Sunday marked the culmination of all ‘neurotransmitting’ work planned over the past few weeks. I don’t think I am alone in finding the lovely afternoon at MIT a great success. We were prepared for rain or shine, but when we ended up inside the museum I had never anticipated so many people across the age groups. The norepinephrine group had to explain our concept and scientific understanding to children as well as their parents and generally young people who thought that the individual projects we did were creative. Our basic understanding of norepinephrine’s functions got a long way when we talked about the connection between science and art.
I think that the surroundings of the MIT Museum is a manifestation of that. Nothing in the small space was overtly scientific or artistic, but a good balance between conveying information and still be visual appealing. My greatest takeaway from the day is teaching (although very briefly) the children, because I felt like that is where my limited science knowledge can make a contribution, factually and visually. At one point, there was even a little girl who came up to me, having looked at my art work, and asked whether those are fungi in our body. Other grown-ups found the analogy between mushrooms as drugs and the link to neurotransmitters quite humourous. Another visitor actually asked us in detail about the mental health and drug effects of norepinephrine because she said she was suffering from anxiety and wanted to know more about its chemical functions.
In preparation for Ruhlman, I am looking forward to explain noradrenaline in greater scientific detail. But to have had the opportunity to interact with a public, be part of a fun event and spend the Sunday to reflect about the class, its mission and what I have learned over the course of the semester has been incredibly valuable.
Another thing that is important to keep in mind, is how understanding the science behind neurotransmitters can help us understand our lives. The neurotransmitters in the brain influence many aspects of daily life. So looking at how neurotransmitters in the brain work unlocks answers to questions about many behavioral and mental health issues, such as anxiety, bipolar disorders and chemical dependency of all kinds.
I really like what you said about the fact that the science festival was “a good balance between conveying information and still be visual appealing.” I think it is very interesting to see how one can explain scientific projects in a easy and simple way for children to understand. It was a lot of fun in general!