Monday, July 1, 2024
By:
In the last week, I’ve gotten to do some of my favorite things: teach, make art, exercise political advocacy, practice good science communication, learn, and research a topic I’m passionate about!
Last weekend, we got to participate in the Astronomy on the National Mall event that is hosted each year in DC. This was such a great event because it was attended by adults and kids alike, both with an excitement to learn about physics and astronomy- and I got to do one of my favorite things: teach! During the school year, I teach in the physics labs at the University of Colorado Denver as a teaching assistant. The students I get to work with are usually non-physics majors, which is always especially fun because you get the chance to help them love physics. Students usually take the class because it is required as a part of their non-physics major: chemistry, biology, architecture, mechanical engineering, etc. Unfortunately, physics tends to get a bad rap, and students come to the intro labs reluctantly. At CU Denver, though, I’m lucky to be a part of a uniquely awesome physics department, and it’s not uncommon for students to actually change their majors to physics or claim a physics minor after taking our labs! This is one of my favorite things to see: others falling in love with physics as a discipline. At the astronomy event last weekend, I had several chances to see adults learn new things (which is always amazing) like the fact that light travels faster than sound. I also got to see the brilliance of young minds as scientific investigators, like when they were able to conclude the difference in pitch of Boomwhackers is probably due to the difference in sizes; without knowing anything else! I love watching the human brain at work.
This week, I have been working hard in the evenings on my summer classes: U.S. Music- Social and Political Impacts, and Introduction to Political Science. I have been working on an art project where I get to display some political topic via an art medium. I’ve chosen to talk about healthcare in the U.S., with a focus on the tendency of symptom treatment as opposed to preventative care. When I was in middle school, I used to draw animated comics and I’ve always had an immense appreciation for animation- so I explored my topic through some colorful comic strips, cutout using construction paper. It was really great to exercise some political advocacy and artistic creation. I also got to attend a great workshop hosted by the American Institute of Physics on science communication and misinformation. The workshop gave me practical skills to help build and maintain relationships when addressing misinformation either on social media, or in conversation.
This previous week, I also decided on my summer project with the Niels Bohr Library and Archives (NBLA). The project gives me an opportunity to do archival research for the first time! I will explore disproportionality in community climate resilience based on wealth, from the intersection of science and policy. Essentially, some communities around the globe are at higher risk to the effects of climate change, and the wealth of the nation is piece of the risk assessment. So my interest is in the role that science and policy play in strengthening the resilience of these vulnerable communities to climate change. This is a topic I’m really passionate about as a career focus, and the basis of my thesis in my undergraduate degree. However, in this environment I also get access to archival records from the NBLA and the Library of Congress, so it gives me an especially unique perspective on the topic!
Piper Malczewski