Hello everyone and welcome to the first post of the Botanical Bytes blog! This post will be a bit of an introduction, before we dive in to some more important (and perhaps more interesting) topics next week.
I’m writing this blog as part of an assignment for the Capstone course in the Computer Science program here at Oregon State, and I am very excited that reaching this point means I am in the final year of my undergraduate studies. I’m an Ecampus student, writing to you from my kitchen table in rural New Mexico.
In addition to studying Computer Science, I’m also pursuing a degree in Botany at the same time. The last couple of years have been a whirlwind of both plants and technology, and I’ve come to realize that there are many areas where these two areas share the same core concepts.
I have worn many hats in my journey to this point in my life, from chef to farm hand to traveling knife salesman and many things in between. When my joints still had more cartilage, I did a lot of crazy things just for the adrenaline. I ended up meeting my husband when he picked me up hitchhiking on Oahu, and we’ve been a team ever since. I did try college as a teenager, but it wasn’t really for me. After taking the time to become an adult and figure out where my interests really were, I decided it would be best to come back as an Ecampus student. I was working in the restaurant industry when the pandemic hit, and suddenly I couldn’t find work in any kitchens anywhere, so as soon as I could make it work I enrolled at OSU with a career change in mind. I wanted to learn new skills that would serve me well both in the professional world and in my daily life.
I think I was drawn to Computer Science partly due the fact that I’ve always enjoyed building new things. I would see new technologies and just be amazed at what’s become possible in such a short time, particularly in the world of science and agriculture. Plants have always been equally awing to me, and technology has given us the ability to understand them better than we ever have before. Plants can do some really incredible things. With the right technology, we can understand what they’re doing and leverage that to help our whole wold. But, technology isn’t some omnipotent Eldritch being who bestows us with gifts of knowledge. People build it with a specific purpose in mind. I decided I wanted to join this amazing crew of builders and inventors who have made such an incredible impact on our planet.
My studies have honestly been really fulfilling in many ways. I have learned how to do so many things, yet there are still a many things I don’t know. This gap in my knowledge was in the forefront of my mind when choosing a capstone project. I ended up teaming up with some friends to focus on the A-Life 2.0 Challenge – ideally this will give me a chance to learn to build a simulation primarily focused on ecology and energy consumption in an ecosystem. Software like this could be used for infinite conservation or ecosystem management applications, as well as a game or teaching tool. It’s my hope that we can see this through and create something that we’re proud of.
I intend to keep everyone updated here as I progress through this last leg of my studies. I’d like to ask everyone to pardon me for the current state of my blog site – blogging is also something new I’m learning this term. Next week, we’ll be digging into some thoughts about the A-Life Challenge and exploring some potential design choices, as well as shamelessly plugging my local animal shelter since I spend most of my free time there these days.
Love,
Your local ‘crazy plant lady’
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