A Lady Scientist- Blog

So, things are going to be a bit quiet around here for a while longer. There’s a lot going around here at casa de Lady Scientist. First, I had Unbloggable Problem #1 that wasn’t resolved until recently (and resolved very nicely). Now, I have Unbloggable Problem #2 that is a bit closer to home and I won’t be able to resolve until the end of this month. Plus, Unbloggable Event is just around the corner. So, with all the unbloggables going on, I’ve had a hard time finding (1) safe topics* and (2) time to blog. I guess, I’m just staying, stick around for a while longer and my semi-regular blogging activity will resume.

*I do have EcoGeoFemme’s interview questions to answer. The time thing is just a bit of a problem.

The other day Dr. Man and I were carpooling to work and I asked him about his upcoming day. He had [Specialty] Clinic that day, which I thought sounded like fun. (As an aside, it probably isn’t but the name sounds funny and vaguely wrong.) I told him that and he elaborated on the scheme of the place and about the types of patients he sees there.

He said that most of his patients could be divided up into two groups: Those with Type A Chronic Problem and those with Type B Chronic Problem.

Hmm, I said, Sounds like a fairly good set up. Possibly boring, though.

He responded with: It mostly is, I guess, but there is this vampire I treat…

I turned on my computer this morning to find this list bandied about on my google reader. Curiousity (and a desire to read more blogs) had me clicking over to see who was on the list. Imagine my surprise when I saw my blog on that list! I was delighted to see several blogging giants on the list (and confused by one) and cannot fathom how I fit among them. I’m honored to apart of anything with this creed:

Women have long played an important role in scientific developments and discourse, however, this role has historically received relatively less recognition and coverage as compared to their male counterparts. Over the last few years, however, blogging has opened up a way for leading women in science to bring to light the important improvements women have made, the struggles they still encounter, and the strategies they set up for their work to be recognized.

Recently, Dr. Isis had a post up about how she feels her religion (Catholicism) and science mix. As I do, when reading one of Dr. Isis’s posts, I looked through the comments. I was dismayed by how many commenters seemed upset (outraged in some cases) that Dr. Isis had the audacity to have faith in God and believe in the Scientific Method, simultaneously. Much of the concern is centered on (and I’m paraphrasing a bunch of people here): That the Bible has some pretty strange things in it (Noah’s Ark, Parting of the Sea, etc.). So, how can you reconcile that with Science?

I’ve written before on how I found that my religion and my science are mutually inclusive. So, this conversation on her blog hit close to home and I had some thoughts on it. Rather than taking up lots of space in Dr. Isis’s comments, I figured I’d talk about my thoughts on my own blog.

The [Christian Denomination] I grew up in did not advocate that the Bible is entirely true as written. What [Christian Denomination] told me was that the Bible was written by men and men are fallible, just like [Christian Denomination]. God is the only one who is infallible. Therefore, maybe things didn’t happen like they did in the bible. And it is our duty to question the faults of men. So, there could be a physical reason behind every miracle in the Bible. And I’m ok with that. I have faith because of completely subjective experiences and feelings (these are not logical, as I’m not Data).

In fact, I’d be more than ok if all miracles in the bible could be explained by natural phenomenon. There’s this quote that I heard somewhere about how science is the how and god is the why. That’s how I think of everything around me. Science explains how we evolved into the beings we are today, how plants utilize the sun to make energy, and how we can build tall buildings. God explains why we are here today, why we should appreciate our environment, and why we should be good to our neighbors in those tall buildings.

Beyond seeing some of the cool things that nature does as somewhat wondrous, I keep my faith out of the lab. I do not predicate my scientific hypothesis upon the Bible, as besides being an ethical guide it doesn’t have much to do with the laboratory. Also, I do not explain my results by, “Then a miracle occurred and data appeared from on high.” So, until the day that I start allowing my religion to dictate my science or vice versa, it shouldn’t matter to other people what I believe.* For if I’m right and there is a God, well then, good for that and, maybe, on that day I’ll finally get some answers (like why do bad things happen to good people? And wtf is up with the playtpus?). And if I’m wrong we can all go out and laugh at me over a beer (or other beverage of choice).

*I’m completely unwilling to get into the fact that Christianity can be the source of a lot of bad things (like the unexpected Spanish Inquisition). Christianity can be the source of good things, too (like Catholic Relief Services, among others). People can be capable of both good and bad, despite what they believe and I don’t think one can use that as an argument for or against religion.

Things that I’ve noticed while being sick the past few days:

1. I’m finally reading The Watchmen. I’m enjoying it so far. It’s only my second foray into the graphic novel genre and I’m not quite sure if it’s entirely my thing. I tend to focus a bit too much on the words than the pictures. A perfect example of this is: Dr. Manhattan. I was entirely unaware that he went about naked most of the time, until one of the characters mentioned it. Perhaps it was because they only drew him from the waist up? Nope, it’s because the word bubbles (for lack of a better term) are at the top of the panel.
2. I finished reading Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Also, I read the recaps, by Cleolinda, of the first seven episodes of True Blood, a series based on the books. And now I really want to see the series. However, I found a place to watch them over the internet. Hmm… I wonder if I can use the Wii to watch them over the internet on the TV? I’ll have to look into that.
3. Daytime TV still stinks, by the way. I did end up watching a Top Chef Season 2 marathon. Do reality TV people not realize that everyone can see their confessionals on the Confession Cam? I mean, really, every little crappy thing you say about your colleagues to that camera is going to be on National TV. It’s not like it’s doctor-patient privilege or anything. It’s not a confessional in a church. Or maybe they [the producers] dress the camera person up like a priest?
4. Ok, I’m done with being sick. I can has health now?

How in the world is it that I get sick out of nowhere and I escape when everyone else is sick? I hate being sick and feeling crappy and all kinds of icky. Anyhow, I have thoughts on things that include, but are not limited to: impostor syndrome, exercise (I’m working on it), lab progress, and books. Unfortunately, right now, I feel like my brains have been replaced with scrambled eggs.

I tallied up the results from the comments in my previous post (where I asked about the best time of day to exercise). It seems that right now the majority of people try to fit it in the evenings. However, two of you noted that you’d prefer mornings but due to weather you’re stuck with working out in the evenings. Some of you pointed out that I just need to make time and stick with it. So, I’m going to take my cue from the you flexible-scheduling people there and exercise in the evenings– starting today.

Dr. Man and I took the Dixie Dog for a nice, brisk walk this evening. We’re going to try to do this three or four times a week. I figure if I start out with something small and achievable, I just might reach my goal.

While hydrating my membrane, I came across this article in the NY Times. For some reason, I was really touched by this:

It requires no metaphysical commitment to a God or any conception of human origin or nature to join in this game, just the hypothesis that nature can be interrogated and that nature is the final arbiter. Jews, Catholics, Muslims, atheists, Buddhists and Hindus have all been working side by side building the Large Hadron Collider and its detectors these last few years.

And indeed there is no leader, no grand plan, for this hive. It is in many ways utopian anarchy, a virtual community that lives as much on the Internet and in airport coffee shops as in any one place or time.

I started to tear up in the middle of the lab. I have absolutely no excuse, except that wouldn’t it be wonderful if this really was the way of Science?