"If you're scientifically literate, the world looks very different to you.. and that understanding empowers you."


When people ask me what I do for a living, it's always a struggle to answer. Do I say I'm a student? A Ph.D candidate? A mechanical engineer? A climate scientist?

All are true. But which answer I give can drastically change someone's opinion of me. Emotions and preconceptions factor greatly into how people react to my answer. For example, I tell older men that I'm a student, because saying I'm a mechanical engineer usually ends the conversation abruptly.

And I've never, ever told someone I just met that I'm a climate scientist. Why? Because so many emotions and preconceptions are tied to such a politically divided topic as climate change that I'm certain the reaction will be negative.

Even talking to good friends about climate science can surface some pretty strong emotions. People are so resistant to hearing something that conflicts with their view of the world. And when their sense of reality is challenged, they react with fear, even anger.

I'm proud to be a scientist. I'm proud of what insight of the world a scientific state of mind affords me. I'm not expecting everyone else to be a scientist too.. I just ask that people keep an open mind and listen to logic before their emotions.