Hello everyone -- your weekly dose of Public Labbery is here, with a full agenda for the next few weeks of PL-related events. Also -- a variey of spectroscopy-related posts to keep you busy as you huddle inside for warmth... well, if you're anywhere near where I live, that is.

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Announcements

Sign up for a beta of the Oil Testing Kit for use with your DIY spectrometer: http://publiclab.org/notes/warren/02-04-2014/oil-testing-kit-draft-materials-list

For an experimental 1 month period, you can get a 10% discount code for posting a research note: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/plots-spectrometry/aEoDTuJgpic

Infragram Webcams have now shipped to all backers; retail preorders will begin shipping shortly.

Upcoming events

Feb 8th (tomorrow!) will see a new meetup of the Los Angeles Public Lab community and other local Citizen Science practitioners: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/publiclaboratory/ePs_imk-WOk

The third Citizen Cyberscience Summit is happening in London 20-22 February at the Royal Geographical Society and UCL: http://cybersciencesummit.org

Chicago: Join the Public Lab community at the “Uncommon Commons” event on Wednesday February 12 from 10am-1pm. Please say hi if you’re in the area! http://publiclab.org/notes/liz/01-23-2014/uncommon-commons-event-chicago

New and ongoing projects

Some great early preparation for mapping thermal pollution with a loaned thermal camrea: http://publiclab.org/notes/clairebwmiller/02-04-2014/preparing-to-map-thermal-pollution

Photos and news from last Sunday's busy and exciting "Toolshed-raising" in Somerville, MA: http://publiclab.org/notes/liz/02-03-2014/some-moments-from-the-toolshed-raising

The recently announced (and named) Riffle project led by Don Blair and others from Amherst MA was written up in the SciStarter blog after last weekend's Somerville event: http://scistarter.com/blog/?p=8733

Research Note highlights

Kite-mapping flooding in Jakarta: http://publiclab.org/notes/Willie/02-05-2014/jakarta-flood-kite-mapping

Spectroscopy: Detecting Pesticides in Organic and Conventional Raspberries using Open Source Instrumentation: http://publiclab.org/notes/silverhammer/02-06-2014/detecting-pesticides-in-organic-and-conventional-raspberries-using-open-source-instrumentation

Identifying fat content in milk with DIY spectroscopy: http://publiclab.org/notes/wagnerc4/02-05-2014/fat-percent-in-milk

Hot topics on the mailing lists

Assembling a list of target chemicals to search for in flare monitoring: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/plots-spectrometry/kMWs_RjA_eA

Coordinating on sediment testing in the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/plots-spectrometry/HIxndo8mSFI

Annoucement of an Open Source Gas Chromatograph: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/publiclaboratory/ZXZMxj3wYL0

MapBox getting into NDVI/agriculture mapping: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/publiclaboratory/a8EFngFSO6Y

Discussion of how to interpret sediment testing results on the coast of Maine: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/publiclaboratory/qDPAOvcBJHM

Public Lab in the media

Fast Co.exist covered Public Lab's spectrometry work and the new Homeberw Sensing Project: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3025300/how-the-bp-oil-spill-launched-a-movement-to-investigate-pollution-with-diy-tools

PLOS (Public Library of Science) Blog also covers the Homebrew Sensing Project: http://blogs.plos.org/citizensci/2014/02/05/homebrew-sensing-project-diy-environmental-monitoring/

Coverage of balloon mapping on the Spanish TV program "La Aventura del Saber": http://daniellombrana.es/blog/2014/01/14/la-aventura-del-saber.html