Daily Archives: August 26, 2016

This Class Looks Fun!

Hello everyone, my name is Charlie. Science was not too kind to me throughout my High School career. The grades I received in my science courses were fine, but I did not enjoy the courses I was forced to take. I never understood why I needed to learn what elements were considered alkaline earth metals, and what elements were considered halogens. I am not becoming a science major not because I do not understand science, but because the science that I have been taught does not pique my interest. The only truly interesting experience I had in my chemistry class was learning the science behind Breaking Bad.

Yeah-Science-Project-Gone-Viral

I took SC 200 because this class offers a unique way of looking at science. SC 200 is a course I am sure I will look back at long after I graduate from Penn State and remember how engaging it was. This class lets you explore science beyond a simple textbook reading. It gives you the ability to think about the real world rather than being told to study information that won’t be of use to you unless you plan to study science in college, which obviously I have decided not to.

I am looking forward to learning about interesting and meaningful topics throughout the semester. Here is an interesting article I found about a squishy robot. Enjoy.

I love science — fiction.

Hello SC200! My name is Emma Schadler; I come from a small town in Pennsylvania called Coopersburg about three hours from State College and I’m a freshman in the College of Communications. I took this class because my advisor suggested it and she told me Andrew only counts your two best test scores! Now that I’ve actually seen what this class is about, I’m excited to see science from a different perspective than I’ve been taught in school. I know a bit about science in general, and have even enjoyed my biology, chemistry, and forensic science courses – but you couldn’t force me to retake my junior year physics class for anything.

Also, I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and now every time I read the books or watch the movies all I think about is how they had to have learned how to create black holes or some sort of negative space or rifts between space and time through magic in order to Vanish items, hide the entire Wizarding World, Apparate, etc….

Philosoraptor

I am much more inclined toward the arts than I am toward science. That isn’t to say I can’t enjoy or be proficient at sciences, just that I can’t see myself making a living out of something I’m not completely enthusiastic for. Writing, reading, editing, technology, and languages; those are areas I can be endlessly passionate about, whereas science is something I might find momentarily intriguing or thought provoking, but not a long-lasting interest. Anyway, in this class I’m excited to learn/hypothesize about SPACE! One of my favorite topics of science is space because there could be so many things out there we don’t know of and may never know about. It opens up so much opportunity for literature, film, and, of course. scientific discoveries!

The Hard Truth I Learned at NSO

 

Hi, my name is Melissa, and I’m from Connecticut. I’m majoring in marketing, and at NSO I found out the hard truth that I had to take a science class. As I was sadly scrolling through science classes I could take I basically felt like this: ron swanson

Picture Link

Fortunately, my advisor told me about SC 200, and I was no longer sad after reading the course description, feeling as though this class was made for me. Through years of public school, I felt as if science was ruined for me, but I have a good feeling that this class will open my eyes to the interesting aspects of science, that we never got to discover during K-12, which I’m very excited about.

I’m not planning to be a science major because either a) school ruined science for me, or b) I really just don’t like science and I’m blaming it on the schools I went to. Also, I simply just enjoy business/marketing more than science.

Although I’m typically not interested in a lot of science topics, I do love to learn about space. Here is an article filled with some really cool pictures someone was able to take of space/the Milky Way, which reminded me of the model Andrew showed us in class.

Chemistry Ruined Me

My name is Hannah Morgan and I’m from Newbury, Massachusetts. I am currently in the Division of Undergraduate Studies and considering a major in the business field. I originally signed up for this class because my advisor didn’t give me any other options, but I can’t imagine a more fitting way to fulfill my science requirements. I’m genuinely interested in the results of scientific studies and the discussion of their legitimacy. I recognize the value of scientific studies to society, I just don’t have any interest in being the person who produces the results. I can’t imagine spending years searching for an answer that may prove to be elusive. I developed a disliking for the scientific process and its frustrations and failures in middle school, and by the time I got through high school biology and chemistry, a science major was out of the question.

Ultimately, I think I was deterred by the hundreds of chemistry jokes and memes that lined the walls of my high school chemistry classroom, like this one…

Chemistry Joke

I like the idea that this class is about critical thinking rather than facts, as every science class I’ve ever taken revolved around memorization. One of the topics that interests me the most is the origin of evil and what drives people to such a lack of compassion, as discussed in this article.

I like science, but don’t like it enough

Hi, my name is Dante Labricciosa, and I am from King of Prussia PA, you know the place with the really big mall. I am a freshman at Penn State, following in my brother’s footsteps to become a Finance major, so science was never really that relevant to me in my college standpoint. I am completing this course to not only just fill my required Science general education courses, but to expand my knowledge on the general objects and actions around me, because science is really in and is everything. I love to critically think and figure out problems, and this course seems to fit that with the theories and questions. And as Andrew has said, there are no dumb questions, which is great because I ask a lot of questions that in my head seem dumb. I am not planning on being a Science major because I took no interest in any of my basic science courses in high school. In chemistry and physics, I was never relatively “good” at the applied math. I enjoyed biology, learning about actions of humans and animals, but could never get into the in-depth information that composed the course. But overall, I am not being a Science major because I would just rather do something within the business school, as I am all about business…

2015-05-22-1432279926-4538389-madmen

Though I am not generally interested in pursuing a career within the Science industry, I find certain topics interesting, such as this article of new sea creatures being discovered in very-low depths. I love learning about animals and organisms in general, so hopefully we can cover topics including such.

 

 

Science is the Worst

Hi everyone, my name is Maddy and I’m from Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. I’m an advertising major in the College of Communications. I’m so happy to finally be here at Penn Sate, since I have wanted to come here for college since sophomore year of high school. I’m really excited to take SC 200 with you guys, and hopefully I’ll get to know some of you better!

I decided to take this class because it really stood out to me when I was looking for a science class to fulfill the gen ed requirement. I liked the description of the class, and it really appealed to me since I am someone who does not plan on being a science major. I chose this class because it specified that the class was for people who don’t like science, and that describes me perfectly. I’m happy that everyone taking the class isn’t majoring in science, because I think that makes it a lot more interesting that we have such different interests.

i am not majoring in science because I really don’t like math or science, and I never have. I would much rather write a paper for an english class, or be tested on the history of the U.S. than sit down and finish a page of math problems or complete a science lab. The way I’ve been taught, science questions have to have one answer, and one answer only. Science and math have both always been very confusing for me. I am excited to take this class because I hope to be able to see science in a different way. I hope that I learn to really appreciate science instead of just ignoring it because I don’t like it.

This is sometimes how I feel when I have to answer questions in science class:

Sometimes I'll Start A Sentence And I Don't Even Know Where It's Going - I Just Hope I Find It Along The Way (1)

I do think that there are certain concepts of science that are really interesting, but I just don’t like the way that science was taught to me during grade school and high school. There are mny things in the field of science that I am fascinated by. For example, here is an article that I thought was really interesting even though it’s related to science.

I enjoyed reading some of your blog posts and I’m excited to take SC 200 with you guys!

1-800 Science Skills Wanted

Hello!

My name is Dana Pirrotta and I am a freshman here at Penn State. I’ve lived more than half of my live overseas, but I have always considered Penn State to be my true home. I was born in State College and raised in Okinawa, Japan.  My dad is an active duty Marine, and his sacrifice has brought us all around the world. My family moves every 2-3 years, which is great because I love meeting new people.  I can’t wait to get to know you guys!

I actually enjoy science, especially biology. Unfortunately, I really, really, struggle with mathematical comprehension, and that makes many science courses especially challenging. I am honestly excited to take a science class that won’t create stress over complex chemical equations and other complicated mathematical excursions.  SC 200 was most appealing to me because it focuses on comprehension, and not memorization. Sometimes it is too easy to get those two mixed up and I believe that strengthening my comprehension skills will make me a better student.

I am not a Science major because I am not particularly confident in my science skills. I could very well be Patrick Star in this photo below because sometimes I ask “stupid” questions. (I am so relieved we can submit questions through our phones!)

a980585b5b0b5c889532c72f631dfbc0761f1c9ead7289d39cca2527ac75103c

My military background has shaped me to love international politics and foreign relations so my intended major is in Political Science. I love learning how various governments function and interact with each other, and my dream job is to work for the State Department.

On a fun note, I love corny jokes, so here are some relatively amusing science related jokes I found browsing the internet. Enjoy!

 

 

We could still love science even we aren’t scientist after all

It is just awesome to see new posts popping up one after another every time I refresh this page. There are so many thoughts and ideas that started developing in my head after I read those blogs and I’m sure we will have a remarkable time together in SC200.

So now, hello to class SC200. My name is Cindy (despite of what you might see under this post, please pronounce it as Cindy ). I’m in college of Arts and Architecture, majoring in IDS right now but I’m also involving in Psychology. Maybe I will do a double major later on. So yes, I am an art student, but that doesn’t mean I hate science or doesn’t know any science course at all. I took Chemistry and Physic throughout my high school education. I actually enjoy the labs and group assignments during those years. The only thing I don’t like about is calculation and math, and that’s why now I’m with you guys instead of solving some really complicated science problems.

To be honest, SC200 reminds me about one of the science course I had back in high school, which is the reason I choose this course. It was designed for non-science student as well. I get to learn some really cool things that I’m interested in. We get to explore and discuss about the universe, which is something grand but extraordinary to think about. I’m glad that we had some discussion during our last class on this topic, this‘s just something really makes me hyper.

center-universe

A picture I found on Google reminds me about what Andrew showed us in class

Another thing I want to share with you guys is the video series of Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking. I used to watch this video in my secondary school science classes. What I really like about this is that it concludes some scientific facts and researches with common language and explain it through models. It is easy for everyone to understand and appreciate. It also include some of the content from A Brief History of Time, which is also a book I strongly recommend you to read if you are interested in the universe.

It’s just crazy to think about how tiny we really are compare to the whole universe. But we also have the potential to shape the world.

 shutterstock_83116369

Science Major? No.

Hi everyone, my name is Jillian and I’m from New York. Honestly, I took this course because it was something that stood out to me when choosing my classes. I needed a general education class and nothing seemed to catch my interest. Psychology, religious studies or any science class didn’t catch my attention. Personally, I’m not a big fan of science. In high school I would take the courses because I had to, not because I wanted to. When choosing my classes, I specifically said to my advisor that anything science I did not want to take. A little after telling him that, he showed me this course. He said it was specifically for students who were not science majors. Once I saw that, I knew that was the class for me. After reading the summary of the class, I was hooked.

Being a science major was something I knew from the start I did not want to do. Science has never been something that interested me because it was always a subject where there was one way of doing something right. There are too many formulas, rules and definitions for me. I’m more into digital design, where the creativity is endless. This class interests me though. For the first time ever, I’m in a science class where we are trying to figure out something that does not necessarily have an exact answer!

Although being a science major is not for me, occasionally I think to myself how great it would be to be a doctor… that though is only when I’m watching Grey’s Anatomy. Who doesn’t think they have the ability to be a doctor just from watching Grey’s?

tumblr_lida37aW631qa1k25o1_500

 

 

 

 

 

A link I figured  could share with you all was this one, click here to check it out. It’s odd yet kind of interesting at the same time!

 

Science? Eh. Political Science? Yes.

Hi guys! My name is Arianna Del Valle and I’m from Puerto Rico. I chose to study at Penn State because I wanted a big school with a great academic program, which is not something commonly found where I come from. I’m majoring in Political Science, which is a science… Does that make me a scientist?  Let’s pretend it does, I feel cool.

Even though I’m not a proper science major, I actually do like science. It was one of my favorite subjects at school because it was always changing. There were many different things to learn about, each day brought a new discovery from some corner of our planet and galaxy.  However, even though I liked science, I never really felt a passion towards it.

Biology and chemistry were fun classes, but I found that the type of science I liked was the one that directly involved the study of things in our world today. That being said, I still find things like Newton’s law of universal gravitation and Darwinism interesting. We see examples of these monumental discoveries in our everyday life; for example, Dwight from The Office, explaining how survival of the fittest works… kind of.

Dwight Survival of the Fittest

However, I was far more engrossed in the science that answers every-day questions; which is where this course comes in. Instead of studying things that we already know- like our solar system or the Earth’s layers-, we’re combining current scientific events and critical thinking skills.

All in all, I’m taking this course because I love science- even though I’m not technically a science major- and it covers topics I’m genuinely interested in. I mean, just check out this article on jellyfish lasers (yes, jellyfish lasers, I know); it seems like the type of topic we’d cover in SC 200 and not in a regular science course. Let’s be real, this class is gonna be bomb and I’m extremely excited to learn mind-blowing facts I can whip out in my next conversation. Plus, Andrew’s accent makes it all the more interesting.

 

Link

Hi Everyone! My name is Olivia Zhang and I’m a freshman at Penn State University Park. I am originally from Northern Virginia (close to D.C.), which is jokingly known for being it’s own “state”. The suburban and affluent setting is far fetched from the rest of Virginia, which is a common joke that fellow NOVA residents can relate to. If I’m being completely honest, I am not a science or math person at all. After suffering the grueling coursework that accompanied Chemistry and Physics, I realized that following a career path towards science was not in my cards. I’m currently in DUS, but working towards becoming a business management major. After my advisor informed me that my science course requirement could be filled with this class, SC 200, I was ecstatic. After reading the description of the class, I was entranced by the idea of the philosophy and critical thinking behind ordinary science concepts. This class is not your ordinary course load of equations, calculations, scientific research, experimentation, and memorization. It exemplifies critical thinking and the ability to explore the depth of science in the real world. I have high expectations for this class and truly believe it will change my reasoning and logic in the future. Andrew has extensive knowledge about the development of scientific theories and really puts into perspective the origins of ideas and hypotheses. I was so surprised when he showed us a video of a TED talk, that HE GAVE! Ted talks are so interesting and thought provoking, and proves our professor really is the best of the best. I am thoroughly excited to meet you all and embark on our own scientific exploration in SC 200.

 

35444459303ce7d861d14fb2c8ec977d

Picture link

Here’s an interesting article I found about the possibility of a low mass star, Proxima b,  that possibly has the ability to harvest life outside of our solar system. It’s pretty common to hear about the possibility of “new life” outside of Earth, but there hasn’t been any substantial evidence that proves this theory. Perhaps we finally have reached a breakthrough? Only science can tell.

 

Science Makes the World Go Round?

Hey everyone! My name is Abigail Roe and I am a freshman majoring in Communications (Broadcast/Journalism). I am taking this course quite frankly because I need to fulfill 3 more credits for my general science requirement. So why did I choose SC 200 and not another science course? Well, it was either this or entomology. While learning about bugs is not terrible, I would much rather prefer this class. I enjoy the critical thinking aspect of SC 200. The topics that we plan to cover intrigue me. This class gives a whole new meaning of the word science for me. By taking this course, I hope to gain a greater appreciation for science and how it influences our lives.

I am not planning to be a science major for many reasons. First off, I hate math. It’s hard to do science without touching on a little bit of math. Second of all, I hate math. In all seriousness though, science is just not my thing. My brain is not wired like that. I am more “right brain dominant.” Here is a short article expanding more on the two hemispheres of the brain and what each side stands for.

Below is a rare photo of me when I heard Andrew speak AND found out he was a TED Talk speaker…

ea6dcec40d3bcdfd14a193212fa68953fc9fa84e91ca91b79ad48aabe05ffcf7

Link

Unknown

Hi my name is Lucero Regalado. I had Math 21 on my schedule. After a week at New student Orientation my Lenfest adviser made the suggestion that I drop math 21 and her suggestion to replace the class was Sc 200. I followed her advice and that is how I now have this class. I am a English major. I do not do well in Math or science classes. I love English and I want to become an Actress. Being a science major does not sound right for my intended career field. But with taking this course I hope it changes my opinion on Science.

Science is Hard

My name is Matt Overmoyer and I am a Sophmore studying Labor and Employment Relations here at Penn State. I took physics in high school. I really liked my instructor. Mr. Cherry was a kind, reasonable man who knew a lot about physics. Every day he read from a small book titled “Native Wisdom for White Minds.” It was an enjoyable class. From the onset, I convinced myself it would be about exploring concepts about the world. What are its rules? How does it work? I thought it would be fun, insightful, and fairly easy. I got a 76%. While I enjoyed the instructor, my classmates, and the course, I did terribly despite the fact that I tried my best.

I took Science in Our World because it promised to be everything I wanted that physics class to be. After the first few days it looks like we will be learning about the world, how it works, and answering difficult questions. It looks like fun. Hopefully this will be an interesting class that reinvigorates my interest in science. After classes like physics, chemistry, and bio, I became convinced that science was memorizing formulas, numbers, atomic numbers, and complicated mathematical equations. Science is memorizing formulas, numbers, etc. but it is also fun and invigorated. I hope. I didn’t choose a science major because I became disinterested in all the complicated math involved, also its hard. I choose my LER major because it builds on skills I have while challenging me in other areas.

Anyways, in the interest of science here is a link to the song Blinded Me With Science.

Not my top choice

Hello everyone, I’m Matt Porr and I am a freshman here at Penn State. I originally took this class to fill my science gen. ed. I also was attracted to this course because it covers a broad array of scientific topics. This is important to me because even though I find science interesting some topics are boarder-line painful to learn. After attending my first lecture I found that this course was very student oriented. Instead of learning about things we don’t find interesting, we are empowered to change the direction of this course by offering other topics to learn about instead.

In high school I had my fair share of science. i found it very interesting to learn and that it i could pick up the lesson fairly easily. My junior year I even took AP Biology and did well. Even though I did well in most of my science courses I knew this wasn’t the field for me. While taking elective I found out that I was more passionate about my TV course than any other course that I had taken in high school. Therefore I decided to become a Communication major over other majors.

oh-well

After deciding to not be a science major I decided it is still possible to be a interested in science. One of the more interesting topics that I’ve learned about is the Law Of Attraction. Some might say that this is not scientific but it has a lot to do with science. This article shows just how much the Law of Attraction has to do with molecules. Not only does this concept involve molecules but also brain waves.

The Better Option for Me

Hello Science 200 classmates!

My name is Anna Wisniewski, and I’m from the beautiful city of Pittsburgh.  We are known for our bridges, so HERE is a link to an article about them.  I am a freshman here at Penn State, and my intended major is public relations.  

Why am I taking this course?  Well, I need a general science class.  It’s not that I don’t like biology, chemistry, or even physics.  I actually love science, and did pretty well honestly.  It’s more the fact that I know those classes are especially challenging, and I need to keep a 3.3 GPA to get into my major.  Maybe I’ll explore  those classes later on!

Surprisingly enough, all through high school I had my heart set on becoming  a pediatrician.  Sooner or later I decided that just was not for me.  I am not a science major because I love talking with people so much!  Now before you say anything, I know that a pediatrician talks to patients all day.  Thats why I thought it would be the perfect mix of medical and interactions.  I just feel communications is a better fit for me and my talkative, outgoing, (sometimes crazy) personality.  Although you never know, I could switch majors and end up doing research the rest of my life.  I’m very open to exploring what Penn State has to offer, so I am willing to be flexible and try new things.  Speaking of flexibility, I really love yoga.  That was maybe an awkward way to transition between subjects but let’s just go with it!  Here’s a meme of a dog doing yoga that basically sums up how I feel sometimes when I’m in a science class

.  yoga dog

I hope that I can get to know some of you guys, maybe form a solid study group, or just find some people who love Game of Thrones as much as I do and have viewing party.  Whatever floats your boat!  I’m excited to continue through this course and read all of your ideas about the science around us!

Unrequited Love

My first semester at Penn State (last fall), I was extremely excited at the prospect of majoring in Biology. I had big dreams of medical school and all the heart-pounding, Earth-shattering, life-making moments that a career in medicine would have to offer me. However, life had other plans. I withdrew from Bio 110 about halfway through the course. My breaking point came after 2 terrible exam grades, when my professor began a lecture by stating, “We are all familiar with the Krebs Cycle, but from that we get ____”, I didn’t hear the rest of that statement. I certainly was not familiar with the Krebs Cycle, so I decided to abandon ship sooner rather than later. Now I’m a Global and International Studies major with a minor in Philosophy and am much happier with that decision (well… for now). I plan on going to law school, but we’ll see how my life pans out.

So it’s not by choice that I’m taking this class as a non-science major but I’m happy that I am. Not only did it fulfill my GN requirement, but the broad topic seemed interesting and I was very excited to take a course that was geared towards non-science majors. I look forward to an engaging and interesting class.

 

me

My article is very relevant in the world today, as it has to do with Zika and the effect it has on babies. As of right now the long term effects of Zika are widely unknown, and I’m very anxious to see how this disease develops.

Picture link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2828300/Scott-Disick-enjoys-wild-night-Las-Vegas-birthday-girl-Kris-Jenner-cosies-new-boyfriend-Corey-Gamble.html

A Guide to ‘A+ Grade’ Blogging

Today we received lots of questions on the comment wall regarding blogging. We did not have time to answer them all in class so we thought it would be helpful if we made a blog post for you to answer some of the questions you might have. In addition to reading this post, we encourage you to also read through the syllabus, as well as the Tech FAQ before writing your first blog of the period. In the post you are about to read, you will find an FAQ-style blog concerning all things blogging. If you have further questions or concerns, please email any of the TAs as we are here to assist you throughout the semester.

How long does a blog have to be and how long will it take me?

As Andrew said in class, 500-700 words is usually sufficient, but you should not be aiming for a word count. Instead, write however much it takes to get your ideas and everything you want to say in your blog. Of course, the length will vary depending on the topic; some topics require more material and some require less. In short, spend as much time as you need to write a great piece.

Is there a limit to which topics I can write about?

No! That’s the great thing about this class. Andrew wants his students to learn about how science impacts everyday of your life. This means you can write about food, clothing, sports, human behavior, drugs and alcohol (don’t include that you participate in illegal activity, if you do), or even our favorite internet meme Harambe. It is extremely important to write about topics you are interested in. Not only does it make writing less boring, but you are more likely to earn a better grade There is no limit to what you are able to write about, but it must relate back to science and the context of the course material. Failure to do so would not earn you the grade everyone is hoping to earn.

Specific topics are always easier to write about than general ones. For instance if you want to write about energy consumption, write about if the entire world would be able to live like Americans and the environmental implications that could come out of it. It is often a good idea to pose a question and answer that question in the blog. This helps narrow the scope of the subject.

What needs to be in the blog?

Live links, pictures, video links, graphs, charts and those sorts of good things contribute to a great blog post. Usually you will want to link to the article or study that you are drawing information from. Studies and experiments are very effective in making a good argument and including them is an easy way to earn some major points with the graders. It is very important to ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS give credit where credit is due. Failure to give credit to another person’s work if you are using it is plagiarism which will not only result in a zero but will also land you in serious trouble with Andrew and the university. If you are inserting a picture, graph, or chart directly into your blog, just include the raw link to where you found it at the end of the post.

What about the comment requirement?

Comments are a required aspect of the blogging. The number of required comments on other posts for each period is included in the syllabus. As far as the content of the comments goes, do not just say, “I agree” or “This post is not good”. The comments should be an analysis of the post you just read. Tell them why you agree or don’t agree or maybe even tell the author what could have really made their post pop. Better feedback for your classmates will not only earn you a better grade, but it will also allow everyone to improve their blogging skills.

Other helpful information to know:

You can actually view the blog posts of all three TAs from last year via this site. Simply search for any of our names and you will find plenty of fantastic examples of blogs to get an idea of what yours might need to look like.

Again, please do not hesitate to email any of the TAs even if it is just to say hi and introduce yourselves. We want to help however we can and we can’t wait to meet more of you all!

Picture links:

http://theplanetd.com/images/blogging-encouragement.jpg

https://res.cloudinary.com/teepublic/image/private/s–9gJPYhhU–/t_Preview/b_rgb:262c3a,c_limit,f_jpg,h_630,q_90,w_630/v1470132404/production/designs/612170_1.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4b/50/07/4b500773954829c92bdf9bca5a08d16a.jpg

 

Initial Blog Post

Hi my name is Valerie Murphy and I’m a sophomore at Penn State. Initially, I was just looking for a science class to fill a gen. ed. requirement for my majors (criminology and English). This class seemed to be the most interesting out of the other courses listed as it promises to take current scientific topics and apply them to everyday life, so there’s a relatable factor involved. I like subjects that I can make connections to because then I’ll have an easier time remembering the information. I feel like this class is going to make me think and actually force me to be involved with the material. Some courses I’ve taken have been such a bore because there was no other interaction with the lesson besides lecture and note taking from the text book. I’m looking forward to gaining a better appreciation for the realm of science.

I have a higher appreciation for literature rather than equations and formulas. I’ve always gravitated toward the classes that entailed writing, reading, and public speaking. Subjects like chemistry, physics, and biology were always frustrating to me because it seemed like an entirely different language and most of all, dull. I understand that science is more than important, it is essential to life as we know it. However, I’d rather be the one benefiting from the break throughs being made, not actually performing the steps to get there.

you-had-me-at-hello-then-lost-me-the-very-next-text-with-your-horrendous-spelling-and-inability-to-use-the-proper-version-of-your-youre-ed7d8

photo credit

Here is a link to an article on the New York Times that discusses the recent increase in price for EpiPens. I think this article demonstrates how science is not a one-dimensional field. It can cross over to the political and economic realm; directly affecting your everyday life and decisions.

Science and I aren’t friends

Hi everyone! My name is Alexis, but usually go by Lexi or Lex, and I am from CT. I am taking this class as a freshman not only to fulfill my science Gen Ed but because, although I am undecided in my major, one thing I know for sure is that I do not want to do anything with science. I hate science and  I’m pretty sure it hates me back because no matter how hard I try to understand it, it always has me like:

d6f

I actually used to enjoy science back in middle school when we used to make models of the cell out of cake and candy, color on the daily, and watch Bill Nye and the magic school bus. Then, honors high school science came into my life and let me tell you, those two classes were the worst two years of my life. Not only did I not know what was going on, ever, but I don’t think my teachers did either. After that, I dropped down to college prep level chem because I was tired of the struggle. Best decision ever. But for some reason, the next year I thought, hey, maybe I’ll take 4 credit UCONN physics, I’ll get the credit and never have to take science ever again in college! But guess I was wrong because here I am taking a science Gen Ed. Even though I thought I was done with science, I couldn’t tell you how happy I was when I heard that PSU offered a science class that required no science skill or liking at all. I’m excited to learn science in a new and fun way and also, learn about topics that I’m actually interested in. This really could not have been a more perfect fit, because, science, I am done trying to be friends with you.

I do realize however, that science is going to be a part of my life whether I like it or not. Here is an article I found online about just one of the many examples of how science affects our daily lives.

Sorry Mom!

Hey everyone! My name is Alexis Paige and I am a freshman. I am taking this class because I thought it would be interesting to learn science as it pertains to me. For example, this article is interesting to me because I can actually see the science happening. Knowing the atomic mass of Argon has never really come up at any point in my life thus far and is not very exciting.

argon pic

I also was excited by the fact that we will be learning about subjects that we choose. So I will have a choice in what I learn which is pretty new for me. Hopefully, taking this class will  make me more educated on some of the more interesting things being done in the world. 

Why am I not a science major? My mother actually attended the Eberly College of Science way back when and, as sad as it made her, I was never very interested in science. The only science I ever found very interesting was biology. The reason I am not a science major is because I would rather look at the big picture rather than investigating every little pixel. I like my life with a little more mystery! I would rather go my life without knowing the sheer vastness of the universe than the slightly discerning feeling of being a tiny, insignificant piece of a world I cannot even begin to comprehend. I would like the unknown to stay unknown for the most part.

You can run from science, but science cannot run from you

Hello, I am Kaitlyn Kaminski a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. I plan on minoring in CAS and obtaining a sports journalism certificate from The John Curley Center. Look for me on ESPN or NBC Sports (Pierre McGuire needs to go… agree with me someone) in about two years!  I am from New Jersey so don’t hold this against me because I will have to be impartial towards all of y’alls teams… but I am a New York Giants, Rangers and Yankees fan (Again, I apologize, but loyalty is loyalty). I am also a fraternal twin so when you date me, you date her- we are literally the same person (it’s annoying).

As you can probably tell- science is not something I prefer. I was kind of pushed into the science field by my uncles, but clearly failed to listen to them. I aced my bio and chem class during high school, but then physics happened and science wasn’t fun anymore… you live and you learn 😉 I could never imagine myself going into a career path that I’d hate and I feel like I’d be miserable if I did so with science.

I am going to be completely honest with you- my advisor told me to take this class, so I did. I googled the class then the professor and became interested in it. RateMyProfessor did not scare me off and come on… I needed to hear the accent! So far so good, I am not disappointed with anything and I cannot wait to see how this semester turns out!

If there is one thing that I have learned it is that- You can run from science, but science can never run from you. I have always thought that my major was a safe one-no math/no science… BOY, I WAS WRONG… Two math classes and three science classes later I can say I am almost officially done with the classes forever, but never the material. Even though my major won’t involve science specifically…it is there. You have how fast a ball flies in the air, what happens when someone gets a concussion, helmets designed for impact, safety equipment, the mechanics of stadiums, etc… science is EVERYWHERE. While I am glad I will never have to sit with a pencil/paper and write an equation ever again, I cannot avoid science.

Here’s a link to an extinct bird species found in the Galapagos- Click here I just thought this was an interesting read and I like birds.

You can read some of my work covering hockey and different random events Here

Please enjoy this picture of the GOAT (do not argue with me on this :))… my husband- Derek Jeter and some…birds that are in Galapagos.

CBSsports.com

CBSsports.com

b6ee67d7ac93f91ad4e2021eda726cea

images

 

From “I hate science” to “Science is lowkey my BFF”

Hey SC200,

My name is Taylor Stewart and I am a freshman this year at Penn State. I am so excited to take advantage of everything this university has to offer! And the icecream….. lol (I’m greedy)

Just like so many others, science was never my joy in life. Somehow I feel as though it’s not the actual idea of science, but rather the method in which it was presented to me.

This has pretty much been my attitude in every science class I’ve ever taken:

35637812

Ever since I can remember I’ve been instructed to memorize this planet, that planet, the table of elements, blah blah. The Philadelphia Public School system I was taught in thought it was beneficial for students to operate as little robots, memorizing information and scoring well on exams. This has scarred me for life and since then I have always loathed science classes.  Also, I’ve thought to myself, “Well who the hell are you to tell me this information is written in stone?”. How do we actually know what we’ve been instructed as “scientifically accurate” as such? I’ve found a really interesting article that explores the idea that students are becoming robots. You can access it HERE.

Anyway, when it was time to schedule classes with my advisor at New Student Orientation, I made it 100% clear that science was not for me! I have zero intentions on being a science major because due to poor teaching I have completely shut it out of my list of interests. I feel like you should enjoy what you are learning about, especially if you would like to succeed in the field. With that being said, I believe this class is perfect for me. I’ve always found myself asking questions that no one around me could answer. Questions that will make you think for hours with no final conclusion. So when my advisor suggested this class to me, having read the objective I knew this was perfect. I find it interesting that one simple everyday thing can bring a mind-pondering question to mind. It’s so amazing how we don’t think about these things until it is brought to our attention.

Being that I am striving to get into the Smeal School of Business here at Penn State, this type of class is very useful. The business world requires an abundance of critical thinking, and I just know this class is all for it. I am also very very interested in fashion, design, and art. I originally was on my way to a famous fashion school in New York, called Parsons New School of Design, however, I chose Penn State. I know that this was a better choice because I can still pursue my passion while also learning things that The New School cannot teach me. I’d rather explore the world of business than to be stuck in one field of the business world. Also, I know for sure there is an abundance of science behind art and design. The whole fashion world is based around a certain science; what technology in clothing and accessories work for the human body and which do not. After being in class I began to notice that science actually correlates to my passion of fashion and the arts in many ways, ways that I’ve never thought of prior to class. I am very very excited to learn in this class what I’d probably never thought of had I not come to Penn State, but specifically enrolled in SC200. I like the fact that this class is triggering my passion, which makes it more interesting. Critical thinking in this class is vital, and that is the kind of thinking I wish to do in life. I do not want to be an average thinker. I think it takes a certain level of thinking to be successful in the business world, and this class along with my Economics class will help me greatly. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to come to Penn State.

I hope with this blog I haven’t bored you all, but I also hope I’ve made at least one of you laugh or feel like you’re not alone in the simple fact that science isn’t for everyone and that’s OKAY because there is always an aspect of it that will relate to what you are truly passionate about in life!

“A Science Class for People Who Don’t Like Science”

Hi! I’m Chelsea Greenberg and I am a freshman here at PSU. I am an undeclared major, and I have absolutely no clue what I want to major in. My interests are all over the place, from math to sociology to earth science and dinosaurs. Since I have no clue what I want to do, my first semester is just a bunch of gen eds of subjects I have an interest in. While scheduling my courses at orientation, I was looking for a class to fulfill a science gen ed. When I asked my adviser about this class, she said that SC200 is “a science class for people who don’t like science”. This pleased me, seeing as in my biology, chemistry, and physics classes in high school I was basically like this:

chandlerbing

However, this class seems like it will be mentally stimulating as well as meaningful. One of the main reasons that I don’t want to be a science major is that all my life I’ve been told that I should JUST because I’m good at math. I know math and science go hand and hand, but math comes extremely easy to me while science does not. Also, I’m not really interested in physical science, my interests are in earth and the social sciences.

Here is a really interesting article about how birds are descendant from dinosaurs, and how scientists are now saying that dinosaurs had feathers.

I’m looking forward to discussing and learning about intriguing topics this semester!

link to picture: https://grainnenewsie.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/why-my-love-of-friends-will-never-get-old/

 

Science for Non-Scientists

Hello class!

My name is Kacey Gill and I am a freshman here at Penn State and as you probably could have guessed I am not a science major. However, unlike most of you I presume, I love science. Science is actually one of my favorite subjects.

center-universe

I have always been baffled by our existence, space, time and how the universe came to be.What drives me crazy–Sometimes I think about it until my head hurts because it is truly amazing. That being said I am taking the course because after I dropped my Egyptian Civilizations course which I was really looking forward to by the way, I needed another Gen-Ed and my adviser suggested this course. When she described it to me it sounded interesting immediately. How could I not want to be in a course that forces you to think about science and the universe when I do that on my own. Hopefully I can actually get some answers to my burning questions.

Anyways you’re probably wondering why I am in a class designed for people who hate science. Well, I am here because no matter how much I love science and science theory, I suck at science! Chemistry, math and all the other hardcore science courses are not my strong suits and as a result are the reasons I am not a science major. I hope to be a telecommunications major; don’t get me wrong I love my major and my future career path but I would have loved to be able to be a Computer Engineering or IST major because computers and technology are of interest to me.

So as one big sum up I am here because I love science, but science does not love me back.