Something I have been struggling with this semester is the idea of the “imaginary line” that was discussed in Sedlak’s ES&T Op Ed. I agree with the idea that science cannot be biased (though I would argue that the system we currently have with funding agencies, does bias us somewhat) and that scientists need to…
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For those not up to date with the news : The House passed their version of the Republican Tax Plan. Normally I never really worried about these because honestly I don’t make that much money and I’m ok with that. But this Tax Plan will affect us. Something I don’t think most graduate students think…
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ITS ELECTION DAY! Everyone get out to the polls and please make your voice heard. Regardless of who you vote for, I view voting as an obligation of the citizen. 60 percent of eligible voters participated in the 2016 presidential election and only 40% of 18-29 year olds votes. WHY? Voting is a free way…
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Halloween occurred this week and while I’m not someone for scary movies, I really like any excuse to get excited about anything and therefore I found myself very involved in Halloween shenanigans. One big (somewhat) aspect of halloween is the idea that things are scary and these things are ghosts, vampires, and zombies. But these…
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After watching Dr. Pruden’s TEDx Talk from the Spring. She talks about her journey in becoming the person she is today and her motivations for being a professor. I found this talk to be incredibly compelling, especially because as someone she advises, I often don’t see this side of her. I see the person she…
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This post is predominately in reaction to the Facebook/ social media posts “Me too” as a way women this week have taken to trying to show the extent to which sexual assault and harassment exists in the US. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this social media movement, a lot of which come…
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As my first semester of grad school plods along, I’m thinking a lot on “Why am I doing this?”. I have friends making their careers and families as hair stylists, teachers, marine educators and the list goes on. What is compelling me to stay here for long nights and early mornings and do I agree…
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I’m trying to figure out what motivates people to choose a career path. Some people, I know, are in it for the most money, some just want to be able to travel and some people honestly never have a career. I don’t understand though, going through the crappy hours, honestly low pay of getting a…
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This past week each member of our team was assigned a role to act out in the DC Lead Crisis that occurred from 2000 – 2004. I acted as Lynette Stokes, the representative for the DC Department of Health. The exercise of reading all the briefings and then defending the actions of others, was a…
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This week we discussed Biases in our daily life and how, as scientists, we need to be constantly aware that we hold biases and try to be as honest with ourselves about what those may be. I was shocked to hear responses to the Hindsight Bias when it was presented in a research setting. The…
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