Good morning, everyone. A lot has happened since I last wrote. Somehow, we have reached the point where my thesis deadline is in NINE DAYS. It is an honest to god thrill to think that the end is in sight! I still have a lot of writing to do, but I think I have passed the hardest part. It’s like…
Tag: science
The Progression of My Day (and sea urchins)
9:50am. Developmental Biology. Today’s lecture is on how cells differentiate into different tissue types. How do cells become neurons, or muscle, or blood? The concluding message is that potency, what a cell can become, is greater than fate, what a cell will become. I find this very poetic, and moving for some reason, and it is so beautiful it makes…
What I’m taking my last semester
Already we’re into February, and the first week of classes has breezed by. I’m taking three classes this semester: Biochemistry, Developmental Biology, and Game Theory. Plus, I have my senior thesis project at my Brigham and Woman’s Hospital lab still ongoing. Each day ticks closer to the April 27th thesis deadline, and already this week I have had two long…
Vasilopita. The Good Luck Cake.
Second semester senior year is realizing that you have an 8:30am biochemistry class Monday morning… approximately 12 hours before the first day of class begins. Yes, this was an actual thing that happened. Let me explain. You would think that, as a second semester senior, I would be coming back from a month long Wintersession break refreshed and put together.…
Ice Cream Making and Moss Art (the last week of lab)
When I went to the train station today, there was a carpet of turquoise blue rock salt…snow is coming! It was quite beautiful, the whole corridor along the train coated in crystals. And, of course, with my Chem 205 background I couldn’t help but think that they were probably CaCl2, which has a higher Van’t hoff factor of 3 and…
How I got my lab position
My thesis occupies a substantial portion of my life, and it tends to come up in conversation, particularly when people ask me to hang out. “Can you meet to go over the chem results on Wednesday?” “No, I can’t sorry. I have my thesis.” “What about Thursday.” “Maybe at 8pm? Sorry, I have my thesis. I have to go into…
A Good Data Day
Hello from the lab on a Friday afternoon. Friday afternoons in the lab can be surprisingly pleasant, although I’m probably just in a good mood because I have had a good data day, which tends to come few and far between. For starters, the project we’ve been working on all semester in my molecular genetics class has culminated in successful…
Weekday Meetings. Weekend: Maine
Hello from Portland, Maine! We took a trip to my friend’s house for a bit of rest, relaxation… and mostly the chance to pet cats. It’s nice sometimes during your college years to just be in a home, even if its only for 48 hours, to have a reunion with fancy cheese and fireplaces. Especially since this week at Wellesley…
Let’s Talk While I Wait For My Train
I’m currently sitting at the Yawkey train station, watching the entire city of Boston go by. For some reason, even though it’s 5:30 pm, the traffic into the city is heavier than the traffic going out. The last few stragglers are wandering into the Red Sox game. Fenway park is right across the street, and I had to dodge the…
A Series of Surprises: I update you on five months of my life
Long time, no see, my dear readers! So much has happened since I last wrote to you from Copenhagen. Things have fallen back into place, into new formations, and I’m starting my senior year with kind of clarity that earlier in my Wellesley career I would never have expected. I’ll just run through the last few months of my life,…