August Scientiae and Call for Posts for September

One problem with transitioning between my two homes of Britain and America is that I totally missed writing for this month’s Scientiae, which was all about being in transition.  These excellent posts, written by more organized bloggers, were cleverly put together by Faraday’s Cage is where your put Schroedinger’s Cat. Great Hosting, Cherish!  It is a pity that I missed it as I have lots to say about transitions; not only the US/UK transition but also I am starting my new job in September.  Less than an month now, gulp.   Luckily, I can still enjoy the rest of the summer which in my reckoning, summer being July and August, is only half over.

This brings me neatly to September’s Scientiae.  As I am host, I get to chose a theme and it is that favorite of all school teachers “My Summer Vacation“.

Even for those not in education or with children, September means the end of summer so this Scientiae gives one more chance to look back over the summer to relive some enjoyable experiences, or assess how well we achieved our goals.  Did we get everything done we had hoped?  Did we have fun? Did any one go some where exotic or exciting?

You can write about anything to do with summer - for example, pick your best experience this year or talk about what summers and vacations mean to you in general.  Feel free to use a post you have already posted;  this year I have read some great summer vacation posts.  As always, you are free to ignore the theme and write about anything to do with women in science and your posts will still be considered for Scientiae.

Please submit posts in the traditional manner by 8 am (EST) August 30th 2008.  I am going to laboring over Scientiae over Labor Weekend [sorry couldn't resist] and I want it up by Sept 1 as I start teaching again Sept 2 [yah] and will not have any time after Labor Day.

I cannot wait to read your posts!

Note: Partly cross posted at Scientiae.

May Scientiae Carnival

Is posted at A Cat Nap. A great lot of reading from science women.

Changing Views

For the next Scientiae Carnival FlickaMawa asks us to discuss our changing views of ourselves. In particular she wants to know if we have changed over the last decade or less. Well, I am going to stretch this out a little to when I was a teenager.

I am going to start with FlickaMawa’s name. I keep reading this as FlickaMama, and I have to make an effort to remember that it is not. One reason for this is that I am dyslexic. Probably very mildly compared to some people and I have to all intents and purposes overcome it.

As a young teen I could not spell for toffee. Apparently I always spelt girl - ‘gril’ and the end of my parents’ street name (___field) would drive me nuts. Nope, I could not even spell my address without sweating about it.

Unlike many dyslexics, I love words. I love to read and one of my ambitious back in the dark ages was to write. Eventually, I could not cope with my bad spelling any longer. So I decided that any word that I was unsure of, I was going to look up in a dictionary. Any word and any level of uncertainty. I probably spent a day or two looking up the word “friend” fifteen times. What is it with all these words containing ie? I still have problems with recieve receive.

Over a number of weeks I noticed an improvement. Over a number of months my parents did. I no longer needed to look most words up. Finally my Mum, a remedial English teacher, stated that I was cured of dyslexia, which she had never met in her professional life before.

That was until I started learning foreign languages as an adult. Then it all came tumbling back. Additionally, I took a botany course which required me to learn all those scientific names. Do you know how many letters some of those plant names have? Part of the final grade was based on spelling them correctly in the certifying exam. Perhaps if you change “ae” with an “ea” or miss out the “e” entirely, you get a completely different plant? I would have got a better score if it was not for my misspellings.

So I have lots of sympathy when FlickaMawa says she has to learn equations for her qualifying exams.

Scientiae Reaches 1

The first anniversary posting of Scientiae Carnival is at Rants of a Feminist Engineer.  Enjoy!

Scientiae Posted

February’s Scientiae posted at Fairer Science. I’ve been out of the science loop for a while as personally and professionally I needed a break. I am slowly coming back. Some of the stories published last month and highlighted at Scientiae, help me with the fact that I am not ready to tell mine.

Visit Fairer Science and enjoy; get angry and act!

October Scientiae Carnival

A great carnival is posted at Wayfarer Scientista. Lots of interesting reading on different perspectives of mentoring. I want to read them all.

One minor quibble: the person being mentored is not a mentee but a protégé, which is a much nicer word.

In addition we finally have carnival logo:

Growing Up in a Sorority

Sororities get a bad rap. While this may be partly justified, any professional sorority gives undergraduate women a safe environment in which they can be a leader and learn responsibility. While I tend to avoid anything that smells even slightly cliquey, I do help advise a professional sorority. I enjoy this because I love watching my young women grow in personality, learn how to take on responsibility and how to delegate.

I enjoy working with my co-advisors as while they come to the sorority with different perspectives, we are in agreement of supporting our young women and helping them grow. We all know that life is not perfect and, hopefully, help the sorority women realize that they cannot be friends with every member of the sorority. Individuals are going to prefer other individuals and that might not mean you. We also try to avoid cliques from forming or at least taking over sorority events.

I see my role as advisor as the tight rope around a boxing ring or the net under a tightrope. I might not be able to stop the fights but hopefully I can stop them from falling before they get unnecessarily hurt. Growing up is about taking risks, stretching your body and your mind and learning about your own limitations. It is also about learning when to say “No” politely and firmly and NOT taking on responsibility when you do not have the time commitment.

Hopefully, I help my young women learn to make the appropriate decision for their circumstances.

scientiae-carnival

Cat Unleashed

I took this picture at Philadelphia Folk Festival last Sunday when the band Les Yeux Noirs were warming up because music frees me up and relaxes me at the same time. The theme for the next Scientiae Carnival is Unleashed, so describing the effect music has on me seemed appropriate. But what has this to do with science or me as a scientist?

I am one of those people who has to move to music to the extent it is painful to sit and listen to good music especially bands like Les Yeux Noirs, Davey Spillane, and, naturally, the Mammals. How do people go to folk concerts and sit and listen? Some people seem to barely tap their feet. Dancing is exhilarating and emphasizes the effect of music - a synergistic effect or a positive feedback loop. The more I dance, the better the effect of music. Listening to music also helps me get over illness. Once as a preteen, I was at school feeling ill - the singing lesson was the best thing about that day. I also find that certain music is good when I have period pain or a headache and it can help with anger management - there is nothing like a good loud “London’s Calling” by the Clash to let out frustration. The effect of music is not just hearing it performed but also caused by performing. Whatever mood I am in, after singing practice or choir rehearsal I am relaxed and content.

Music also releases thoughts. Quite often after a good concert, either listening or performed, I think more clearly and have more exciting ideas. Though, if I need to concentrate I cannot have any distractions so music gets turned off.

I am sure that a neuroscientist would have an explanation for this effect of music on the mind - perhaps it causes the release of endorphins or serotonin?

scientiae-carnival

Tangled Bank #84

Is here.  Enjoy the great science reading.

7th Chapter of Scientiae

While I was away, the next installment of Scientae was posted by FemaleCSGradStudent.  This is the “How we are hungry” chapter.