Neurons and On Being a Science Nrrd

http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/photofiles/list/667/1077neuron.jpg

I am currently studying the physiology of cells, and to be specific, at this particular moment I am studying neurons. Neurons, and how synapses are formed, are quite facinating, and I just may be posting about them sometime soon. In the meantime, in doing research for my work, I came across a cute-as-a-baby-elephant stuffed neuron, and just couldn't resist it. My niece is being baptised soon, and so I have ordered this brain cell for her, as I think that it is never too early to work on the phenotypic expression of the science nrrd gene.  Because as http://www.giantmicrobes.com/ says, "The more brain cells you have, the smarter you are." 

>Sigh< if only my own children would understand the coolness of science, and thereby, the cuteness of this plushie. Alas, I am their mom. And so at one of their last cross-country meets, as I sauntered over to their team's spectators area sporting a neon periodic table T-shirt and deftly working a Rubik's Cube while searching the crowd for my children, it was the older 7th grade boys from their team who came over to me exclaiming, "Hey, cool! You know how to do that thing? How fast can you solve it?" and looking duly impressed with my "Eh, a little over two minutes or so". (Not particularly impressive, but when they can't solve it at all, any time is good time). And off in the distance, I caught a glimpse of my children, at once, glaring at me with "How could you?" expressions and shielding their eyes as they turned and hurried off. "Ugh, she's so embarrassing..." I could almost hear it. Well, budding scientists that they are, something to which their every teacher since kindergarten has attested, they will embrace their inner ScienceNrrd gene. It just can't be forced upon them. And so, the Rubik's Cube went back into my bag, replaced by my camera. I got some great action shots that day. And their teammates still think I'm cool. Which means that, in some small, indirect way, they think science is cool. And that is quite a fabulous accomplishment.

Evolution of a Blog

by ScienceNrrd 2/2010

For all of you who have been following my blog, I want to say thank you! This blog began as a small experimental project I undertook for a creative writing class while working towards my degree in both Biology and in Scientific and Creative Writing. It turned out to be a lot of fun, and I feel I've found a great tool for one of my goals: to make biology fun, interesting, and accessible to laypeople.  The underlying goal behind the project itself was to become familiarized with the medium of blogging - to get to know what it is all about, and what I can do with it.  http://aphroditian.blogspot.com/ (the original url for this blog) was a great introduction for me into this particular sphere of writing. 

I now have the opportunity to continue this blog as part of another project. My basic aim with this blog is still the same: to educate people about biology, while making it enjoyable, accessible, and interesting, but creating an independent study revolving around this blog, it is my hope to broaden it into something bigger, more expansive, and ultimately, to take it to a higher level. Now that I've begun to understand the basics about blogging, I can delve more deeply into how to expand my blog's reachability and readership, what makes a blog truly successful, and what form that success might take.  Will that be in the number of hits I generate?  Will this blog be quoted or used somewhere else?  Will it inspire people to want to learn more about science?  Whatever it is, I will be here working on my blog, making changes - sometimes openly, sometimes behind the scenes technical changes – and, enjoying the experience, of working on the evolution of my blog.  I hope you continue to join me as http://aphroditian.blogspot.com/ becomes http://creativebiology.blogspot.com/, the first of many new, interesting, and exciting changes this blog will see.