 Writing Tips - International Journal of Materials Science and Engineering (IJMSE)
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Writing Tips

Writing Tips on Abstract and Keywords

Some writing tips on the Abstract and Keywords writing are given as follows, when you write your papers, you may check it following them.
An abstract should summarize the authors' main contributions of the paper not the subjective assessment of the writer(s). It should contain only what you are specifically reporting in the manuscript. And please note that the material in the abstract should not be repeated later word for word in the paper. When you write Abstract, you may refer to the list as follows:
a) What the problem to be resolved? Or what is the author's focus in this paper?
b) How do you solve the problem? Or what is the method or process to solve the problem?
c) What results do you achieved and what conclusions are drawn from the study of the problem?
d) What is new and original in this paper? How do you evaluate your results compared with existing achievements in quantitive words?
e) Note that to eliminate or minimize background information in abstract.
f)  Limit the abstract within 150 words.
e) The descriptions referring to the research background are not suggested in the abstract.
And please check that the style of writing is in the third person throughout, especially in the abstract.
Keywords are a list of the major topics embodied in your article. Be as specific as possible in describing the concepts or ideas in the article. Most articles are well indexed if they use 5 to 8 indexing keywords. So, please check that the keywords are appropriate for information retrieval purposes, at least 4 keywords.

General Guidelines for Academic Writing

     In general, it is inappropriate simply to write as you would speak in academic writing. In conversation, the listener can ask for clarification or elaboration easily, and thus the speaker can use imprecise language, ramble from topic to topic freely, and so on. Instead, academic writing must stand on its own, conveying the author's ideas clearly through words alone. As a result, academic writing requires substantial effort to construct formal language relevant to a well-defined topic. The best academic writing will be difficult to write but very easy to read.
     Rules for academic writing are quite strict, though often unstated. Academic writing is used in scientific papers or reports whenever you want to convey your ideas to readers, with many possible backgrounds and assumptions. Unlike casual conversation or emails to friends, academic writing needs to be clear, unambiguous, literal, and well structured.

     The checklist below will help you revise and polish drafts of academic papers. After checking your draft against these points, ask a colleague to help you in areas that need work or that you do not understand.

  1. Is your contributions original or reasonably interesting?
  2. Is your contributions (main ideas) clearly stated in the abstract?
  3. Have you included enough evidence or proof carefully and explained how it proves your point?
  4. Is your paper logical? Is there any contradiction in your paper?
  5. If appropriate have you given enough references?
  6. Is your sentence style straightforward and concise? (No wordiness)
  7. Is your grammar basically correct? Have you proofread the final copy?

Write in Sentences

     Sentences have the following characteristics: they start with a capital letter; end with a full stop, exclamation mark or question mark; and contain a verb (doing word).
     Authors commonly make the mistake of not writing in full sentences (they fail to provide a main clause in their "sentence") or write very long sentences that would be better chopped into smaller ones. Short, clear sentences are usually more effective than those which are long and complex. If you are in any doubt, split up any longer sentences into two or three shorter ones. This advice is especially important if you find writing difficult or English is not your first language: short sentences will help you avoid grammatical mistakes and make it easy for the reader to follow your line of ideas.

General Information

ISSN: 2315-4527
Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Emeritus Dato' Dr. Muhammad Yahaya
DOI: 10.17706/ijmse
E-mail: questions or comments to IJMSE Editorial Office.


fire dancer with fire fans - bending backward

My friend Cressie Mae dancing with her fire fans.

Renegade fire jam cession at the Palace of Fine Arts (San Francisco).

arches bending backward cressie mae fire dancer fire dancing fire fans fire performer fire spinning flames night vaults woman
3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco, CA 94123, USA

Fire Dancers


Blinkist Provides Thousands of Non-Fiction Book Summaries

By: Joey Haar - Jul 11, 2016
References: blinkist
As the office becomes increasingly digitized and 24/7 access to things like work emails is essentially a given, finding personal time to curl up with a good book and learn something new is harder than ever--that is, without some sort of book summary app like Blinkist. Fortunately, Blinkist has attacked this modern dearth of learning time by creating an app that succinctly encapsulates the key points from thousands of the best non-fiction books available.

If users only have a couple minutes before driving to work, the book summary app offers short and jam-packed two-minute "key messages." For those with a little more time, Blinkist also offers 15-minute "insight summaries." In either case, Blinkist's users can easily tackle an entire non-fiction tome in less time than it takes to find the Good Reads section in their local book store.


A note on the distribution of admixture segment lengths and ancestry proportions under pulse and two-wave admixture models

Shai Carmi, James Xue, Itsik Pe’er
(Submitted on 19 Sep 2015)

Admixed populations are formed by the merging of two or more ancestral populations, and the ancestry of each locus in an admixed genome derives from either source. Consider a simple “pulse” admixture model, where populations A and B merged t generations ago without subsequent gene flow. We derive the distribution of the proportion of an admixed chromosome that has A (or B) ancestry, as a function of the chromosome length L, t, and the initial contribution of the A source, m. We demonstrate that these results can be used for inference of the admixture parameters. For more complex admixture models, we derive an expression in Laplace space for the distribution of ancestry proportions that depends on having the distribution of the lengths of segments of each ancestry. We obtain explicit results for the special case of a “two-wave” admixture model, where population A contributed additional migrants in one of the generations between the present and the initial admixture event. Specifically, we derive formulas for the distribution of A and B segment lengths and numerical results for the distribution of ancestry proportions. We show that for recent admixture, data generated under a two-wave model can hardly be distinguished from that generated under a pulse model.

Inference under a Wright-Fisher model using an accurate beta approximation

Inference under a Wright-Fisher model using an accurate beta approximation

Paula Tataru, Thomas Bataillon, Asger Hobolth
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/021261

The large amount and high quality of genomic data available today enables, in principle, accurate inference of evolutionary history of observed populations. The Wright-Fisher model is one of the most widely used models for this purpose. It describes the stochastic behavior in time of allele frequencies and the influence of evolutionary pressures, such as mutation and selection. Despite its simple mathematical formulation, exact results for the distribution of allele frequency (DAF) as a function of time are not available in closed analytic form. Existing approximations build on the computationally intensive diffusion limit, or rely on matching moments of the DAF. One of the moment-based approximations relies on the beta distribution, which can accurately describe the DAF when the allele frequency is not close to the boundaries (zero and one). Nonetheless, under a Wright-Fisher model, the probability of being on the boundary can be positive, corresponding to the allele being either lost or fixed. Here, we introduce the beta with spikes, an extension of the beta approximation, which explicitly models the loss and fixation probabilities as two spikes at the boundaries. We show that the addition of spikes greatly improves the quality of the approximation. We additionally illustrate, using both simulated and real data, how the beta with spikes can be used for inference of divergence times between populations, with comparable performance to existing state-of-the-art method.

An empirical approach to demographic inference

An empirical approach to demographic inference

Peter L. Ralph
(Submitted on 21 May 2015)

Inference with population genetic data usually treats the population pedigree as a nuisance parameter, the unobserved product of a past history of random mating. However, the history of genetic relationships in a given population is a fixed, unobserved object, and so an alternative approach is to treat this network of relationships as a complex object we wish to learn about, by observing how genomes have been noisily passed down through it. This paper explores this point of view, showing how to translate questions about population genetic data into calculations with a Poisson process of mutations on all ancestral genomes. This method is applied to give a robust interpretation to the f4 statistic used to identify admixture, and to design a new statistic that measures covariances in mean times to most recent common ancestor between two pairs of sequences. The method more generally interprets population genetic statistics in terms of sums of specific functions over ancestral genomes, thereby providing concrete, broadly interpretable interpretations for these statistics. This provides a method for describing demographic history without simplified demographic models. More generally, it brings into focus the population pedigree, which is averaged over in model-based demographic inference.

Inference of Ancestral Recombination Graphs through Topological Data Analysis

Inference of Ancestral Recombination Graphs through Topological Data Analysis

Pablo G. Camara, Arnold J. Levine, Raul Rabadan
(Submitted on 21 May 2015)

The recent explosion of genomic data has underscored the need for interpretable and comprehensive analyses that can capture complex phylogenetic relations within and across species. Recombination, reassortment, horizontal gene transfer, and species hybridization constitute examples of pervasive biological phenomena that cannot be captured by tree-like representations. Starting from tens or hundreds of genomes, we are interested in the reconstruction of potential evolutionary histories leading to the observed data. Ancestral recombination graphs (ARGs) represent potential histories that explicitly accommodate recombination and mutation events across orthologous genomes. However, ARGs are computationally costly to reconstruct and usually become infeasible for more than few tens of genomes. Recently, Topological Data Analysis (TDA) methods have been proposed as robust and scalable methods that can capture the genetic scale and frequency of recombination. We build on previous TDA developments for detecting and quantifying recombination, and present a novel framework that can be applied to hundreds of genomes and can be interpreted in terms of minimal histories of mutation and recombination events, quantifying the scales and identifying the genomic locations of recombinations. For that aim, we extend the notion of barcodes in persistent homology, largely increasing their sensitivity to recombination, and present a new type of summary graph (topological ARG, or tARG), analogous to ARGs, that capture ensembles of minimal recombination histories. We implement this framework in a software package, called TARGet, and apply it to several examples, including small migration between different populations and horizontal evolution in finches inhabiting the Gal\’apagos Islands.

Bayesian Nonparametric Inference of Population Size Changes from Sequential Genealogies

Bayesian Nonparametric Inference of Population Size Changes from Sequential Genealogies
Julia A Palacios , John Wakeley, Sohini Ramachandran
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/019216

Sophisticated inferential tools coupled with the coalescent model have recently emerged for estimating past population sizes from genomic data. Accurate methods are available for data from a single locus or from independent loci. Recent methods that model recombination require small sample sizes, make constraining assumptions about population size changes, and do not report measures of uncertainty for estimates. Here, we develop a Gaussian process-based Bayesian nonparametric method coupled with a sequentially Markov coalescent model which allows accurate inference of population sizes over time from a set of genealogies. In contrast to current methods, our approach considers a broad class of recombination events, including those that do not change local genealogies. We show that our method outperforms recent likelihood-based methods that rely on discretization of the parameter space. We illustrate the application of our method to multiple demographic histories, including population bottlenecks and exponential growth. In simulation, our Bayesian approach produces point estimates four times more accurate than maximum likelihood estimation (based on the sum of absolute differences between the truth and the estimated values). Further, our method’s credible intervals for population size as a function of time cover 90 percent of true values across multiple demographic scenarios, enabling formal hypothesis testing about population size differences over time. Using genealogies estimated with ARGweaver, we apply our method to European and Yoruban samples from the 1000 Genomes Project and confirm key known aspects of population size history over the past 150,000 years.

Detecting recent selective sweeps while controlling for mutation rate and background selection

Detecting recent selective sweeps while controlling for mutation rate and background selection

Christian D. Huber , Michael DeGiorgio , Ines Hellmann , Rasmus Nielsen
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/018697

A composite likelihood ratio test implemented in the program SweepFinder is a commonly used method for scanning a genome for recent selective sweeps. SweepFinder uses information on the spatial pattern of the site frequency spectrum (SFS) around the selected locus. To avoid confounding effects of background selection and variation in the mutation process along the genome, the method is typically applied only to sites that are variable within species. However, the power to detect and localize selective sweeps can be greatly improved if invariable sites are also included in the analysis. In the spirit of a Hudson-Kreitman-Aguadé test, we suggest to add fixed differences relative to an outgroup to account for variation in mutation rate, thereby facilitating more robust and powerful analyses. We also develop a method for including background selection modeled as a local reduction in the effective population size. Using simulations we show that these advances lead to a gain in power while maintaining robustness to mutation rate variation. Furthermore, the new method also provides more precise localization of the causative mutation than methods using the spatial pattern of segregating sites alone.

Detecting genomic signatures of natural selection with principal component analysis: application to the 1000 Genomes data

Nicolas Duforet-Frebourg, Guillaume Laval, Eric Bazin, Michael G.B. Blum
(Submitted on 8 Apr 2015)

Large-scale genomic data offers the perspective to decipher the genetic architecture of natural selection. To characterize natural selection, various analytical methods for detecting candidate genomic regions have been developed. We propose to perform genome-wide scans of natural selection using principal component analysis. We show that the common Fst index of genetic differentiation between populations can be viewed as a proportion of variance explained by the principal components. Looking at the correlations between genetic variants and each principal component provides a conceptual framework to detect genetic variants involved in local adaptation without any prior definition of populations. To validate the PCA-based approach, we consider the 1000 Genomes data (phase 1) after removal of recently admixed individuals resulting in 850 individuals coming from Africa, Asia, and Europe. The number of genetic variants is of the order of 36 millions obtained with a low-coverage sequencing depth (3X). The correlations between genetic variation and each principal component provide well-known targets for positive selection (EDAR, SLC24A5, SLC45A2, DARC), and also new candidate genes (APPBPP2, TP1A1, RTTN, KCNMA, MYO5C) and non-coding RNAs. In addition to identifying genes involved in biological adaptation, we identify two biological pathways involved in polygenic adaptation that are related to the innate immune system (beta defensins) and to lipid metabolism (fatty acid omega oxidation). PCA-based statistics retrieve well-known signals of human adaptation, which is encouraging for future whole-genome sequencing project, especially in non-model species for which defining populations can be difficult. Genome scan based on PCA is implemented in the open-source and freely available PCAdapt software.


Don’t Blame the Medium

“We need to do something about cyber bullying,” a teacher laments.  Note to self: if someone is still using the word “cyber,” then he or she probably has a skewed view of social media.

“I know.  It’s a real problem.  But you know what’s worse?  Oral and pencil bullying.  I’ve found two notes on the ground where someone was bullied and you wouldn’t believe what I heard out in the playground,” I point out.

“Yeah, but Facebook is so public.”

“And a rumor isn’t?”

“But Facebook is a place where bullying is more prominent.  I just don’t think kids should be on it.”

“You know what site has the worst bullying?  The cafeteria.  That place is rife with bullying.  Maybe the kids won’t eat.  Or maybe they can eat in silence.  That would stop the bullying.  I mean, you could argue that it’s a condition of the heart, but I think we’re better off blocking a site instead,” I point out.

I get it.  I wasn’t nice.  I could have been more diplomatic in the conversation. However, I’m tired of blanket statements about how Facebook is “making us” into something, as if we’ve become unblinking, unthinking cyborgs who can’t figure out a respectful way of using a medium.

Throughout this week, I’ve been surprised by the depth of social interaction on Facebook.  Whether it was a meaningful dialogue with former students, an encouraging message from Brad the Philosopher or the often witty and thought-provoking discussions based upon status updates, Facebook felt intimate and meaningful.   Social media aren’t making us shallow.  Instead, each tool provides the potential for depth that is often missing in our urbanized face-to-face interaction.

*     *     *

“I bet you’re finding that it’s deeper in person.  You know Facebook makes us shallow,” someone tells me.

If Facebook seems shallow, it’s because humans can be shallow.  If it seems boring, it’s because we can be boring, often when we are hiding out of fear. If it’s a place of bullying or sarcastic remarks, it’s because humanity can be dark.  But Facebook is also a place where students thank former teachers for the difference they made and it’s a place where we remember a life well lived and it’s a place where we rekindle old friendships.  If Facebook feels beautiful and broken, it’s because humanity is beautiful and broken.

True, technology shapes us.  No doubt the long attention span of the nineteenth century or the image-obsession of our current age are both formed by the most dominant contemporary media.  However, it’s more complicated.  It’s always a reciprocal relationship, where technology shapes our culture and the culture shapes the medium.

Weekly Reflection: Embracing the Tactile

A Few Limitations

Although I want to do all things Facebook, I am recognizing some limitations:

  1. It’s really hard to avoid viruses in real life.  Brenna is sick right now and pretty much anywhere we go we have a good shot at spreading the germs.  In Facebook, it’s a lot easier to avoid.  “Check who’s looking at your profile” is  a dead give-away.  But what if it really worked that way?  What if looking back to see who is looking at you meant you got a virus?
  2. You can’t delete people in real life.  Okay, you can, but it requires you to do #3.
  3. It’s probably really difficult to actually join the mafia.  I’ve never met a single person who had a member of organized crime send a letter asking him or her to join.
  4. Poking.  I’m still thinking of a way to get away with this.  Perhaps a poke and then, “just letting you know that you still matter.”  In my head, it works.  In real life it might be creepy.
  5. I’m not going to join a sorority.  That one wins tons of points on the creep scale.
  6. I’m not going to take photographs of me standing shirtless in front of the mirror. If I do, I’ll lose friends.  Forever.
Look for this list to expand.


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BACKGROUND The large number of genetic linkage maps representing Brassica chromosomes constitute a potential platform for studying crop traits and genome evolution within Brassicaceae. However, the alignment of existing maps remains a major challenge. The integration of these genetic maps will enhance genetic resolution, and provide a means to navigate(More)
Camelina sativa is an oilseed with desirable agronomic and oil-quality attributes for a viable industrial oil platform crop. Here we generate the first chromosome-scale high-quality reference genome sequence for C. sativa and annotated 89,418 protein-coding genes, representing a whole-genome triplication event relative to the crucifer model Arabidopsis(More)
Polyploidization has provided much genetic variation for plant adaptive evolution, but the mechanisms by which the molecular evolution of polyploid genomes establishes genetic architecture underlying species differentiation are unclear. Brassica is an ideal model to increase knowledge of polyploid evolution. Here we describe a draft genome sequence of(More)
Brassica oleracea is a valuable vegetable species that has contributed to human health and nutrition for hundreds of years and comprises multiple distinct cultivar groups with diverse morphological and phytochemical attributes. In addition to this phenotypic wealth, B. oleracea offers unique insights into polyploid evolution, as it results from multiple(More)
Dense consensus genetic maps based on high-throughput genotyping platforms are valuable for making genetic gains in Brassica napus through quantitative trait locus identification, efficient predictive molecular breeding, and map-based gene cloning. This report describes the construction of the first B. napus consensus map consisting of a 1,359 anchored(More)
Resistance to pod shattering (shatter resistance) is a target trait for global rapeseed (canola, Brassica napus L.), improvement programs to minimise grain loss in the mature standing crop, and during windrowing and mechanical harvest. We describe the genetic basis of natural variation for shatter resistance in B. napus and show that several quantitative(More)
The Brassica B genome is known to carry several important traits, yet there has been limited analyses of its underlying genome structure, especially in comparison to the closely related A and C genomes. A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of Brassica nigra was developed and screened with 17 genes from a 222 kb region of A. thaliana that had been(More)
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have rapidly become the molecular marker of choice in plant and animal association mapping (AM) studies. In this work, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and candidate quantitative trait loci (cQTL) approaches were used to identify SNP markers associated with seed quality traits, in a Brassica napus L. association(More)


Today's Prefabs

Contemporary interest in prefabs can be seen in architectural design competitions, museum exhibits and important new uses such as disaster-relief housing. Recent developments in materials and manufacturing methods combined with innovative designs may be leading to a prefab revolution. Target and IKEA, two retailers with a focus on design and mass-marketing, are working on prefab houses that will appeal to an American market.


Molly Beauchemin

Out of Africa: What It’s Like To Sleep in a Treehouse in Swaziland

After driving over 2200 miles across Sub-Saharan Africa, we crossed the border into Swaziland and arrived at a treetop bungalow amid tumbling waterfalls in the Hhohho Forest. The Phophonyane Falls Eco-Reserve— in the shadow of Piggs Peak, miles from the border of Mozambique in Mbabane– is the place where we exchanged South African rands for blue Swazi dollars and woke up to the birds chirping through the sound of running water.

Driven by a quest to capture the essence of Swaziland by conserving one of its most beautiful natural areas, Phophonyane is set along a series of waterfalls and cascades along beautiful old-growth forests– thus the name Phophonyane Falls. The reserve has views of the surrounding Gobolondlo Mountain ravine, and extensive, serene gardens.

The staff used slingshots to ward off the Vervet monkeys (the ones with the blue butts) who scampered hilariously across the water deck every morning. (They load the slingshots with palm nuts from the native forest; we drank Rooibis tea and hoped that they wouldn’t knock over the pot.) The on-site restaurant served Swazi curries and pap (a doughy midland grain dish that is eaten with hands) and cheerful staffers tended to guests who had the option to stay in a traditional Swazi beehive hut (which a staff member is finishing a few images below) or a tree house cabin, which is what we chose to do.

Molly Beauchemin

The reserve is nestled up in the hills in a middleveld enscarpment habitat (a fancy way to say that our elevation was so high that my sunscreen exploded from the air pressure despite the fact that we drove there) and yet still the sub-tropical forest was lush and inviting, and hot enough for us to wade in the rock pool after our hike. The sound of running water can be heard from every corner of Phophoyane, and this results in an interesting therapeutic effect: proximity to a waterfall is said to have regenerative benefits because the sound of moving water results in negative ions that somehow trigger the mammalian brain to secrete increased levels of serotonin (i.e. “the dream hormone”). Each night we slept well, surrounded by the forest and nothing but the sound of its creatures.

Flame Thorn Tree

“Flame Thorn”, a tree native to Swaziland, is used by local villagers to make brooms

One morning, my guest and I went on a hike with a local villager who helped us identify unique-African plants like the Common Fig Tree, and another that he called “Flame Thorn”– a tree characterized by its sharp, spike-filled bark (above), which people in his village use to make brooms.

Shortly before we left, GC spoke with Phophonyane’s owner, Rod de Vletter, about how the ecolodge came about before discussing his future plans to encourage further preservation in this fragile region of Africa.

Molly Beauchemin

Garden Collage: How did you personally get involved with Phophonyane? What is your story, and how long have you been in Swaziland?

Rod de Vletter: I came to Swaziland in 1975 only with the intention of visiting my parents. My father was based here at the timem as a technical advisor for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). While I was here, I was offered a job at Waterford Kamhlaba, an international school in the capital, Mbabane. It was a well-known anti-apartheid establishment, where many of the ANC leaders sent their children, such as the Mandelas and the Tutus.

“Proximity to a waterfall is said to have regenerative benefits because the sound of moving water results in negative ions that trigger the mammalian brain to secrete increased levels of serotonin, i.e., ‘the dream hormone’.”

I was very attracted to both the school and to Swaziland, and so I took the job. In the same year, we were told of an old farm in the north of Swaziland for sale, which my father purchased. I went to live on the farm and decided to leave Waterford the following year to experience rural Swazi life and teach in a local high school, which was about 10 km away on a rough road. I went to school everyday on an off road motorbike (the classic Yamaha XT500).

GC: You also mentioned that this was “your wife’s business”. How did she get involved with the Ecolodge?

RdV: In 1980, the Swaziland Government transferred me to a school in Mbabane, where I met my future wife, Lungile. She came to live on the farm in 1980 and we married in 1982. She started a dairy business on the farm where she produced outstanding yoghurt that soon earned an excellent reputation in Swaziland. In 1985, with the help of CIDA– the Canadian International Development Agency– the Swaziland Government established the Swaziland Dairy Board, which then regulated the industry and obliged all milk producers to send their milk in an unprocessed form to a central depot. This would greatly reduce the profitability of our dairy enterprise, so we decided to switch to a different form of livelihood. As we were both ardent nature lovers. adventurers and campers, we decided to turn the farm into a nature reserve and an ecolodge. Lungile ran the business while I worked first as a safari operator covering Swaziland, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. I went to Mozambique in 1993, a few months after the end of the civil war, to look at business opportunities– but instead ended up working for the World Bank, focusing mainly on Transfrontier Conservation Areas. I commuted weekly between Phophonyane and Maputo.

Molly Beauchemin

GC: Are you doing anything specific by way of ecological conservation? What are your plans for the surrounding trails going forward?

RdV: After returning full time to Swaziland in 2010, I developed a transfrontier community ecotourism program, which focuses on developing trail networks, lodges, campsites, and community conservation areas and corridors linking eastern Swaziland with southern Mozambique and norther Kwa-Zulu Natal [in nearby South Africa].

GC: How does Phophonyane engage with the local community? Your staff are all local, right?

RdV: At Phophonyane, we are mostly focused on providing an attractive and original ecotourism product, conservation management, and developing linkages with the local community. At the moment we have a guided walk into the local village which is an authentic experience greatly appreciated by our guests. The interaction between our guests and the neighboring community has led to many positive interactions in the way of social and financial support for the Phophonyane community. Most of our 25 staff members come from the local community. They receive on the job training and have developed commendable skills over time.

Molly Beauchemin

GC: What would you like prospective visitors to Swaziland to know about the country, your reserve, and the ecology of Swaziland?

RdV: Swaziland is an extraordinary country in many ways. Almost all of our guests comment on the warmth, kindness and natural good humor of the Swazi people, and the relaxed and peaceful nature of the country. The visitors experience is enhanced by the beauty of the country, especially its spectacular landscapes. Swaziland has very high biodiversity for a small country. Several attractive game and nature reserves offer a very personal game-viewing experience, as well as uncrowded nature reserves where one can hike in dramatically scenic areas without ever encountering other people. Swazi culture retains its integrity and permeates every aspect of life in Swaziland. The annual Reed Dance is, without a doubt, one of the most dramatic cultural events on the planet. [Editor’s Note: Umhlanga, or The Reed Dance ceremony, is an annual Swazi and Zulu dance event where thousands of unmarried girls and women perform for the king of Swaziland.]

Phophonyane tries to capture the essence of Swaziland by conserving one of its most beautiful natural areas. It is set along a series of waterfalls and cascades, with deep natural forests and wide views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The staff are unfailingly attentive and good-humored in the characteristic Swazi way. The lodge itself is designed to blend entirely into the surrounding landscape, with unique and varied accommodation spread out over extensive gardens. The Phophonyane experience is summed up in our motto: “Peace. Privacy. Paradise.”

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Why Everybody Should Be A Diva

why everybody should be a diva

What do you think of when you hear the word diva?  Chances are you think of someone who is really stuck up, covered in expensive couture, and bossing people around.  The word “diva” has come to mean someone who is generally pretty dislikable, but still seems to get everything they want.

Hang on.  Here is the dictionary definition of what a diva is: a famous female singer of opera.  That’s it.

The term diva has evolved over time, and it is still evolving to this day.  It used to simply mean an accomplished singer, but I frequently hear it being used as an insult or descriptor word of somebody that is pretty high-maintenance.  But as the word has continued to evolve, I think the term diva has come to a completely different definition altogether.  I think the best and most relevant definition of a diva is a person who values their creativity, respects themselves as an individual, and draws attention to themselves because of their authenticity rather than their ego.

Some classic examples of modern divas would be Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Beyoncé (duh).  These people have achieved diva status not only because of their amazing talent but because they are truly one of a kind.  There are many other singers you may not be aware of who actually do sing opera, and sing it very well.  These people are first-class divas too.

This kind of diva sounds like someone I want to be.  In fact, I think anyone with a creative bone in their body should aspire to become their own brand of diva.  Since I aspire to be both a singer-diva and an overall-creative-diva, here are some steps I’m taking that may help you become a diva as well.

Divas don’t try to copy others, they love being themselves

Has anybody ever become successful by copying others?  No matter what field you are attempting to achieve diva status in, I’m sure you have people you look up to.  However, aspiring to be exactly like these people isn’t your key to success.  I think it’s wonderful that there are so many incredible people that feed my inspiration, but if I’m ever going to be that kind of inspiration for anyone else, I must be totally confident in being myself.

They look fierce all the time

Of course, it is natural to assume that divas “look the part” all the time, but that is not necessarily true.  Real divas own whatever they are wearing because they don’t get their confidence from the clothes they wear or how their makeup looks.  Divas wear whatever they like, even if it doesn’t conform to current trends.  In modern terms, these divas are called trendsetters.

Divas value their own creativity

One of the biggest mistakes an artist can make is selling themselves short.  It’s easy to compare yourself to others and see that you haven’t accomplished as much, but give yourself credit where it is due!  I am so guilty of undermining my success, but it is something I am working on improving.  Every diva knows that what she creates is worth her time and a success in itself.  So don’t sell yourself short!

Every diva knows that what she creates is worth her time and a success in itself. Click To Tweet

They may have fear, but they don’t let it stop them

Obviously, you can’t be a diva if you are constantly checking for approval from others.  No one can truly escape fear, but that doesn’t mean you should let it control you.  Any good diva will look fear in the eye and move on with her life.

Divas lift up themselves by lifting up others

One of the problems I have with the popular definition of a diva is that it seems to imply that divas don’t care about other people’s work, or will even slam the work of others to build herself up.  Divas are of course honest all the time, so when she sees something she likes, she will, of course, say something!  Take every opportunity to praise other divas; they will surely return the favor.  True divas are not threatened by the success of others.

True divas are not threatened by the success of others. Click To Tweet

They don’t need the approval of others to be happy

Divas sing or act or write or paint or do whatever because they love it.  Of course, it’s always nice to have the approval of others at hand, but take it or leave it because you should only be trying to make yourself happy.  If your work can make others happy, great!  But your work doesn’t need the approval of others to survive.

Divas graciously accept compliments and critique

Do you ever find it hard to accept compliments?  I know I do.  Sometimes all you need to say is a simple and sincere “thank you” and leave it at that.  When people compliment you, it’s because you earned it.  So like I said before, don’t sell yourself short and simply accept the good that others see in you.  Likewise, critique can be equally hard to accept, but the same procedure applies.  Whether or not you agree with the critique, smile and say thank you.  It’s the least you can do, and it may help you improve yourself.

While I am still aspiring to become a singer-diva, I am taking these steps so that I can become a diva in all areas of my life.  I believe that divas are a powerhouse of confidence, which they exude in all areas of their life.  In fact, I’m sure we all know plenty of divas in our own lives that are pretty fierce!  It might be your mom, or your best friend, or one of the upperclassmen at your school.  Either way, I believe we all have the power to be a diva.

Oh, and I also think guys can be divas too. 🙂

So, what do you think of this?  Do you like this new-and-improved definition of a diva?  Let me know in the comments what you think about aspiring to become a diva or some divas that you might look up to! 🙂

The Pros and Cons of Being an Introvert

the pros and cons of being an introvert

The spectrum of introvert to extrovert is something very near and dear to my heart.  I believe that understanding a little bit about yourself and the way your personality works can help you relate to others and take care of yourself.  I consider myself to be an introvert; more specifically my personality type is INFJ.  It just so happens that INFJ’s cling to their personality type the most, which explains why I wrote this post I guess!

My introverted friends and I bond through the struggles and perks of our personality type.  So, I thought it would be fun to put together this list and see if any of you relate!  Keep in mind that these are only the things I have observed from my own journey as an introvert, so I can understand if you can’t relate to all of these.  Afterall, though we may all fall somewhere on the introvert/extrovert spectrum, we are all individuals. 🙂

The pros of being an introvert

  1. People think you’re really smart because you internalize everything and emerge with earth-shattering deep thoughts.
  2. You have no problem shopping, eating, or working by yourself. It’s actually pretty fun to treat yourself to a coffee or a movie all alone.
  3. People praise you for your amazing listening skills.
  4. You can read people in an instant.  It’s like your superpower!
  5. You are energized by alone time, especially with a good book, your favorite movie, or a walk outside.
  6. You have an uncanny understanding of cats.
  7. Introverts can actually process larger amounts of information than most people in any given situation.
  8. You are able to rationalize and problem solve much easier than your extrovert counterparts.
  9. You are ambitious. Contrary to the quiet evenings and mild social lives, introverts have all the tools they need to pursue their goals fearlessly.
  10. You learn things easily and have an incredible ability for self-correction.

The cons of being an introvert

  1. It is really, really hard to relate with people who are different from you.
  2. Although you love being by yourself, other people don’t really understand why you are keeping your distance.  It’s not them, it’s you.
  3. Making phone calls is the worst.
  4. You have to rehearse what you’re going to say to someone before you speak to them.
  5. You overthink everything. Hopefully it doesn’t drive you insane.
  6. For some reason, people feel like they need to help you be more outgoing. (Please don’t)
  7. Group projects!!!
  8. You hate being late, but you hate being early even more.
  9. You feel misunderstood sometimes.
  10. You struggle developing relationships with people at the same speed as everyone else.

There you go!  Just some observations from the life of an introvert.  Despite all the pros and cons, I wouldn’t trade any of these characteristics for anything.  Do you relate to any of these?  What are your own struggles as an introvert?  To my extroverted friends, what are some of the struggles you face?   Let me know in the comments!

10 Reasons Why You Should Be a Camp Counselor

10 reasons why you should be a camp counselor

I have had my fair share of summers that are less than spectacular, but now I know the secret to having the best summer ever: camp counseling!  Last summer was my first time working at a camp, and it was truly the best summer of my life.  Even though I was hired on as part of the kitchen staff (which is totally fun and awesome, by the way!) I got to do my fair share of counseling as well as other fun camp activities.

I am happy to say that I have been hired back as a full-time counselor for this summer!  While I’m waiting for the semester to finish I might as well share with you why being a camp counselor is the best way to spend your summer. 🙂

This post is in collaboration with Tori from toriinthousandoaks.com, another college blogger who works at a summer camp.  Camp culture is something you can’t really explain unless you’ve experienced it, so there is an instant bond between camp people!  The two of us are bringing you 10 reasons why YOU should be a camp counselor for the summer!

1. You will definitely get a good tan

Listen, I had never been tan in my life until I worked at a camp.  If I can tan, anybody can!  Especially if you’re a lifeguard, you will be leaving camp at the end of the summer with a bronze glow as a souvenir of all the wonderful times you had outside!  Being outside and running around with your campers is a sure way to soak up some rays.  Just make sure to bring sunscreen and aloe, because you will get burned too. 🙂

2. You get to learn some parenting skills years before you have kids

Most of the time, campers are pretty well-behaved, but you will definitely be working on having patience with kids!  Every now and then there will be a camper who acts out severely, and you will of course have to deal with them in an appropriate way.  But besides that, you will be learning how to keep kids engaged, how to listen to them, how to have fun with them, and how to be instructive.  Maybe your campers will teach you a thing or two as well!

3. Being crazy and outgoing is practically part of the job description

I often find that when I am with campers I am a completely different person than I am outside of camp.  Even though I’m generally more reserved, I completely let loose while I’m counseling.  The excitement and energy from the campers is contagious, and they will love you for being funny and outgoing!  As a counselor, you are responsible for bringing the enthusiasm to your cabin, so go crazy!

4. The food is really good!

Um, yes!  The meals we have at my camp are often one of the highlights of the campers whole time at camp.  Not to mention you will have some great bonding time with your campers over meals while you share funny stories.  Don’t forget the constant s’mores, popcorn, and candy that we snack on all week.  I even sneak some late-night cookie dough into my cabins sometimes!

5. You get to have an impact on young lives

It never ceases to amaze me how close all the campers grow with each other and with their counselors.  In a camp atmosphere, relationships are often hyper-accelerated, so you are sure to meet people that you feel like you’ve known forever.  Not to mention, the campers often feel like they can open up to their counselors easily, so you will surely have a positive impact on their lives!

In actuality there are a million reasons why you should consider being a camp counselor this summer, but I hope this list helped peak you interest.  If you have any questions about camp life or you have a crazy camp story to tell, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.  I’d love to hear it!

Don’t forget to head on over to Tori’s Blog, Tori in Thousand Oaks, to find out the other 5 reasons why you should be a camp counselor.

Real Talk: Community Post + Questionnaire!

real talk community post plus questionnaire

1) How do you deal with disappointment?

2) What is your greatest success up until now?

3) In what ways do you hold yourself back?

4) Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

8) What are you an expert at?

9) Who is your personal hero?

10) What is a belief that you cling to?

11) What is your story?

12) What do you struggle with?

Adventure in New York City: Spring Break Trip!

adventure in new york city: spring break trip!

It seems like nearly everyone I know went somewhere incredible for spring break this year, so why should my trip to New York City stick out amongst the other amazing travels that you and I are hearing about?  Because this trip was truly more than the sum of its parts.  This trip changed me, and I totally wasn’t expecting it.  I really got to know the city for the short time I was there, and I know I will be returning as soon as I can!  The culture, the food, the people, and the theatres made my trip so special.  I’m not saying everything was perfect, in fact I hated some of it, but it felt like I was meeting an old friend again.  Does that make any sense?

Oh where to begin?  This was a trip that I took with the Theatre Department here at MSU Mankato, so most of my closest friends from school were with me.  We had been looking forward to this trip for months.  When I was first dropped off in the city, me and my classmates just wandered around like lost puppies for a while, looking for cheap food.  I was kind of overwhelmed.  I had been to New York before in high school, but never let off the leash to explore on my own.  It was kind of a deer-in-the-headlights feeling for the first couple of hours.

Throughout the next several days I got to experience this amazing city.  Some of the most memorable locations I went to were Central Park, The Met, Little Italy, Chinatown, and Coney Island (even though the park was closed, the beach was wonderful!) and many other places.

adventure in new york city: spring break trip! central park

Did you know there is a castle in the middle of Central Park? And what an excellent view it has!

adventure in new york city: spring break trip! the met

I played Aphrodite in a show at my school. I couldn’t really see the resemblance in this statue of her at The Met.

adventure in new york city: spring break trip! coney island

Even though the amusement park at Coney Island was closed, the pier provided an excellent view!

Well, obviously this is all great, but the real highlight for any Theatre Major going to New York City are the shows!  I saw four Broadway shows while I was in the city, and each of them were phenomenal.  Not to mention, they all taught me something about myself, or about theatre, or about life in general.

Show #1: Chicago

The Ambassador theatre was actually a lot smaller than I thought a typical “Broadway” theatre would be.  The whole atmosphere of the show was pretty intimate, mostly because of the interpretive nature of the show.  Not only was the orchestra on stage, the orchestra was the scenery!  I had never seen any version of Chicago before and I loved it!

Show #2: Something Rotten!

You guys, this is a show that everybody should see!  I’m not kidding.  In the middle of watching this show I was wishing that my family was able to see it, and there is something to be said for wanting to experience something amazing with those you love.  Something Rotten! incorporates everything that is significant about musicals, and by that I mean that there is a lot of tap dancing!  The energy that goes into these big dance numbers is unreal, not to mention, it’s a hilarious show!

adventure in new york city: spring break trip! something rotten

(A Brief Intermission from the Awesomeness of Broadway)

I was feeling really down the day I went to Something Rotten!  That was the day I was supposed to see Hamilton the musical, which I believe everybody’s heard about.  I am a HUGE fan of Hamilton, and I had been telling people for months that I was going to see it on Broadway.  However, just a couple of hours before the performance, I realized that the ticket I bought in November was for the wrong day.  Heart.  Broken.  To be specific, it was for the previous weeks’ performance, so I couldn’t even get a refund.  It was awful.  Not only did I miss out on the most revolutionary show Broadway has ever seen, I had lost all the money I spent on the ticket.  So yeah, it was a pretty bad day.

After the amazing performance of Something Rotten! a group of us decided to wait at the stage door to meet the actors.  I thought I would hate doing this, I guess that’s just my personality, but I loved it!  But the most exciting moment at the stage door was the interaction me and my classmates had with André Ward; an ensemble member with quite the impressive Broadway resume.  He took one look at the group of us and said “You guys are actors, aren’t you?”  We were all shocked!  “Oh I can tell an actor from a mile away!” he said.  I was completely dumbfounded that this seasoned Broadway actor was able to pick out the collegiate actors from the rest of the crowd.  This was an especially encouraging moment for me, and I began to have a better understanding of how special the theatre community was.  I also felt like this was Mr. Ward’s way of accepting us as fellow artists.

Show #3: The Phantom of the Opera

The day I went to see Phantom I woke up with the excitement consuming my brain!  If you know anything about me, you know that this is my favorite musical of all time, and I was about to see it live for the first time!  The anticipation consumed my thoughts throughout the entire day, and I’m pretty sure my friends were both amused and annoyed.

adventure in new york city: spring break trip! the phantom of the opera

Omigosh, I fangirled so hard.

However this was the only show I saw that I didn’t have really good seats for.  Actually, I kind of hated my seat.  I was in the way back of the orchestra.  It’s not that I was too far back, it was that the balcony was blocking my view of the top half of the proscenium, and I would have loved to have a full view of the majestic scenery, including the chandelier.  Bummer.  Not to mention, the people around me were talking during the performance!  Not only did I witness this myself, but my friends who were dispersed throughout the theatre all had to suffer through audience members talking during the show.  Please, please be respectful to the actors and other audience members whenever you go see a show!

Despite the sub-par experience at the theatre, the show itself was beautiful!  The Phantom, Christine, and especially Raoul (the Phantom Trinity) were unbelievable.  And I made a vow to myself that I will someday play Christine on that stage.  I promise that to you too!  You heard it here first folks!

Show #4: School of Rock

After my Hamilton tragedy, I felt the need to make it up to myself.  Luckily, one of my favorite actresses -Sierra Boggess- was performing in a show right down the street from our hotel!  Sierra Boggess has been a huge influence on my technique as a performer, but mostly she has been influential in shaping my character.  If you don’t know who she is, go check her out!  Her commitment to honesty and positivity is just as impressive as her theatrical successes.  So I decided to see the show she was in.

But School of Rock though!!!  This show blew my mind!  I have never been more pumped up during a show before, and it was so touching too!  I would recommend this show to anyone, and I daresay it was the highlight of my trip.  I also had a fantastic seat.  When Sierra came out for her first scene, I was about 20 feet away from her.  It was such a thrill!  But really though, all the actors were incredible, right down to the kids jamming out on their instruments.  Holy cow!

adventure in new york city: spring break trip! school of rock

My classmates and I were all touched by this show.  The message is incredible, and the theatrics are breathtaking!  Like I said, I highly recommend this show!

Oh yeah, I met Sierra Boggess.  I didn’t get to give her my 20 minute I-appreciate-you-and-you’re-amazing-and-can-we-be-best-friends speech, but hey, I guess that’s how it goes!

adventure in new york city: spring break trip! sierra boggess

This trip just affirmed what I am working towards while I am here at college.  Don’t get me wrong, I am very proud to be pursuing a degree for now, but I am sure I am moving to this city after I graduate!  I felt so welcomed by the very atmosphere of the city, and I must say it has been an adjustment coming back to school.  However, I now feel more refreshed, encouraged, and confident about myself because of this trip!  Farewell until next time NYC!


In honor of American Heart Month (aka February), we thought it’d be helpful to share why it’s important to keep your head above your heart when doing intense cardio workouts.

Without getting into the nitty gritty of human anatomy and the cardiovascular system, the main reason you want to keep your head above your heart at all times during a heart-pumping workout is so you don’t get dizzy and possibly faint.

When rocking out to amazing Bollywood hits or Top 40 chart toppers in your class, your need for oxygen will increase due to the fact that you are recruiting muscles as you dance. As the speed of the song climbs, the intensity of the workout and your heart rate will go up as well. Your heart then has to pump faster and harder to deliver oxygenated blood throughout your entire body. While blood pressure may slightly increase initially, usually it’s offset by the fact that your blood vessels dilate to make room for more efficient transport of blood to the muscles. Getting blood to your lower extremities – no problem (yay gravity!). But getting the blood up towards your brain – more work is needed.

While you may think it would help get oxygenated blood to your brain faster if you dipped your head below your heart (using gravity), what ends up happening is potentially very dangerous. Dropping your head mid work-out while your heart is already efficiently pumping blood to your muscles and brain will cause a lot of excess blood to rush to your head due to the sudden added assistance of gravity, increasing the pressure there and causing dizziness. When you follow a head drop with lifting it back up quickly, you may feel light-headed.

Due to the sudden increase, then decrease, of blood to your brain from quick head elevation changes, you may find yourself flat on the floor. Fainting is nature’s way of getting your head and heart on equal levels so the heart doesn’t have to fight an uphill battle to deliver oxygen to the brain.

Summary: when you do a proper warm-up and cool down, and stay upright during the more intense parts of your cardio workout, your body will adjust to the new equilibrium to ensure your muscles and brain get what they need.

Isn’t the human body so amazing? We’ll leave you with a quote by Jim Rohn: “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”

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Translated Geometries

by Efilena Baseta
25 Aug 2014 / 7503 Views

Translated Geometries 4.57/5 (7 votes)

We propose an architecture of transition. A series of transitions between forces, (material) phases, people, spaces, and functions. Form does not always follow the functions that we cannot predict but rather the phases that our new built environments can go through in their relationship with humans, nature, and existing buildings.

What our architecture may lack in a set style and goals is compensated in its ability to harness flows of energy and information in its various transitions. By treating our architecture as a homogenous system we give it the potential for infinite personalization based on control over specific spatial parameters. These parameters will define processes and reasons for change in architecture rather than finite and ultimately outdated states.

Having said this, we cannot expect changes in our spaces and structures if the fundamental basis of architectural construction, the material, is still viewed as a sedentary element in our systems. A thorough understanding of smart materials and properties suitable for an adaptable architecture is therefore essential in gaining an understanding of their countless possibilities and limitations. In our studio project we have been working with Shape Memory Polymer (SMP) in order to apply it to a responsive architectural prototype. As our concept was based around the motif of architecture in transition, are using a material that can change phase from an external and controlled stimuli. Our SMP (Veritex) is able to reach a ‘soft’ and rubbery state upon exposure to heat above its glass transition temperature of 62°C, at which point it can undergo vast geometrical deformations.

Therefore, by wiring and embedding our SMP with constantan heat wires we are able to pick and choose specific applications of heat to our prototype. After a deformation is made, the material cools and stiffens (within 2 minutes) to hold the new shape. The use of SMP is minimized to perform as a structural joint in the material system of the geometry, that of a tessellated triangulated origami pattern. We place the laser-cut hexagonal SMP joint at the intersection of the pattern’s mountains and valleys to be able to control the overall geometrical deformations from these individual nodes.

From the initial flat position of the homogenous structure it can be entirely heated and softened and then deformed into a desired position through the actuation force of pulling by many octocopter drones. The drones hold the desired shape until the SMP cools, at which point the new form is held. This process can be repeated indefinitely, as the structure is able to respond to a given environment or user’s preferences for various spatial configurations, a never-ending transformable multi-purpose space. These transitions, whether they are ongoing, or frozen in a specific time or setting, define the evolving personality of our new built environment.

We decided that, to best suit our want for structural adaptability we needed to find a geometry that could arrive on site in an original state and then having the capacity to deform or expand into a desired shape from actuation forces. In addition it was determined that the concept would make most sense as a component of pieces that can be assembled to create a desired given whole. Therefore, a somewhat foldable structure was deemed to be able to give us this required expansion upon arrival on site, which is why we looked into rigid foldable origami patterns, namely that of origami pioneer, mathematician, and artist Ron Resch. Like Resch we started with paper, experimenting with various patterns such as the waterbomb, and magic ball, yet finally settled with the triangulated tessellation design, which gave us both great flexibility and original foldability. Our aim therefore is to interpret Resch’s work and develop his concept into that of a functional shape-shifting building, a self-supporting structure that, given its homogenous nature has the ability to expand, deform, and reshape over time.

After numerous paper tests it was decided that it is the hexagonal nodes of the pattern that hold most control over the overall deformation of the geometry, dependent on their expansion or contraction. Once again, performing as a structural joint, the SMP is cut into a hexagonal shape and placed at these intersections of the pattern’s mountains and valleys. Apart from these SMP nodes, the rest of the folds are replaced by regular hinges, which act in tandem with the position of the panels around them.

In the first prototype at 1:3 scale, we attach the hexagonal joint directly to the frames. Folding the entire pattern from a flat state proved to be difficult, however once in place the geometry was quite responsive to our needs. By heating the majority of the prototype and bringing the joints to a soft state we were able to successfully actuate growth in areas we wanted from inflating balloons underneath. The balloons fill out and push the geometry into place, and after cooling and removal of the balloon, the shape holds its new form. The concept of inflating through from underneath a real scale structure may seem difficult but it could be feasible with a system similar to that used in building binishell domes, albeit easily transportable.

The second final prototype is an attempt to push the concept to a functioning 1:1 scale, shown with a cluster of 7 units. The key design feature in this prototype is the introduction of a buffering wedge in between the SMP joint and the triangulated panel. The wedge’s function is two-fold: 1) firstly it acts to take most of the shape memory property of the material, as a result the SMP is in its original flat memory state when the component is at its most closed and acute angle. This means that reversion to the original closed triangulation state is embedded within the material system. While our SMP is not the optimum one, and we would have liked to cast it, it allows for this property to be taken advantage of with an SMP that is even more responsive. 2) Secondly the wedge introduces physical constraints in the opening / closing of the modules as when it reaches to furthermost open state the wedges push against each other and limit any further movement.

In our prototype the heating is applied uniformly across through a parallel circuit connected to the embedded heat wires, which worked well, however we propose a much more advanced system for the vision of the component in the grander scheme. We envision each triangulated component to be a self-containing unit, housing a small battery and wirelessly controlled microcontroller housed in an electronics component attached to the underside of the panel, which are powered by the solar fabric embedded in the equilateral triangles surrounding the middle component. In this way we create a self-sustaining unit that can be controlled individually and remotely, without any need for wiring between units. Given that the it is the chosen assemblage of units that determined the original form and scale, one is free to design any desired grouping of components. Micro energy production occurs at every node of the structure and each local release of energy through heating of the SMP with heat wires informs the global deformation of the structure. The actuation for the deformations is achieved through the force of pulling by many octocopter drones.

Why drones? They are the perfect mobile scaffolding system and represent a new breed of artificial intelligence that can both be pre-programed or have the ability to learn based on specific parameters or act in a swarm fashion. From a flat position where the entire structure is heated the drones pull at specific points and raise the structure into the desired place, upon which holding until the SMP cools, at which point the new form is held. The drone, either controlled by human or responding to specific environmental parameters, is also able to communicate with the microcontroller of each unit that is to be heated, establishing a communication between local nodes and global intentions. This process can be repeated indefinitely, as the structure is able to respond to a given environment or user’s preferences for various spatial configurations, a never-ending transformable multi-purpose space. These transitions, whether they are ongoing, or frozen in a specific time or setting, define the evolving personality of our new built environment.

Ece Tankal, Efilena Baseta, Ramin Shambayati
Areti Markopoulou, Alexandre Dubor, Moritz Begle

Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia


This is our big opening day and deserves a page all its own.

2016-2017 Retreat Information
Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras

Date and Location: Sunday, August 14, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN - approximately 9am - 5pm

Concert Orchestra

Date and Location: Saturday, August 13, Hilbert Circle Theatre, IN - approximately 9am - 3pm

Members will be given information about where to meet for their first activity upon arrival.
Bring: instrument, music, folding stand, pencil, and any instrument specific items (mute, rock stop, rosin, extra strings, repair kits, etc.)
Lunch will be provided.  Meat and vegetarian options will be available.

What to Expect
Either lunch or dinner is included in the retreat fee. Usually deli subs and/or pizza is provided for lunch.

Each orchestra will have both full rehearsals and sectionals with breaks throughout the day at the discretion of the conductor

Bring your pencil, music, instrument, folding stand and any other supplies you might need (i.e. rock stops, rosin, spare strings, etc.)

There will be parent meetings for each orchestra where calendars and other forms and information will be handed out.  Come and get your questions answered.  This meeting is for both new and returning parents!

Why do we have the retreat?
The retreat offers each orchestra a chance to kick off the season and welcome back young musicians. You will get to see old friends and make new friends, but there will also be intense rehearsal time. The retreat is an important start to the season and is required for all members.


Voices from the Village – Are you listening to what we really want?

Wednesday, April 5th: 15:00 - 16:00

HOST: Smart Villages

This interactive, inclusive, and engaging session will discuss and debate the need to focus more on dividends from energy access, particularly for off-grid communities, to achieve not only SDG 7 but a range of other SDGs. A panel made up of community leaders from high impact countries around the world will answer the key starting question: what exactly are the priorities for villages themselves when it comes to achieving energy access dividends? For many, the answers will be surprising. The ensuing conversation will focus on the need for an integrated and cross-sectoral approach to achieving these dividends, while also facilitating productive uses of energy.


Do barracudas lay eggs?

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Where do fleas lay their eggs and how can these eggs be killed at the same time as the adult, biting fleas? Eggs are laid in the animal's nest

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Marsupial and placental mammals do not lay eggs, but their unborn young do have the complex tissues that identify amniotes. Mammalian eggs

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Alligators do lay eggs. Mating season for alligators occurs from mid April through May. To attract females, males display behaviors such as slapping thei

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How Do Fish Lay Eggs?. Fish lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young, and the eggs hatch into "fry" with a yolk sac still attached to them.

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The number of eggs a duck lays per year actually depends on the breed of duck itself. While some breeds can lay up to 350 eggs per year. That is an egg a day!

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Askville Question: How often do chickens lay eggs? : Animals. Categories ... All chickens lay eggs in a series - never more than one or two per day.

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How do I make chickens lay eggs? I tried opening up the chicken to take out the egg but it didn't work. (works with pigs. Why not chickens?)

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How many eggs does a great baracuda lay? Considerably more than the lame baracuda, and about half as many as the mega-baracuda.

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Not all snakes lay eggs--70% of them do, while the rest give live birth. Snakes that give birth to their young without laying eggs are called viviparous.


A Practical Wireframe Primer

Wait, whats the problem?

Wireframes are blueprints

Use the metaphor

The blueprint is my favorite metaphor for wire-frames because no person thinks of a blueprint as a rendering of what the building will look like or uses it to make design or aesthetic decisions. It is purely a map of function, priority and information. Perhaps more importantly, no sane person thinks you can a create a building or car without a blueprint. That’s a healthy attitude.

Wireframing is not…

Before you begin to start using wire-frames in practical situations you have to know and be able to explain to clients, employers and colleagues what wire-frames are NOT for:

Wireframes are NOT designs
In fact, wireframes should be completely devoid of font choices, color, pictures, logos, etc. Most people think visually and it is extremely common to think that a wire-frame is a intended to convey design. It is extremely easy for a non-designer to think or act like wireframes reflect final designs or placements. Don’t confuse the function by putting visual distractions on your wireframes. Remind them: there is little visual fidelity, wire-frames are about working through functional issues and organizing information.

Wireframes are NOT final layouts
Another common belief about wire-frames is that the designer is just going to come in and lay a skin over the top of the frame and BAM! the site is finished. It is clear by the difference in many designers that it is nearly impossible to separate the final effective layout from the aesthetic design. But, that is a different stage and it can be stifling and disastrous to try and cling to a wireframe layout.

Wireframes are NOT prototypes
There is actually quite a bit of confusion between wireframes and prototypes. Its surprising since they are pretty radically different tools in the process. Simply, wireframes are for organizing information and prototypes are for evaluating interaction. While wireframes and prototypes can have similar levels of visual fidelity to the final product they are really completely separate steps with fundamentally different objectives.

Take the time to establish the basic goals and purpose for building wire-frames with your clients and teams. It will always get you off on the right foot.

Using Wireframes

As I mentioned, I have heard from a shocking amount of novice designers and students that they do not want to wire-frame, but they know they should. A few have even told me that they don’t see how it helps them. Absolutely, there is no reason to work within a step of the process if it doesn’t serve any purpose. Fear not, wireframing is one of the most purpose driven and useful pieces of the design process.

Let’s get practical…
In an effort to fulfill my previous promise and give a springboard for production application of wireframing beyond the conceptual : I am going to detail a few main aspects and purposes of wire-frames and give practical uses and action items that I have used in successful client situations.

Pure Usability

Wire-frames are one of the most effective methods to work through usability testing and ideas. Keep in mind, we are taking about usability NOT user experience. A common mistake is to think that Usabilty = UX. It does not. But, that’s really whole other discussion for another time. However, it is important to take away that usability is simply the measure of how easy it is to use a product. Which is a measure of function not design or experience. In a final production situation, sometimes it is difficult to separate the easy of use from the other elements that are at play in the overall experience. When you chose to attack usability while its out in the open you will not be distracted by other elements.

Practical Usability Tips:

  • Walk-through a conversion path : Map out every path that a user can take. Map how many steps and how if it is difficult for the user to get to where you want them to go.
  • Test system language : Does every member of the team from developer to client understand what the terminology means without explanation?
  • Map out user tasks : Using the wire-frame, go through each step that a user needs to take to complete a task via the information only. This can expose fatal site architecture issues early.
  • Check for error cases : Wire-frames are a great way of helping designers and developers prepare all potential error cases and be ready with custom, informative and helpful error messages. When you know exactly where each error came from, you can create a check-list to help return the user to a usable recovery in each case.

Detail Site Features

More often than not, clients, managers and product developers have an extremely macro approach to the design. In short, they don’t really have a specific list of features. They are more interested in the big picture and that is really a problem for designers and especially developers. Wire-frames are an effective method of matching every problem with an actionable solution. Many times , there are simple communication issues that arise between the verbiage being thrown around about what a feature actually does. By visually exploring and explaining the features it maps out the scope of work and gets everyone on the same page. You will be surprised at all the details that might have been overlooked or simply not considered.

Practical Site Feature Tips:

  • Do a deep dive on each feature: Don’t just use a box to communicate a feature like a photo gallery or map. Dive deep and list out each element that makes that feature work and where it needs to connect to the site map. Write notes on the specific connection and exactly how and where it gets its data from. The more specific you are, the more effective the list will be.

Deep diving in wireframes

  • List out relative content limitations: Many designers overlook relative content limitations like text strings, amount of items, overall screen real estate , etc. No one expects exact measurements, but spending the time on wire-frames to determine the reason range and limitation of content allows you to plan for scalability. Discuss with the team and write down roughly how long a title will need to be, how many images will you have, will the content need to scale, and how much will it need to scale. You’ll thank yourself when you don’t have to go back to the drawing board in mid production. It seems superfluous, but you will be glad you have it.

Feature Limitations List

Visualize Architecture

It can be overwhelming and mind-boggling for some members of a team to look at a site architecture when they are well…not site architects. Especially when projects become enterprise level or simply filled with content that site map and information structure will get increasingly complex and abstracted. The architecture is the underlying structure and in and of itself is heavily conceptual. Wire-framing is the first step and beginning to connect the concept of the information to a tangible product.

Practical Architecture Tips:

  • Illustrate Navigation: A tangible place to start when visualizing architecture is to visualize the relationships between the navigation pieces as well as the tiers of navigation. Wire-frame out the top level, secondary and local navigation systems and make sure to detail how they connect to each other. Explore what methods of listing or illustration are ideal for the information detailed in the site map.

  • Visualize Steps and Exits: Many times the screen design can feel disconnected from the overall site map. To make sure that no structural paths can lead to dead-ends or trap the user : An incredibly useful exercise is to use the wire-frames to compare to the architecture map and record on each screen, how the user can exit, proceed or move backwards. I recommend using Mind-mapping software such as Freemind.

This is only small primer on how wire-frames are an essential , powerful and time saving part of the design process. The practical action tips in this article are a springboard to build a useful wire-frame step in your development process. Many designers have the tendency to dive right into designing look and feel, cool features, and graphics. Take a step back and remember that websites and software are complex ( even the simple ones). Proper planning is not just a formality but the most important step you can take. Getting friendly with wire-framing will build awesome team communication and facilitate solid, professional and well-planned projects.

Shawn Borsky

Shawn is a10 year battle-hardened UI Designer and user experience sherpa. Lover of coffee, and whiskey. Currently UI/UX Lead Designer at Rivet Games and design/UX writer. His website is http://theborsky.com and his twitter handle is @anthemcg.