Getting Inside My Head

Fun stuff:  About a week ago I participated in a rather lengthy and extensive personality test for a management training course I’m taking.  The current section of the course is teaching students to assess their management style, with the intention of helping us individually tailor our training. Part of the assessment is to determine which side of our brains we rely on most when we reason, form arguments and communicate our thoughts and feelings – the left or right.

Not knowing very much about how side-dominance affects personality, I just assumed that being a biogeek meant I was left-sided.  Also, I write with my right hand.  But, according to the tests, I overwhelmingly exhibited right-side dominance in most of the subject areas.  Huh.

When I asked questions to increase my understanding, the professor was quick to dismiss the myth that mental aptitude in science and math are strictly a left-sided thing.  “It’s a stereotype,” he said.  “Both sides are responsible for numerical analysis and scientific understanding.”  Oh, okay.  So, what things for me rang more true as a right-brainer, rather than left?  Well, this (admittedly rather unscientific) blurb from a quiz/article I found on the web summarizes several of the points my class discussed:

Right brain dominant individuals are more visual and intuitive. They are better at summarizing multiple points, picking up on what’s not said, visualizing things, and making things up. They can lack attention to detail, directness, organization, and the ability to explain their ideas verbally, leaving them unable to communicate effectively.

I can definitely say that I fall under this description more often than not.  This is in comparison to Left-brain dominant people, who tend to be:

…more orderly, literal, articulate, and to the point. They are good at understanding directions and anything that is explicit and logical. They can have trouble comprehending emotions and abstract concepts, they can feel lost when things are not clear, doubting anything that is not stated and proven.

Also, despite loving science and math, I’ve always been dubbed as being “atypical” by my peers: rather than pursue science for the logic of it, I am compelled by what I see as the art behind the science, and it’s expressed in a number of complex and abstract ways.  This view of the world has led to tremendous comfort moving in and out of several not-so-scientific hobbies and social circles.  I use science as an example because of my industry, but I guess the reverse can be said for those who work in the liberal arts.

So, does all this mean that I’m going to quit the engineering industry and run out to join an artist’s colony?  No.  My passions are still in tact and in order, and the brain uses both the right and left sides to perform the millions of tasks required of it on a daily basis.  However, it does mean that I have a clearer picture of how I think, feel and communicate as an individual, and working to better understanding oneself is the second-most noble of pursuits.  What Life requires is balance, and knowing my natural tendencies will help me be more effective while working in a leadership role and in acheiving my personal goals.

Green Building Techniques…Day Two

Day Two of the Green Building Techniques course presented by Dan Chiras was phenomenal!

An outstanding feature of this lecture is that Chiras is teaching us from his proven methods of success, and also from the mistakes he made when designing and building his own home. He often refers to things he didn’t consider at the time and passes along a note of caution on how to avoid danger in the future. That perspective makes what he’s teaching even more cohesive and practical.

Today’s Topics:

• Green Building Practices, Materials and Technologies: Part 2 (Accessibility – Ergonomics – Adaptability – Earth-sheltering – Energy Efficient Design – Renewable Energy – Water Efficiency – Recycling Waste Water – Water Management – Landscaping for Wildlife – Integrated Design)
• Green Building Programs: What are they and why are they valuable? (Earthcraft, Green Built Colorado, LEED)
• How much does it cost to go green?
• Green Built Production Homes (Guest Lecturer, Jeff Medanich, McStain Neigborhoods, Boulder)
• Energy Efficient Design and Construction (Guest Lecturer, Larry Kinney, Synertech Sytems Corp. and SunFlower Corp., Boulder)
• Passive Solar Heating: Design Guidelines
• Passive Solar Heating: Avoiding Mistakes
• Builder Guide for Windows (BGW2004) Software (Guest Lecturer, Fred Roberts, Solaequis, Fort Collins)
• Radiant Heating, Hydronics, Solar Cooking and many more…!

And the main point that Chiras couldn’t stress enough was: DESIGN FOR EFFICIENCY!!!

During one of the design lectures, I brought up the notion that dome structures are increasing in popularity and asked what considerations one should make when trying to design. Chiras mentioned several advantages, such as stability, efficiency, etc., but also pointed out a few concerns around design complications, such as dome structures creating passive solar heating design complications. He also referred me to his book, The New Economical Home, which we all received a free copy of, where he makes mention of building domes. Surprisingly, the gentleman I met yesterday, the one who is designing a vacation home for him and his wife, currently lives in a house that has a dome feature incorporated into the center! Great! We talked at length about why he chose to do this, as dome living has been a passion of his for a long time. He also explained some of the complications he’s had, and recommended incorporating a dome structure into a larger floor plan (part of my observation/viewing dome ideas anyway). Another woman in our group, who’s actually researched dome living extensively, overheard our conversation and approached me afterwards. She gave me all kinds of links and resources for dome kits, monolithic domes, etc., and updated me on some of the benefits of domes when used as a primary dwelling.

Chiras also showed slides of gorgeous, spacious, brightly daylit interiors. I became interested in Daylighting techniques several years ago after learning about how incredibly easy it is to brightly light an office, classroom or home with natural daylight and little or no electric light. I call natural daylight “happy light”–our brain needs natural sun light each day to produce chemicals that promote feelings of health and well-being. Ever suffer from “cabin fever” in the winter? Shorter days mean less exposure to that vital dose of sunshine. Not only are bright, cheery spaces more fun (and much more productive) to be in, they are necessary for sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). And, as are all green design techniques when well-implemented, daylighting is extremely cost effective. Less money spent on electric lighting means more money in the bank.

A few buzz phrases I’ve been hearing:

“Design is an indication of intent.” –William McDonough

“Air Tight, Ventilate Right!” –Larry Kinney

and perhaps my favorite…

“When we build, let us think that we build forever.” –John Ruskin

Reporting Live from Green Building Techniques…Day One

I’ve just ended my first day in a three-day short-course on Green Building Techniques, given through the University of Colorado at Boulder. Our facilitator and main presenter is Dan Chiras, who, for many reasons, is fast becoming one of my personal heroes. He’s had a long and exceptional career, with roots in the biological sciences, and he is an expert in the fields of environmental science and green design. He is also living in a home he sustainably designed and built, and has lived off the electicity grid for over a decade.

Today’s lectures were nothing less than intense–A LOT of material was covered in our first session. We discussed topics on :

• The History of Green Building
• The Growing Popularity of Green Building (Guest Lecturer, Laura Bartels, GreenWeaver, Inc., Carbondale, CO )
• Why Build Green?: The end of cheap oil and natural gas
• Overview of Green Building Practices, Materials and Technologies: Part 1 (Site selection – Site restoration – Energy Efficiency – Renewable Energy – Healthy Building – Green Building Materials – Landscaping for Energy and Environment – Waste Recycling – Building a Healthy Home – Reducing Wood Use and Advanced Framing Techniques)
• Green Building Materials (Guest Lecturer, Jeff Scott, SolSource, Inc., Denver)
• Environmental Justice and Affordable Sustainability (Dignity Village, and The Intertribal Council on Utility Policy)

The class participants have arrived from all over the country to hear Chiras give this lecture; oddly enough, I’m the only one here from the engineering field (there were about 25 of us in today’s session). Most of the attendees are environmental designers, architects and builders, and several are would-be do-it-yourselfers who have dreams (or signed contracts!) to design and build green homes of their own. I fall into the latter category, as I’ve had big dreams of designing and building my own house for a long time. And this course is just encouraging me to dream bigger! Geez, just what I need! So far, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know a young couple from Colorado, who are renovating their existing home, an architect in Denver, who works in commercial government contracts, a young woman who just bought land in the mountains, and is looking to build her first home from the ground up , and a retired gentleman from South Carolina, who is just beginning the process of designing a vacation home for him and his wife in the mountains of North Carolina (who couldn’t find a contractor in his area that would touch a green design project–unbelievable!).

The course is certainly designed for the self-starter looking to bring green building techniques into their home; also pointed out, however, were several segues into commercial applications and professional considerations. As an engineering student focusing (in the larger scope) on space, environmental and biological systems, I am totally geeked over how applicable these techniques are in the areas of sustainable life support systems and habitats–the subjects of energy, air quality, lighting, waste/water treatment, and heating and cooling are all extremenly relevant to the design of well-contained, durable and healthy environments, whether built on this planet or circling above it.

More from the from the scene, as it happens, tomorrow…

From Bones to Batteries

(aka, what I spend time thinking about when there are more important, even urgent, matters to attend to)

Systems Biology and Emergent Properties

During the course of this semester, I’ve had the pleasure of learning about recent advances made in the field of Biological Engineering. Many efforts are being made to link the fields of traditional science and engineering, with the hope that innovation and scientific discovery will be found where they meet. One promising junction is systems biology, or the study of how the order of living biological systems (from the macroscale down to the nanoscale) determines an organism’s function. Biological systems are all around and in us: the cells in our bodies are organized to function together as a heart, or a lung, and these organs in turn function together to allow us to breathe and use oxygen; individuals within a species together make up a population, that in turn functions as an entity within an ecological niche, which in turn builds an ecosystem…the levels of organization go as high as our solar system, and beyond.

The fascinating discovery seen within these layers of life is how, as one progresses up through the levels of organization from the least to the most complex systems, properties begin to emerge that aren’t seen at lower levels. This is the idea of emergent properties.

For example, when scientists observe nerve cells under the microscope, there are many parts of the cell one can distinguish. Each cell as an individual , however, remains fairly uninteresting. But, if one gathers together many cells and forms a specific tissue, say brain tissue, suddenly those uninteresting cells, collectively, exhibit new behavior. As a result of higher organization humans can experience thoughts, memories and emotions. Systems biologists ask, what biologcal mechanisms are responsible for emergent properties?

As one whose higher education has its foundations in biology and chemistry, and who now has transitioned into engineering and space systems, I’ve become really interested in learning about how this field can improve space science and engineering. A researcher by the name of Dr. Angela Belcher at MIT has pioneered some very interesting studies into the use of biological components (viruses, proteins), which already exist in every living thing, for the manufacturing of materials essential to us. For example, using cells that are already “programmed” (via their DNA instructions) to make bone tissue to instead make silicon composites for use in solar cells. The mechanism for manufacturing is already there, but by introducing the raw materials necessary to make other composites the cells become factories of a different economy, if you will.

The reasons I find this research so novel are: 1) as a global community our energy needs require new, innovative solutions; 2) naturally occurring systems are by design clean, efficient and self-sustaining, and thereby impose minimal environmental impact (they have to be to have survived these many billions of years); 3) by mimicking the mechanisms that already occur in nature we are following a well-established and time-tested model. There are many factors to consider here, that is for sure, but I think there really is something to all of this.

Even more interesting is the scale at which most biological systems fundamentally operate: nano. This means that as the “nano-age” continues to unfold even more opportunities for scientific discovery will emerge.