tell the difference?  Gemini only has 2 names, Apollo and Skylab have 3 names and are labeled with mission name.

The first few Gemini watches in the display

More Gemini

Other side of the display case, starting with the Skylab missions (right 3) and the final Apollo (17)

Apollo missions.  13 is on the far left (horses with the sun and moon)

Another few Apollo.  11 (first landing) is in the middle.  Because eagles love the moon.

Transition from Gemini to Apollo.

Final Geminis

Scale model of the LEM (Lunar Excursion Module)

Scale model of the Gemini craft

Saturn V rocket model.  Very impressive feat of engineering.

Once through the watches and models, we head upstairs to see the historic command center.  Where the ground crew was for ALL manned space flights in the early days (60s - early 80s, I believe) (un-maned flights are taken care of at the jet propulsion lab in California).  The old command center is a certified historical site by the department of the interior and is, in general, REALLY awesome to see.  Fun fact, the mainframe computer used for the old command center had 2MB of memory.  So..... like 3 pictures?  2 if you have a nice camera.  Also, at the time, that was state of the art.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!  This is the historic command center!

RED PHONE!!!!  Straight line to the Pentagon from the DoD Representative.  Tour guide said it was primarily to coordinate the splashdown recovery with the Navy once location had been calculated.

Public affairs officer's station and the infamous speaker box that the astronaut's speech was routed, most notably during the moon landing.

Camera feed of the modern command center, manned 24/365 for the ISS astronauts.

Flight operations, aka the guy who approves EVERYTHING.  Aka the most stressful job.  Aka Ed Harris.

Mission director - flight plan coordinator and whatnot.

Close up on the map readout above the stations.

Additional stations.  The front row were the guys basically responsible for all the calculations aka slide rule city.  Also very stressful jobs.  Must get correct answer very quickly.

Passing by one of the training facilities where they use liquid N2 for spacewalk simulations, as it's cold in space.

Next stop on the tour was the SVMF (Space Vehicle Mockup Facility).  It is basically what it sounds like.  They have currently in service and experimental capsules, etc. for astronauts from all over the world to train in the operation/repair/emergency procedures/etc.  Plus the people on the ground can test repairs and whatnot prior to the folks in space doing them.

Hangar doors at the SVMF.  for scale, the building is 8 stories.

Posters for the upcoming Orion capsule, soon to start testing.  This is the system that will take men to Mars.

More Orion.

And one more.

MPCV model - part of Orion.

So the SVMF is, in essence, little more than an enormous warehouse.  The difference is they fill theirs with awesome stuff that goes into space.

Some of the ISS modules for training.

More ISS

OMG the ISS is HUGE.

This just looked like a cool workstation.

Workstation/airlock.

Better view of some of the modules.

Yay modules!

That's a lot of space programs.

Random space suit.  Because NASA.

Module source/countries contributing to the ISS.

Russian Soyuz capsule simulator.  These are what take US astronauts up to the ISS.

This thing is..... Really....

Big.  The cool black curtain in the back is a low friction floor.  Essentially an air hockey table the astronauts train on.

NASA uses sewing machines.  Good to know.

This is the back of the....... front.... ummmm..... anyway!  Back of the nose of the shuttle.  Since it has been retired, this will be moved out (to a museum, I'm sure) and replaced with new tech.

Cool looking workstation.

More suits!!  I assume these are for shuttle training.

An initial trainer for the Orion capsule.  Apparently that will carry 4 people and food for more than a year.  I call no.

This thing is awesome.  It simulates connecting 2 capsules/modules/etc. together while in space (i.e. includes simulation of speed needed to maintain orbit).  Super cool.

The giant warehouse that is the SVMF is split into 2 parts, the modules (for training primarily) and the other side for robotics testing.

See?  Robots.  Awesome.

More general robot view.

Lots of floor space.  This side also has some of the next generation rovers.

Robonaut!  Slated to replace human astronauts for spacewalk-needed mechanical repairs.

Better look at robonaut.

Next gen rover.  The suits are actually attached so the people can go in and out of suits straight from the rover itself.

Thus was the end of the SVMF.  Super cool and very imformative.  Last but certainly not least, we headed to rocket park for the Saturn V.  Before that, we made a brief stop.....

Memorial trees.  Planted for astronauts lost.  Guide mentioned the first one was planted for one who died of natural causes, Challenger, Columbia followed.

 We reached rocket park, and I personally was ecstatic to see the Saturn.  Huzzah!  Again, this particular rocket was slated to be used on Apollo 18, ready to go.  Funding got cut so the mission didn't happen, however.

Just outside the park, couple of earlier rockets on display.

The rocket park 'warehouse'.  I'm almost certain the Saturn V silhouette is to scale.  You'll see.

HOLY F*** those are big!!!!!  5 engines, each about 12 feet across, powered the Saturn V.

Specs on the engines.  Pretty impressive, if I say myself.

If I worked at NASA, I would not even breathe on that.

All 5!

Old rocket compared to a single F-1 engine.  I'd call that different.

Yea.  It's big.

Big tires!

USA, indeed.  USA indeed.

Stage 2 of the Saturn.  If you saw the Apollo 13 movie, this is the 'little jolt' felt by the men.

Stage 3 - the command module is separated from the remainder of the rocket.

Module!

Nose you can walk through!

Woah.  Wires.

I find it odd the whole thing is basically supported by 2 cross bars.

Other side of the warehouse with info on each Apollo mission on the left.

Apollo mission flags and insignia.

I did my best to get decent pictures on all the info for the Apollo missions.  Sorry some of it's fuzzy/kinda warped.  I was in a hurry and couldn't get far enough away.

The first tragedy.  Apollo I didn't make it off the launch pad.  A fire in the module killed all 3 men aboard.  The program was shutdown for quite awhile after.

After the tragedy of Apollo I, many changes had to be made, from the suits to the mechanics.  The numbering system went a bit different, as well.  The next major mission was VII (7).  In between was IV, V, and VI (4, 5, 6).  The mission numbers 1, 2, and 3 were retired to honor each of the 3 men lost in the Apollo I fire.

Apollo VII - sticking close to Earth to test the systems

To the moon and back.  Testing if the Saturn system could successfully go to the moon.

First mission fully outfitted for a lunar excursion, though did not do it.  It primarily tested the changes do to additional weight from lunar lander and science equipment.

"Soft test" of lunar landing.  Went down to about 50,000 feet above lunar surface, again testing everything.

The one we know and love.  First landing, steps, rocks, science, and a famous quote.

Close up images.

XII built off of the work XI initially did.  They picked of some of the equipment left behind (test if lunar exposure had any effect), place new equipment, get more rocks, etc.

The other one everybody knows.  From left to right, Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton.

You notice they're all Jr.'s?  Freaky.

Apollo XIV is when Shepard hit golf balls on the moon.  What else matters?  Also they did science.

XV represented the first use of the rover vehicles because you can be like "Oh, you've been on the dunes in Nevada?  I've been on the dunes on the MOOOOOON!!!!  *mic drop*"

XVI was another rover-centric flight, and primarily for collection of additional samples.  XVII, the final landing, included a geologist to gain a better insight to where to get samples and what they indicated more directly.

Thus is the end of the tram tour.  Sooooo incredible and absolutely amazing.  Back in the main building, and with very little time, I figured it was time for buttons and diagrams.  There is an example of the shuttle control console that can be walked through, and just outside is an engine from said shuttle.

Woooo engine boom!

That's pretty impressive.  Such an incredible amount of engineering.

One of the control consoles in the walk-in shuttle exhibit.

So.... many..... switches......

AHHHHH THERE'S MORE!!!

And we all thought that a jumbo jet was complicated.  PAH!!  I say.  Eat space shuttle!

I would be terrible at this.  I'd use the right console as an armrest and probably blow out a hatch or something.

The ceiling arguably has more switches.

More on the ceiling!!!

Apparently I am in the wrong field.  No NASA for me...... :(  .  I think that zero-g stem cells are very important.....

That's it for my amazing trip to the NASA space center.  Absolutely incredible and sooo much fun and a ridiculous amount learned.  I will need to come back to see some of the other stuff.  Back to earth (*ba dum tish*) we return from whence we came.  FOOD!

Not bad for a last dinner at the conference.  Make your own burger, salad, fries, green beans and OMG DELICIOUS CUPCAKE IT WAS SOOOOOO GOOD!

So that's it for me and this particularly awesome conference trip.  See you next time and thanks for coming by!

What can make you want to leave a conference?

Bleh.  That is the word of the day.  Bleh.  These conferences are totally awesome for the scientific content but they can be utterly exhausting.  These 7 am - midnight days of pure science take their toll quite a bit.  Today's other word was HEADACHE!!!!!  Totally sucked and had to be on the day of some of the biggest name people......  Anyway!!!!  Let's talk about food because FOOD!!

BREAKFAST!!!  OMG MAKE YOUR OWN OMELETTE!!!!  Also waffles.  Because waffles are great.

Yes, lunch was make your own fajita tacos.  Because Texas, I suppose.  It's not like we're right next to a bunch of seafood and could eat some of it at some point.  But watev.

Aaaaannnnnnd Dinner!!!!  Chicken and potatoes and sausage and bread and corn and salad and jambalaya  and..... ummm.... that's it.  The sausage and potatoes were awesome but everything else was a bit meh....

Incidentally, I promise tomorrow will be far more exciting.  More than simply food because I get to go on an awesome trip of awesomeness!  Huzzah!  Buy until then!

Conference Day 3!

Awwwwww yea!  Awesome day of conference science stuff.  Had a wonderful time and some very interesting talks.  My personal favorite ones thus far.  Great times and, of course, awesome FOOOOD!!!

I learned the hard way today that it is extremely difficult to avoid having more than 2 pieces of bacon when one is at a buffet.  Like seriously nearly impossible.  But OMG so good.  Also oatmeal.  Because yum.

Lunch was make-your-own sandwich.  Who cares?  OREO KLONDIKE!!!!!!!

Mmmmmmmmm Italian dinner tonight.  Fettuccini, ratatouille, baked chicken, roasted potatoes, salad, and Italian wedding soup.  SUPER awesome.

Best part of the day, though?  I managed to talk with a couple of high-profile professors about potential post-doc positions.  Aka the main purpose of me coming here.  I'm proud of myself for talking and hope that I can get in touch with a couple more tomorrow, as well.  Huzzah!  Until next time, later!

Conference and Video!

Day 2 of Galveston conference today!  Very exciting, great talks and an interesting poster session.  Had some major stem cell players come by and see my work.  Bit nerve wracking but definitely worth it.  Best part is still the FOOOOOOOD though.  OMG YUMS!

OMG breakfast yum!  And I never eat breakfast.  But OATMEAL OMG!

Lunch of make-your-own baked potato, salad, broccoli and cheese, and BBQ chicken and beef.  

Sooooooo, dinner was Asian food (Asian coleslaw, pad thai, general tso's chicken, etc.), but I was reaaaalllllyyyy hungry so I ate it before taking a picture..... *ahem*.  ANYWAY!

With today's 2 hour break I got around to editing my latest video, arguably my favorite one thus far.

Today's video is about board games that work well to transition people who are used to games like Monopoly, Trouble, the more casual family type games, and introducing the more heavily strategic and with more complicated mechanics.  Enjoy!

Hope you liked it!  See you next time!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh......... SCIENCE!!!

It's another awesome conference time for me!  This week I get to be in our very own Galveston, TX for the Gordon Research Conference on Reprogramming Cell Fate.  Mouthful?  Yes.  Awesome?  Also yes.  2 particularly fun things about this conference: the venue and food.  Absolutely amazing.  Not to mention the incredible big-name scientists that were able to come.  Not only from all over the world, but major institutions, as well.  It was a blast 2 years ago and this year's goal is to find a post-doc position.  Here's hoping!  Everyone cross your fingers!

The pleasure pier, just down the street from our venue, complete with Bubba Gump Shrimp and decked out in Mardi Gras/Carnival style!  Festive!

Panorama of the Hotel Galvez, where the entirety of the conference is happening.  Aside from the 'field trips' to various places nearby, including NASA at Houston... *sigh*... to have money....

WATER AHOY!!!!!!  Aka the gulf coast.  Huzzah, I suppose.

Science-ing in style.  I mean not.  This is terrible and should be the minimum level of room quality at all scientific conferences ever in any location.

Told you.  It's horrendous.  Bleh.

Like so many conferences of the type, this one is incredibly densely packed.  9 am - 9:30 pm each day, with lunch, a free time break, and coffee at a couple points.  Tons of information and social events.  I'm hoping to hit the socializing as best I can, gotta schmooze for those jobs.  Until next time, later!

Videos, Videos, Videos!!!

It's been a pleasantly busy few weeks for making videos.  I went on a bit of a binge after getting my awesome camcorder for Christmas, needless to say much recording needed be done.  For those keeping track, I have been spending a decent amount of time playing Gazillion's new-ish action RPG, Marvel Heroes.  It is an incredible game and I have had a wonderful time playing.  Like many games, however, it comes with its fair share of issues and confusing mechanics not easily explained by tutorials or simple help menus.  As such, I started a bit of a series of videos on the game, beginning with a fairly comprehensive general guide and adding on an additional video for the most recent game update.

I understand this is not most people's particular cup of tea, so feel free to skip down to another new one!

I posted this video on the Marvel Heroes forum here.  If you're even remotely interested in trying the game, my obviously biased opinion would be to start with my video to see what it's all about.

A nice quick vid on the latest (2/13/14 patch) for MH.  New features and whatnot.



I also felt the need to return to form for another video.  This one quicker than most of my board game ones, simply a quick list of awesomes for a specific company (and my personal favorite one, at that).

So a little bit of something for everyone.  Well.... all gamers, anyway.  And Marvel fans.  And people who like sushi and The Walking Dead.  We'll stick with everyone.  Hope that you enjoy and see you next time!

A video that saves you $$$$!!! (sort of)

It's been, at the very least, an interesting year with my videos/blogging.  Blogging being in ginormous quotes.  I've found a small thing that I really enjoy doing and it seems that some people appreciate some of the stuff I have to say (126 subscribers as of today, huzzah!!).

To celebrate in my own way, I'm taking us back to a time (or, as in my case, currently) where we have very little money but would like some entertainment.  This is a favorite category of games for me, personally, inexpensive games that give a wonderful experience.  Enjoy!!

Thank you all very much and I'll see you next time!