Tag: research

  • O’ Latin, wherefore art thou ‘dead’?

    After seven years of studying Latin, I’ve heard every version of the same question: “Why are you studying a dead language?” As a four-time National Latin Exam Gold Medalist (summa cum laude) and co-president of my school’s Latin Club, I’ve gotten used to defending my choice. I usually say something about intellectual rigor or cultural…

  • Objectivity is a beautiful lie

    Think about the last time you heard a cover and liked it better than the original. Something in the reinterpretation unlocked the song. Maybe it had a slower tempo, riffs in new places, or grief where the original had swagger, and suddenly you can’t unhear it. Although written in black and white, the score was…

  • Research and Wheat Fields are Pretty Similar

    I could never understand why people went skydiving, climbed mountains without gear, or went cave diving. But, after doing research, I kind of get it.   The first time I entered a field of research, I was utterly lost. I felt like I was in a literal wheat field. No compass, no map, no understanding…

  • The path to ‘perfect’ CRISPR babies may not be as idealistic

    Through my exposure to scientific research, I’ve accepted CRISPR as a common, emerging technique for genetic experiments. However, in the back of my mind lay the question of how far CRISPR is progressing as a technique for human embryo genetic editing. This weekend, I did a deep dive and answered some of my questions. Since…

  • Undeserved Hate? D.O.s vs M.D.s

    The scrubs are the same whether worn by an M.D. or a D.O. Most patients don’t even realize whether their primary care provider graduated from a traditional medical school or a D.O. school. Yet as I see users on social media dismiss osteopathic medical schools as “backup options,” I wonder about the history and validity…

  • Do High Schoolers Belong in the Research Lab? Part 2

    In my previous post, I explored the tension between resources and opportunity when research labs take on high school students. In this post, I will mainly focus on the value of experience and training the next generation of professionals. Beyond gaining the few lines on a resume, interning at a research lab instills in students…