Dr. Strangenerd: How I learned to collaborate and love the Maker Movement

Dr. Strangenerd: How I learned to collaborate and love the Maker Movement

What do a pasty, computer nerd and a genderqueer, post-punk artist have in common? On the surface, very little, but once you smoosh them together, putting them both on the board of directors for their local Hackerspace, amazing ideas start to bubble forth. From an electrified carnival fundraiser featuring a Jacob's Ladder, capacitor-bank explosions, burlesque and a handlebar-mustachioed busker MC to taking over one of the most famous mobile Hackerspace-vans.

While DIY, the maker movement, and body hacking are familiar topics to many Defcon attendees, as two individuals willing to ride the bleeding edge and avidly pursue new skills without bias, we hope to bring a unique perspective through our exceptional willingness to take unusual risks, learn new techniques for practically any tangent, and tie it together under an umbrella of collaboration and its importance in risk mitigation, idea-breeding, and support structure.

We've extensively put our own bodies and health at risk for learning, art, and thrill-seeking. We hope that the cautionary tales that come out of exploits provide both entertainment and warning. Most importantly, we'll talk about how additional viewpoint and input might have reduced risk, improved the outcomes, and drastically altered the experiences for the better.

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