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Monday, February 21, 2022

The Fantastic Fungi! Endless possibilities to research and study

 On Netflix, I came across the documentary 'Fantastic Fungi.' The most prevalent form of life on earth is truly amazing, and essential for the natural cycles of life whenever any type of organism dies and needs to be broken down so new life can replace it.  

Research into anything related to mushrooms and other fungi is possible in simple experiments and setups, without a need for huge expenses. Studies are, of course, conducive to field work in literally any environment and ecosystem you live near, from urban to suburban to forest to field to anything else you can think of, so field work is a nice option. Fungi help break down anything that is naturally built from hydrocarbons, and the 'root' networks literally everywhere in the world, which is called mycelium for mushrooms, form the largest living networks on the planet. The mycelium, which consist of trillions of webs and interconnections in just a cubic meter of soil in a forest, is a neural network similar in structure to our brain's network of neurons. Trees use mycelium as part of their underground communications networks (yes, trees and plants 'talk' to each other through their root systems!). There are over one-million species of fungi, so do experiments that explore the growth and uses/applications of fungi/mushrooms! This can also lead to finding the most efficient and productive ways of growing edible mushrooms as food sources in the home, for very little cost, that low income households and food deserts can use. There are all sorts of ideas for this amazing kingdom, so be creative and find an original piece of this to study!  



Friday, February 4, 2022

Engineering Open House at the U. of Illinois coming up April 8-9

 For those with access to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

UIUC has one of the elite engineering colleges in the world, with 39 Top-10 ranked degree programs for undergraduate and graduate levels. I don't think any other school can say this. Anyhow, they put on a pretty good show each year with their Engineering Open House. This year it is on April 8-9, 2022, and will go back to in-person. 

If you want to check out the engineering programs, that would be the weekend to see so much and talk to people from literally every department within the engineering college. It's about a 2.5 hour drive to UIUC, so check it out if you have a chance!! The photo below is of the Bardeen Quad on Engineering Campus (a small portion of the engineering campus). John Bardeen is the professor I've mentioned who is the only person to win 2 Nobels in Physics, for the transistor and theory of superconductivity. 

Keep in mind if you are in other parts of the country, open houses at nearby universities and colleges can be wonderful for students to see what's out there in STEM, make possible connections with professors and college students, and getting research ideas.