What does it mean to sell out? Politicians are familiar with money’s corrupting influence, as we’ve seen in the media maelstrom surrounding the Clinton Foundation, Citizens United, and massive campaign donations from Wall Street and wealthy families. But for scientists trained to be objective, does selling out mean the same thing? Like politicians, scientists are not immune to money’s corrupting …
The Diversity of Orchids, or: “Are You Orchidding Me?”
Featured image: Michigan Orchids. Photos: Katie Grzesiak I really just want to talk about plants all the time; apparently having a job where I talk about plants all the time isn’t enough for me. And since you’re not the boss of me, this time I want to talk about orchids. To make a long story short, orchids (plants in the …
Science is hard
Much of my science education has done remarkably little to make me into a critically thinking scientist. I passed my college classes, typically getting decent grades. I dutifully memorized the stages of photosynthesis, the enzymes used during the Krebs Cycle, and how to balance equations of chemical reactions. Do I remember any of it now? Only a little bit. Did it make me a …
Approaching science with a critical eye
As a second year doctoral student, I have dabbled in the immense ocean of scientific research. Science is intimidating to approach, similar to any other field that relies heavily on jargon. I can claim no expertise in my abilities, but I have developed some strategies that help me cut through (or avoid) baffling and frightening titles, such as “Organozinc Chemistry: …
Science Thoughts from a Feyn Man
Main photo by Keenan Pepper Richard Feynman is one of my favorite scientists. As a lover of biological topics, I can’t say I understand his field of study AT ALL, but I truly appreciate what he has done for science. His charisma (and ego) has popularized science to a certain generation, and his approach to learning about the world continues to encourage …