Change and spring are in the air! March may be heading out like a hectic little lamb, but what a wild ride it was. We know that this time of the year is a busy time for folks but we hope you also carve out some time for yourself while being productivity pros. Both Meridith and Rachel have exciting new additions to their work loads. With this in mind, Sweet Tea, Science will swap posting days from Thursdays to the weekends (likely Saturday…but y’all understand how Weekend Time may vary). Meridith will be taking the reins on writing while Rachel will do her best to edit and help out whenever she has time. If y’all have any post request we’d love to hear them!
A late STS links post perhaps should always have an article on procrastination. Why not start with a nice bout of self reflection?….
OR! Alternatively you put that off by checking out this wonderful example of how plant care is self care for these veterans volunteering at the Chicago Botanical Gardens.
How many of y’all participated in a grad school visit this month, either hosting or visiting? This post is a great starting point for what to expect. (Future STS post alert! We hope to share our own unique experiences with our respective departments’ visit days. Interested in being a STS guest blogger? Sharing your own grad visit experiences and lessons is a great topic!)
Whenever I get an inquiry about what type of jobs I’d like when I graduate I usually deflect with the classic: “I’ll let Future Me figure it out, she’s a doctor!”. But, I agree with this blog post that points out that not only is it difficult to know about the diverse range of jobs available to scientists, the path to obtaining said jobs is often hazy.
I was very impressed by this LA Times piece by Rosanna Xai about destruction from sea level rise in California. It does a fantastic job of explaining the models used in the study and how they differ from others by considering so many different interactions between sea level rise and common/extreme storms and lots of other factors that people may not know all influence each other.
A series of climate change influenced board games developed by Janette Kim and her students at California College of the Arts that I definitely hope will be available to the masses in the future. Dibs on the Delirious D.C. one!
Bill de Blasio must have been playing some of these climate change board games, because he’s got a new plan to protect Manhattan from the larger storms that accompany global climate change. This post is also a call to arms for an increase in federal funding for this and other coastal protection projects.
We are big fans of cool visualizations, and this one of the CA state budget is a lot, but also super cool. Yay bonkers data vis!
The Decade on Ecosystem Restoration certainly has a nice ring to it. Check out what the United Nations and Food and Agriculture Organization have planned for 2021 – 2030.
This month’s quality quick read has to be this NY Times article about frustration. “Frustration is the feeling of being blocked from a goal. Although it sounds like a destructive emotion, it can actually be a source of creative fuel.” I really like how this can be a way to reframe your PhD work! (Tip: Out of free NY Times reads? Try opening the article in a private window.)
What are y’all thoughts on using Karelian bear dogs to scare away bears? What if it’s a safe, non-lethal tool for wildlife agencies to keep bears from homes and high traffic areas of parks?
Sweet Tea, Science 