New Florence. New Renaissance.

The "6 Feet" Office

Cushman and Wakefield has a conceptual idea The 6 Feet Office to help their clients prepare for their employees for eventual return to the office. Interesting view of the near future of work from Chairman and CEO, Brett White

Manned space launch returns to Florida

Next month, human spaceflight will return to US soil after nearly a decade.

NASA announced Friday that SpaceX will launch astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on a mission to the International Space Station on Wednesday, May 27 at 4:32 p.m. ET. Liftoff will be from Florida's Kennedy Space Center — marking the first time a rocket will carry astronauts into orbit from the United States since NASA's Space Shuttle program retired in 2011.

It will also be the first crewed mission for SpaceX since its founding 18 years ago.

Because of Covid-19, however, there will be no crowds of spectators lining the beaches and viewing sites along Florida's Space Coast to watch the craft hurtle toward the ISS, as they have for the launch of nearly every crewed US mission since Alan Shepard became the first American to reach space in 1961.

CNN Business

Here is a video of a test of the Crew Dragon 

 

Technology & My Passion: Bonnie Tinder and Figure Skating

Every few years, I invite readers and colleagues to contribute guest columns in the series Technology and my Hobby/Passion. Over a hundred contributed in the last decade on their birding, charities, cooking, music, sports and every other passion, and how it keeps evolving with technology. Click here and scroll down to read them all.

This time it is Bonnie Tinder, who is the Founder & CEO of Raven Intel, a peer review site (similar to Yelp! or Glassdoor) for Enterprise Software Consulting.  After spending the past 2 decades in the HR Technology space, she started her business in 2018 to give software customers a way to make a well-informed decision in an implementation partner.  She lives in Chicago with her husband, 14-year-old son and dog, Grommet. (Yes, Bonnie is a repeat contributor - a few weeks ago she wrote about Grommet. I am convinced Grommet coerced her to write that, so I invited her to write another.)  Her hobbies include traveling, music and figure-skating—which she started taking lessons at age 40, and writes about here:

When I was 10 years old, my parents took me to a production of Ice Capades.  Ice Capades was big in the 70s and 80s and the predecessor to today’s modern events like “Disney on Ice”.  Part ice show, part circus - it mesmerized me.  Maybe it was the amazing sequin costumes or the theatrics or the graceful, athletic nature of the ballet on ice, but I left that night wanting to be a figure skater. It is a dream that has stuck with me to this day.  Spoiler alert: I did not become a professional figure skater, but skating has been something that has brought a tremendous amount of joy and importance to my life journey—even now in my mid-40s. 

Early Years

Growing up in a family that highly valued classical music, skating wasn’t a hobby my parents were keen on investing in. My mom was (and is still) a piano teacher and each one of us had their musical instrument—one sister played the violin, another the piano and I played the flute.  Both flute and skating require a tremendous amount of time and money, and music won out.  My parents would say, “music is something you can do your whole life.  You can’t skate when you’re old.” (As a parent now, their rationale makes sense.) 

But skating was something I could do ‘on my own’, which translated to saving up my allowance money to skate at open public sessions (and learning from friends who took lessons), reading books on skating and watching my idols Katarina Witt and Debi Thomas on NBC Sports.  Skating, while it looks effortless when done by a pro, is not something you can learn well DIY or from how-to books.  I came home from the rink with many bruises and while I loved every minute of skating, I never felt like I got very good at it—certainly not good enough to join Ice Capades.  After high school, I put my skates away where they collected dust for the next 20 years.

Happy 40th Birthday: Figure Skating Lessons

Things changed when I turned 40.  I now had a great job where I was working from home with a son that was in school full time.  Coincidentally, the ice rink in my neighborhood had public ice hours at noon on weekdays.  On a whim one lunch break, I dusted off my old skates and found that I could get some exercise in and had a near-empty rink to practice in.  That year for my birthday I gave myself a great gift—I hired a skating coach like I had always wanted and started taking lessons.  I also bought myself some decent skates, which is important.

Skating mid-point in my life was an amazing discovery.  I found I could ‘change the channel’ and have a great stress break in the middle of my day, while learning something I love and had forgotten. The start was humbling—I was worse than the 9-year-olds, and just as I had when I was young, I came home with many bruises.  But, now 6 years later, I am stronger and finally have learned to do the tricks that I had dreamed about. 

If you’re going to start a new hobby, here are my top (3) pieces of advice:

1. Be patient with yourself. As a skater, the first thing you need to do is learn how to fall (I got great at that.)  Early on it probably won’t feel good and you’ll want to quit—don’t.  Keep getting up and focus on the goal you’ve set for yourself.  Nobody cares that you look like a beginner except you.

2. Get the right tools. For years I skated with dull blades and as a result struggled with some basic techniques.  It wasn’t until I got my blades sharpened correctly that things changed almost overnight.  You don’t need the top-of-the-line stuff from the get-go, but invest in decent equipment so you’re not fighting with the tools while trying to learn at the same time.

3. Just do it. Don’t wait.  Sign up for that ‘stretch’ event / put a date on the calendar, then go for it.  There’s not going to be ‘the right’ time. 

Technology and Skating

There have been several technological advances over the past 20 years that have made skating easier and moved the sport forward.  One of the tools I didn’t have when I skated when I was young was an iPhone--which makes it incredibly easy to record video and analyze it later.  So much of skating is about core balance and precision of the skate blade, and you can’t truly judge what a move is looking like while you’re doing it.  There have been many times that I hadn’t realized that my shoulder position was off, or I was on the wrong edge of the blade, until I was able to zoom in and analyze from a different perspective.  It’s not easy to watch yourself on film (I always think I’m going a whole bunch faster than the video shows), but it’s been a great way to address errors and make changes.  Digital video and replay has also made skating competition / judging far more precise and improved the technical nature of jumps as every turn and landing can be easily analyzed.

Another improvement has been with the ice quality itself.  Back when I was young, having the ice cleared before skating sessions took a full 30 minutes and the result was still inconsistent and choppy.  The Zamboni machines of today work in 10 minutes and resurface the ice more efficiently.  It makes it easier for ice rinks to provide skaters with maximum ice time but still guarantee a perfect sheet of ice for the next session—and as a skater there’s nothing better than stepping out on ‘fresh glass.’

The COVID19 pause

A few weeks ago I went to the rink to find this sign posted on the front door:

While this is a minor inconvenience in light of the severity of the larger situation, it’s been sad to not have skating to turn to as a source of stress-relief.  There’s many off-ice exercises that can be done, sure, but it doesn’t replace the joy of gliding on fresh ice.  Going to the rink will be one of the first things I do when this quarantine period is over--and I’ll be smiling ear to ear.

Technology and my Passion: Susanne Beck and Stained Glass

Every few years, I invite readers and colleagues to contribute guest columns in the series Technology and my Hobby/Passion. Over a hundred contributed in the last decade on their birding, charities, cooking, music, sports and every other passion, and how it keeps evolving with technology. Click here and scroll down to read them all.

This time it is Susanne Beck, who was born in Detroit, Michigan but has lived most of her life in Florida.  She had a teaching career that spanned 42 years focused on social studies at the middle school level. Now retired, she has lots of time to work on stained glass from her garage workshop in Tampa, Florida.

I got my teaching degree at USF in 1968. While getting acquainted with the campus, I discovered a hidden gem in the basement of the University Student Center - the Craft Shop. I immediately signed up for ceramics, leather working and stained glass. Within a few weeks, I became totally consumed by the vibrant colors and the precision and skill required to create a stained glass window.

These days you can learn just about anything via YouTube - here's one on how to create a stained glass window. 

I learned it the old fashioned way. Classes were scheduled for eight weeks, two hours each. The class size was limited to 8 students. We began with the basics: how to use a glass cutter to cut straight lines, circles, inside and outside curves. Grozer pliers and a glass grinder were used to smooth the outside edges of the glass so you fit the adhesive copper foil around each piece of glass. We then assembled our glass pieces on a board using flat sided nails. They held the pieces in place while we applied flux. Surely you know what flux is? It is that lovely smelling (NOT) paste you apply to metal prior to soldering with lead wire.

Our first projects were limited in size. We used only a small amount of glass. This was to help cut down our frustration. Trust me, cutting glass and soldering are not easy skills to master. Sharp objects and glass can be lethal. Soldering irons can reach temperatures of 800 degrees F. They generate fumes which can harm your lungs and your eyes.   

I don't know if I was lucky or gifted, but within a few weeks I had fallen in love with this awesome art form. I constantly found myself dreaming of ideas for next projects. On a trip to Winter Park, a couple of hours away, I discovered the Morse Museum. It showcased Tiffany lamps, windows, boxes and even a church altar made entirely of stained glass. Charles Lewis Tiffany established one of the world’s premier luxury brands, Tiffany & Co. His son, Louis Comfort Tiffany earned his own reputation as the foremost American designer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially of brilliant stained-glass lamps and windows.

That trip got me even more interested and I did some research on the history of stained glass. Colored glass was used by Egyptians and Romans to make small colorful animal figures and other ornaments. It became a major art form starting in the 7th century when Christians started using them in their churches. Today, I see it everywhere!

As I aged, the student became the teacher. I started teaching the stained glass class at the USF Craft Shop. I began creating stepping stones embedded with glass designs.

A local school offered adult woodworking classes. There I learned to make frames for my glass window projects.

Vinnie asked me to talk about how technology has changed the world of stained glass. In my little world, I still use basic glass, the cutters, the soldering gun and the flux. Underlying each element, there is plenty of innovation. I would recommend you watch this video from Corning "A Day made of Glass" to see the tremendous progress. Or visit the plant in Germany where one of the best glass cutters in the world, the Silberschnitt BO 100.0 is made. Or the plant in Japan where Hakko makes some of the best soldering irons. Or talk to the chemists at 3M on how flux keeps improving.   

If I were younger today and wanted a different career, I may want to work at a company like Judson Studios. They helped create a single window that measures nearly 100 feet by 40 feet at the Church of the Resurrection near Kansas City, Missouri. The video below describes their innovations and technology.

I am happy with my glass projects. Little did I realize when I walked into the Craft Shop at USF five decades ago, I would be introduced to something which would become a life long passion.  

Technology and my Passion: Michelle Turman and Redefining Nonprofits

Every few years, I invite readers and colleagues to contribute guest columns in the series Technology and my Hobby/Passion. Over a hundred contributed in the last decade on their birding, charities, cooking, music, sports and every other passion, and how it keeps evolving with technology. Click here and scroll down to read them all.

This time it is Michelle Turman, MA, CFRE, the CEO of Catalyst Consulting Services whose mission is to facilitate positive change for nonprofits in the areas of executive searches, organizational management, and fundraising.  In 2018, Turman was recognized as Small Business Leader of the Year by the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce for her leadership in the nonprofit sector. She is also author of the best-selling book, Jumping the Queue – Achieving Great Things Before You Are Ready which focuses on how young professionals can seize personal and professional opportunities, achieve great things, and get what they want and deserve:

We have all seen or heard the phrase by Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the Change That You Wish to See in the World”, but how many of us truly are brave enough to create or facilitate change? Many of us are not risk-takers, entrepreneurs, leaders, innovators or change agents for fear of failure. I was one of those people in my 20s and 30s. Like many before me, I had a clear, safe path: get an undergraduate degree, gain a few years work experience, go back to graduate school and find a job that hopefully made use of the degree, then work my way up to where I wanted to be. Success meant achieving these goals and building on some personal highlights I had already enjoyed along the way.

Success came early

I was the youngest female to dive the wreck of the Titanic in a deep-sea submersible. At 27, I was the youngest of 12 women in the diving group, with the oldest at 72. I was afforded this opportunity because I was the Chief Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at RMS Titanic, Inc. This opportunity also allowed me to use my creativity, formal training and emerging technology to redefine the museum visitor experience. Whether it was through creating replicas of each room on the Titanic, the exact constellation of the sky on the fateful night or the 28 degree temperature of the icebergs, we brought the ship to life. LED lighting and a self-icing wall helped create that experience. As you walked through the Verandah Café you could smell fresh coffee or vanilla.  The ability to create the exhibitions in the United States while managing the conservation in Semur, France, shipping artifacts around the world, and at sea in the North Atlantic were all made possible through technology (back then, mostly via cell phone and laptop). Having this knowledge about how to get things done allowed me to tour the world, provide access to the atypical museum goer, and change the way in which history was viewed. The video below depicts some of the artifacts from the magnificent, but doomed ship.

At age 30, I was one of the few adjunct professors at St. Petersburg College to transition my in-class instruction to on-line instruction. It was ahead of its time - tenured professors  believed in-person classes had more credibility. I chuckle when I see that today the e-campus for the College makes up over 70% of their enrollment. I have seen a boom in other on-line degree universities. The current COVID-19 crisis is expected to turbo-charge the trend even more.

At the age of 32, I became the youngest female museum director in the State of Florida. I felt I had achieved all the professional goals I had set for myself.

Now what? Well in 2008, I found out.

Painful pivot

A “dream” job that I had wanted so badly, was poorly run before I came on board. I thought I could save the organization, but it was too far gone. I spent a painful 8-month period, dissolving the first organization I ever led. However, the lessons I learned would not only be the greatest education I ever received in how to pivot in tough times, it was the foundation for a service I created in 2014.

In my heart, I thought my passion for the arts was dead and beaten out of me, but with that death of a dream, came a new passion: the ability to save organizations and individuals the pain I had gone through. I wanted to ensure that all types of nonprofits, not just museums, were set up for success so they could focus more on serving needs in their community. No, the concept was not sexy or exciting. Frankly, no one wanted to focus on the concept of change management, my passion for "be the change". They wanted to focus on capacity building, growth, and innovation. However, if you do not have the basic building blocks in your foundation - the right people, a solid infrastructure, and the funds to implement - you cannot attract partners to collaborate with or fulfill your mission. That is the mantra of the firm I founded, Catalyst Consulting Services. 

What made our mission of “facilitating positive change for nonprofit organizations” unique, was that we would teach people how to fish rather than give them the fish. That was fairly radical. At that time, nonprofit consultants were trained to a template that included certifications from BoardSource, John Maxwell’s leadership courses and so forth. I am not knocking these programs, but the reality is few had the scars and experience to share. They have not bought into what author Brene Brown says "I believe that you have to walk through vulnerability to get to courage, therefore . . . embrace the suck. "

One key component to delivering our mission was leveraging other nonprofit consultants who were experts in their fields including software, cybersecurity, grant writing, event management, executive searches and coaching, and social entrepreneurship. Our industry was changing in such a way that the core mission remained in house while many services became outsourced to the experts. Nonprofits were learning the Good to Great model and sticking to what they did well. Additionally, our model leveraged technology platforms to serve nonprofits throughout the Southeast US. With tools like Go To Meeting, Zoom, Dropbox, Google Docs, Blackbaud CRM (on the Salesforce platform) and other cloud-based applications, we could do 80% of the work virtually. This was a game changer in the nonprofit world, and for some not a welcome one. However, we were bringing a new level of efficiency so more money could be invested toward the nonprofit's mission, not on overheads.

So many with the courage to change

Each year, I look at our client list, their testimonials that they freely give, and the over $75 million dollars we have helped to raise and give since 2014 and I know I am being the change every day. I have truly leveraged the God-given talents I was given to benefit many missions, not just one. The budgets range from under a million to $72 million dollars and include the following successes:

Onbikes – Our firm was able to take a small, grass roots initiative in which the main mission was “every kid deserves a bike” and strengthen the infrastructure through policies and procedures, strengthen board governance, and increase fundraising to implement corporate bike builds for companies like Dell and Publix. This ultimately allowed the organization to hire its first full-time executive director. To date, the organization has built and given out over 6,200 bikes and remains one of the most well-branded millennial nonprofits. Here I am with Co-Founder Drew Weatherford and Board Member Ned Pope.

Working Women of Tampa Bay Foundation  – Founder Jessica Rivelli realized that she wanted to take her mantra “women helping women” to the next level. Our firm came in and worked to create the Foundation that allows women to pitch their idea to other women. They get seed money and build relationships that will be needed to grow their business through a network of like-minded individuals. Here is a photo from their 10 year celebration.

I could go on an on about so many more nonprofits who sign up for change with us. Here are some of their CEOs - David Fleming of Donate Life America, Frank Wilton of American Association of Tissue Banks, and Jason Woody, of Lions Eye Institute.

The change I want to see grows each day and I feel fortunate that I am living a life of passion and purpose each day. Unlike the goals I had when I was younger, this is how my success is measured these days.

I also spend a good deal of my time mentoring young women and have expanded my reach through my recently published book. It focuses on how young professional women can seize personal and professional opportunities, achieve great things, and get what they want and deserve.

(Vinnie's note - I had reviewed the book here)

Technology and my Passion: Sandra Lo and Piano

Every few years, I invite readers and colleagues to contribute guest columns in the series Technology and my Hobby/Passion. Over a hundred contributed in the last decade on their birding, charities, cooking, music, sports and every other passion, and how it keeps evolving with technology. Click here and scroll down to read them all.

This time it is Sandra Lo, who has been working as a corporate communications professional in Silicon Valley for two decades. Currently as the Head of Corporate Communications at Zoho, she leads media, analyst and influencer relations across the company’s numerous regions worldwide. Prior to joining Zoho, Sandra worked at software companies big and small including FinancialForce, Adobe, Xero and Salesforce.  Sandra resides in the Bay Area and is a proud mother to two boys and a pug.  Here she writes about her superb piano skills:

Is piano playing a passion of mine?  Yes, I would say so, but the journey to find that passion has involved a fair amount of both pleasure and pain.

Starting very young

My first exposure to a keyboard was at the age of 1. I was told the keyboard was a small toy.  That quickly became my favorite toy.  By the age of 3, my parents had enrolled me in piano lessons, and as they would tell me, by age 4, I was playing Minuets by Bach. My parents nurtured my inner performer and trained me to thrive on applause and compliments. I still remember being asked to perform in front of relatives and family friends, sometimes even in public spaces with a piano. I always enjoyed performing as a kid. I sang, danced and played the piano.

As I entered elementary school, my love for playing the piano deepened. Very early on, I knew my favorite composers were from the Baroque and Classical periods. Bach, Scarlatti, and Handel were my Baroque favorites, and Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart were my Classical favorites. I didn’t just play the pieces - my playing had matured into being able to feel the phrasing and emotions as intended by these composers.  I learned to appreciate every note and every chord because they were meant to emote.  Each time I played a piece, I immersed myself in the music and in the composer’s world during the stage of life where these beautiful pieces were written.

Sandy playing a note from Dear Evan Hansen

The frustrated teenager

By the end of elementary school, I was playing advanced classical pieces and participating in piano competitions. My piano teacher at the time put a lot of pressure on me to place and frankly, I put a lot of pressure on myself as well to bring home a trophy each time. I was expected to practice 90 minutes a day by 5th grade and not allowed to watch TV until I finished homework and piano practice.  I felt this was a turning point for me.  What I loved about playing piano and performing had turned into a heavy ball and chain that tied me down from being a regular kid for the next few years. 

My competition and performance schedule ramped up during my junior high years.  Instead of going to birthday parties or hanging out at the mall with friends during weekends, I had to decline those invitations and focus on my piano schedule.  I would cry to my parents and lament that I only had piano in my life but nothing else.  I hated being tied to the ‘piano jail cell’ at that point in life.  The invitations eventually stopped coming - I had friends at school but they stopped inviting me to parties or to the movies. But despite detesting what piano was doing to my social life, I felt the pressure to make my parents and teacher proud, and that meant winning.  I won nearly every category I competed in from Baroque Festival, Sonata Festival, to Southwestern Youth Music Festival. While other parents drove their kids to sports games weekend after weekend, my parents drove me to piano commitments all over California.

Sandy playing from The Phantom of the Opera

Was I happy? I was happy that I won, but it was for my parents, not for me. Everyone who heard me play told me that I had a rare musicality talent.  I didn’t know what that meant and didn’t really care either. I wanted to be a regular teenager.  I wanted to buy cassettes of Top 40 singles and talk about them with my friends.  But I wasn’t allowed to even listen to non-classical music at home.  I was embarrassed that my weekends were full of piano performances and often lied to my friends that I went somewhere fun instead, just to try to fit in. 

The turning point

At this point, you are probably wondering, is this really a passion of Sandy’s?  Where are we headed with this column? My insecurity as a teenager with no social life peaked at one point. We moved to a bigger house in a new city, and I needed to fit in at a new school. This year is what I would now call the worst year of my life.  I was regularly bullied as a new student, I had no friends. To say the least, I wasn’t fitting into the new environment well.  As an emotional teenager, I really didn’t feel like I had anything to live for.  Except piano. I knew I was great at it. I drenched my emotions into the music I was learning.  I poured in hours of time to not just practice, but playing the pieces to perfection.  I would spend hours studying recordings by renowned pianists and soak in their interpretation of each piece, to come up with my own interpretation.  My piano resume reached new heights during this time.  Not only was I winning competitions, I enjoyed what I was able to create on the piano.  I was no longer just playing piano -- I was making meaningful music that was close to my heart.  Piano gave me the self-confidence and assurance I needed at a very vulnerable time that things are going to be ok. I felt better than the mean things my classmates called me.  It was yet another turning point -- the one that turned piano playing into a lifelong passion. 

By the time I graduated from high school, I not only had shelves full of trophies, I was also a ranked in the top 25 piano players in the state of California.  I had my choice of college scholarships, but only as a Music major.  I loved piano but I knew I wanted to continue playing music on my own terms.  So I did not pursue music in college, but it continued to be part of my life and continues to be so today.  Whenever I feel sad, I express my feelings on the piano.  When I am anxious, I know which songs will give me hope and calm.  And when I feel excitement, my exuberance comes through in the music as well.  I still love playing classical music regularly but I also play plenty of Broadway pieces now, and since becoming a mom, I play the entire Disney repertoire as well for my kids. To this day, I continue to lead the Christmas sing-along in family get-togethers.  Piano music is love, it is human and it is a huge part of who I am.

Sandy playing from Greatest Showman

Pandemic Piano

Since the shelter-in-place order a month ago, I have found myself frequently going to the piano to process my emotions and thoughts. Sometimes we play together as a family, sometimes I sit on the piano bench solo trying out new pieces. On a couple occasions, playing the songs led me to break open the tears I’ve been holding back in trying to stay strong for my kids during this chaotic time.  But that was exactly what I needed, and playing piano has allowed me that opportunity.

Across the post are a few clips of me playing the piano while reflecting on the pandemic.  Above are a medley of Broadway hits from Dear Evan Hansen, Phantom of the Opera and Greatest Showman; below are a Baroque and two Classical pieces.  I hope you also find comfort in these songs.  Together, with the help of music and our individual passions, we will get through this pandemic.  Stay safe.

Bach French Suite 2

Mozart Sonata No. 11

Mozart Sonata No. 12

Mass sanitizing of N95 masks

Like many efforts underway, Battelle’s project was barely an idea three weeks ago. The company had used vaporized hydrogen peroxide to sterilize sensitive equipment for years. But to develop a large-scale decontamination process, the logistics were hurriedly sketched out on a conference room table by a handful of experts and executives.

Battelle’s West Jefferson site has since received scores of face coverings, double-bagged and stored in boxes marked with biohazard symbols.

NY Times

Track and trace applied to COVID-19

Apple and Google collaborate on a Bluetooth enabled contact tracing

Bloomberg reports on work being done in different states

Contact tracing presents its own challenges, requiring armies of trained staff. It’s tedious and time-consuming work to find those who have been near an infected person, direct them to testing or treatment or help them self-isolate, and follow up.

To do so, North Dakota has re-purposed an app called The Bison Tracker, built to help fans of the North Dakota State University Bison football team follow their progress on a 1,000-mile drive to the league’s championship game in Texas.

Tim Brookins, a Microsoft engineer in Fargo, tweaked the Bison Tracker to build Care-19, an anonymous location tracker. It had more than 10,000 downloads in its first 36 hours.

The app can serve as a record for people to remind them where they’ve been if they test positive, and to alert them to possible contacts with infected people. They can choose to share information with state health workers.

Tele-surgeries

Guest column in Fortune by Ryan Madder, the section chief of interventional cardiology at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich

"In 2001, surgeons in New York removed the gallbladder of a patient in France utilizing a remote-controlled robotic system. The Lindbergh operation, as it’s widely known, was the world’s first such tele-surgery.

My recent experience strongly supports the concept of relying on wireless technology to support a heart procedure. I used a 5G connection late last year to complete 36 test remote coronary procedures. In these experiments, I was located close to Boston and used a robotic system connected to a 5G network to manipulate a robotic arm in San Francisco. Despite the robotic signals traveling approximately 3,000 miles, I did not perceive any mechanical latency, or a delay between the moment I made a command and the moment the robot responded."

 

Turning scrap into art

While most of us dispose of old car parts and unused cutlery at the dump, Aloha, Oregon-based artist Brian Mock turns scrap metal into fantastic outdoor sculptures. He collects use and discarded materials—such as screws, nuts, and bolts—and assembles them into human and animal forms.

Mock has been exploring a number of artistic practices from an early age, but discovered his love of upcycling art in the 1990s. He taught himself how to weld, allowing him to visualize his artistic ideas as metal sculptures. Today, he’s creating an entire zoo of metallic animals—including dogs, cats, and larger-than-life lions—all from 100% reclaimed materials. Mock chooses each piece of scrap metal carefully to fit the forms of his subjects—dog tails are depicted as flexible metal chains, and floppy ears are crafted from large sheets of curved steel.

My Modern Met