Made With Molecules Newsletter - Summer 2008

[raven...@gmail.com]

Dear MWM friends and fans,

Happy back to school! I hope all of you with classes to attend or
teach have a wonderful year!

Well, it's summer and there are just a few things to report.

In this newsletter:

1. Three years of MWM!
2. New! Thebromine Necklace
3. Cool! Oxytocin for introverts
4. New! Molecule wish lists
5. Solstice musings
6. Upcoming events


1. Three years of MWM!

As my third year working on Made With Molecules draws to a close, I am
struck with how lucky I am to have found this niche and how much it
fits my personality and talents. A heartfelt Thank You to all of you
who have made it possible! Made With Molecules has grown much more
than I could have guessed when I started, and there's so much more to
do!


2. New! Theobromine Necklace - for the chocolate, uh, enthusiasts!

I've been reading about raw chocolate. Well, OK, maybe not *just*
reading. Let's say I've been quite enjoying my experiments with
chocolate. There are many claims about the health benefits of raw
chocolate and, while the scientific jury is still out on that, I'm
convinced (if for no other reason, than an excuse to eat chocolate!).

Theobromine is the special chemical in chocolate, boosting our happy
neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. I've had theobromine
earrings in my collection for a while, and now I am pleased to
introduce the sterling silver theobromine necklace. The pendant may
look a bit less molecule-y than some of the others. It has an
abstract, artistic appeal. See it here:

http://www.madewithmolecules.com/theobromineearrings.html


3. Cool! Oxytocin for introverts

I caught oxytocin in the news again and wanted to share. In previous
newsletters, I've noted that oxytocin promotes trust, makes people
want to cuddle, makes men more empathetic, and now it's been shown to
make introverts more social. Wow! I'll admit, when I first read this,
I felt some introvert-pride well up. "What's *wrong* with being
introverted! It's not just an oxytocin deficiency!" But, honestly,
there are situations where easy relief from introversion would be
quite convenient, so I'm looking forward to the oxytocin social
inhaler. In the meantime, I'll get to work on that (often requested)
oxytocin necklace!


4. New! Molecule wish lists

Are you patiently waiting for me to make cortisol earrings? Or maybe
you'd like to give someone a hemoglobin pendant? I've started to keep
wish lists of molecules to make. When enough people sign up to
purchase a certain molecule, I will go ahead an make it. Just email me
with the item you are interested in, and I'll give you the approximate
cost. If you agree, I'll put you on the list. When I get enough people
signed up for a particular molecule, I'll email again to make sure
that everyone is still interested. Also, if you have 10 or so people
in a lab or group that would like the same, unusual but amazing,
molecule, such special orders are quite cost-effective.


5. Solstice musings
This year I sent summer solstice cards with one of my favorite Richard
Feynman stories. If you are curious, you can see it here:
http://www.madewithmolecules.com/random/08summersolstice.jpg
I also made a booklet of some musings about science & nature
(including some of the topics in this newsletter). I've excerpted some
of it here:
http://www.madewithmolecules.com/random/08solsticebooklet.jpg


6. Come see me (and my jewelry) in person! I have a few events on the
calendar.

November 1&2 - Wonderfest, the festival of science at Stanford and UC
Berkeley
November 30 - Bazaar Bizarre in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco


That's all for now. May you enjoy the dwindling summer and the smell
of new books,

.raven..

Raven Hanna
Made With Molecules
Art In Science
http://www.madewithmolecules.com
please send correspondence to: ra...@madewithmolecules.com