Melanie Stegman, Ph.D.

@melzy.bsky.social

585 Followers 898 Following

Biochemist, game designer, life enthusiast, UU, supporter of others' dreams. ScienceGameCenter.org Always looking for work: Game design, science communication, evaluation. Baltimore, USA + anywhere

Purple clover, sapling trees, large trees on the next block and birds singing all while the sunsets in Baltimore's Johnston Square....
This is the start screen for a game called Solve the Outbreak. A DNA molecule and even a schematic of an atom is visible in the background.... There are some people in a picture over the start button... Basically, this picture makes you want to know more!
Butterflies, green and brown beetles, ants and flies are beautifully drawn there is a magnifying glass but no bugs are under the magnifying glass only the title of the game which is Virtual Insect Collection Lab!
This is the title image for Tami's Tower: Let's Think About Engineering. There's a colorful cartoon drawing of a jungle with a monkey, elephant, panda, and crocodile plus colorful building blocks stacked up in a tower.... The monkey is climbing the tower to get some red fruit on a tree.... The game art makes it look like the game is aimed at children aged around 10...
The Mount Vernon neighborhood in Baltimore City starts the Christmas season off by lighting up the Washington Monument as if it were a giant Christmas tree. Somehow the Giant Christmas tree is not enough and fireworks got involved. These fireworks are really close by! The Morgan State choir sings and then the countdown....watch the video! See us all packed in.... We sang a long it was really fun!
Morning sun just made it over the townhouses and is hitting the tops of trees, turning the red maple leave a burning red!
Clear, sunny day with sunshine brightly through the leaves of a gorgeous reddish/yellow maple tree. Wind blows the branches and the sun shines through.
Catherine Croft, Melanie Stegman and Henry Kelly at the speaker's table in the background while Elizabeth Newbury takes a selfie!
Henry Kelly, technology policy advisor will be on a panel discussing games and AI for training and learning. Moderated by me, Melanie Stegman.
Happy white girl eating vegan mango ice cream on a cocoa flavored cone... And yeah, said girl has a bunch of grey in her black hair, but age is a state of mind! Nobody is old at Cajou!!! And Baltimore is the best!!
This is the inside of the 301. No cushy seats but WiFi and you can eat. Pretty sure you can eat!
I stood a bus stop in the sun for about a second before I retreated back to the shade
I stood a bus stop in the sun for about a second before I retreated back to the shade
The DART pamphlet for the Beach Bus.
Here I am with my beach gear waiting on the track at Penn Station, Baltimore. A MARC commuter train is behind me.
Thunderstorm rolling in over MICA's campus. All you'd see in this pic is dark blue clouds and a streetlight with a MICA flag.
An amazingly sophisticated crayon drawing of a young praying mantis.
A panorama of the scene on Charles Street The stage is blasting dance music, Gatsby bar has amazing new art and Trips nextdoor has a sweet outdoor table scene!
Johnny Cash, with guitar around his neck, behind a microphone, on stage but not singing, rather at this moment he is flipping the bird right at the camera and the look on his face is pure defiance. Why is Johnny Cash defying? Well, this is the song he wrote about what he cared about. (The photo is black and white, but his shirt, which is all you can see isn't black, it could be a dark grey 😁 He's my hero, nonetheless!) Man in Black by Johnny Cash Well, you wonder why I always dress in black Why you never see bright colors on my back And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime But is there because he's a victim of the times I wear the black for those who've never read Or listened to the words that Jesus said About the road to happiness through love and charity Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back Up front there ought to be a man in black I wear it for the sick and lonely old For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been Each week we lose a hundred fine young men And I wear it for the thousands who have died Believin' that the Lord was on their side I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died Believin' that we all were on their side Well, there's things that never will be right, I know And things need changin' everywhere you go But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right You'll never see me wear a suit of white Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day And tell the world that everything's okay But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back 'Til things are brighter, I'm the man in black
A really large beer hall full of a rowdy crowd of geeky people, about 100 somewhat diverse people are visible. :) this is intermission between astronomy talks, people are talking to each other
Robotics competition in a big brick warehouse that is Guildford Hall Brewery now. CEO's from local tech companies battled each other with robots built by Baltimore students !! Tronster, shown here, won!!
Table cloth black with big white letters spelling out Baltimore Underground Science Space (BUGSS) A space for creative biology! Says @bugsslab is their social media but they aren't here yet.
Picture of brown, um towers? They are electric towels holding up what looks like miles-long cables, but instead of 4 legs these towers have two. They are taller than the mature trees in the photo, and the grass under them has been mowed.
Melanie and Tom getting their photo with rh employees of Baltimore Restore. One lovely employee is holding the camera to take the selfie, the Restore bulletin board is behind us.
This large-scale participatory media project will utilize the concept of a traditional quilt through submissions and the lens of current video technology. Through this OPEN CALL (for Baltimore City and Baltimore County residents) Media Artist Mandy Morrison with Curator Aleem Allison, will select a collection of uploaded short videos that explore themes commonly portrayed in traditional quilts, such as comfort, friendship, love, gratitude, history, family, inequality, emotional and physical scarring, and loss. Using video mapping, these individual short videos will be organized into a large projected time-based "Media Quilt” to be projected in Gallery 410, a downtown (Bromo Arts District) gallery space with large street-facing windows. The installation is set to run from February 4 - April 6, 2025, with an opening on February 4, 6-8:30 PM. Then choose the 410 Lofts/Media Quilt project. Or email
Silicone's production is not environmentally benign. It involves the use of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. The process requires high temperatures, which typically consume significant energy, often from fossil fuels. It may release siloxanes at temperatures above 300 °F, harming the environment. Furthermore, it is not biodegradable. While it is more durable and less likely to be discarded than plastic, it can persist in the environment for hundreds of years once it reaches the end of its life. Recycling silicone is technically possible but challenging, as it requires specialised facilities that are not widely available. Silicone's environmental footprint is multifaceted: Production Process: The creation of silicone relies on hydrocarbons derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. This process is energy-intensive and contributes to carbon emissions. Recyclability: Silicone is notoriously difficult to recycle. Most curbside recycling programs do not accept it, and only a few speciality recyclers handle silicone, limiting its end-of-life options. Biodegradability: Silicone is not biodegradable or compostable within a human lifetime. While it may break down into smaller pieces over time, it does not decompose fully, posing long-term environmental risks. What is the impact of silicone? The global silicone market was estimated at £ 17.06 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0% from 2024 to 2030. This growth indicates an increasing production and use of silicone, which could exacerbate its environmental impact.
A Christmas cactus blooming with big, fucia (fucia is pink that is rudely impossible to ignore) with two plush gingerbread people, one on either side. Perfect Christmas/Winter decoration
Screenshot from Google maps showing that Akbar officially changed their Christmas day hours to 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. . If a restaurant doesn't change their hours then Google maps just says hours may differ.
Google satellite view of a 5-way intersection with a Blick art supply store, bar called Wet City, Dominoes pizza place and large Symphony Center apartment complex.
A fiery sunset, bright yellow clouds reflecting a sun we can't actually see anymore, but there are rays visible and intense light between two busy streets and then a bright blue simple, cloudless sky everywhere else. This version is cleaner, no tree, making the blue sky seem much more simple and bright. The sunset looks like a fireplace, it's differently bright in each shot.
View from a second story window showing a couple of blocks where row houses used to be. One section is parking and three sections are farm.... Behind the farm is a really old cemetery so you see nothing but trees.... On the left you can see the beginning of a building that is being used as a barn for the farm.
Rosemary in bloom, close up of tall stalks with tiny blue flowers. Blooming in November!
Large TV screen showing a chill video game with a tiny person in the middle of a tower and some leaves 10 times her height and in front of TV are houseplants, one being a monstera...which has these giant leaves....
Brick tower with very fancy ledges and decorative bits, very tall: we can see about 9 stories of the tower, nothing but blue sky behind it. Two sides of the 4 sided tower are shown, and each has a clockface about 25 feet wide and the numbers are replaced with BROMOSELZER, a brand of water from Baltimore in the past....
My Unitarian friend smile cutely in front of the new ramen shop inside the warehouse looking indoor marketplace. Ramen shop has red and black lanterns and bar seating and shares an alcove with a hamburger/milkshake shop!
A virtual certificate with text "Celebrating 10M users on Bluesky, #523,668, Melanie Stegman ‪@melzy.bsky.social‬, joined on Aug 8, 2023"
Handrawn Images of DNA and protein in pairs: left side shows a simpler image and on the right is an image of the same molecules but with complexity and other details included according to the principles of design (next image)
Blue Sky with puffy clouds and the eclipse is behind puffs and the clouds make the sliver more clear than if they weren't there.