In June, I got to go to Toolik Field Station on the North Slope of Alaska as one of the Marine Biological Laboratory's journalism fellows. I have written a lot about the science happening there (see the links embedded in the text and at the bottom), but I thought I'd take this opportunity to write a little bit about life at Toolik, since friends, family and colleagues have asked me about it again and again.

This is my summer science story!

This year for my birthday, unlike in year's past instead of partying with friends or family in an air conditioned restaurant, I opted to keep things simple and natural (kind of like my hair). I spent my birthday in the idyllic hills and overlooks of the Shenandoah National Park located in Luray, Virginia (about 2 hours west of the DC Metropolitan area).

High above the bustle of Midtown Manhattan at rush hour, on the 22nd floor of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers headquarters, historian Julie Des Jardins recently spoke. Her audience was an eager group of science writers and members of the New York chapter of the Association of Women in Science. She discussed her motivations for writing The Madame Curie Complex and about the process of crafting a narrative on women in science.

With the early evening glow of the East River behind her through the conference room’s panoramic windows, Des Jardins, who is a professor of history at Baruch College, said she wanted to present the sociology of women in science through her book.

Two recent comments from 9-year old girls in my science club stand out in my mind.“Mommy, where are all the girls?” This was from my daughter upon entering a room filled with mostly boys. I had signed her up for a science workshop hosted by a nearby town’s recreation department. We walked in, and to my daughter’s surprise there were about 14 boys but only two other girls. She looked me wide-eyed and posed this question.

Submitted by:
Victoria Brinson

Caption:
Science is all around you just waiting for you to explore it. As one of my Christmas presents last year, I received a microscope that also converts into a digital microscope.

Submitted  by:
Rebecca Reitz of the Science Technology Library at the New York Hall of Science

Caption:
Lichen and bugs made with crocheted cotton and beads on some tree pieces from NYC's Central Park. Merging art, craft and science.

Albert Einstein once said “science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it.”  For me, science and math were wonderful disciplines to explore, as long as I did not have to worry about receiving grades based on my knowledge.

I always liked math. It took work, but it came pretty easily to me most of the time. I liked being able to work out the abstract problems and get the right answer. I liked getting positive feedback and encouragement from my teachers, as one of the top math students. Then I took physics senior year in high school.