Science Committee Meeting20150828

Science Committee Meeting 20150829

Time, location

16:00(4:00PM), Dallas Makerspace

Officer/Committee reports

Chairman
Treasurer

Committee Interest Group reports

Aquaponics - Scott Renkes (chairperson)
Biology - TBA
Biomedical / Biomedical Engineering - Joel-Anthony "JAGMAN" Gray
Homebrew - Daniel Twardowski (chairperson)
Scientific computing - David Guill (chairperson)

Consent Agenda

Newly proposed agenda items appear in the consent agenda. Any member present at the meeting may pull an item out of the consent agenda for discussion, at which point it goes under "New Business". If nobody objects to the solutions presented by the consent agenda, everything in the consent agenda passes by consensus. Items that have more than one proposed solution should be moved to the "New Business" section. Any Science Committee member may edit this wiki page and place an item on the agenda.

Ratify and publish voting rights of Science Committee members

No specific discussion has been made on this issue, and nothing is published since the science committee was formed. The proposal is to specifically approve the provisions for governance envisioned under the Bio committee or to make changes and in either case to publish the rules.
Problem: Without the aforementioned rules, The Science Committee can be hi-jacked by a group with no long-term interest in the committee or its goals, and depose the leadership on a whim. Science Committee voting should strive to reflect careful consideration and decision by individuals familiar with committee activities and goals, while allowing for change when needed.
Solution: Subcommittee chairs and titled officers only are allowed to vote. Non-voting members are allowed to express their vote during voting of the Science Committee and their vote will be taken under advisement. Sub-committee chairs represent the interests of their sub-committee and its members. Sub-committees establish their own voting rules, however without any rules established, all members present at a sub-committee meeting are allowed to vote.

Establish the Science Committee as governed by consensus.

The Bio committee was governed by consensus prior to re-brand as Science Committee.
Problem: Makerspace provides two approaches to governance: Benevolent dictatorship and Consensus. Dictatorship is necessary when consensus cannot be obtained and/or expediency is of primary importance. Consensus management while slower, has shown to provide vastly superior decision making results. The Science Committee is unlike other Committees and governance by consensus is possible.
Solution: Establish and publish that Science committee is governed by consensus. Allow that if consensus cannot be achieved after reasonable effort, either at any meeting or issue, and if the issue compelling, or loss of consensus appears to be more than transitory, the chairman can call for a vote to suspend rule by consensus either for the issue, the meeting or permanently.

Establish a Science Committee “Space and Lab Manager” position.

Problem:
(1) According to the BOD the committee chair is by default responsible for maintenance and clean-up the committee's space. Some committees have responded by having establishing a co-chair position (actually a sub-chair, not recognized by the BOD), or having the BOD approve the committee being run by equal co-chairs. Science has no co-chair, and the chair is active mainly on week-ends, and handles many aspects the committee such as classes and event planning and promotion, dealing with BOD and attending meetings, etc. (2) Most well-run labs have a lab manager, which coordinate, and maintain lab resources (3) Science has significant needs for infrastructure and needs someone dedicated to studying the problem with authority and skills to act to solve the issues effectively and economically. An example is electrical power to the north tables in the science area, which still isn't easily accessible. (4) Makerspace do-ocracy management has not provided a well run science space. Control established to prevent having the space used as a dumping ground, and for non-science storage. Funds have not been made available to make progress on infrastructure.
Solution: Establish either a Science committee officer position of “Lab Manager” or alternatively a lab and space subcommittee with a chairman to manage the Science Committee's space, and decide if this is a voting or alternatively a non-voting position if it is a committee officer position.

Select and vote in a “Lab Manager”

Problem: Science committee does not have a Lab Manager
Solution: Select one.

Minutes

Dallas Makerspace Science Committee Meeting notes ; August 29, 2015

In attendance:  
Richard Alexander
Andrew Macha
David Ratcliff
Scott Renkes
Daryll Dade
Cairenne Day
Others to be added from attendance roster


Meeting called to order 4:15PM

***Prior Minutes***
-No prior minutes to pass

*** Financial Statement ***
Science funds are $560.58, we need to set budget priorities and determine how best to use these funds to promote our group:  
1. Shelves
2. Work benches
3. Aquaponics supplies
4. Photonics supplies, including:  
1. optics bench
2. optics rail
3. lens holders
4. laser pointers
5. Helium-Neon laser
6. lenses
7. jack
8. Spectrometers

*** Consent Agenda***
All items discussed as new business

*** New Business***
Discussion on housekeeping, chairman's availability, options.  Discussion on infrastructure needs for science area.  

Science Committee position of Lab Manager created.  
Richard will talk to BOD about possibility of having position recognized by DMS and thus be credible experience which can be put on a resume.  
Duties of Lab Manager are in the science area, and to include:  
1. Housekeeping, 
2. Coordination of use of area, 
3. Improvements in area infrastructure.  

Daryll Dade elected to position of Lab Manager

Science Committee location sign to be placed at beginning of corridor leading to science area.  Sign will be laser cut by Daryll.

Wire shelves on loan from foundry

White plastic barrel to be removed from space.  Richard will keep at home until needed.

Infographic to be placed on aquaponics by Scott

Corner workbench considered

Incubator considered

Arduinos:  David will bring in two micro-Arduinos

Daryll discussed making common science items available on-demand to DMS members.  Will send list to David and CC Richard.  

Richard discussed wanting optics bench, probably more than $1000 from committee funds, can raised with more classes taught.  Daryll suggested that Alcon throws out good optics equipment when better stuff comes around, may donate to science committee.  

***Items on consent agenda discussed out of order as new business***
Discussion on committee governance model:  Chairman stated board created the science committee and appointed the chairman as a dictator.  Committee cannot vote to change this.  Discussion finished, chairman did not call for vote.  

Discussion on voting rights:  Chairman stated that he would allow only science committee members who have attended three of the last six committee meetings to vote.  

Discussion by Richard on list of  “Some of my ideas that Science Committee might pursue”:  
Health tools - helping people live healthier lives; weight, height, bp,
temperature, EKG, etc.  
Weather channel - put the Weather Channel on our displays so people can check the weather.  
Unique 3D Printer - Science Committee could obtain some type of 3D printer that would not necessarily be hosted by other committees. What medium and type of printer would be good? Perhaps a resin 3D printer? Or, a metal printer?
Or,
a clay or glass printer? Or, even a different type of plastic, such as nylon?
We could provide a service that 3D Fab doesn't cover.
NDT - Non-destructive testing: thermal imaging, ultrasonic testing. Most NDT likely would be well-beyond our capabilities, but thermal imaging has potential, and could be useful enough that we could actually make a business out of it. The equipment can be pricey.  
Super Ear - Amplified sound.  
Telescopes - Lots of people want to make their own telescopes, including Robert Davidson. I need to look up a good kit for doing that.  
Seismometer - Just something to look at.  
Weather Station - Something else to look at.  
Electroplating - Who has that? It might be useful.  
Vacuum system - Many of the projects that we might like doing need a good
quality, ultra-high vacuum.  
Incubator and culturing equipment - for growing bacteria and making yogurt.  
Open Source labs - acquire computers and set up Linux OS and applications on
them.