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Service Learning

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Throughout first year seminar I have had the opportunity to spend time learning about and doing service in science. The class has consisted of multiple in class activities like a puzzle for children at both app state university and a public library and a sustainability lunch. Out of class activities were also required and allowed for more diversity in opportunity including helping teach about app states creek. The last activity I took part in was a speech about scientific engagement in the Morgan lecture series. The in class scavenger hunt was my most enjoyable experience of the semester. Watching the kids trying to figure out puzzles while learning about an important issue was very fulfilling to see. The premise of the exercise was that the kids had to find codes to undo locks on a box that contained a prize. The hints were all related to climate change and forced them to read about the issue or solve puzzles whose solution was a fact about climate change. The on campus version serv...
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helping people understand science

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        Science engagement is something that is lacking in modern society. Many claim that they understand basic scientific concepts, but if asked how their car engine works or what activities they participate in that may contribute to global warming they may struggle for an answer. This lack of knowledge can have a whole host of unintended consequences like contributing to global warming or supporting dishonest companies.         I think two major methods can be used to better inform the public about science. First I think rewards are a powerful tool to support learning. If you teach through games and rewards you are far more likely to illicit attention. In my first year seminar class we put on an activity for children that consisted of solving science related puzzles to unlock a box for a candy prize. The children were fascinated and blitzed through the puzzles because they had a driving force to solve the puzzles quickly. While for many of the...
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Morgan Lecture series

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       The Morgan lecture series is a presentation designed to bring influential names to App State in an effort to encourage research and engagement in the scientific community. The speaker this year was Geraldine Richardson who spoke about international engagement and women in science. She told the crowd stories about her travels to other countries and passion to help science departments in colleges abroad find funding to teach properly. Some colleges she described didn't have even basic tools to perform experiments instead just having to read about them. In Cambodia some of the schools lack the funding to even pay their teachers requiring children who show up to pay instead. She was very passionate about having american colleges work towards improving the funding of those programs through partnerships.        She also discussed women in science. Historically science has been dominated by males and cultures around the world didn't support women...
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engaging scientists in public discourse

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        Science is a method of discovery and source of insight that everyone should be able to easily embrace, however modern discourse has many questioning the motives and expertise of scientists. Groups have grown that center around concepts like the flat earth or autism from vaccines and it is scientists duty to correct the misinformation that exists. While it would be ideal to assume all scientists are benevolent with their intentions many may be motivated by money or power to lie and falsify their findings further confusing the public. Because of this scientists should attempt intellectual outreach to fix any problems that have risen about facts.         The Group that spoke to us in the seminar was a great example of the dialogue that scientists should have with the general public. They demonstrated their passion with Dr. Bellemer particularly standing out in this regard as anything he said regarding his research was genuinely ecstatic. T...
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misinformation in graphs

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Everyone needs to be cautious of information they find on the internet in the modern age. Many graphs and info charts can display information in an incorrect or misleading manner. Both of the graphs are correct information from reliable sources with graph 1 from climate.gov and graph 2 from BAMS but they how they are presented matters as much as the info itself. GRAPH 1 Graph 1 is a poor example of presentation for several reasons. It doesn't show a true trend only specified years which are a very small sample size to work from. Secondly, it was designed to show 2015 is the hottest year on record even though 2015 was not complete and therefore a potentially misleading data set. GRAPH 2 Graph 2 on the other hand is a far better representation of good data. It took a large amount of studies and showed the correlation to show that a general trend can be observed in ocean temperature. It is a group of multiple large data sets showing a trend which is more accurate. This is ...
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Wine to Water

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   At the Appalachian state club expo earlier this semester I walked passed many service clubs but only a couple caught my eye. One of those was Wine to Water and while i signed up for their emailing list I hadn't had time to learn more about them until this presentation. The work they do in bringing clean water to developing countries is very inspirational and their commitment to making a true difference in the lives of those who struggle really had an impact on me.                                                                                                    the fact that a college student was able to have such a large impact is truly amazing. I haven't taken part in anything that i felt would lea...
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Science and I

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       My love for science begins with my love for numbers. I have always been interested by math and numbers as I considered them a puzzle that I need to complete. I could sit for hours in elementary school just solving basic equation sheets to see how fast I could do it. When I took Physics in high school, it took that love for numbers and gave it an application that I could use to express math in a meaningful way.         I realized that physics rather then math would be the major that would let me feel most fulfilled while enjoying what I do. While it has been a difficult major so far, that difficulty has inspired me to try harder and invest myself in the work I do. It has given me an avenue to push myself academically that I never had in high school which has led to my enjoyment of science even more.
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