During the camp, I passed out an article from US News and World Report about lab-grown meat.  We happened to look at forming in vitro (on a petri dish) muscle during the camp, but that barely begins the process of making something we recognize as meat.  Check out the link here.

It is extremely quiet here in my hallway.  It is always an adjustment to come down from the excitement of the GAMES camp, but I also like that I learn something new about myself and others in the midst of it all.  I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of you amazing girls: participants, counselors and especially to my lab assistants Jess, Jenna, Kate, Katie, Kristen and to the camp coordinator, Sarah.  Your enthusiasm for science and interest in making the experience a great one for the girls resonates with me on so many levels.

On Sunday, I spoke randomly with several people at a coffee shop, and each one had something to do with science!  It was marvelous.  I specifically think of the mother who was so proud of her daughter who had just been hired as an aerospace engineer.  I thought of how I might have liked to be an aerospace engineer or a nuclear engineer.  I was very excited for this mother and her daughter and thought then about how, other than my strong interest in biology, that it was my deficiency in math that kept me from originally pursuing engineering (and 20 + years ago how it was less acceptable for a female to do this). 

In high school (an all girls school), for some reason, me and my Algebra teacher did not click.  Before this meeting, I never gave thought as to whether I liked or didn't like math (I LOVED science, obviously), but not feeling comfortable to ask for help help when things became frustrating truly colored the science path I was to go on.  My parents were unable to help me along in this area, so I was left abandoned when it came to math.  To top it off, I wasn't even aware that math was so much needed in engineering, so I didn't think that I should seek help. Of course, I ultimately fulfilled all the mathematical requirements for the field I am in, yet have never really flowed with math.

It is wonderful that there are so many options for young people today.  You have the opportunity to learn about anything you want, you can easily find resources that will help you decide what to pursue and what is needed to help you do whatever you want.  No question is too small and it should be easy enough to find someone who can give you the answers you need.  Good luck to ALL of you on your future science paths.