Science project

I only had a little input in F1-1's choice for a science project this year. He is going to do a project on photomorphogenesis. Because I have very little to do with the actual performing of the experiments, you probably shouldn't expect too much advanced biology here, but it's the principle of the matter that counts. He will take some boxes and grown plants with different colors of lights and assess their effect on plant development. It should at the very least result in some pretty cool pictures. Although I doubt he will end up in plant sciences, a solid founding in experimental design and the scientific approach will do him some good. As it would any other kid.

More talking

In an update on "talking", if we say to F1-3 "ma-ma-ma," which he is supposed to repeat back to us, he now consistently responds "eh-me-me." This is fantastic progress in two ways. He is actually trying to say "ma-ma," which is not trivial for him to do on command, but he the mimicry is something he has not been capable of before. We're so pleased. Just in time for his 7th birthday too! Woohoo!

Science Friday

Ok, I know I'm a week behind on this one. Nothing unusual, if you've read my posts from earlier today. Life is crazy. But apparently, science is crazier. From last week's ScienceFriday on NPR. How cool is this?

Planting Science

The first was sent to us by our lab manager. It's a video. The first part demonstrates how we do science in our lab. Not!

The second is called plantingscience.org, and it allows graduate students, post-doc, professor, and other plant scientists to help kids from Kindergarten to high school with science projects involving plants. If you are involved in plant science consider signing up as a mentor and/or joining the Master Plant Science Team. It is a great way to help kids get excited about science, and improve science education in general.

Update

In the good news department, I'm love being a post-doc. It's really nice to do research and not have to worry about classes and such. More good news: A paper I submitted in December was accepted with some minor modifications. Not half bad. But wait! There's more! I'm submitting another paper today, and hopefully wrapping up the modifications to the first this weekend. And it doesn't stop there either. I'm also finishing up my first post-doc project and I'll be writing that paper in the next little while. I simply cannot be stopped.

On the not so good news department, The dementor (father of F1-1) served me with legal documents, asserting that whatever problems F1-1 is facing are entirely my fault, and therefore it would be in F1-1's best interest to go live with his father. In addition, his father ought to be the only person to make decisions about F1-1's medical care, education, and religion.

Yep, you read that right, he should decide the kid's religion. It's pretty clear he does not think F1-1 (who is 13 by the way), ought to have any say in the matter. It's not going to be pretty, and it will drag out for many moons. But such is life. I refuse to have my life turned upside down by the dementor. He can't possibly have any evidence to substantiate his allegations, because they're simply not true, but that does not make it a happy situation.

However, knowing me, I'll focus on the good stuff. Remember all those publications? And that I like my job.. a lot? That is determining my current state of mind, and I am positively jubilant!