It’s my first week at a new job. After orientation and onboarding, I talked with my supervisor about setting goals for the next six months and we made a list of the meetings I would need to attend this week. Then I asked my boss for time off. “I just need two hours tomorrow afternoon,” … Continue reading There are no closed captions at a Zoom funeral
Blog
Lessons on stillness–an essay about the pandemic
Listen Now Transcript: When I was little, I was the kind of kid who bounced in place. Part of it was the early signs of anxiety that would plague my teenage years, but mostly I just couldn’t contain the rambunctious energy of childhood joy. I’d sway in my seat in class, or oscillate up and … Continue reading Lessons on stillness–an essay about the pandemic
Why I want a haircut–an essay about the pandemic
Listen Now: This essay originally ran on KQSD public radio in Santa Cruz, CA. Transcript: Right now, there’s a viral photo floating around of a white woman at a COVID protest holding a sign that says, “I want a haircut.” Her greying, blonde hair looks like a carefully constructed vortex. And she’s smiling like she’s … Continue reading Why I want a haircut–an essay about the pandemic
On Moon Deniers (And Other Stories of Science Communication At Burning Man)
It was a warm desert night and I was on a walk with my campmates down the main drag of Black Rock City. Burning Man 2019 had opened its gates less than 24 hours before, and we were taking a break from our camp build to enjoy the first official night of the event. At … Continue reading On Moon Deniers (And Other Stories of Science Communication At Burning Man)
On Quitting Grad School (And How Burning Man Helped)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu_tku_eN_I Last August was the beginning of my third year in chemistry PhD school and things were not going well. I was having trouble staying motivated, couldn’t seem to get to work on time, and once there I would pitter around till it was time to leave again. I resorted to buying one of those … Continue reading On Quitting Grad School (And How Burning Man Helped)
On Mucus, And Growing Up To Be A Scientist
When I was a girl, maybe 11 or 12, I had a kind of embarrassing problem. It wasn’t something that happened all the time, but every once in a while, when I’d go to the bathroom, I would find… stuff… in my underwear. I didn’t know what it was or where it came from. I … Continue reading On Mucus, And Growing Up To Be A Scientist
Becoming Hermione: A Personal Story About Magic, Science, and My Dad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72U9P81Vawg Some of my earliest memories are of me and my little sister staying up past our bedtime so that Dad could read us just one more chapter of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone. Dad would gather us up with blankets and stuffed animals, doing a different voice for each character. When we got … Continue reading Becoming Hermione: A Personal Story About Magic, Science, and My Dad
Is A Nightmare Before Christmas Actually About Science?
With Christmas just around the corner, families will soon be coming together with a warm cup of cocoa to watch a classic, possibly for the umpteenth time. A Nightmare Before Christmas was originally released in 1993, but has since gained an almost cult following during Halloween and Christmas alike. But this year, I encourage you … Continue reading Is A Nightmare Before Christmas Actually About Science?
My Magic Words For Confronting Pseudoscience
The people we choose to spend our time with often help us define who we are. While most of my time is spent with scientists, I am also deeply connected to the festival community. I have spent the last five years developing my relationships equally between the people I’ve met in STEM fields and those … Continue reading My Magic Words For Confronting Pseudoscience
Tips For Surviving Grad School From “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee”
Image by David Dewitt As a graduate student in chemistry, I have limited free time—I like to spend it not working. Sometimes I watch TV, and my favorite show to binge is Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Jerry Seinfeld’s bite-sized Netflix episodes consists of hilarious people talking about funny things over a good cup of … Continue reading Tips For Surviving Grad School From “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee”
Ariana Remmel 