I originally planned to start this blog when I formally enter graduate school in the fall for a PhD in neuroscience, but I've decided to start it now for several reasons. For the first time at Stanford, I will be taking no classes in biology--there will be no reasons to read scientific papers save for my own interest. For the first time--and last--time at Stanford, I will also be taking a scientific writing class. Explaining science to the public is something I've always been passionate about, yet it's also difficult to come by opportunities to do precisely that. Hence, this blog.
So, let's get it out of the way. Our brains are far too cool to be ignored. Doesn't anyone other than scientists holed up in labs ever wonder how all the connections in our brain our made, why brain cells degenerate and cause us to lose memories and our ability to move, and how we constantly integrate information all day err'day? Isn't it ridiculous that there are cells other than neurons in our central nervous system, and we pretty much have no idea what they do? In fact, most people don't even know that they exist, and the most a biology class ever covers about the brain is neuron functionality: sodium in, potassium out. Boring.
I want people (i.e., you readers) to have a reliable and hopefully fun place to learn about your brain. I want my friends to know about my research and hear about my life/sufferings in grad school. And I want to practice writing about science. Starting next quarter, I will translate archaic scientific papers into normal language as a way to keep up with literature and practice talking about science coherently. GET EXCITED. Hoping to update every other week!
