DIY bicycle speakers at D.C. Hack and Tell, November 2015.
(Photo by Tajha Chappellet-Lanier)
At D.C. Hack and Tell’s 26th meetup — “The Curious Camaraderie of Code” — there was talk of how to “hack” your brain so that you get extra dopamine when exercising.
The crowd gathered at WeWork in Chinatown learned the secret to such an endeavor: Provide yourself with extra rewards. For some this might be the excitement of watching the new episode of that great TV show, for others (like the presenter) it might be the thrill of collecting data on your own exercise habits.
There was the presentation of a hack created to visualize the data on meetup group attendance — a popular subject in the company of the evening as well as interesting data to see, especially given D.C.’s ever-growing multitude of tech-related gatherings.
There was a demonstration of how to build a laser blaster (with LEDs, for the time being) for a last-minute robot Halloween costume. There was a data viz on suicide attacks worldwide, there were impressive (if not altogether safe) DIY bicycle speakers, and much more.
So what do all these hacks and passion projects have in common?
As one presenter on Monday night declared at the end of his presentation: “This is something I wanted to do but had no reason to do and I felt very irresponsible taking the time to do it.”
This is the essence of Hack and Tell — a forum for showing off that thing you created for no particular reason.
Got a project that fits the bill? The December D.C. Hack and Tell meetup — “Hyperion Christmas Carols” — has been scheduled for Dec. 8. Learn more, and find out how to sign up, here:
Tajha Chappellet-Lanier was the lead reporter for Technical.ly DC. The California native previously worked for NPR and the editorial board at USA Today. She can talk travel plans all day, and has strong opinions on the best doughnut in D.C.
