Thursday, May 11th, 2017

Mayday Call to Artists…

Cover Photo: E. Dustman

Mayday, mayday…do you know what the origins are for this phrase?

The well-known phrase ever-so engrained into our day-to-day lives from childhood forward actually first came into existence in 1923. Officer Frederick Stanley Mockford came up with the phrase as a shortened, more audible phrase to be heard over the radio in times of emergency. It is derived from a French saying, venez m’aider, or “come and help me.”

So it is that Spring has finally sprung. Blooms are bursting, pollen is flying. Happy day to you, this day in May. Though not technically Mayday, we write to you here as a call to artists whose works are inspired by political science.

So bring it on. Send us your work that is politically inspired and we’ll consider it for publication in our international print-magazine. A lot is going on in the world and we want you to know that your work and message are important to us and are part of our mission here at E-Squared Magazine. Send work by 11:59 P.M. / July 4th, 2017 ;-)

.-.. .- -.-– -.. .- -.–
[Morse code for Mayday]

Emily A. Dustman
Founder & Creative Director

Wednesday, March 29th, 2017

Issue #2

Purchase Issue #2 — $35.00 USD SOLD OUT!

Issue #2: Letter from the Founder

What does it mean to be human? To be alive? To exist? The individuals of Issue #1 examined these subjects intently. The body of work developing our first issue informed us as human beings and quite personally, transformed me as a person. As a result of these works and the many that I have since discovered down this path, the meaning of art and science has changed for me.

While we may not be able to answer all of the questions posed in Issue #1, we are still very present and effectual in form. Just like a platyhelminth, we receive information to then react but even more, as the unusual organisms that we are, we process, we feel…we think. With this advanced capacity we can respond to our environment based on how our emotions inform our thoughts or respond based on how our thoughts inform our emotions. As the living, breathing creature that you are, what best describes your experience? And, despite our advancements as humans, do we really understand any more than that of a primitive flatworm?

All things considered, there is an immense storm at bay with erosive powers greater than we will ever be able to comprehend. The legitimacy of science and art is in question. Technology like CRISPR-Cas9 is already well underway in laboratories around the world. Demand for action to lessen the impacts of climate change has never been more apparent. Nuclear power as a sustainable source of energy is being considered, the same source from which we derive nuclear weaponry. As environmental degradation continues to rise and technologies rapidly develop, we are being surpassed by our ability to understand, control, and lessen the impacts of said developments.

Much of Issue #2 addresses these topics and from multiple vantage points. In honest reflection of the subject material, our world outlook can start to look rather grim. Regardless of our differences and how we process information to then react, we are all here together interacting on this planet. At times, the waters may seem turbulent and the light, gloomy. Our own axis of rotation may become a little titled now and then, but we must continue moving forward to realize the sobering global truths that we and future generations will have to face; to be proactive rather than reactive.

Admittedly, the task at hand is great but the sooner it is realized, the more prepared we can be. As human beings, we have the power to create and think to reevaluate the function of art and science, both of which are functions of humanity. There is great vulnerability in being human, but stripped down to a mere pattern of skeletal, we still have organization and unyielding structure.

Let us build upon our form – truly feel and think and make adjustments for the betterment of the future. How will you choose to react/act?

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman

Thoughtfully yours,

Emily Dustman

Wednesday, March 29th, 2017

Unpacking

Cover Photo: E. Dustman

Spring is officially here…and it’s almost really here in New England (haha). I have deemed our winter Issue purple and although it was delayed due to improper cutting, I am pleased to announce that we received our palette of Issue #2 this evening and this time, it was correctly cut! We’re good to go! Boxes are in and we are busy unpacking all of the bundles.

That being said, over the next week I will be shipping out complimentary copies to those in the magazine and fulfilling personal orders / subscriptions. Thank you for your patience in regards to the delay. Look for E-Squared to be delivered on your doorstep very soon and enjoy our entrance into Spring as she greets us with her tiny purple flowers.

Cheers!

Emily A. Dustman
Founder & Creative Director

Sunday, March 5th, 2017

With Great Thanks & Updates on Issue #2

As many of you already know, our printing campaign has finally ended. We sure are relieved it’s over! We would like to thank you again for all of the support whether it was through sharing, donating artwork, or contributing financially to the campaign. We really couldn’t do this without you.

While we have been working very diligently to get Issue #2 out to you, we have faced some unexpected challenges (oh, the struggles of bring in print). In short, some errors were made by our printer in cutting the magazines that compromised the integrity of the issue. After several meetings this past week, our printer intends to correct the matter, following the next run very, very closely. As a result of these errors that are out of our control, there will be a delay in reception of the new cuts and therefore, your copy of Issue #2.

We truly appreciate your understanding regarding this matter and apologize in advance for this. Other than all of that, we are working on getting all of the perks mailed out to you in due time!

With warmest thanks during this last stretch of Winter,

Emily A. Dustman
Founder + Editor-in-Chief
E-Squared Magazine

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

It’s here. It’s hefty. It’s beautiful.

Cover Image: 3hund

Our proof for Issue #2 is here!!

We are happy to announce…

Our featured artist as 3hund
German installation artists Tarek Mawad and Friedrich van Schoor and their installation project, Lucid.

Our front cover artist as Capacitor
A dance, cirque, sculpture company that works with scientists to create shows and installations about the natural world.

Our back cover artist as Edward Burtynsky
One of Canada’s most respected photographers capturing depictions of global industrial landscapes.

Just a few more days until our printing campaign is over. If you’re interested in purchasing Issue #2, consider ordering it here for $10 off the cover price: igg.me/at/issue2

Order Issue #2 here

We look forward to delivering Issue #2 of E-Squared to your doorstep (very soon)! Stay tuned…

Thank you for all of your support!

Emily A. Dustman
Founder & Creative Director

Friday, January 27th, 2017

The Erosion of Science & the Storm at Bay

I always say, “show me the data” and what that means is, if you plan to tell me something, you better have the evidence to back it up. – E. Dustman

I truly believe that every animal maneuvering this planet is entitled to their own set of beliefs. As a result, I usually remain fairly neutral in regards to topics of debate and leave my personal belief system out of the mix because let’s face it, it can get pretty messy out there. From time to time though I will offer my input if enough people inquire for me to share. So, I am inclined to do so and in sharing such, I realize the repercussions, but I accept them. Not everyone will support my personal view and I would never force them to. That being said, you can read on if you want…or, simply escape [now] if not.

I am a scientist. Even before I was a scientist, I was a very logical person. So it only makes sense that the ways of science came to be a really great fit for me. It is science that has come to form the core of my belief system. What you may not fully understand though is what science actually is.

Science is our attempt as intellectual beings to understand the natural world around us.

That means we created it. That means science is not perfect. That science it is subject to change and it is always changing. There’s sound science and junk science. There are scientists that conduct studies and present data as best as they can (as unbiased as possible) and there are also scientists that present invalid data to appear valid who are paid to do so by corporations. There’s always a bad guy in the mix, but the job of a good scientist is to understand something to the best of their abilities with the tools that they have at the time and present their results to the masses for conjecture. Once enough replications of an experiment are done and a similar conclusion is obtained, a hypothesis can turn into a pretty solid theory.

Let’s take a look for a moment at the highly regarded Aristotle (384–322 BC). Did he change the way we thought about the world? Absolutely. He also developed an idea called spontaneous generation. Unfamiliar with that term? Well, it basically means that life can arise from inanimate matter (abiogenesis). So, frogs are born from logs. Mice from sock piles. Fleas from dust. You get the idea. Does spontaneous generation sound bogus idea this day in age? YES. But it made sense at the time. In fact, it made sense for around 2000 years!! But, let’s please remember what I have stated here – scientists do the best they can to understand said topic with the tools they have at that time. Am I going to say it is absolutely false? NO.

As a scientist I never prove anything.

I only support or reject an idea based on my current knowledge at the time. There is ALWAYS the potential for an exception and I will not eliminate that as a possibility (i.e. the role of abiogenesis in the origins of life, protobionts, etc.). And, since I am always learning new things, my knowledge base is changing and therefore my ideologies are also subject to change.

Fast forward to modern day in the 21^st century with all of our revolutionary advancements – think CRISPR-Cas9 – and how we have expanded our understanding of the world so much, but yet there is always so much more that we have to learn. Despite this grandiose information age and all of the fancy tools and technologies, we still don’t have all of the answers. I don’t know everything, but if you show me enough experiment replications and similar results over and over and over again lending to the same or similar conclusions, I am going to assess it to the best of my scientific abilities and draw my own conclusions.

Take a stab at it yourself, you don’t even have to be a scientist. If, for instance, you look at planet earth over its lifetime – ice cores, pollen cores, packrat midden burrows, fossil histories, etc. – you will see that earth has undergone periods of glacials and interglacials.

That means, the earth has undergone periods of climatic warming and periods of climatic cooling.

All of this scientific data and years of analyzation, this is where the term climate change is derived. As scientists, we know that we are currently in a period of warming…climatic warming. Is it natural? Yes. BUT we are accelerating this rate faster than ever before in the history of time as a result of industrialization, overpopulation, and the way that we currently live our lives in developed countries.

That is of concern. And, the rejection of such science is even more concerning.

Figure Credit: National Park Service

So, I have a question for you and it is quite simply this: **For your science, are you going to believe in ideas of antiquity or those of progressive researchers?**

With sincerest hopes looking towards the future,

Emily A. Dustman
Scientist + Artist
Founder / Editor-in-Chief
E-Squared Magazine

“It is quite proved that certain fishes come spontaneously into existence, not being derived from eggs or from copulation. Such fish as are neither oviparous nor viviparous arise all from one of two sources, from mud, or from sand and from decayed matter that rises thence as a scum; for instance, the so-called froth of the small fry comes out of sandy ground. – Aristotle

“We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet.” – Stephen Hawking

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” – Einstein

Friday, January 13th, 2017

The Story of Coffee

Header Image: Ted Kinsman

The art + science of…coffee. Yes, there is an art and science to coffee. In being a scientist, I want to share with you the science of coffee. In being an artist, I want to share with you the art of coffee. As I sit here and sip on my own cup of java brewed through my favored pour-over method, I would like to tell you a little more about this special blend of coffee, of art + science…

THE SCIENCE

WHAT IS COFFEE?

Coffee is an evergreen shrub of the genus Coffea. It is actually the berries of the shrub that we refer to as beans and extract coffee from. There’s a lot of chemistry going on in one cup of this fancy elixir, so let’s talk a little coffee science, starting with a bit about its chemical composition.

PHYTOCHEMICALS

Phyto what? Coffee is full of phytochemicals (phyto = plant; chemicals). Phytochemicals are what gives plants their pigment and protective properties (i.e. orange carrots get their color from the phytochemical carotenoid). The health benefits of phytochemicals have been known and used for centuries, and are even extracted for use in many modern day pharmaceuticals (i.e. aspirin is derived from white willow tree bark, known for its anti-inflammatory properties).

While the jury may still be out on the overall benefits of coffee, we think it’s pretty durn good for you so let’s “phyt the fight” for coffee and explore the science behind these chemicals.

CAFFEINE

We are most familiarized with caffeine but what is it? Caffeine is an antioxidant, a psychoactive known to stimulate your central nervous system. More specifically, it is a purine (think back to DNA – purines & pyrimidines: Adenine, Guanine, Thymine, Cytosine).

But, how does it work? In your brain, there are receptors with a designed (induced) fit for a hypnogenic molecule called adenosine. Adenosine is responsible for moderating your circadian rhythm. When enough adenosine molecules bind to these receptors, sleep occurs. It just so happens that caffeine can also fit/bind to adenosine receptors, thus blocking adenosine from binding, and therefore preventing your sleepy time. See below for my illustration:

While caffeine is known for its addictive properties, it is also known to improve cognition, decrease fatigue, and boost memory. Too much caffeine can over-stimulate your nervous system, decrease bone density, and raise blood pressure though, so, as with anything, simply moderate your consumption!

Check Out: Coffee, tea, and caffeine consumption and prevention of late-life cognitive decline and dementia: a systematic review

CHLOROGENIC ACIDS

Coffee has beneficial compounds known as chlorogenic acids (CGAs). Chlorogenic acids are also antioxidants. Studies have indicated CGAs can slow the release of glucose into your bloodstream equating to lower blood sugar and in some cases, reduce the risk of cataracts. Some people even take these acids as an over-the-counter supplement, so why not just drink them in coffee instead?

TRIGONELLINE

This bitter alkaloid does a lot. Scientific studies show that trigonellione has the potential to maintain low blood sugar, protect your nervous system, improve memory, serve as antibacterial/antiviral agents, and also reduce platelet aggregation (= decrease blood clots in your bloodstream). Mmm! Bitter has never tasted so good.

See Study: Trigonelline: a plant alkaloid with therapeutic potential for diabetes and central nervous system disease

KAHWEOL + CAFESTOL

Kahweol and cafestol are diterpenes that comprise the oil component of coffee. Diterpenes exhibit many health benefits and are known to have anti-inflammatory properties. They have also been known to reduce the effects of various carcinogens as well as inhibit angiogenesis (= the formation of new blood vessels that promote growth and spread of cancer), attributing to their anti-carcinogenic effects. Research has demonstrated that in some cases diterpenes can also raise cholesterol but usually only for those that drink coffee in excess (around 8 cups per day).Want to avoid diterpenes anyway? Brew using a filter as it will capture most of them. See figure below on diterpene concentration based on brew method.

For More Info. Look Into: Levels of the cholesterol-elevating diterpenes: cafestrol and kahweol in various coffee brews

Anti-cancer Info: Anti-proliferative properties of kahweol in oral squamous cancer through the regulation specificity protein 1

THE ART

BEAN & BREW

Now understanding the science of coffee, there is obviously an art to brewing coffee. It is through different beans, grinds, brewing methods, temperatures, and brew times that one can extract different health benefits. For instance, you may not know that some of these beneficial antioxidants we have discussed (i.e. diterpenes) are mostly left behind in the filter when you utilize pour-over brewing methodologies. In addition, different types of coffee beans have more or less of certain beneficial properties.

Image Source: http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/01/how-to-science-up-your-coffee/

Honestly, I try not to worry myself too much about which bean and brew are best. I know that no matter what, I am getting some beneficial properties when I drink coffee. Admittedly, I mostly just want my coffee to taste good. My preference? Dark roasts like Sumatra.

Care to Get the Most? Read more about Extraction of Coffee Antioxidants: Impact of Brewing time and Method

THE PERFECT CUP

The perfect cup is local. When in Rhode Island, my go to is Borealis Coffee Company (translation: “from the north”). Frustrated with the chain-scene, owner Brian Dwiggins began home-roasting in 2010 and opened a shop in Riverside this past summer. With small-batch roasts, a commitment to quality, and great customer service, this is the place to go. If you’re in the New England area, I encourage you to visit and let yourself go on a coffee adventure!

When I travel home to the Midwest, I always make certain to drop by my favorite shop Sump Coffee. I know I am in good hands here as chemist, artist, and owner, Scott Carey truly knows his stuff. Ask the man a question, and you will get a personal chemistry lesson and complete flavor profile on your coffee as it changes by the minute. When you get your coffee, I urge you try it before adding any cream and sugar. In fact, I think adding cream and sugar is an absolute sin as it is about the perfect balance of roast, bean, and brew here. At Sump, I always say, “it’s not just coffee, it’s an experience” and that has held true each time I visit.

Understanding the science of coffee, I consider myself “coffee informed.” Working in coffee, I have taken some classes on cupping and how to pull the perfect shot – tasting the spectrum from good to bad, over-pulled and under-pulled shots and everything between. You don’t have to take classes to learn about coffee though. Mostly, I encourage you to try a local roast and experiment (like a scientist!) with different brew methods. Visit regularly and you might even get custom turtle latte art (for the turtle biologist in me) or hand-written notes on your to-go cup. Either way, take the time to figure out what it is you really like and don’t be afraid to ask questions along the way.

Oh, and now that you’ve read all of that, check out Ted Kinsman’s innovative coffee printer, printing 4000 drips per hour! Kinsman is featured in Issue #2 of E-Squared so keep an eye out for more of his work!

14188110_1832641330302507_3588727820148276509_o

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017

Call for Submissions

Call for Submissions is Ongoing!

Click on the above link for more information.

If accepted, publication of your work will be relative to the Issue in progress.

Feel free to e-mail us at info@esquaredmagazine.com

Thursday, January 5th, 2017

Smart is the New Sexy

Header Image: Hikmet Gümüş

Dear Sapiosexuals,

This year, we think smart is the new sexy. We’re talking about art here, folks but not just any art…intellectual art. We have always felt that which is intellectual is attractive, exciting, provocative, and yes, we’ll say it again, sexy. It’s the kind of art that makes you think. Deeply ponder. Feel inspired. Of course, we’re not denying that aesthetic art has its place too. We have great respect for all art and art movements throughout history.

What has become important to us though is art that is intellectual, progressive…art that moves humanity forward in some kind of way. We’ve been busy saying no to all the candy art. There’s a place for that. What we desire though is the kind of work that isn’t just about the wow factor, but the kind that makes you really think and then the double wow comes after you comprehend it. Honestly, in just six months of opening our minds to the art + science scene, we haven’t been able to think about art the same way.

We’re currently working hard on the second Issue of E-Squared Magazine. We look forward to our fresh group of artists and romanticizing you with new and inspiring content. Stay tuned for behind the scenes at E-Squared Studios during the making of Issue #2 and consider subscribing to E-Squared Magazine.

Because smart is the new sexy.

15419576_346433205738286_1555542001469361177_o

Saturday, December 31st, 2016

Resolve to Renew…

…All Your Old Resolves

What will you be doing New Year’s Eve? To ring in 2017, I will be traveling to my home grounds, to my Midwestern roots. That means ham hocks, brown beans, and cornbread (for good luck); smoked meats and cheeses; and, a table full of family. I’ll play Shanghai rummy until the clock strikes midnight and toast to “the new” with Welch’s sparkling grape juice. This is all followed up outside with firecrackers, air horns, and banging on cast iron pans. What can I say…it’s family tradition.

But what will you resolve to do? Personally, I don’t believe in reserving resolutions for just one time a year. Instead, I believe in resolutions all year long. So much has happened over the past year, and honestly, I couldn’t have done it without setting goals and resolving to do better and be better as a person. To act with intention. To be progressive. Yes, the world is a big place, but as my family would say, try and take care of your corner of the world as best as you can.

Here’s a list I have compiled of what I resolve to do (so far) for the beginning of 2017:

Be more charitable
Publish a book or two
Do laundry once a week
Check off a few more of my life goals
Grow more spiritually
Eat fewer donuts (for real, guys)
Spend more time outdoors
Wash, dry, AND put away the dishes
Eat more healthily
Be more involved in my community
Create with more intention

Cheers to progressing ourselves and humanity in 2017!

Emily A. Dustman
Founder & Creative Director

Thursday, May 11th, 2017

Mayday Call to Artists…

Cover Photo: E. Dustman

Wednesday, March 29th, 2017

Issue #2

Purchase Issue #2 — $35.00 USD SOLD OUT!

Issue #2: Letter from the Founder

Wednesday, March 29th, 2017

Unpacking

Cover Photo: E. Dustman

Sunday, March 5th, 2017

With Great Thanks & Updates on Issue #2

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

It’s here. It’s hefty. It’s beautiful.

Friday, January 27th, 2017

The Erosion of Science & the Storm at Bay

I always say, “show me the data” and what that means is, if you plan to tell me something, you better have the evidence to back it up. – E. Dustman

Science is our attempt as intellectual beings to understand the natural world around us.

As a scientist I never prove anything.

That means, the earth has undergone periods of climatic warming and periods of climatic cooling.

That is of concern. And, the rejection of such science is even more concerning.

Figure Credit: National Park Service

So, I have a question for you and it is quite simply this: For your science, are you going to believe in ideas of antiquity or those of progressive researchers?

With sincerest hopes looking towards the future,

Emily A. Dustman Scientist + Artist Founder / Editor-in-Chief E-Squared Magazine

Friday, January 13th, 2017

The Story of Coffee

Header Image: Ted Kinsman

THE SCIENCE

WHAT IS COFFEE?

PHYTOCHEMICALS

CAFFEINE

CHLOROGENIC ACIDS

TRIGONELLINE

KAHWEOL + CAFESTOL

THE ART

BEAN & BREW

Image Source: http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/01/how-to-science-up-your-coffee/

THE PERFECT CUP

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017

Call for Submissions

Thursday, January 5th, 2017

Smart is the New Sexy

Header Image: Hikmet Gümüş

Saturday, December 31st, 2016

Resolve to Renew…

So, I have a question for you and it is quite simply this: **For your science, are you going to believe in ideas of antiquity or those of progressive researchers?**

Emily A. Dustman
Scientist + Artist
Founder / Editor-in-Chief
E-Squared Magazine