So Fun Scholarship announcement

Explore. Protect. Invent. In January of this year we lost a visionary leader and co-founder of Magnitude, Tony So. On this Earth Day we honor his memory by offering the So Fun Scholarship program open to students around the world from ages 13-21. Submissions are open worldwide where 3 awardees may realize their dream in scientific exploration, environmental protection, or scientific invention with a $500 USD scholarship. Applications are open from 1 May through 21…

Growing Plants in Space is the New Post-Pandemic Normality

Growing Plants in Space is the New Post-Pandemic Normality

Guest blog post by Javier Montiel, M. Ed. It is 8:00 AM, and the students know exactly what to do. As they enter the classroom, one student turns on the computer monitor that displays the space images from ISS Above and checks the maps to see when the ISS will fly over our school, another student checks the test tubes inside the ExoLab for signs of growth. In our window frame, with a beautiful morning…

Sunday is Monday.

Sunday is Monday. I’ve always appreciated the reverse commute. The zag over the zig. What are the days of the week, other than habit or ritual? So here I am, in a wonderful space that can hold many, alone in a serene landscape of reflection. Not without purpose, of course. Sunday in Berkeley is Monday in Sydney, and there are things to do. Today we announce a multi-year engagement with the Powerhouse Museum and the…

How can you capture the most carbon growing alfalfa?

How can you capture the most carbon growing alfalfa?

Become a Carbon Farmer through the ExoLab-10 ground trials in preparation for the mission to the International Space Station later this year. Your goal is to grow the largest alfalfa plant in a closed and artificial environment in 28 days.  Alfalfa is a versatile forage and legume crop known for high edible biomass production, ability to sequester carbon and rejuvenate soils, and a potential biofuel. Different growing methods and environmental conditions affect biomass produced and…

Education and Space Communities Lose a Leader

Magnitude.io co-founder and serial entrepreneur Anthony (Tony) So passed away unexpectedly last Sunday at home. A private service is planned later this month. Tony leaves behind his wife Christine, and their two daughters. He was 61. The space and education communities lost an amazing teacher that knew how to meet the learner where they were and knew how to provide just the right level of encouragement. Tony’s algorithm for life was his joie de vivre,…

ExoLab-9 Reveals Curious Plant-Microbe Complexities

ExoLab-9 Reveals Curious Plant-Microbe Complexities

When the ExoLab-9 flight samples returned to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) on October 1, the post-flight investigation led by biosciences researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory unveiled an amazing scientific journey with some unexpected results. What are those? How did they get there? Plant-Microbe Interactions Yet, again, we were reminded that science has a way of surprising us, and organism interaction is extremely complex. In this case, we picked up some microscopic…

Magnitude.io and Berkeley Lab collaborate on microgravity research for education

Magnitude.io and Berkeley Lab collaborate on microgravity research for education

(BERKELEY, California) ‒ Education startup Magnitude.io announced a multi-year collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) to advance the research impacts of the ExoLab astrobotany missions to the International Space Station.  Researchers with the Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility located at Berkeley Lab, and others in the Biosciences Area, will utilize genomic and imaging strategies to analyze flight and ground samples for plant-microbe interactions based…

STEAM to TEAMS: Drawing an ExoLab

STEAM to TEAMS: Drawing an ExoLab

“Drawing is just probably the quickest and easiest way that we currently have to visualize our ideas. So that is why it’s such an important part of the process to make sure that we are communicating what we actually want to see.” — Kylie Burrett Students can practice their creative and modeling skills with this art and design lesson, courtesy of Design Nuts founders and Splat creators Glenn Lawrence and Kylie Burrett, who are joint…

What’s the Big Idea? Legumes in Space with Ted Tagami

What’s the Big Idea? Legumes in Space with Ted Tagami

What’s the Big Idea? Destination Imagination Podcasts episodes 11 and 12 with Ted Tagami Magnitude.io CEO Ted Tagami joins Destination Imagination in a 2-part podcast to discuss how his career brought him to the space space! By leading an aerospace company that conducts experiments on the International Space Station, students from around the world collaborate on authentic astrobotany research through the ExoLab missions. This is learning at the edge of discovery! Part 1 Legumes in…

The First STAR (Spatial Team of Aeromedicine Romania)

The First STAR (Spatial Team of Aeromedicine Romania)

Guest blog post by Dr. Raluca Papacocea, MD, PhD Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, Romania As medical students living during these challenging times of a global health crisis, we are aware of the responsibility that we bare as the future generation of healers. We understand the need for a new era in medicine and strive to bring progress, innovation, and futuristic solutions. With time, space, and resource limitations, we must adapt to…