Learning science *is* for you

There I was: a woman in a room full of men. In my college class of 80 students, I was 1 of only 8 women. My curiosity led me to study science, but I was intimidated. Rather than enthusiastically participating and speaking up in class, there was a little voice inside of me asking, “Do I belong here? Is learning science for me?”

But instead of letting that discourage me, I leaned in. I leaned into the curiosity that got me into science in the first place. Soon, it wasn’t just my curiosity that motivated me. It was the excitement that I got from running successful experiments in lab. It was the accomplishment that I felt after passing a tough exam. It was the appreciation I developed for my body, my environment, the world around me after learning more about it. These feelings all threw gas onto the fire that fueled my desire to learn science. I can do this, I can learn science. It’s hard, but not impossible, and so so worth the effort.

I graduated around the pandemic, and the avoidance of science was even more evident on a global scale. People from every background were getting science from headlines and social media posts, not the scientific process I learned in school. They felt science was creating division, distrust, and anxiety. Maybe I could be the one to help people connect back to their curiosity, confidence, and deeper joy that comes from understanding the everyday science around you.

So, I started a podcast, and the unthinkable happened… People who felt like they missed the boat in learning science actually started listening! We laughed through the science behind everyday, fun things like tattoos, bluelight glasses, coffee, and social media. And before I knew it, people wrote in saying each episode felt like a causal conversation with a friend that made science entertaining, non-intimidating, and funny!

Because learning science? It’s not that serious.

The Samsplaining Science Podcast has made people who thought science wasn’t for them feel like, “I belong here. Learning science is for me.”