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.
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