one is the loneliest number

as a graduate student it's difficult to not exist in a bubble. spending long hours performing experiments, analyzing and mulling over data, and constantly troubleshooting problems- such is my life. often, I am so focused on my own work, my own very tiny contribution to my field, that I sometimes forget that science doesn't occur in a vacuum. in order for my work to make the greatest impression on my colleagues, I must strive to see how it applies to the state of what is already known, to others' research. I can't just think about staring at small glowing cells to determine what they mean to me- I must be able to make as many connections between my story and what everyone else thinks is relevant.

speaking with the science teachers from St. Louis public high schools that I'm working with this summer, I came to the conclusion that science has the most impact for students when it is recognized as a body of knowledge. in most cases, students are presented with science as a series of isolated concepts and facts. it's only when they realize (if they are even given the opportunity to do so) that these facts build something together, interact and fit like puzzle pieces, that science becomes powerful! imagine what a science classroom that recognized this could produce, one that worked with students to help them create and structure a body of scientific knowledge. I dream of high schools graduating scientifically literate individuals, ready to apply their analytical skills to the work world, to move into the health and technology jobs of the next 50 years. we have a long way to go...