Believe it or not, conductors do not get up on that podium and wave their arms around until the music stops. (Just kidding. I'm sure you know that.) Well, I am no stranger to the art of conducting, though I am only relatively beginning my expertise in this area of knowledge. One of my favorite … Continue reading What We Can Learn from Conducting (Music, not Electricity)
If only one could transcend physical limits! I’m the one who must live inside my own body, but from where do I end and begin? Is my skin and senses my boundary or my membrane from which to gather and spread my presence through? These parts of myself that I find in places and people … Continue reading Time for Brain Myelination (Or, Why Learn)
Or, as my brother Albert likes to put it, "Gradulations", to you all. Two of the most common things I hear around this time of the year, are (whether it's from graduation speakers, teachers, or friends), "We made it!" and "You survived!". Well, is it really that surprising? It's easy enough to remain in a … Continue reading Congratulations, Graduating Class of 2016
When you're a researcher working out in the field, the act of collecting data can be split into two places: on a sample site, and somewhere independent of a sample site. Some examples of working on a sample site include dung beetle traps, bird point counts, pitfall trapping, collecting plant specimens and habitat structure data, … Continue reading Crash Course: Field Methods for Sampling Natural Habitats
Ecological knowledge is often lost in wealthier communities and countries, according to a study published by the University of Essex in 2007. Traditional Ecological Knowledge, or TEK, is lost when traditional communities become less reliant on local resources and begin adopting modern lifestyles, rendering TEK irrelevant. This loss of knowledge is important, because it can … Continue reading Strong Inverse Correlation Between Ecological Knowledge and Income Levels
Words can be limiting. They result in misunderstandings, mistranslations, and sometimes even barriers that prevent humans - us - from reaching through to each other. Author after author has complained about how the meaning they are trying to convey in their writings never quite find the right words to come out through, and everybody has … Continue reading Difficulty of Communication – Words, Words
It has always been in human nature to desire to know where we come from and our place in the universe. Culture, though less profound than explaining the big bang or evolution, provides at least a concrete acknowledgement of our place among other societies and a sure identity for a people distinct to that of … Continue reading The Importance of Culture
At one point in my life I struggled with the idea of how one could be happy with what they have and yet constantly strive to be better at the same time. How could a musician not like what they are hearing in the practice room and also be content with their job, for example? … Continue reading Happiness vs. Satisfaction
With T-minus 7 days till graduation, if you're like me, you're reflecting on what to do with this newfound freedom. If you haven't discovered it already, you will soon find that with no responsibilities, there is no meaning in procrastination anymore, and/or that binge-watching TV leaves you feeling immensely unfulfilled. Even books, exercise, music, and … Continue reading 睿 – On ‘Wisdom’
Just as we were beginning to get used to walking around with plastic baggies and just as we were beginning to consider them as a socially acceptable fashion accessory, they are over. What? Exams? Over? ....Dobby is a free elf! Let's take a moment and reflect on the process. What are exams for? “If the purpose for … Continue reading Exam Week(s): The Best Way Out is Through
An animated short film
an osprey bangs its beak on a keyboard and translations somehow come out of that
Key To Clarity
Educating people about life with mast cell disorders
My journey as a scientist, writer, and mother with ME/CFS
Sun Requiem 