this morning I woke up before 5.. took a quikc shower and started my drive down to MIT. My freind neil had invited me atnd two other freinds to speak at Fab 26 .. the annual meeting of the wordwide fablab consortium.    with more than 2000 affiliates worldwide .. Fab labs are makerspaces.. usually .. but not always.. in universities.. that where folks like me learn to make things !

I had no idea what I was stepping in to . it was nearly 1000 makers from all over the world.. .. and to them .. neil was their hero !/. it was so great to see him recognized lik this !

its a week long conference.. but I m only here for the first day.> 
it started with some fun talks and panels.. lie this one with neil’s  two brothers and my freind Tome bodent. 

THey were talking about collaborating on an audio  book called ‘designing reality’   written by the 4 of them.. .. and read by tom.. who has the perfect  voice for it. 

greta tot se the brothers gershenfeld yucking it up together. 

they collaborated on a book called ‘how to make almost anythingf’ 

here was even an exercise break using a  ai/human generated exercise video.. .. it was so fun

durign the break I wodnered over to where my dorm once stood.. .. and checked to see that the samstone was still there..

it was 

here’s the wall to the chaepl.. the place the fbi one accused me of usign to hack the phoen company.. 

I hadent…
at least at this time

twas soemone else..

I did get caught as a 17 year old though 🙂 

there was a great panel of Neis former students.. ?> folsk ike Nadya. Joe jackpbsen..   and so any others that are now out teaching makign at uinversities all over the world 

then there was a segment about the intersection of the maker community and the film industry.. including a wildly inappropriate segment from family guide.. cant believe they got away with this.. but sooo funny !

then came our panel. .it was wes (VP of the NAE), Megan (former CTO of the US, Susan, former heado of Microsoft Reserch, neil and me). our panel was about bridging the gap between informal engineerign like Fab lab and formal engineerign groups like the NA. 

The panel was short, fun  and (I think) well received) 

then neil. megan , my freind David and and I walked across campus for our meetign of the IEWG .. (informal engineering worrk group ) of the national academy of engineering.. 

Good meeting.. .. we’re working to build better bridges  between  informal engineering lie makespaces, first, hackclub.. etc. and formal engineering like the NAE. 

great beign on campuss agian 

Neils openign a beuftfule neewq fablab on the 2nd floor of the google building in Kendel square.. its amazing.. all the best equipment.. beutiful light . its goign to be so wesoem 

I was walkign back to davids house. when I randomly ran into one of my ferind sleo.. who is ssociated.. (soemhow ) with neils lab.. Leo has been extermemly helpful in Hackclub,.. it was great catching up with him.. 

I sat down on campus with the thoguth of takign a nap.. but no luck.. I was too excited.. .. I did check out the stairs that are over the mIT nuclear vault I used it for my undergraduate research project. 

then back over to the new fablab to see soem laser cutter demos .

the place is full of cool stuff. like a human dress mold made of ramen 

then tried heading back to Davids again.. but heard that my freinds hendrick and johanes where nearby.. so I wlaked to see them for a few min.. 

then finally headed to davids .. so we could head to the FAB26 welcome receieption at the top of the Prudential buolidn (the ‘Pru’) 

Neils brother Alan tracked me down.. turns out he spent the previous week with my freoind Zach !

David and I had a great italian dinner. .then walked home.. over the mass ave bridge.. measured out in smoots !

David and his wife pam are hose parents of edgerton house.. its a graduate stundetn hosue. David told me that undergrad house mastwers have to make sure their chanrges dont party troo mcuh.. david told me that his probllem is to make sure that his residents party eneough ! 🙂 

david showed me his sweet lab.. a few dorrs down from their apartment.. perfect man cave !

I’m so glad I came down here today !.. 
heading home tomorrow early !

nite all. nite sam
-me