Goodbye Los Angeles, Hello Ecuador!

Off I fly to Ecuador in South America!

Which country is Ecuador?  

Latest Photos of the DUCKS!!

My Visit to a T-Shirt Design Factory

Today I took a factory tour of a place called Print Lab. They design and apply the art and lettering on so many t-shirts, probably some that you own!  I discovered there are a LOT of steps involved in creating t-shirt designs.

(BTW, I went with this terrific organization called Atlas Obscura.  Take a look at their website.)

Check out my day:

The printing machine looked like a giant merry-go-round!

First we created a design (the Atlas Obscura logo) on the computer and had it transferred to a screen. 

Hosing down the screen revealed the design.

So many color choices!

And so many tubs of dye.  The dye was thick and silky, like pudding.

Here's the dark red dye getting spread onto the t-shirt.

Can you believe how precise?

The printed t-shirt just made its way out of the giant oven.

Did I pick the best color?

Some people went for a gold color instead.

This is Tommy, the owner.  He turned his passion for t-shirts and for art into a really cool profession.

The Science Lab Misses You!!

Working in the science lab without your smiling faces is just no fun at all!  We cannot wait to see you again when school resumes in the fall.  xoxo Ms. Zap and Ms. Potter

A Visit to the Science Labs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The World Science Festival is INCREDIBLE!

Entering the Met's behind-the-scene's science laboratories.

Art scientists for the day!

We used dead, dry insects to make a red dye.  This insect dye was first used by ancient Mexican civilizations and since then it has been used for centuries.  We still use it today to color lipsticks, sodas, strawberry yogurt, and many other products!

Cochineal insects turn red when crushed.

Adding water makes a rich, red dye.

Once silk is dyed, we give it a water bath.

Cochineal red silk swatches

Here's the red silk under extreme magnification.

A close up of a tapestry from the museum with gold and silver threads.

A microscopic view of a strand of silver wire wrapped around wool.

Using a spectrometer to analyze European fabrics and Japanese prints.

Who knew scientists do detective work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

Lady's Slipper Orchids in Bloom

Walked in Hallett Nature Sanctuary in Central Park yesterday and spotted these beautiful rare blooms.  Lady's Slipper Orchids have a sneaky way of attracting pollinators.  Read about it here.

World Science Festival NYC: LIGO, the Gravitational Wave Detector

Rai Weiss, Kip Thorne, Walter Isaacson and LIGO

Rai Weiss, Ms. Zap, Kip Thorne

Yesterday I attended a talk given by the physicists who designed and led LIGO, the celebrated gravitational wave observatory.

A few things I learned:

• Another observatory in Italy will be working by September.  This will help scientists be able to pinpoint where in space future events are happening.

• These distinguished physicists spoke movingly about the necessity and power of working as a team.  Dr. Thorne described the enormous collaboration required as "beautiful to behold."

• Dr. Thorne believes our descendants will one day say the gift our age gave to humankind was an understanding of the universe.  That gift comes from SCIENCE.