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.
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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.
Hi Olivia!
My name’s Arianna, and I really enjoyed reading your blog post! I love The Office, so that picture was a nice touch. I definitely agree, this class will mold our reasoning and logic for sure. I’m excited to see what else you have to contribute (and, hopefully, that includes more The Office references). Hope to see you in class soon!