Dear ____,

Thank you for your interest in my work and in our research, and research labs, as well as our startups.

Together we have created companies valued at more than $1 billion, and our InventrepreneurshipTM approach has been highly successful.

The best way to get a sense of what our lab is like, as well as give us a sense of what you are like (i.e. so we can get to know each other) is to do some of my Instructables (Professor Steve Mann), at http://www.instructables.com/member/SteveMann/instructables/
and then:

  1. click "I made it!", and
  2. upload some pictures and videos or links to videos.
  3. (Optionally) Contact me to bring your work to my attention (this third step is not totally necessary because I check my Instructables regularly, and if you do one of my Instructables well, or artfully, or creatively, I'm very likely to notice it).
This is the best way to maintain safe social-distancing while getting to know one-another.

Most of the people who have been successful at MannLab have grown up in a workshop environment and been exposed to machine shop tools since childhood. However if you do not have a home workshop, try your best to do some of the Prof. Mann instructables that don't require special tools that you don't have. Many of the Prof. Mann Instructables are pure programming, or can be done with home kitchen-table equipment and readily available supplies.

Once you do some of the Prof Mann Instructables, we will review your results and get back to you regarding where you might best fit within our lab, with a recommendation of who your mentors (seniour students) should be.

See for example:

The first Instructable above is something that arose from my natural childhood curiosity, which I made out of junk (garbage). With the right skill, aptitude, and fortitude, you can create something similar, without any special equipment and without any lab space. I designed my Instructables to be simple for people of all ages, including children and students from primary school-age to university-age, to build at home. It's also fun, and deeply profound in many ways. And by doing it, you'll experience the general culture and philosophy of my research and lab, and get a sense of how you might fit in here.

73 (that's telegraph code for "Best Regards" and commony apears at the end of a message),

Steve Mann, http://mannlab.com/news/

Try some of these Instructables: