What's in a Lyric?

I'm not sure if you're like me at all, but if you're anything like me it drives you bananas to listen to a song and either not understand the lyrics (in a logical way), or be completely confused by the lyrics.  The other day I was listening to the radio and could not believe it when TWO of the songs with the most frustrating lyrics for me--one an oldy and one a newbie--came on the radio back to back. The first one was "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by  Def Leopard and the other was "Starboy" by The Weeknd.
Now let me start by saying that I love both of these songs and I listen to them whenever they play, even if it's five times in a 20 minute cycle. But in the pre-Google era of my youth, it took me forever to figure out what Def Leopard actually wanted me to pour on them. At one point it was "shook-up Ramen", at another it was "sugar Ramen"... what can I say:  I'm still a big fan of the  nutritionally challenged Ramen noodles, and so to my young mind, maybe the guys just also really, really loved Ramen and wanted someone to pour it all over them.

As for The Weekend:  I've been a really big fan of his music ever since "Earned It".  I also recently learned of his Canadian Dream story.  He is the son of a hard-working Ethiopian immigrant mother:  a boy who, like so many others, may have felt the anger and frustrations of having an absent father, and as a result succumbed to issues with drugs and the wrong peer influence that led him to drop out of high school.  At some point he must have gotten his act together enough to become a mega-musical artist--one who hopefully takes great care of his mommy, and realizes that the biggest threat to his continued domination of his craft, is drugs and letting the wrong people guide his behavior and his decisions.

The first time I heard his latest mega-hit "Starboy" I loved it!  BUT:  there is one line in the song where it seems like The Weeknd says "Star Trek [something] and the WRAITH of Khan..." I swear, I'm not being facetious or rude when I say that hearing this line has been driving me bananas for the past several weeks.  At first I thought perhaps it was a copyright thing where he could not actually say "Wrath of Khan"--you know, along the lines of Lindsay Lohan attempting to sue Pitt Bull for using the lyrics, "locked up like Lindsey Lohan" in one of his songs. But to me switching the word "wrath" to "wraith" for that reason made no sense because he talks about Brad Pitt in the song as well.  So then I thought perhaps it was because he wanted to convey in the song that he was the ghost of Khan from the Star Trek movie "Wrath of Khan", and that kinda sorta made sense.  But then I hear the song about five times today and curiosity finally got the best of me.  I consulted the Oracle of Google to get an official answer about the lyrics in the song.

Alas, I'm even more confused because according to the lyrics it says "Wrath of Khan" but if you take the time to listen to the song (if you have been under a rock wearing some noise canceling Beats headphones and have not heard it yet), I think you will agree with me that in the actual song he doesn't say the word "wrath"... He clearly says the word "wraith".

There's another pop song that's also driving me bananas but I'm going to resist the urge to even look up the lyrics of that one. Yep. I'm going to remain blissfully ignorant about that song where she (whoever sings it) says something about being left in the basement and how he (maybe her boyfriend) was not there but his brother was a good substitute... Yep. I'm going to take the advice of Yoda:  blissfully ignorant, remain I will.

Redemption Song

Bob Marley had agreed to perform at a peace concert in December, 1976. On December 3 1976, armed men stormed Bob Marley’s Kingston mansion, and shot the singer, his wife and his manager. Marley escaped with minor wounds; his wife Rita and manager Don Taylor were seriously injured, but survived. Despite this assassination attempt he still went on stage and performed this song at the concert. In his own words he said, "The people who are trying to make this world worse are not taking a day off. Why should I?" Right now it feels like the people who are trying to make this world a more hateful place definitely didn't take a day off from voting. But what is more important is that the people who believe in love, peace, unity, freedom of religion, equality for men and women of all races, and economic and social stability not based on fear and division, but on mutual respect and appreciation for a diverse nation of immigrants, also not take a day off. Instead in the coming weeks, months and years, we must work harder to defeat and reverse the global spread of hate that threatens even the most stable of democracies.

Yes: Glamor Girls Can Put?

I was just watching this powerful video about Michelle Carter, the American record holder, and now 2016 gold medal Olympian Shot Put athlete, who also happens to be a make-up artist and certified fashionista. She doesn't try to separate her identity as a glam-girl from her prowess as a world-class athlete. 

Of course, all women should feel they're beautiful and find their inner beauty.  If you're comfortable being a plain as the proverbial Jane, then BE YOU.  But I get the gist of the message in the video--that in certain types of sports (and professions) you're not encouraged to have or show a feminine/glam side. If you do, you might be stereotyped as not really being able to compete on the same level as someone who is not as glam-oriented. 

I identified with the story because the Shot Put and Javelin were my best sports in high school(I often won first place in my category), and like Michelle, I've always been a glamor girl.  But even outside of sport, the "glam is not good" mentality can persist. Especially in my early scientific career, when I was a high-seas going marine biologist, I would get comments about how I "didn't fit" into that field.  I remember one of my co-workers one day telling me that instead of spending weeks at sea without a bathroom on smelly fishing boats, I should be "working in a bank or something". 

I'm sure he meant well, and it wasn't just males who made such comments, but you get my drift.  Even now as a microbiologist and certified fashionista, I sometimes still get this kind of reaction from certain people. 

Reminiscing about my days as a very good Shot Put and Javelin athlete in high school, also reminded me of an incident from those days that nearly ended my life.  
I will forever wear this small scar from my javelin-throwing days. I'm thankful to be alive because I literally came thisclose to being impaled by a javelin in high school. It was our annual "Sports Day" which really lasted about a week, and I was representing my house (GO DOLPHINS!!). At our school we didn't have sporting teams, we had sports "houses" made up of students from all grades who competed at different levels in different sports. It's kinda like Team USA is the official designation for all American athletes at sporting events like the Olympics, or the way the "Aggies" (Gig'em) is the official name for all TAMU sporting teams.

When it was my turn to throw--and because I threw so much further than most of the other females--the other student who was designated as one of the runners (i.e the person to run and get the javelin and bring it back after each throw) made the grave error of attempting to throw it back close to the starting line instead of just running it all the way back. What made it worse was that he had already started to run back toward me before he decided to throw it, so he was not at the same distance where it had landed when I threw it initially. While in real life I'm a(UT)Spartan,and nothing like Xerxes, if you've ever watched 300, that scene where King Leoneides tosses his spear at Xerxes in the final battle, is similar to what happened to me. I barely had time to twist my body and cover my head with my arms before the metal-tipped javelin grazed my right forearm. Had I been standing full-frontal it would have definitely pierced my head/neck.

Of course the other student apologized profusely. He hadn't done it maliciously-- I think we were actually in the same sporting house. It was just that he misjudged how close he was to me. The whole morning he'd been diligently running to get the javelin and running it back all the way, so I don't know what made him think it would be a good idea to throw it. Perhaps he was tired, or he was distracted since he and the 2nd runner student were joking around and trying to gross out us female athletes(picture teen boys making phallic gestures and comments about the javelin being their "rod of correction" type high school cringe-worthy humor).

When this incident occurred that day I had this very surreal sense that something--some force I can't explain, prompted me to react instinctively, to protected myself from what would have surely been a fatal sporting mishap. It was more than just a swift reflex reaction and more like the way Barry Allen/The Flash sides-steps Bruce Wayne/Batman's bat dart in the trailer for the upcoming Justice League film. It's like from my perspective time and the acceleration of the incoming javelin slowed down, while my body sped up to deflect it (sidebar: yes, in addition to being a glam girl/scientist, I'm also a movie enthusiast). It certainly was not the first nor the last time that something beyond my understanding--some premonition or instinct--intervened at just the right moment, to shield me from whatever negative encounter I was about to experience.

Some other time I'll have to tell you about my encounter with a man who I suspect was a serial abductor/serial killer, and how this same force/premonition/instinct or whatever label you want to put on it, made me do one little thing that saved my life. It ensured that I didn't go missing in the middle of a rainy night when no one would have probably even noticed I was gone, when no one would have seen him snatch me right from a parking lot, mere feet from my door.

But to end this post I return to the original inspiration for writing it: Kudos to you Michelle Carter for reminding the world that YES, glamor girls CAN throw, put, bob, and weave all the way to the gold medal... and yes, sometimes we do it in red lipstick and fake eyelashes!

It's time to take the games back to Greece.

Mount Olympus, Greece.

I must confess:  I'm not much of an Olympics watcher. Sure, I watch the odd gymnastics competition or a swimming race here and there, but I have little interest in spending hours following of any sporting competition. Perhaps it stems from the fact that since my high school soft-ball playing days, and a few stints of Ultimate Frisbee on various beaches, I haven't really ever engaged in any team sport and I'm more inclined to saunter down a path instead of going after some personal speed record.  Unless they make "hiking at your own pace in random places" an Olympic sport, there's very little chance I would ever be a medal contender.  And that's all by choice.

That said, I do respect the many athletes who dedicated countless years of hard work to get to be that ultimate contender. In addition, I'm amazed at the effort that goes into building all of this infrastructure to house thousands of athletes, fans, coaches, etc., in countries where the Games are held once, but where it will probably not return for many years.  Thus, I think it's time to take the games back to Greece permanently. It makes so much more sense financially and logistically to return the games to its legendary locale.  Then there's the bribing that goes on with countries trying to be the next host country, and the fact that some countries will never qualify even though they would benefit tremendously from the influx of visitors.


So, take it back to Greece, and let countries take turns being torchbearers for each game. It would still take a long time for every country in the world to bear the torch, but at least every country can have a shot at doing this. Maybe one country can bear the torch for the opening, and one for the closing... makes a lot of sense.  Plus, I'm sure that Greece would welcome the economic opportunity to rebuild itself from the money generated
each Olympic year.  I think the winter games should also be held in one spot--maybe Canada. Then you'd have one part of the world hosting one game and the other part of the world hosting the other game.

Who's with me?

Raising Compassionate Children

Yesterday we celebrated "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" here in the USA. And it's always a bit sad to acknowledge that even here in this wonderful nation, there is still sometimes a monumental struggle to achieve the basic essence of  these tenets.  One of the things that is supposed to put us on a sure path to realizing the American Dream is the access to a decent education. But sometimes the very path that we must walk in order to reach our educational goals meanders through a forest of thorny vines and poisonous snakes that threaten to deter or even derail our journey completely.  Unfortunately, it is not limited to adult education and often starts in the way we raise--or fail to raise compassionate children who lack empathy and respect for their peers.  These same bullies go on to become insensitive, spiteful, abusive adults who show up in workplaces and academic halls of higher learning. Even more unfortunate is the fact that some of these bullies end up being very successful and landing in key position where they can continue to attempt to humiliate and abuse their victims of choice.

I saw the movie Central Intelligence yesterday. Amid the many laughs and action sequences one would expect from a film starring Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Kevin Hart, a major theme of the movie was the extreme bullying that may sometimes occur in school settings.  While this was a fictional account, it could very well have been ripped right from the headlines of any of today's news agencies.

Sadly, this time also marks what would have been the 19th birthday of a young man who was the victim of extreme bullying in his school. It's been six years since I first learned about the tragic story of Jaheem Herrara and spoke to his tearful mother for a series of articles on bullying. I think now is an opportunity to remind others of the potentially devastating impact bullying may have--especially on children.

Now is the right time to #StandUpToBullying.

On Keanu and Bucksport, Maine

I promised that my next post would detail my conversation with Keanu—the actor, not his kitten alter ego. A talking kitten is just about the last thing I’d want to encounter in my dream--seeing as how I’m ailurophobic and all… It’s taken me a while to fulfill this promise in part because I’ve been rather busy, but also because my gut told me that there was something else I’d need to write about in relations to my dream-time chat with Constantine. So, I waited until that other part of this post materialized—which didn’t happen until yesterday. First let’s talk about the interview of my dream (literally and metaphorically speaking):

As dream time chats go this one was rather brief, but very memorable.  Many of my most vivid dreams always occur in what seems like the very final instants of my slumber, right before my conscious self rips the veil of sleep from my eyes and forces me into the reality of another day.

I sometimes wonder just how much time has passed in these moments when I have such vivid dreams—is it minutes, hours?  

Perhaps symbolically the conversation takes place in a sun-filled room, where curtains danced and swayed, animated by a cool breeze that gently streamed through open French doors.

Me: Are you happy at this point in your life?

Keanu: The essence of life is to treasure the moments that bring bliss. I am fortunate to have many moments of bliss in my life at this point.

Me: Do you ever worry about losing it all… I mean financially—about suddenly not having the life you have become so accustomed to over these many years?

Keanu (with solemn certitude): No. Never. Material things are good to have, but they do not define a good life—a happy, blissful life. I think at some point on this journey that has become my life, I thankfully realized that important lesson. It’s definitely made a difference in how I’ve handled my fame and fortune, and what and who I value most in my life.

And with that, the conversation ends. The dream ends. I wake up and the Union Street conga band of belching autos ensures that I will not be returning to a slumberous state anything soon.

So, at this point you may be wondering what this dream has to do with Bucksport, ME. No, Keanu is not moving to Bucksport, anymore so than God (aka Morgan Freeman) is settling downin Chicopee, MA. But the essence of this brief conversation is perhaps meant as a message/reminder for the folks over in Bucksport who are starting to feel the financial domino effect of a recent mill closure that resulted in over 500 people losing their jobs. 

I was in Bucksport today. It’s one of my favorite towns in Maine and I try to visit as often as possible.  I love the Bucksport House of Pizza on Main St. Writing would not be sufficient to adequately describe the fresh-baked taste of my favorite selection: grilled chicken with onions, pineapple and cherry toppings.  I’d never had cherry on a pizza until I ate my first slice here.  In reality I’ve only eaten there twice because the pizza is so go I’m afraid of making it a habit. My 2 mile walk along the waterfront today burned about 150 calories.  Even though I didn’t have pizza today it reminded me that I have to limit my pizza house visits if I’m going to make my weightloss goal by July.  But I digress. 

In addition to the good pizza and an awesome second-hand store where I always seem to find just the book I want to add to my library, there is also a mood about Bucksport.  It reminds me of a relic from an ancient era:  the ghostly mausoleum of Fort Knox forever guards the watery gates of an ancient river monster’s lair perhaps... I can almost see the ancient sentinels keeping watch along the ragged banks of the Penobscot River like the sirens of Ancient Greece.   

In many ways today’s visit was also like being in a dream where I conducted brief and informal interviews.  A dream in which I’m walking through a town on the verge of death: businesses on the brink of closing with “for rent” signs in currently occupied storefronts. Quiet streets… The shadowy veil of grey skies reached down like dirt already being scattered on the lid of a glass coffin from which the still living occupants could witness their own entombment. The ghostly remnant of the mill still sits at the north end of Main Street—an elephant graveyard of partially deconstructed buildings.

For a moment I stood gazing in its direction and I swear I could hear the moan of a dying elephant that had been mortally wounded by the poacher’s bullet.

At a couple of my stops today the adults talked about their stores closing soon—the strain of the present situation was evident in their eyes and voices.  In contrast their children played nearby. Blissful. Oblivious to it all.  Just happy to have a day to spend at home with mom and dad.  In times like this it’s always so important to remember that the most essential things in life are not things, but the people (kids, spouses, parents) who make your life blissful. It's hard for adults to remember this sometimes because even as their kids remind them of what life is like without the grown-up worries of paying bills, it's hard to know that you'll have to explain to them why they can't come and play at the store anymore once the new owners take possession. It's hard.  

But finding these moments of bliss and reasons for bliss amidst the chaos of uncertainty can make the difference between staying buried in the dark clouds of short-term despair, and staying strong enough to weather the temporary storm. No doubt the grey clouds will pass and times will be prosperous again for the townsfolk:  One can only hope that the much-needed revitalization comes soon. 

A Conversation With Keanu

My next piece will be about my conversation with Keanu... well kinda sorta. Stay tuned. In the main time check out this interview if you're a Kee-kee fan.

Fait Accompli & All That Jazz

I've finally gotten around to writing about the idea of fait accompli.  Perhaps I've been procrastinating a little bit because--by design--whatever I decide to write here has already been written... if you belief in fait. It's one of those things where you can't have an either/or scenario: if things are predestine and no matter how hard you try to avoid them or take measures to choose a different path they happen anyway, what's the point? If, on the other hand there is flexibility in the outcome of events and one is not sealed into a fate, it's worth the effort to try to alter the outcome of an event.  This past weekend Christians all over the world celebrated Easter: that symbolic tradition  in remembrance of a man who was not really a man, who lived a life that was predestined to end in a certain way no matter how he pleaded or desired for a different outcome.

(I make no apologies for spoilers by the way) 

Ironically, this weekend also heralded the debut of Batman V Superman: a story about a man who was not really a man, who did all that he could to avoid a fate that appeared inevitable. He was blamed for things beyond his control, despised even by Batman--someone who was not  without blemish in the, "I'm going after bad guys who sometimes go after innocent people just because they're associated with me in some way. And even though some of these innocent people may get hurt and die, getting the bad guys is more important," category of heroes. 

Towards the end of the film Superman has a fight with Batman where fighting is obviously the last thing Superman wants to do.  He is forced to defend himself against the misguided angst of Batman, who, despite his obvious intellect and ingenuity, does not seem to be ready to acknowledge that (as Lex Luthor points out), a bell has been rung and can't be un-rung...  With the arrival of Superman and others aliens from Krypton, a chain of events has been initiated that will have a lasting impact on humanity.  In this comic world Batman should have had the foresight to realize that Superman exists. Supermen exists.  

Instead of getting angry and attempting to kill the meta-human (i.e Superman), who is obviously fighting to keep the world safe from the other not-so-friendly extraterrestrial super beings, Batman should have requested a meeting.  Like a true gentleman, Batman should have discussed his concerns, and then jointly decided on a course of actions where they could both be ready and willing to help each other out against the real enemies of earth in a way that mitigated innocent casualties. I am not at all in the "hate Ben Affleck's Batman" camp--I actually think he did a pretty decent job with the role. However, this version of Batman was a bit disturbing and a departure from the je ne sais quio rough but refined Christian Bale version of Batman. The old (well younger) Batman would not have branded anyone--even scumbag criminals, and the older (new) Batman should have been growing wiser not more crude.

The joining of forces between Superman and Batman (and Wonder Woman) ultimately happens before the end of the film of course.  But what a price Superman ends up having to pay. The question is: could it all have been avoided if Batman had just taken a moment to listen when Superman went to ask for his help to recover Martha?  OR was it just the way things were pre-destined to happen?   Why put a mother through the pain of thinking her son had died? Why put Lois through the heartbreak of thinking her lover/fiance had died, only to realize he's not really dead?  Of course Superman is not really dead.  In the comic books Superman dies and returns. I anticipate that in the third film the return of Superman will occur.

The very last scene of BVS (sounds like an infectious disease) where the dirt starts to vibrate on the coffin, should be an indication of the fact that Clarke Kent is about to bust out of his grave in a very superhuman way.   I'm not mad or disappointed at the movie for making this the end of Act II for Superman/Man of Steel.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching the somewhat predictable story unfold. As with the original Star Wars trilogy, I anticipated that the second film in the Superman/Man of Steel franchise would involve a dark, cliffhanger fate for Superman, so that when he does return in the next film, he will be even more appreciated by those who took him for granted the first time around. 

And finally my last, and without a doubt most ponderous dilemma about fait accompli comes in the form of a decision I have to make about George. George is the central character in my latest novella.  I have been torn between giving George redeeming qualities or making him--despite his best attempt--a horrible fait accompagnateur . The harbinger of an evil so vile that one does not want to believe it is the result of a human being choosing to do such evil, but a human living out a pre-destined series of events that manifest in the evil deeds.

I'm still pondering...

The Meaning of Love

This past weekend herald the return of the Oscars and it's put me in a contemplative mood with regards to films and books. Ok, that's not quite true: I'm always contemplating books and movies.  I spend quiet a bit of my time immersed in the art of characters developed for the screen and scroll. My ruminations typically involve some theme (love, magic, perseverance, etc.) and the books and films that address these themes.  Recently I've been thinking about two thing: the nature/meaning of love and the concept of faits accomplis.  This first post deals with Love. I will talk about Fait Accompli in the next post... after all, it's already written.  

I recently re-watched "Hancock".

Most people who have seen the film probably enjoyed it because it was a film about a [reluctant] superhero. However, what I found most endearing about this movie was the underlying love story.  You see, Hancock--portrayed by the ever enigmatic Will Smith--and his true love/wife Mary (the always regal Charlize Theron), were gods/immortals with superpowers. However, if they decided to settle down and enjoy the domestic lifestyle, their love would make them humans/mortals.  Hence they would be vulnerable to feeling pain and death like other humans. 

There is an exquisitely profound beauty in the idea that a love is so powerful it can transform two souls.  Yet it, there is also something that can be very frightening in the fact that love can make us vulnerable in ways we would never experience if we remain isolated and emotionally impervious to its influence. Ultimately, Hancock and Mary lead semi-autonomous lives that allow them both to remain supernaturally strong (after all someone has to be here to save the humans every time they screw up).  Mary continues a romantic relationship with her human husband Ray (Jason Bateman, aka, the chameleon). I loved everything about the film except for this aspect.  I think if one ever has the chance to experience a love as powerful as Hancock and Mary's, it's a disservice (not a noble sacrifice) to settle for anything less.

I'm not sure very certain that I would  not want to be in a relationship if I knew that my significant other was never able to really and truly love me because someone else occupied his heart. I'm not talking about the fact that relationships sometimes end and one person may still love the other who has moved on, but they are willing to seek out love again.  I'm talking about a situation wherein two people have the opportunity to choose love and be together, but instead they choose "duty' or whatever the hell else there is to choose beside being with the person you love.

If I'd directed this film then Ray would have done himself a favor by not remaining married to Mary.  He would have found another human who could love him and his son, more completely.  Mary and Hancock would have maintained their immortal love affair--albeit while living an a fortress worthy of Tony Stark. After all, if/when the world needed saving just creating physical distance appeared to be enough to restore their superhuman strengths, so there was no need to live separately.  

In addition, just because they opted to live separately did not guarantee that their lives would be any safer. There's always the evil mastermind ready to go to any length to cause the superhero pain/grief.  Is worth it to alter your behavior in fear of what someone else might do to the point you deny yourself the relationships that are most important in your life? 

It would be a lot more courageous to live boldly and fearlessly, and to send a message to the haters and hate-filled that they do not and can not ever control who you choose to love and how you choose to embrace a life of co-existence with that person.

Sidebar: On the off chance that some sexual deviant reads this post:  please note that this notion of loving and living freely does not apply to inappropriate relationships with children, animals or anyone who is being coerced into remaining in a relationship against their will or via brainwashing.   

Ode To Fannie Hesse

The answer to the "Question of the Day" from last week is that Louis Pasteur was did not have an appropriate solid growth medium he could use to properly isolate and bacteria in pure culture. He and other scientists at the time used things like potatoes or jelly/animal gelatin to grow bacteria on solid surfaces. However, this presented two problems:

1. Gelatin is liquid at 37o C. This temperature is consistent with body/blood temperature and ideal for growing bacteria that cause human diseases. Many of the scientists such as Pasteur and Koch, were attempting to isolate and show that specific bacteria caused specific human/mammalian diseases.

2. The bacteria could feed on gelatin and potatoes as a nutrient source (so they would eat away the solid surface or grow too quickly and not remain isolated).

It was not until Fannie Hesse, the housewife/assistant of Walter Hesse (one of Robert Koch's students)  introduced her husband to agar-agar that this problem was solved. Agar is an extract from seaweed.  Fannie used it in her kitchen as a solidifying agent to make jellies and pies. Agar  remains solid at 37o C so there was no more headache of the solid media dissolving in the lab incubator before Walter could finish his experiments.   In addition to the fact that it doesn't melt in the incubator, it had little nutritional value for the bacteria, so they don't eat it very quickly.

Walter was using his home lab at the time of this discovery, but he wrote a letter to his supervisor, Robert Koch. Koch then started using agar as well, and the rest is Microbiology history. Because of this new ingredient, Koch was able to isolate bacteria in pure culture on a solid medium. This is key to his development of The Germ Theory.  Agar is now universally used as a solidifying agent in culture media and for other molecular biology techniques such as gel electrophoresis.

This article from 1938 honors Fannie Hesse's contribution the field of Bacteriology. As it states, " Her contribution to bacteriology makes her immortal." 

Conch Salad: Nurturing STEM Interests In Young Girls

Conch Salad: Nurturing STEM Interests In Young Girls: In a 2012Forbes Magazine article Heather R. Huhman asked the question, “ But where is the female equivalent of Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerb...

Nurturing STEM Interests In Young Girls

In a 2012Forbes Magazine article Heather R. Huhman asked the question, “But where is the female equivalent of Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg?” This question is a reflection of the general concern that there is apandemic of inequality with regards to the number of women versus men who are making global strides through innovation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professions. The call for more women to fill STEM occupations should not be seen as a negative or antagonistic competition to devalue the important contributions of men within these fields. 

There are definitely women including Dr.Mae Jamison, GerthrudeElion and  Dr.Rosalind Franklin , who have made tremendous contributions to their respective STEM professions.  However, with so few women pursuing STEM degrees in general, it may well be that the majority of the innovators in science and technology will continue to be predominantly men.   Unless there is a concerted effort by a village of educators to raise interest in STEM education among girls as early as possible, we stand to lose out on the groundbreaking contributions that non-existent women engineers and scientists never develop.       

From The Cradle To Classroom Approach

While it’s likely that most girls may change their minds about future career paths many times before they even complete elementary school, it is extremely important that they receive the proper educational foundation that they will need to transition into STEM careers later in life if that is their desire. Waiting until young women are already enrolled in college to then focus on the fact that they are under-prepared for STEM-related courses is unacceptable.  There must be a sustained preparation that starts before girls ever enter a classroom.  Preparation for a career in a STEM field needs to start at home.  Parents are the first and often the most influential teachers a little girl will have during crucial early childhood years.  

Prior to her first day of pre-K a little girl begins to develop concepts of her identity which may latershape her academic and professional choices.  Providing a home environment that immerses young girls in a world of STEM learning adventures doesn’t require a doctorate in Astrophysics or a six figure income.  There are multitudesof resources available to the average parent who wants to incorporate learning in playtime. “STEMulating” her mind with games, toys and books can help to ensure that a young girl develops an early interest and appreciation for STEM-related concepts.  

The message to parents should be that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to raise one. 

For example:  reading a book about animals or explaining how ice cubes form and why they melt is something that a parent with very little formal scientific education can do.  Although it may seem trivial at the time, these simple activities may ignite a spark that opens the doors of science to a curious child. For the parent who doesn’t have the requisite knowledge, learning new things along with your girls may be a fruitful bonding experience that has lasting rewards for both parents and children.  

Like A Girl…

Beyond simply providing toys that engage a girl’s mind on a scientific level, the gift of empowerment is one that parents and external educators need to bestow to girls as early as possible. It is imperative that little girls develop self-confidence in their abilities, especially when it comes to activities that require math and science skills. Historically girls have been discouraged from pursuing what are seen as traditional male oriented recreational and academic interests.  There are countlessexamples of women who have relayed how, when they were little, they were discouraged from engaging in certain activities like building a model train, or playing outdoors and learning about nature, because their parents or teachers felt that such activities were not suitable for girls. 

This is part of the problem that has resulted in the current deficit of females in STEM-related careers. Unfortunately it is a problem that has no instant solution.  A sustained effort to reverse the trend of female absenteeism in the STEM workplace is needed.  Girls need to know that their interests and abilities as equal to those of their male counterparts.  The more they are encouraged to realize that doing something “Like a girl…” is a compliment, not a disadvantage, little girls will begin to embrace their roles as future pioneers of a more female inclusive STEM landscape.