Carrot and stick

In my book, as well as Stark's, carrots always win over the stick...

Today I learned...
The extent to which my country's "national" (and theoretically "unbiased") health statistics are skewed by sociocultural biases. Of course I've known about and, to some extent, understood the magnitude to which science is subjective, but seeing this in print was weirdly shocking. Seriously, as recent as 1989, the US was only willing to view the race of a newborn as the race of the mother - and not any compilation of the mother and father's racial identification, let alone history?! (And the clearly, the conditionals for pre-1989 are even more appalling). Let this be a good reminder of how science is never devoid of subjective and sociocultural factors - never.

Today I'm grateful for...
My Wallingford/Fremont family, aka my PhD (and overall life) support team outside of my immediate field. These ladies not only keep me sane and grounded, but oh so importantly, remind me of the world outside of academia. I easily get wrapped up in the research cycle and what is considered normal within the academic system: a 'normal' that often equates with 60+ hour weeks for months on end, weekends of non-stop work, and taking on roles or responsibilities well outside one's alleged job description. I'm happily pursing an academic career trajectory, and honestly, I view myself as pretty lucky to have this as even an option to pursue. Nonetheless, I've found it to be so important to have my people - the equivalent of a chosen family - as a straight-shooting yet supportive support system over the years. I'm pretty sure I can't ever fully express my gratitude for you and everything you do; perhaps this blog-based shout-out can provide an inkling.