Working in a Science-like Fashion

Tonight I would really like to talk about something that I feel is very ambiguous. First of all, it is no secret that in science, we women are greatly outnumbered. I think this article and many others do a fine job of explaining, with statistical evidence, how vastly numbers decrease in the appearance of women in scientific fields as training increases. There are many articles out there, and I implore you to go and find some, because they are truly wonderful and delightfully thorough. However, this is not one of those articles.

No, I am not here this fine evening to discuss my frustration over the completely mind-blowing, heart-breaking deficit of females in science fields. Instead, I would like to talk about a matter that concerns those of us who are already in scientific fields. And that is no other topic than: *duh duh duh duh!* Laboratory fashion! *applause* Don't worry, I will try to not exaggerate the situation at hand, but the expectations of female scientists are very different than that of other fields, and we need to talk about it!

Obviously when you think about what you would wear to a job, or maybe a job interview, very specific fashion choices come to mind. Something trendy, sophisticated, that makes you look like you already have the job you want, right? Well let me tell you something, lady. I don't think I completely agree anymore. I mean, let's be realistic, as much as I'd love to be sweatpants comfy in the lab, we all know that's never going to happen, nor should it. It is my job, and I love it, so I will respect it and dress appropriately. Beyond that, depending on the safety level of your lab, you will most likely need to cover up regardless.

Typically, I wear pants, tennis shoes, and a t shirt. Why am I not the gorgeous, office professional scientist you would like to imagine? Well, it isn't practical. I work everyday, sanitizing everything I work with with ethanol and bleach. Do you think I want bleach to reach my fabulous professional attire? Heck, no! And I never will. So generally, it doesn't matter to me what I wear every day as long as it is appropriate (doesn't show large amounts of skin, is safe to wear in the lab, and doesn't get in the way of my important work).

On the other hand, I do genetic analysis. It isn't like I'm constantly presenting information to global communities in science! This stuff is appropriate inside of the lab, but what about when you finally leave and have to do professional work? Are we held to the same standard as other professionals?

I really enjoy this blog post about professional wear for female scientists. It's a little crude, but I feel that it includes great general guidelines from someone with plenty of experience about this topic.
Here are my feelings about professional wear for female scientists:

• You do not need to be completely uncomfortable, so put the stilettos down.
• Not everyone in the world deserves to see all of you, so don't be afraid to cover up. You decide who gets to see what. Please choose to show us your mind rather than your body.
• You are one of the few, marvelous women in science. Don't be afraid to be a woman. You got to this point in your life without being a man, so you don't need to be one now. You can most definitely be feminine while being the genius you obviously are!
• Be yourself. Wear what makes you comfortable and confident. You are the vector that delivers the knowledge you hold. In order to be competent, you must be treated with the proper outfit.

So, to my fellow lady scientists: Keep Calm, and Science on!

The Matters of Our Time

This post will not be about plant science, unfortunately, but rather, a severely needed lesson about basic science. The funny thing is, the more I think about today's topic, the more I wonder about its "basic" characteristic, because it is an entirely different way of seeing the world that many people just don't use.

Look around you. Everything you see, smell, taste, touch, etc, and everything you cannot see, smell, touch, etc are made up of atoms. Atoms are the smallest unit of matter (there are smaller units that make up atoms, but for all intents and purposes we can just be concerned with atoms for now). At the core of atoms are a dense package of protons and neutrons, and in shells buzzing about the core are electrons. The number of protons determines the type of atom: one proton in Hydrogen, six protons in carbon. Typically the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons, but sometimes atoms lose or gain electrons to other atoms, creating a positively charged cation or a negatively charged anion respectively. The entire periodic table is set up this way, in increasing amounts of protons as well as other characteristics (think of how the Actinides and Lanthanides are separated, or ionization energy). Okay, so everything around us is made up of atoms, and these atoms are elements found on the periodic table. Well then, these elements form compounds that function every day. You breath in O2 and exhale CO2. Most of our bodies consist of H2O, but we still need to drink it to stay healthy.

These chemical compounds exist everywhere you go. You cannot live in avoidance of chemicals, because you are made of them. With the exception of radioactive chemicals that cannot be found in nature, the chemicals made in laboratories are no different than the ones you encounter every day. Lab produced NaCl is just like the salt that people mine. NaF is in your toothpaste and in our water to keep our teeth healthy. Your body is truly amazing, because when it is healthy, it can do chemical regulations all on its own. Your conscious brain doesn't have to worry about whether you can handle all that alcohol (even though it should), because your liver will work on it, and get back to you later. If you've never seen a decomposition reaction similar to what happens in our bodies when we digest food, you would be surprised to find out how violent it seems. That doesn't mean it is dangerous for our bodies to eat food!

So when it comes to the assumed danger of vaccines, all I can say about the chemicals you fear is learn more about how they are acting inside of the vaccine. Mercury is a dangerous element, but in this chemical compound, it is not. There is a large difference between elements and molecular compounds. Consider that Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, making up about 75% of it. We have hydrogen bombs, hydrogen bonds in DNA, and water! These are three very different functions for one element! Of course, the element is utilized in different ways. In that same sense, nearly all of the elements could be dangerous or safe in different situations. It just depends on how it is being used. I mean, if I'm walking down the street and I trip, and suddenly a man with a knife appears, he could rob me, or he could cut me out of the thing that made me fall. Everything is about perspective, wouldn't you say?

You need to realize the scientific foundations of life to see the things you normally wouldn't. Physics: everything is falling and changing around us, and physics explains nearly all of it! Chemistry: I hope this little lesson showed how chemistry is everywhere around us in life! Biology: some of the more abstract lessons in science are given by the many branches of this field, including the intricacies of psychology down to our incredible circulatory system. You want to know the best part? These three sciences connect to explain all of the beauty and unusual things around us! A strong foundation in these sciences will allow you to see things for what they are.