Planet Kurz

 I have been working with stains recently, in order to better identify the features of specimens. My first attempt was with yogurt bacteria, using Crystal Violet stain. I was able to see the bacteria, but due to the way I prepared the slide, it required several attempts, and was quite a mess. I tried multiple techniques with and without stain, but I did not achieve the results I had hoped for. Next, I took another blood sample, and stained it with Methylene Blue (Loeffler's solution). Again, I was able to see the blood cells, but I don't think it was much different than without using a stain. My latest experiment was with cheek cells. This time, I observed the specimen without using a stain. I located a sufficient number of cells, then removed the slide and applied Methylene Blue (Loeffler's). Here is a side-by-side picture with and without stain: At 10x magnification, it actually looks better without the stain. Note that I am using ad-hoc darkfield illumination by using th...

 I spent the past year learning about microscopes. I have long wanted to buy a microscope for myself, but I knew I had to do my homework to find out what kind of microscope to get, which features to look for, and what I could expect to do with one. Even without a microscope in hand, this research phase became a hobby unto itself. I spent hours watching how-to videos, and reading product specifications. I created a spreadsheet to list the features I was looking for so that I could compare various models. I learned about the different parts of a microscope and the purpose of each. I knew from past experience with electronics, and robotics, that the initial money spent is just the tip of the iceberg. There are all sorts of accessories which may, or must, be added. With this in mind, I took my time with my research and did not rush into buying anything until I was certain I knew what I needed. At long last, I bought a microscope - an OMAX 2,500x brightfield LED microscope, with a trino...

It's no secret that I am a fan of Apple. I own a lot of Apple products. I also own a lot of non-Apple products. I have owned iPhones before, but for the past few years, I have used Android phones. There is a lot of variety when it comes to Android phones. There are many companies making phones of all sizes, capabilities, and prices. The main reason I switched to Android a while back was because I wanted a bigger screen, and I wanted to know what it was really like to live with an Android phone. When Apple announced the iPhone 6 back in 2014, I was very interested. Honestly, I was nearly drooling on my keyboard as I watched the keynote announcement. I was also very interested when Apple announced the Apple Watch at the same keynote. As interested as I was however, I did not buy either of these. My Android phone was working just fine, and I could not use an Apple Watch with my Android phone. Also, I was curious to see how the Android world responded to the Apple Watch. Where Apple ...

I recently bought Google Wi-Fi for my house. I wanted better, faster, and greater coverage, as well as an easier interface to manage my network. I had heard great things about Google Wi-Fi, and with the price for three units down to $264, I decided to finally give it a try.  With several people in the house at any given moment, I knew there would be some disruption while I installed a new system and decommissioned the old one. I was surprised to completely switch over in just a couple hours, with all three mesh nodes online. The last thing I needed to get configured was my Apple Time Machine backups. I wasn't worried about this part since the network was up and getting good speeds. However, as I often say, "Inside every small problem is a big problem trying to get out." Let's go back in time just a bit. Prior to setting up Google Wi-Fi, I was using an Apple Time Capsule for my wireless network and as my backup device for Time Machine. I didn't turn it off...

I recently read an article by Phil Plait, titled " This Is Discovery " where he highlights the importance of science - specifically the importance of scientific discovery. For those who already understand the importance of science for science's sake, the videos are at the very least a pleasant reminder of the shared value that many of us have for the pursuit of knowledge. For those who may not be as concerned with the endeavors of the scientific community, it serves as a thorough and humbling treatise on the value that society at large, and in particular those who hold political influence, should have for science. The article itself was only a few paragraphs, but the main points were made by way of two videos: one by Phil Plait himself, and the other by Dr. Sheila Patek . Both videos are well done, and - very importantly - are done as if making an attempt to shake hands with people who don't quite make the connection between discovery and practical application. I won...

I had a very pleasant experience with my phone recently. It was one of those situations where I needed to get an answer quickly, but did not expect to find it. Not only did I find what I was looking for, but the ease of which I found it caused me to give a silent high-five to the developers who made it possible. My wife texted me and wanted to know the name and location of the apple orchard we went to last year. As she was trying to coordinate plans with relatives, time and accuracy was important. Now, my memory is like the Heisenberg uncertainty principle - I can tell you where I went to lunch last week, and I can tell you what I ate, but I couldn't tell you both. I really needed help to solve this apple orchard conundrum. I remembered that I had the Google Photos app on my phone, and it seemed to have some search capability, so that was my first stop. I opened the app, hit the prominent search button, scrolled down to places, and hey - there's a picture of my kids by ...