I believe in that
Everyone I love is doing beautiful things
I haven’t posted in a while. I have written a bit, and I’ve been thinking loads but I haven’t finished anything for a number of reasons. I have been overwhelmed with my life and the world. But I am through the grad school application/interview process! YIPEE! I was feeling like everything I write or think feels meaningless when the world is just so abysmal right now. What is the correct response to the world being on fire, especially when my little corner is doing okay? I still don’t know. But this poem resonated and inspired me to write again even though it feels pretty meaningless.
Everything is on fire,
but everyone I love is doing beautiful things
and trying to make life worth living,
and I know I don’t have to believe in everything,
but I believe in that.
- Nikita Gill (the best ever ever ever)
People I love doing beautiful things
Now I will take a moment to think about the people I love and the beautiful things they are doing:
Nella writes letters to her friends. By ‘writes letters’, I mean she dedicates hours to doodling over every inch of white space on a post card, decorating the entire envelope, and hand picking a pokemon card with a special meaning. Each letter is a treasure and it’s a labor of love in the truest sense.
My cousin, Jenna made a beautiful card to congratulate me on getting into a PhD program. Jenna is one of the most earnest and genuine people in my life. When she is proud of me, or happy for me, I can tell that those feelings are swelling up inside of her. In Abby Wambach’s Barnard College commencement address, she talks about how in soccer, when one player scores, the rest of the team rushes towards them…. and how this is a good guiding principal for life. Rush towards the goal scorer. Champion your people. We should all claim each other’s successes as our collective success. This is a perfect example of why. Over the holidays, Jenna was staying with my family and I was having a BIGGG moment of self doubt. I was certain I would not get into any programs and I was doubting myself overall. I remember, and will always remember, how Jenna assured me and inflated some of my confidence back in me. I’m sure it was critical that I went into my interviews with that confidence. And so when we share in each other’s successes, we are championing all of those moments. The support, the love, the many, many pep talks, that the success represents. BE LIKE JENNA <3
My roommate, Shlyn, and three of our friends from run club ran an ultra marathon in a heat wave a couple weeks ago. It wasn’t pretty, but it was BEAUTIFUL. The fact that people put themselves in situations that are guaranteed to just about break them is so extraordinary and so beautiful. Such a great reminder that ‘things are only impossible until they’re not’ - which is apparently from Star Trek (haven’t seen my bad)
Nina painted this piece of art to hang over her bed. The art is beautiful. This photo captures many things beautifully (s/o Nina’s feet). Nina moved to St. Pete, FL for her journalism job after graduating. She didn’t know anyone. That is absolutely stomach-churning-terrifying. And she created this beautiful life with an abundance of sunlight. How cool and how beautiful!
More beautiful things (science edition)
I really want to make the science section more engaging because that was my actual PURPOSE of these posts and I’ve heard that someeee of youuuu don’t read the science section. Or try and feel lost. Which is a MASSIVE FAILURE ON MY PART.
Tonight, WE STEAL THE MOOOON! JK. We learn about stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.
Ok so first let’s start with the fact that we have many different types of cells in our body.
Most of these cells have to be replaced. Your taste buds are replaced every ~10 days. Your skin cells are replaced every couple of weeks. Liver cells are replaced every 300-500 days! The cells that are doing the replacing are ….. ….. …. STEM CELLS!
All of the different types of cells (like the ones shown in the Greg Heffley diagram, have different jobs, and so they are built in different ways, and they look different, too. In this way, most cells are said to be ‘specialized.’
Stem cells, in contrast, aren’t specialized yet. But stem cells can differentiate into all different cell types!
It used to be thought that once stem cells differentiated, that was that. But, THAT ALL CHANGED in 2006 when the scientist Dr. Shinya Yamanaka discovered that differentiated cells CAN in fact be reversed back to the stem cell state.
These cells that were reversed back to the stem cell state are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Pluripotent (pluri = many, potent = power) means they are able to turn into almost any other type of cell.
The discovery of how to reprogram cells allows researchers to take a skin cell from someone with Alzheimer’s, and reverse (reprogram) it back to the stem cell state (into an iPSC) and then differentiate that cell into a neuron. In that way, you are studying a neuron with the DNA of this Alzheimer’s patient, without ever touching their brain!
A sports analogy for stem cells (because I am always my father’s daughter):
Let’s say you are coaching a 7 year old softball team. All of the players are new to softball. They don’t have their positions yet. They are undifferentiated stem cells. With the right coaching and guidance, they can become ‘specialized’ in any of the positions. Once the 7 year old has been designated as the pitcher, good luck convincing them to become the catcher instead. Sort of the same thing with stem cells. Once a stem cell has differentiated (or become) a specific cell type (like a neuron) it is not going to randomly turn into another cell type. That is why stem cells are cool and valuable tools in research! They can be ‘coached’ into becoming different cell types. And once you have the differentiated cell (like if you turned it into a neuron), then you can study neurons!
This is also a really good example of why basic science is so super important. Dr. Yaminaka was asking basic science questions about what controls cell fate and differentiation. His discoveries have had massive clinical implications in disease modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine.
Oh. And by the way. iPSCs are ridiculously beautiful. Here are neurons derived from skin cells of an ALS patient!
A few songs, a shoutout, and sweet dreams <33)
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? How do you keep a wave upon the sand? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
Your mind is a stream of colors! Extending beyond our sky!!
Mickles (Soon (ish) to be Dr. Dr. Hady)) was just published as a FIRST AUTHOR BABYYY. HELL YEAH!! That takes a ridiculous amount of work. LET’S GOOO!
Sophia your post on Substack is incredible. You make me swell with pride! Love you Bubby
this made me swell up with happiness. so proud of you always