Bill Bill Bill Bill, Bill Nye the Science Guy

Not really related to anything, I just like Bill Nye.

I found the hardest part of writing the Module 1 data summery was keeping the proposed audience in mind, and from this, what level of detail needed to be included. Because everyone who would be reading the data summery was very familiar with the module, some of the information, especially in the background/motivation section, seemed unnecessary. For example, including a diagram of a SMM seemed superfluous, as everyone was already familiar with them. But our audience was not the rest of the class or the instructors, but a scientifically literate reader unfamiliar with the field. This made it difficult to distinguish between what could be considered assumed knowledge and what needed to be included. I found myself feeling like I was putting in a lot of unnecessary information in the presentation. I had to keep reminding myself that the information I was putting down was not common knowledge, and that I was only familiar with it because we had spent that last few weeks on the module. I tried to write the data summery as though my audience was myself from before 20.109 began, as before that, I had no idea what FKBP12 did or what an SMM was. 

This same problem seems like it would be more challenging if/when I eventually have to write a completely original paper on my own research. Even though we only spent a few weeks on this module, I started to forget what was common knowledge. But spending months or years on a project could blur that line even further.

Besides this one problem though, I really enjoyed doing the summery, which was surprising to me. There was something very satisfying about distilling all the information we had learned into a presentable format. For me at least it was also my first “paper.” Even though we didn’t design the experiment and it wasn’t entirely novel, being able to present findings that were our own was really amazing. Although it is possible to learn the same information by reading a paper, or going to a lecture, it doesn’t have the same impact, and it is nowhere near as satisfying.

The paper for Mod 2 seems very intimidating, as it is a more nuanced and involved assignment then the data summery, and I also wont have the benefit of having a lab partner, but I am nonetheless very excited for it. I think the data summery gave me a handle on what I need to work on and what comes more naturally in writing a paper. I’m also really hoping that if the paper is twice as hard as the data summery it will be twice as fun! Hopefully I'll feel a little like:

On another note, I’m really enjoying 20.109 as a whole. This is the smallest class I have taken and I really notice the impact of having a teacher/student ratio at about 1:3 or whatever crazy small number it is. I didn’t really know anybody too well going into the class either, but I can definitely see how the class becomes really close like the instructors said we would: