19 - Science

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Of all the subjects we’re taught in school, of all the facets of life that even have subjects worth studying, science is my favorite.

Despite English being my strong suit (along with anything related to creativity at large), and despite struggling mightily in math and science when I was in school - it’s still science that interests me more than anything else.

Astronomy, biology, chemistry, zoology. English may focus on the written and spoken word, but it’s science that’s got you covered from A to Z.

Every topic under its umbrella fascinates me at some level - even the previously-loathed earth science. It was a sleep-inducing topic back in high school, but I realize now that was due to the failings of my teachers for not making it interesting. If all you’re gonna do is read from a black and white textbook, or write on a black and white chalkboard, very few topics are going to keep a teenager’s attention.

Far removed from high school and college, it wasn’t until recently that I developed a deep appreciation for science, and STEM at large. If I could do it all over again, I would’ve made more of an effort back then and pursued a career in science. Maybe it would’ve been me narrating space docs at the Hayden Planetarium instead of my dude Neil deGrasse Tyson. Maybe it would’ve been me making science more entertaining and palatable to the masses, like him and Bill Nye (the science guy). But alas, here we are. 

All I can do is marvel at our advancements (uh, corona vaccine, anyone?), buy NASA swag, spend summer afternoons at The Museum of Natural History, watch dazzling experiments on TikTok and Youtube, binge documentaries on streaming platforms, subscribe to the Scientific American, and read books on astrophysics to feel smarter than I actually am. That’s my contribution to the scientific community. Consume anything and everything to make up for lost time. It’s only been about 6 years since I’ve fallen in love with the discipline, so I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

Learning about how things work, understanding the nature of everything around us and how it’s all connected, and getting to the bottom of some of life’s biggest mysteries has been a nonstop joy ride. I’m just mad it took me this long to fully appreciate it.