Matter, Energy, and Life of Michaela A. Castello.

Category: Long Reads

Stories that take a bit longer to get through.

  • Thesis Planning

    The lab I decided to stay in is just getting started at LLU, so right now it’s just me and the PI, Dr. Salvador Soriano. Since there wasn’t any ongoing research in the lab when I got there, the experiments we’re planning out are going to be my thesis. While the opportunity is tremendous, it’s…

  • Kernels of Devastation

    I have been allergic to peanuts my whole life. A food allergy is a major pain—it’s like a weakness, a Kryptonite that renders me helpless at even a small dose. Unlike Superman, I don’t have remarkable powers to fall back on when things are good. Peanuts contacting my mouth rapidly initiate a multistage anaphylactic reaction…

  • Residential Recycling

    Back before caring about the environment was a fad, my family was recycling: Taking care of cans, jars, and various other recyclable materials was one of my household jobs for a long time. In those dark ages, I had to fully rinse everything and peel of the labels before we could haul our amassed bags…

  • Spring, I Hardly Knew Ye

    Having lived here less than a year, I’m not entirely confident that I’m qualified to comment on the Southern California environments. However, I would imagine that it is in these first months that the differences between “here” and “there”—that is to say, Maryland—are the most salient, and are thus a fine source of raw material…

  • Pi Day! (with pictures)

    This week included March 14th, or 3/14, the holiday in commemoration of a certain special number celebrated by geeks and nerds everywhere. The homophony with pie provides instructions on how said day should be observed. Our Pi Day party featured a spread of six delicious pies: Blueberry, apple, peach praline, key lime, chocolate pudding, and…

  • Lake Perris Island Adventure

    Lake Perris Island Adventure

    Yesterday a bunch of us took a boat out on Lake Perris. Perhaps because it is still technically winter, there weren’t that many people there. We were able to take our picnic out to the island and have it all to ourselves. On the way back, we sent the first group of people back to…

  • RPGs Are Powered by Characters, Not Stats

    I am super-excited about Dragon Age 2, Bioware’s latest RPG. One thing that always comes up when a new RPG is released however, is whether or not the gameplay has been “dumbed down.” The idea is that hardcore RPG-players want a high level of customization so they can fine-tune their character’s development, while the wider…

  • Crytek Is Going to Be Just Fine

    Remember Crysis? That mediocre first-person shooter with massive hardware requirements that turned “But can it run Crysis” into a phrase that still hasn’t left the geek culture consciousness? The studio behind the game, cleverly named “Crytek,” has been working on the sequel (scheduled for release in late March). An unfinished version has leaked online, prompting…