This week, we’ve got a new brief about microscopes!
Brief: How can non-experts contribute to science? How can ‘perfect’ images be reliably constructed from approximations? Working in groups, research and design a performative experience to communicate an aspect of Dr. Martin Jones’ talk.
Outcomes might be, but are not limited to, workshops, performances, interactive installations, hands on activities…
Audience: Your subjective selves.
Insight
Following a talk about the project Etch-A-Cell by Dr. Martin Jones at the Francis Crick Institue, we, in a group of 4 RCA students, recevied a brief about designing a performative experience to communicate Etch A Cell with the public.
Etch-A-Cell is an online project that get the public to help scientists understanding the movement of nuclear cells’ structure through drawing the outline of the nuclear cell. Due to the large number of images produced by the 3D Electron Microscope, collective effort is essential in speeding up the process of “segmantation”, i.e. drawing the nucleus of a cell.
Challenge
It’s hard to communicate something so foreign to general public, especially something they can’t see with their eyes. It could be useful to have something to play with in the beginning. (to lure them in perhaps?) So, me and 4 other groupmates started thinking how about doing a workshop everyone might enjoy… such as puzzles?
Idea:
In a group effort, get the 16 pieces and find the perfect match; making a total of eight slices. Each pair has different forms of lines that symbolize the nucleus cell.
Upon successful completion of the task, they are asked to slot the pairs into the base on the box.
By a rotational mechanism (manual or electronic) the plaques must run smoothly showing the outline movement of a nucleus cell.
Participants will see the constantly moving and shifting line of the nucleus cell.
Draft and Trials:
In Progress 