WeTheSciencey is a shop and blog dedicated to sharing the love of all things…sciencey. Where science meets creativity, art, and a dash of science fiction. sign up for coupons and to find out about new shop additions here! :D serving humanity since early 2010 Tumblr (3.0; @wethesciencey)http://www.wethesciencey.com/<iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ondu-/ondu-pinhole-cameras/widget/video.html" frameborder="0"> </iframe><br/><br/><p><strong>Brilliantly and Sustainably Designed Pinhole Cameras: <span>Velenje, Slovenia</span></strong></p> <p>Every month we choose a new Kickstarter project to back with a percentage of every sale! This month: Ondu Pinhole Cameras. Find out more about Ondu <a href="http://kck.st/ZUWGnv" target="_blank">here</a> and learn more about how pinhole cameras work <a href="http://www.howstuffworks.com/question131.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/51086871349http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/51086871349Wed, 22 May 2013 15:24:00 -0400designsciencephotographypinhole cameratechnology<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/1d136097cab66841aa3ab691ce4aecdc/tumblr_mmml2sPg8e1r0q91yo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><strong>DIY DNA Extraction: aka Kitchen Lab Adventure Time</strong></p> <p>instructions from the brain of <a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://pineneedlecollective.tumblr.com/post/50153085628/yesterday-in-my-lab-session-at-university-we" target="_blank">pineneedlecollective</a>:</p> <blockquote> <div>Yesterday in my lab session at university, we extracted our own DNA (for sequencing, to see how things like forensic analysis and paternity/maternity tests work). But while extracting DNA sounds super sciencey and complicated (and impressive - when I was telling my friends about how I was extracting and sequencing DNA this week their reaction was always to go “wow! Awesome!”), it is actually something that you can do yourself with a blender, salt, pineapple juice and alcohol.</div> <div></div> <div><strong>1.</strong> Figure out what you want to use as a source of DNA. You can get your DNA from anything living - but you might want to use fruit,  vegetables or parts of a plant for this experiment, because you’ll need to blend up the cells and so using animals would be just a little bit  unethical(okay, so I said above that I extracted my own DNA, and I <em>did</em> do this without chopping myself up, but this is a little bit harder - we took cheek swabs and then had to centrifuge everything for about a million hours, so if you don’t have your own bench-top centrifuge, then use strawberries or something instead).</div> <div><strong>2.</strong> Blend it up so it becomes a paste (blend on high for 15 seconds). This breaks open (lyses) many of the cells. Also add a pinch of salt.</div> <div><strong>3.</strong> Add detergent. This will lyse the cells further and also break open the cell’s nucleus, which is where the DNA lives.</div> <div><strong>4.</strong> This step is not necessary if you just want to extract and look at DNA, and not do any further measurements with it (like spectrophotometry). But if you have it available, add some pineapple juice to your mixture. Pineapple juice contains an enzyme called <em>bromelain</em> that eats proteins. You need to add this to remove proteins from your solution - because cells are also full of proteins, and when you break open your cell, a whole bunch of proteins will come flowing out. And if you remove the proteins, the stuff you extract will be more “pure” DNA.</div> <div><strong>5.</strong> Add vodka/rubbing alcohol/anything with a high ethanol content. Carefully add the alcohol to the top of your mix. DNA does not dissolve in alcohol, so if you add enough it will “precipitate” out of the solution. Stringy white shapes should appear in your solution. This is strands of DNA! (Yes, you can see it!) You can then put a straw or skewer into the solution, twirl it and pull it out. The DNA you have extracted will look a lot like mucous or snot ;)</div> <div></div> <div>And that’s how you extract DNA at home! You don’t even need any fancy lab equipment. Pretty easy, huh?</div> <div></div> <div>(<a href="http://www.synthetic-bestiary.com/630/diy-biology-instructions-1-extracting-dna/" target="_blank">Image credit</a>)</div> </blockquote> <p></p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/51033052868http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/51033052868Tue, 21 May 2013 21:06:55 -0400biologygeneticssciencechemistrydnadiyexperiment<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/0f93d8bd15d898713b317ca4070bd62c/tumblr_mn0962Mil71qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://boingboing.net/2013/05/15/the-technology-that-links-taxo.html?utm_campaign=moreatbbmetadata&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=boingboing.net" target="_blank"><strong>What Tricorders & DNA Barcoding Have in Common</strong></a></p> <blockquote> <p>The non-fictional tricorder is based on an idea called DNA barcoding, which originated in 2003 with Canadian biologist Paul Hebert. He thought there might be an easy way to quickly identify species using short DNA sequences that are unique to one species or another. If you had a database of these sequences, then all you’d have to do would be to match a sample to a sequence and you’d know what species you were looking at. It’s similar to the way we store fingerprints, and then use those to match prints from a crime scene with an individual person.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://boingboing.net/2013/05/15/the-technology-that-links-taxo.html?utm_campaign=moreatbbmetadata&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=boingboing.net" target="_blank">full article here</a></p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50742709778http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50742709778Sat, 18 May 2013 13:42:02 -0400spockstar trekbiologysciencegeneticsDNAtaxonomytech<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/5b69dc7107628bb9dd172e887878a03b/tumblr_mmx271ht3w1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><em>‘dream view’ </em>by <a href="http://galaxychild.tumblr.com" target="_blank">nm</a></p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50613925218http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50613925218Thu, 16 May 2013 20:18:00 -0400spaceastronomyuniversegalaxystar<iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QMDiRKootnI?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p>GIY (grow-it-yourself) Plants that glow! Synthetic biology in all its brilliance. Find out more about the project on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antonyevans/glowing-plants-natural-lighting-with-no-electricit" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>.</p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50588906867http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50588906867Thu, 16 May 2013 14:11:17 -0400biologysciencechemistrygeneticsbotanytechnologydnatech<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/170a419efa748ac10b5e90c8b9dbb514/tumblr_mml6pzqGD01qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50089853220http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50089853220Fri, 10 May 2013 10:25:11 -0400sciencelifebiologyphysicsmathchemistryinspirationquotation<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/724badc99154d8835f50792ea633fb69/tumblr_mmk6532Elg1qcs4cyo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/936869dc9d7790451e81268d4d915079/tumblr_mmk6532Elg1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>fill-in-the-blank rubber stamp</p> <p>find it <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/150777482/therefore-i-am-stamp" target="_blank">here</a></p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50054802744http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/50054802744Thu, 09 May 2013 21:15:00 -0400philosophysciencethinkingthoughthumour<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/06b2c9feb3de241fb9ab2a6ab088ce53/tumblr_mm4h2e0Rdq1qcs4cyo1_500.png"/><br/><br/>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/49358219343http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/49358219343Wed, 01 May 2013 09:49:25 -0400xkcd.comsciencebiologyhumourgenetics<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/4d46244fbb182c7eeeb8783d9d6742ad/tumblr_mm2nckCWkn1qcs4cyo1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Encyclopaedia tape! *puts on wish-list*</p> <p>Found <a href="http://www.cutetape.com/shop/mt-encyclopedia-washi-tape.html" target="_blank">here</a></p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/49258432132http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/49258432132Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:09:00 -0400sciencespaceastronomybiologylearningwashi<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/a25af8137d9cd017184113848fe36038/tumblr_mltr1yHRCP1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>*wonders if these would be allowed on test day*</p> <p>the kind of test day when the professor says you can have the table layout but the symbols and their info won’t be shown.</p> <p>found <a href="http://heckyeahtoms.tumblr.com/post/45763241572/periodic-table-toms" target="_blank">here</a></p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/48867345917http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/48867345917Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:51:34 -0400chemistrysciencetoms<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/60307041" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><br/><br/><p>*wants*</p> <p>*wants to give a kit to everyone. especially children*</p> <p>so many ideas running through our minds right now…</p> <p>…what would you do with a MaKey MaKey?!</p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/48287156419http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/48287156419Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:21:44 -0400scienceinventiontecharduino<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/29dc9e168de8cfac93c851c0241267fa/tumblr_ml3st2x0Zk1qcs4cyo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/8a3584e921875e923265c49916486f3d/tumblr_ml3st2x0Zk1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p><a href="http://shop.wethesciencey.com/product/mass-energy-equivalence-stamp" title="WeTheSciencey Shop" target="_blank">E=mc^2 Rubber Stamp</a></p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/47736644052http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/47736644052Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:30:19 -0400Einsteinphysicsmathscience<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/98a0da24df071edbe1c4c997cf5e1550/tumblr_mkym1csqiQ1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/47491934752http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/47491934752Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:17:36 -0400scienceEinsteincuriosity<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/852ef6a0da2f8c025e4949fef55604ee/tumblr_mkjww3dRav1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/46805654896http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/46805654896Sun, 31 Mar 2013 20:48:03 -0400sciencestarsastronomycarl saganinspiration<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/8717abbd66567c988ff677cb90f98266/tumblr_mk8c3ms6Xp1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/46293309836http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/46293309836Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:01:14 -0400sciencelifeadviceinspirationcuriosityquestions<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/7b9e342d0583c6f66965ba91b4800e71/tumblr_mk8bcpl0Fd1qcs4cyo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/2a998cf440b32c0f05b538ff8a4e4cd2/tumblr_mk8bcpl0Fd1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>New in our <a href="http://shop.wethesciencey.com" title="force stamp at wethesciencey" target="_blank">shop</a>!</p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/46290619754http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/46290619754Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:30:14 -0400star warsforcejedi<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/4f34cec7702fd7a20551999496318d44/tumblr_mjatjvdIqK1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/44820617507http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/44820617507Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:30:13 -0500researchsciencetechnologyexperiment<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/85cccaf3bfc3f26c6e099ff053b70fb3/tumblr_mj7lu2rlLK1qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/44670759930http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/44670759930Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:28:27 -0500sciencechemistrybiochemistryresearchscientist<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/d6fc509e07002892c2128b636e3875f9/tumblr_mj1jpaIVnz1qzcapfo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>epically awesome.</p> <p>[via <a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://septagonstudios.tumblr.com/post/44401143455/lucy-wood-white-rabbit-says-live-long-2" target="_blank">septagonstudios</a> : by <a href="http://society6.com/whiterabbitsays" target="_blank">lucy wood</a> : titled <em>live long II</em>]</p>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/44401874753http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/44401874753Sat, 02 Mar 2013 17:09:58 -0500spacestartrekkietrekgeekspock<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/6a95e45f4ccf2a0e65f3eb0e637f432d/tumblr_miqqmmKR551qcs4cyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/43917204286http://www.wethesciencey.com/post/43917204286Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:08:46 -0500sciencespaceastronomystars