Theme of the month: books by authors I read when I was young, who all held up. Spook and Bonk, Mary Roach I've finally caught up on the Mary Roach backlist of books! She is truly my idol of nonfiction writing, and I don't just open with that because I'm about to knock on Spook, which …
Author: Kaitlyn Casimo
Books, February 2018
I would have gotten credit for the second book of the classic Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell trilogy this month, but nooooo. It had to be one giant book. Vicious, VE Schwab. A few chapters into this, I thought it was going to be basically Nimona from the perspective of Blackheart, but I was so wrong. …
Books, January 2018
I have been reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell since NOVEMBER. An 850 page trade paperback (that is, a sturdier paperback as large as a hardback, instead of the little pocket size/pulpy paper mass market paperbacks) is a crime against bookbinding. The Stone Sky, NK Jemisin I finished this in January but before I'd written …
A year in books, 2017
I had quite a year in books, and quite a year overall. Reading accomplishment that I'm most proud of: a net decrease in the number of books that I already own but haven't read yet to 23. Only half of an average year's worth of reads... By the numbers Books: 55 Total pages: 15922 (so …
Books, December 2017
Fun fact: every book this month was part of a series! In Cave Danger, Kate Dyer-Seeley And the series comes to end with a surprising twist! And the best, if most obvious, baddie of the series. I'm never going to like this series as much as the author's other two, but I'm pleased Meg's adventures …
Books, November 2017
In my defense, it is still December. Barely. You'll notice I've added a setting tag for fiction - I'm finding it very helpful to separate the plot of the book (genre) from its world-building (setting), which are often conflated. Are Harry Potter and Annihilation both teeeeeechnically in fantasy settings? Yes, but that misses the fundamental …
Books, October 2017
If I read all day every day for a month, I would have... still not caught up with my list. Glass half full, I never have to worry about finding reading material. Glass half empty, shelf VERY FULL. Pox, Michael Willrich In our modern era, where far more people are threatened with non-infectious diseases like …
Introduction to Neural Engineering
Through my involvement with the CSNE at UW, I was able to teach a six-week course on neural engineering for high school students in summer 2016 and again in 2017. I've now turned that live course into an online version, which includes six hours of video lectures, instructions for three hands-on demos, homework assignments, and …
Proof: in retrospect
In summary: I'm so glad I took a chance on this project, it was a hell of a learning curve but I got through it, and I can't wait to do it again. From my initial offhand comment as an audience member at the Pocket Theater - "oh hey, I could finally do this wacky …
Science of Frankenstein – Halloween at Pacific Science Center 2017
I was lucky enough last year to talk about the neuroscience of zombies at Pacific Science Center. And this year I had the delight that they let me come back to talk about the science of Frankenstein! I discussed the neuroscience of Frankenstein's creature, some of the scientific advancements he would have had to make …
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