Another update as we accelerate towards the physical prototyping period. Stephen has been tinkering with the
Markus has been adding many fascinating additional variables for consideration to our set up.
https://youtu.be/dbhpYffc13Y
Markus also proposed that we could populate our evolvinator with multiple strains of photosynthetic microbes, such as an eukaryotic algae, to improve visibility. Broadly speaking there is no opposition to including multiple species. They are autotrophic, so won’t prey upon one another, but there is the potential for them outcompeting for resources. It is not unheard of within directed evolution set-ups to have multiple species within the artificial evolution environment.
As a group we’re on board with this idea. It begs the question of another microbe rather than model species cyanobacteria being the most circadian flexible cosmonaut. Fun trivia: synocchus is one of the few cyanobacteria that can be ‘transformed’, its the most amenable to taking up plasmids. Andy may even bring his auto inducer bacteria out of retirement for the mash up.
Georg has additionally been paper prototyping what the payload could resemble, with a focus on space filling shapes. This was a conversation spurred by the functional specification of cubesats which maximise their payload surroundings, and Georg's experiments with other polyhedra are really enticing.
This opens up all forms of other mediatic affordances – laser etched circular glyphs or even projection mapping!
Andy opines that a shoebox is roughly the dimensional space being worked with, overall dimensions coming on Monday care of Andy. This is quite useful as we have had a gander at the exhibition floorspace.
Things are moving fast now as we spec the two possible ways by which we can manifest the celestial periodicities which our organisms are to be entrained to. Option (i) is projection mapping on the fabricated polyhedrons, and Option (ii) is adding some closed payloads to the exhibition space which pulse with an interior light indicating the daily period to which they are entraining to.