M is a 60-year-old professor, but we share a very sincere interest - turning thoughts into diagrams and then into experimental controls. He feels that now finally with time-lapse photography and super-large computing power, there’s so much biophysics that can be done, and he wishes he were my age, just starting out, with so much time to do this. At 22, I was very focused on the desire to turn “diagrams into experiments,” and I also know that at an earlier age and over a longer period, I definitely had divergences from Munro’s line, but I cherish these moments of shared interest. This makes me want to explore: where do our interests come from in history? What will the several current radiating bets become?
For instance, I still want to imagine if it’s possible to connect soft living matter people to Ala Wai, or even Aole Mauna Kea. I want to go with Dr. Chan and others to take a bunch of kids to collect microorganisms from the volcano near home. There are many lava caves on the Hawaiian Islands. Historically, Hawaiian islanders used lava caves as dwellings, shelters, storage, surface water sources, and burial sites. The exploration and knowledge of these caves, and the relationship between islanders and the volcano goddess Pele and her siblings, are important to island families. Therefore, the process of extracting samples and using information needs permission, and must respect the material heritage of ‘iwi kupuna.
In 2006, University of Hawaii graduate student Keali’imanauluokeahi Taylor extracted samples of microbial mats from the surface of several caves near Kilauera. The purpose was to understand the metabolic pathways of microorganisms in extreme environments and the interaction between microorganisms and lava rocks. The US National Park gave him sample approval. In 2018, Rebeca Prescott cultivated the samples into cultures that could be raised in the laboratory. She gave the cultures to Eric Tong and Yvonne Chan of the ‘Aina Informatics project for a local science curriculum in high school, to extract and analyze DNA. Their genetic methods include: DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and phylogenetic analysis. I know that in real situations, what they’re doing is also very difficult, such as dealing with children’s interests, having to build many new reasons, and some ideal things that have no counterpart in reality. This is where reality imposes many, many limitations. I seem to have said this many times already, so I need to find an opportunity to return to the island and find Dr. Chan or Linda to take me there.