Well, here I go, I guess. My name is Alvin, and welcome to my blog, Cranial Window! I have decided I have many thoughts about many things, and that it may be prudent to get those thoughts out of my head and onto a page for my own peace of mind and, hopefully, your amusement. I'm not gonna lie, this feels weird. I studied Biomedical Engineering in college and now work as a software and electrical engineer in a a neuroscience lab at UCSF, so it goes without saying that I haven’t done any long-form writing in a while. And I’ve never written for my own enjoyment. So we’re trying something new.
A cranial window is a clear window that can be surgically implanted into a skull in order to facilitate direct imaging of the brain. As horrifyingly graphic as that is, it feels like an apt description of what I would like this blog to be. You (yes, YOU, dear reader) will get a direct, largely unfiltered view of my triumphs and shortcomings, curiosities and confusions, frustrations and elations. I have a lot of hobbies and interests, ranging from playing several musical instruments at a frustratingly intermediate level, to exploring the future of neurotechnology and brain-computer interfaces, to getting rocked at weekly millennial trivia with the boys. So buckle up buttercup, because I’m not holding back.
I can’t wait to create and curate a whole bunch of content to force feed you. You’re welcome, society.