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Soph talks science!

Soph talks science!

SCIENTIST LIFE | TALKING SCIENCE | INSPIRING YOUR INNER SCIENTIST

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BRAND AMBASSADOR

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'If we dont act now, then by 2050 there could be more plastic in the sea than fish!!' πŸŸπŸ πŸ‘πŸ¬πŸ¦ˆπŸ³πŸ™ . Today is Earth Day & this year the focus is on #plasticpollution. . 480 billion plastic bottles were produced in 2016 - thats 65 plastic bottles for every person on this planet today!! But 91% of these were NOT recycled! . Plastics are polluting our oceans and our land, they are affecting our marine life and the health of our animals, and its contaminating the food chain. So we need to stop this addiction with have with plastics yesterday! . I am guilty of buying probably too much plastic packaging, but I do recycle 90% of it. Well at least I thought I did. For Earth Day 2018, I pledge to reduce my plastic pollution by half by cutting down on plastic packaging and ensuring I bring my reuseable shopping bag EVERY TIME I go shopping. . How do you pledge to reduce your plastic waste? Share in the comments below so all our ideas can be shared and help each other out! . But there may be some good news on the plastic pollution front where scientists have 'accidentally' discovered a plastic eating bacteria.... More on this in a post later this week. For now, Happy Earth Day 🌍 Lets protect this planet we all love to explore and call home.
#proudandloud . The amazing Georgia from @someblondescientist nominated me to share why I am proud of myself & get those positive bragging vibes going. . I dont think Ive ever really taken a step back to reflect on what Ive achieved, let alone be proud of myself. Why? Im not too sure. Probably due to my self confidence. Its really not that great on the best of days. I dont think I ever feel like what Ive done is good enough and there is always something I can do better and improve upon even though I work damn hard and push myself to my limit alot of the time. I am my own worst enemy at times and can always admire what everyone around me is achieving and then thinking Im not achieving half of that level and working harder to try and make up for it. . But its time to change that for my own motivation and mental health. So here are some things I am proud of. . πŸŽ‡I have nearly made it through education and hopefully will end up with a PhD πŸŽ‡Im proud that Ive got two first author papers in the pipeline from my PhD research πŸŽ‡Im proud of myself for pushing myself out of my comfort zone with some scicomm events this summer and with a few side projects that are soon to be revealed. πŸŽ‡Im proud of how hard I work to do my PhD research, an internship, volunteering for different experience, blogging and all my scicomm πŸŽ‡Im proud that my little science blog is a finalist for the UK blog awards 2018 πŸŽ‡And Im proud of the amazing support network Ive gained from my online family. . Time to share that positivity and well overdue bragging again. I nominate @heidirgardner, @beyond.the.ivory.tower and @naomikohbelic to share why they are proud of themselves. You should all be proud of what youve achieved. You are all killing it! . And I want to hear from YOU all too. Why are YOU proud of yourselves?
Get me back to the sunshine β˜€οΈ . Ive got some serious holiday blues today πŸ™ . A year ago today I stepped foot onto the beautiful island of Barbados πŸ‡§πŸ‡§ and began absorbing those Caribbean vibes, soaking up the sun and of course lashings of rum🍹! . It is also the day that the final clue that perhaps a proposal was on the cards. Just before boarding our flight and browsing the assortment of free newspapers and magazines, there was all the usuals and then a bridal magazine. To which my now mother-in-law to be said 'You never know you might need that soon' after I protested that I didnt need that particular magazine. This and my mum suddenly asking me more and more questions about a wedding πŸ‘° got me suspicious. But that being said I still did not imagine it would happen whilst scuba diving 🐠🐑🐟 in the beautiful Carlisle Bay as turtles were swimming around us! . So Ive spent most of the day staring out at the dull grey skies here in the UK throwing it back to sunnier times half way across the world and longingly looking at all the photos I took from that trip. Its safe to say that little progress has been made on my PhD research today. . But today I wish I was back there reliving that trip all over again! πŸ’πŸ‘™β˜€οΈπŸ₯‚πŸŒβœˆπŸ“ΈπŸ‡§πŸ‡§ . Where is the one place you wish you were today?
All The Gear βš™! But No IdeaπŸ’‘! . Ive been working with @abcamlive on a new project they are starting out. . Im really excited & honoured to be involved and proud of myself that Im pushing myself out of my comfort zone a little. I cant wait to see the finished product, share it with all you and to get you all involved too! But please be kind to me as its the first time I have done anything like this :) . Working on these side projects really motivates me to try out new things and experiment with different media 🎬. Im also really hopeful of what these amazing new connections could mean for me in the future too. So it might only be Monday but Im feeling good for the week ahead - especially as its only a 4 day week for me! πŸ‘πŸ» . What is getting you through Monday? What are you excited for this week?
So these absolute beauties πŸ’• arrived in the post yesterday! . Still cant actually believe that I am a shortlisted finalist for the UK Blog Awards 2018!! But I have to thank all of YOU for making that happen.πŸ’• . But now these have arrived it all seems a little bit more real and Im getting excited to head to London for the ceremony next weekend. . Im excited to mingle with other awesome bloggers and see what I can learn them - but Im actually quite anxious too. This is something that is completely out of my comfort zone. I can talk science πŸ”¬ and use social media to engage. But Im very much still learning how to blog, learning how I can influence people and dreaming how I can work with companies & brands and so on just like all these other bloggers do. Its a niche topic that I write about, but it is something I ❀ love ❀so Im excited and nervous to see what others think. . I also have not reached the point yet where I am comfortable vlogging and Insta-storying walking down the street; but heading to an event where everyone is going to be as obsessed with their phone πŸ“± and cameras πŸ“Έ as I am might give me some new found confidence but more importantly tips and tricks. Im always waayyy too conscious about what people think of me but hopefully this might help me identify as a blogger and boost my confidence.... or perhaps it might do the opposite. Either way Im excited to learn and discover new things like the scientist I am. . Now the tickets have arrived, looks like its time to book the train πŸš…, somewhere to stay πŸŒƒ but most importantly try and find something glam πŸ‘—πŸ‘ πŸ’„to wear! Then its all about snapping those photos, sharing snippets with all of YOU who got me to this stage and networking which isnt my strong suit - but hopefully with my trusty sidekick 😘 with me and a glass - or two - of bubbly πŸ₯‚ I can make some awesome connections to take Soph talks science to the next level!
DO YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL? 🌍 . I certainly do. And I have a serious case of wanderlust. Im always planning my next adventure or lusting over everyones most recent travel pics in order to try and curb my jetset craving. . But unfortunately being a PhD student can sometimes get in the way of my travel goals. Mainly because of a lack of money and with a thesis submission deadline looming it looks like I might be waiting a while for my next trip. So in order to satisfy my travel appetite for the time being, Ive got a new blog post about some of the science themed places in the UK that are on my travel bucket list! Check it out via the link in my bio. Its full of sites of some of the greatest scientific discoveries that you ahould be visiting to inspire your inner scientist! πŸ”­ . What science themed places have you visited πŸ”¬? Or where do you want to travel to as a scientific tourist 🌍? Are there any STEM themed attractions youve seen or want to? Or perhaps like me you are a grad student with big travel dreams - maybe theres someone out there with some tips for mixing them. . Grab your passports! Lets go be scientific tourists! βœˆπŸ”¬
How many different cell types can you see? πŸ‘€ . One? Two? More? ❓ . . . Okay... so its kinda a trick question. This is a beautifully stained image of a pluripotent stem cell colony. While there may be several cells shown here each with a different degree of pluripotency, they are still one cell type but every single one of these cells has the potential to become any of the hundreds of different cell types found in your body! . . For the past 3.5 years, I have been learning about stem cells discovering exciting new things about them. But there are many things that these incredible cells have taught me that has nothing to do with their intricate biology within. . They have taught me messages that I need to be sharing if I want to inspire anyone to achieve their goals & dreams; in science or not. Not only do I want to communicate the science of these stem cells but also what we can ALL learn from them including that... . YOU CAN BE WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE πŸ’• . The stem cells I study are pluripotent. This means that they can become any cell type. And that goes for you too! There is only one of you & each and every one of us also has the potential to become anything you want in this world! . But my stem cell lessons dont stop there! Oh no! This stem cell colony can teach us so much more. πŸŽ‡This colony is made up of several different cells much like our world is made up of many different people. πŸŽ‡All the cells that make up this colony have a different level of pluripotency and other molecules, just like every single one of us on this planet has different characteristics, talents and personalities. πŸŽ‡Each of the cells in this colony should have the availability of the signals it needs to differentiate, just like we should all have equal opportunities to the education & skills we desire! . Stem cells can help us solve so many of our problems scientifically & beyond! Lets all have the courage to be what you want to be & to support others in the pursuit of their dreams too! . Remember this stem cell colony is made up of several diverse cells, but is still one united colony. . There is ALOT we can learn from that! πŸ’• the beautiful heterogeneity πŸ’•
Can science help save our chocolate 🍫? . Did you get your fill of chocolate eggs this Easter? If yes, and you are in a bit of a chocolate induced coma like me, then the days of that indulgence may be limited. . What am I talking about? A chocoholic worst nightmare. We may be only a few years from running out of chocolate 😒 . Chocolate 🍫 is made from the seeds of the cacao tree but due to pests, fungal diseases, more and more extreme weather conditions and an expotentially growing demand for this scrumptious treat - the supply may soon be considerably less than the demand. Its thought that in a few years we will need an EXTRA MILLION tons of cacao just to meet the demand. Thats the same as another Ivory Coast - the largest producer of cacao in the world!! . So how can science help? Well, we could make chocolate 🍫 and cacao a genetically modified organism or GMO. Now the thought of eating GMOs can be a scary thought to some. It is a common misconception that these foods would be full of chemicals to enhance their flavour, their resistance to disease, to help them grow quicker and survive longer. But its actually just their DNA that has been changed. We as a species have been doing this to plants 🌱 ever since we worked out that selective breeding of plants with desirable characteristics would lead to offspring with said characterisitics. There are so many plants in our diets nowadays that are unrecognisable from the originals such as bananas🍌, carrots πŸ₯•, brocolli, corn🌽 and watermelon πŸ‰ for example. And thats all because we were breeding them to be sweeter in taste in the case of corn! . So changing the DNA of the cacao tree to help it become resistant to diseases, help it to grow quicker or to yield more seeds to meet the demand might be the only way to save our chocolate if we dont want it to become super rare and as expensive as caviar!! . How do you feel about GMOs? Particularly genetically modified food? Would you still eat chocolate if it was genetically modified? Or perhaps you just want to know more about GMOs? Ask me any questions in the comments below :)
This is no April Fool! Instead my time as a PhD student edges closer to the end. . Theres about 180 days until I have to finish all my experiments, write up my thesis and submit that! I have no idea where the last 3 and a half years have gone. Now I have months left rather than years! . So I thought I would try and share an honest and hopefully helpful insight into being a final year PhD student AND a way of keeping me on track by reflecting on my progress by sharing these PhD updates. . Its time for the next update with just 6 months to go! Check out what Ive been up to for the past few months and whether I achieved my goals from the last update in my latest blog post via the link in my bio. . What stage of your PhD are you at? What did you wish you knew earlier in your PhD? Or what do you want to know more about for your final years?

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Month: October 2016

Spooky Science. Do we all have ‘Zombie’ genes?

Happy Halloween y’all! πŸŽƒπŸ•ΈπŸ•· I know most of my blog raves about stem cells – which in my opinion are THE best cells out there! But as it’s Halloween I thought IΒ would branch out a little and write a special post about some spooky science! The Walking Dead is a huge TV hit and with […]

Read More Spooky Science. Do we all have ‘Zombie’ genes?

A day in the life of a PhD student. Chapter 2.

It’s most definitely been a while since I showed you what a typical day for me as a PhD student is like. So, since Chapter 1.Β I have finished all the experiments I needed for my transfer thesis, written that in full and had my transfer viva date set. Scary! One of the main reasons behind […]

Read More A day in the life of a PhD student. Chapter 2.

7 MORE everyday essentials of a stem cell biologist.

My transfer thesis is FINISHED!!! Finally! Which means this week, I am back to the lab bench ready to discover some more new things in the world of stem cellsΒ πŸ™‚ Last month I wrote a post about some of the everyday essentialsΒ I use in the lab as a stem cell biologist. But being faced with […]

Read More 7 MORE everyday essentials of a stem cell biologist.

Scientist in the Spotlight. Sophie P.

My previous Scientist in the SpotlightΒ post went down a storm, so I was so keen to present more exciting women in STEM to you as quickly as possible. This week’s Spotlight post has got a bit of a fashion twist and features The Scientific Beauty herself. If you thought that all scientists forever wore that […]

Read More Scientist in the Spotlight. Sophie P.

‘Cellfie’ of the month: October 2016

How is October hereΒ already!?Β  But the temperatures here in the UK have already started to drop meaning my favourite season of the year has officially begun. Autumn to me is all about going back to basics and enjoying the simple things in lifeΒ – leaves are falling off trees to grow new ones come spring, lab […]

Read More ‘Cellfie’ of the month: October 2016

Scientist in the Spotlight. Jess T.

Welcome to the first blog of my BRAND NEW feature ‘Scientist in the Spotlight’! IΒ have only been seriously committed to writing my science blog for about 3 months or so now, but it that short amount of time I have ‘met’ some of the most inspiring and awesome scientists who have similar interests to me […]

Read More Scientist in the Spotlight. Jess T.

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Soph talks science on Instagram

'If we dont act now, then by 2050 there could be more plastic in the sea than fish!!' πŸŸπŸ πŸ‘πŸ¬πŸ¦ˆπŸ³πŸ™ . Today is Earth Day & this year the focus is on #plasticpollution. . 480 billion plastic bottles were produced in 2016 - thats 65 plastic bottles for every person on this planet today!! But 91% of these were NOT recycled! . Plastics are polluting our oceans and our land, they are affecting our marine life and the health of our animals, and its contaminating the food chain. So we need to stop this addiction with have with plastics yesterday! . I am guilty of buying probably too much plastic packaging, but I do recycle 90% of it. Well at least I thought I did. For Earth Day 2018, I pledge to reduce my plastic pollution by half by cutting down on plastic packaging and ensuring I bring my reuseable shopping bag EVERY TIME I go shopping. . How do you pledge to reduce your plastic waste? Share in the comments below so all our ideas can be shared and help each other out! . But there may be some good news on the plastic pollution front where scientists have 'accidentally' discovered a plastic eating bacteria.... More on this in a post later this week. For now, Happy Earth Day 🌍 Lets protect this planet we all love to explore and call home.
#proudandloud . The amazing Georgia from @someblondescientist nominated me to share why I am proud of myself & get those positive bragging vibes going. . I dont think Ive ever really taken a step back to reflect on what Ive achieved, let alone be proud of myself. Why? Im not too sure. Probably due to my self confidence. Its really not that great on the best of days. I dont think I ever feel like what Ive done is good enough and there is always something I can do better and improve upon even though I work damn hard and push myself to my limit alot of the time. I am my own worst enemy at times and can always admire what everyone around me is achieving and then thinking Im not achieving half of that level and working harder to try and make up for it. . But its time to change that for my own motivation and mental health. So here are some things I am proud of. . πŸŽ‡I have nearly made it through education and hopefully will end up with a PhD πŸŽ‡Im proud that Ive got two first author papers in the pipeline from my PhD research πŸŽ‡Im proud of myself for pushing myself out of my comfort zone with some scicomm events this summer and with a few side projects that are soon to be revealed. πŸŽ‡Im proud of how hard I work to do my PhD research, an internship, volunteering for different experience, blogging and all my scicomm πŸŽ‡Im proud that my little science blog is a finalist for the UK blog awards 2018 πŸŽ‡And Im proud of the amazing support network Ive gained from my online family. . Time to share that positivity and well overdue bragging again. I nominate @heidirgardner, @beyond.the.ivory.tower and @naomikohbelic to share why they are proud of themselves. You should all be proud of what youve achieved. You are all killing it! . And I want to hear from YOU all too. Why are YOU proud of yourselves?
Get me back to the sunshine β˜€οΈ . Ive got some serious holiday blues today πŸ™ . A year ago today I stepped foot onto the beautiful island of Barbados πŸ‡§πŸ‡§ and began absorbing those Caribbean vibes, soaking up the sun and of course lashings of rum🍹! . It is also the day that the final clue that perhaps a proposal was on the cards. Just before boarding our flight and browsing the assortment of free newspapers and magazines, there was all the usuals and then a bridal magazine. To which my now mother-in-law to be said 'You never know you might need that soon' after I protested that I didnt need that particular magazine. This and my mum suddenly asking me more and more questions about a wedding πŸ‘° got me suspicious. But that being said I still did not imagine it would happen whilst scuba diving 🐠🐑🐟 in the beautiful Carlisle Bay as turtles were swimming around us! . So Ive spent most of the day staring out at the dull grey skies here in the UK throwing it back to sunnier times half way across the world and longingly looking at all the photos I took from that trip. Its safe to say that little progress has been made on my PhD research today. . But today I wish I was back there reliving that trip all over again! πŸ’πŸ‘™β˜€οΈπŸ₯‚πŸŒβœˆπŸ“ΈπŸ‡§πŸ‡§ . Where is the one place you wish you were today?
All The Gear βš™! But No IdeaπŸ’‘! . Ive been working with @abcamlive on a new project they are starting out. . Im really excited & honoured to be involved and proud of myself that Im pushing myself out of my comfort zone a little. I cant wait to see the finished product, share it with all you and to get you all involved too! But please be kind to me as its the first time I have done anything like this :) . Working on these side projects really motivates me to try out new things and experiment with different media 🎬. Im also really hopeful of what these amazing new connections could mean for me in the future too. So it might only be Monday but Im feeling good for the week ahead - especially as its only a 4 day week for me! πŸ‘πŸ» . What is getting you through Monday? What are you excited for this week?
So these absolute beauties πŸ’• arrived in the post yesterday! . Still cant actually believe that I am a shortlisted finalist for the UK Blog Awards 2018!! But I have to thank all of YOU for making that happen.πŸ’• . But now these have arrived it all seems a little bit more real and Im getting excited to head to London for the ceremony next weekend. . Im excited to mingle with other awesome bloggers and see what I can learn them - but Im actually quite anxious too. This is something that is completely out of my comfort zone. I can talk science πŸ”¬ and use social media to engage. But Im very much still learning how to blog, learning how I can influence people and dreaming how I can work with companies & brands and so on just like all these other bloggers do. Its a niche topic that I write about, but it is something I ❀ love ❀so Im excited and nervous to see what others think. . I also have not reached the point yet where I am comfortable vlogging and Insta-storying walking down the street; but heading to an event where everyone is going to be as obsessed with their phone πŸ“± and cameras πŸ“Έ as I am might give me some new found confidence but more importantly tips and tricks. Im always waayyy too conscious about what people think of me but hopefully this might help me identify as a blogger and boost my confidence.... or perhaps it might do the opposite. Either way Im excited to learn and discover new things like the scientist I am. . Now the tickets have arrived, looks like its time to book the train πŸš…, somewhere to stay πŸŒƒ but most importantly try and find something glam πŸ‘—πŸ‘ πŸ’„to wear! Then its all about snapping those photos, sharing snippets with all of YOU who got me to this stage and networking which isnt my strong suit - but hopefully with my trusty sidekick 😘 with me and a glass - or two - of bubbly πŸ₯‚ I can make some awesome connections to take Soph talks science to the next level!
DO YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL? 🌍 . I certainly do. And I have a serious case of wanderlust. Im always planning my next adventure or lusting over everyones most recent travel pics in order to try and curb my jetset craving. . But unfortunately being a PhD student can sometimes get in the way of my travel goals. Mainly because of a lack of money and with a thesis submission deadline looming it looks like I might be waiting a while for my next trip. So in order to satisfy my travel appetite for the time being, Ive got a new blog post about some of the science themed places in the UK that are on my travel bucket list! Check it out via the link in my bio. Its full of sites of some of the greatest scientific discoveries that you ahould be visiting to inspire your inner scientist! πŸ”­ . What science themed places have you visited πŸ”¬? Or where do you want to travel to as a scientific tourist 🌍? Are there any STEM themed attractions youve seen or want to? Or perhaps like me you are a grad student with big travel dreams - maybe theres someone out there with some tips for mixing them. . Grab your passports! Lets go be scientific tourists! βœˆπŸ”¬
How many different cell types can you see? πŸ‘€ . One? Two? More? ❓ . . . Okay... so its kinda a trick question. This is a beautifully stained image of a pluripotent stem cell colony. While there may be several cells shown here each with a different degree of pluripotency, they are still one cell type but every single one of these cells has the potential to become any of the hundreds of different cell types found in your body! . . For the past 3.5 years, I have been learning about stem cells discovering exciting new things about them. But there are many things that these incredible cells have taught me that has nothing to do with their intricate biology within. . They have taught me messages that I need to be sharing if I want to inspire anyone to achieve their goals & dreams; in science or not. Not only do I want to communicate the science of these stem cells but also what we can ALL learn from them including that... . YOU CAN BE WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE πŸ’• . The stem cells I study are pluripotent. This means that they can become any cell type. And that goes for you too! There is only one of you & each and every one of us also has the potential to become anything you want in this world! . But my stem cell lessons dont stop there! Oh no! This stem cell colony can teach us so much more. πŸŽ‡This colony is made up of several different cells much like our world is made up of many different people. πŸŽ‡All the cells that make up this colony have a different level of pluripotency and other molecules, just like every single one of us on this planet has different characteristics, talents and personalities. πŸŽ‡Each of the cells in this colony should have the availability of the signals it needs to differentiate, just like we should all have equal opportunities to the education & skills we desire! . Stem cells can help us solve so many of our problems scientifically & beyond! Lets all have the courage to be what you want to be & to support others in the pursuit of their dreams too! . Remember this stem cell colony is made up of several diverse cells, but is still one united colony. . There is ALOT we can learn from that! πŸ’• the beautiful heterogeneity πŸ’•
Can science help save our chocolate 🍫? . Did you get your fill of chocolate eggs this Easter? If yes, and you are in a bit of a chocolate induced coma like me, then the days of that indulgence may be limited. . What am I talking about? A chocoholic worst nightmare. We may be only a few years from running out of chocolate 😒 . Chocolate 🍫 is made from the seeds of the cacao tree but due to pests, fungal diseases, more and more extreme weather conditions and an expotentially growing demand for this scrumptious treat - the supply may soon be considerably less than the demand. Its thought that in a few years we will need an EXTRA MILLION tons of cacao just to meet the demand. Thats the same as another Ivory Coast - the largest producer of cacao in the world!! . So how can science help? Well, we could make chocolate 🍫 and cacao a genetically modified organism or GMO. Now the thought of eating GMOs can be a scary thought to some. It is a common misconception that these foods would be full of chemicals to enhance their flavour, their resistance to disease, to help them grow quicker and survive longer. But its actually just their DNA that has been changed. We as a species have been doing this to plants 🌱 ever since we worked out that selective breeding of plants with desirable characteristics would lead to offspring with said characterisitics. There are so many plants in our diets nowadays that are unrecognisable from the originals such as bananas🍌, carrots πŸ₯•, brocolli, corn🌽 and watermelon πŸ‰ for example. And thats all because we were breeding them to be sweeter in taste in the case of corn! . So changing the DNA of the cacao tree to help it become resistant to diseases, help it to grow quicker or to yield more seeds to meet the demand might be the only way to save our chocolate if we dont want it to become super rare and as expensive as caviar!! . How do you feel about GMOs? Particularly genetically modified food? Would you still eat chocolate if it was genetically modified? Or perhaps you just want to know more about GMOs? Ask me any questions in the comments below :)
This is no April Fool! Instead my time as a PhD student edges closer to the end. . Theres about 180 days until I have to finish all my experiments, write up my thesis and submit that! I have no idea where the last 3 and a half years have gone. Now I have months left rather than years! . So I thought I would try and share an honest and hopefully helpful insight into being a final year PhD student AND a way of keeping me on track by reflecting on my progress by sharing these PhD updates. . Its time for the next update with just 6 months to go! Check out what Ive been up to for the past few months and whether I achieved my goals from the last update in my latest blog post via the link in my bio. . What stage of your PhD are you at? What did you wish you knew earlier in your PhD? Or what do you want to know more about for your final years?
The countdown begins! πŸ‘° . 18 months to go. Still is completely surreal & dont think its actually happening but it looks like I need to get planning soon ... just the small matter of finishing my PhD first. . All the big things are booked though & now we have nearly asked all our bridal party to be involved ... luckily they have all said YES so far :) . . Im also looking for ideas to mix science πŸ”¬ into our big day πŸ‘° without being too cringe! Has anyone got any suggestions? . While today marks a countdown to something super exciting, it is also 6 months until I have to submit my PhD thesis too! Looks like 28th September is going to be a memorable date for me regardless of the year from now on!
HELLO... AGAIN! πŸ‘‹ . All Ive ever wanted to be was successful. Im ambitious and a workaholic and I just want to succeed at whatever I put my energy⚑into. That goes for my PhD research, to all the crazy ideas that pop into my end, to all the public outreach Im trying out and - of course - all the way to my scicomm and blogging πŸ’». . Everyday I put so much pressure on myself to try and create better content, to be more than just another blogger, to engage with all of you more, to provide you with as much value as I can - all while learning from my mistakes, trying to build my own confidence and trying to succeed at this. . So much so that I had completely lost my voice and the messages I wanted to share. So much so that I had become obsessed by the numbers and the stats to try and give myself a boost. So much so that I took shortcuts that Im not proud of because I felt I had to post something consistently to hopefully try and keep all of you engaged. So much so that with everything else I am trying to achieve nearly drove me to complete burn out! . So I had to step back from blogging and from scicomm for a little while to redefine, to refresh and to revitalise what Soph talks science is all about, but more importantly to take care of me - something I am pretty terrible at doing! . During my two weeks off the 'gram, Ive taken a look at myself, my methods, my motivations, my commitments in a way only a scientist πŸ‘©β€πŸ”¬ can. Identified the issues and put measures in place to improve things. . Now I feel Im ready to come back! Im ready to bring you what I want to share with you all - I just hope you all want to hear it :p . Hopefully I can be as successful at scicomm as I dream to be. πŸ’­ . What ways do you want to improve your scicomm? Or if youre not a scientist, what differences do you want to see from us scicommers? . . In other news, the winners of my world book day giveaway will be announced tomorrow. Ive also been working on some awesome collaborations that I can share with you soon. PLUS Ill be telling you all about those side hustles I was going to before my little digital detox!
Why I use Instagram for scicomm.. πŸ”¬ . πŸŽ‡ To share with everyone how freakin' awesome stem cells are πŸŽ‡ To show all grad students that they are not alone when they are struggling πŸŽ‡ To show everyone what life as a scientist in the lab is like πŸŽ‡ To show that scientists are not just boring old white men in lab coats - we all have hobbies and interests outside of work! πŸŽ‡ To connect with an awesome community of scicommers who own it across all social media platforms πŸŽ‡ To encourage everyone to ask questions about science and the world around them πŸŽ‡ To be a role model and inspire the next generation of scientists . . Using social media for scicomm does NOT affect my work as a scientist. In fact, I think it makes me a better scientist as I have the ability to communicate what Im doing with any audience. After all science is not finished until its communicated! . πŸŽ‡ I do scicomm ASWELL as my research. πŸŽ‡ I do scicomm ASWELL as my hobbies. πŸŽ‡ I do scicomm ASWELL as my internship. . All of these will give me skills and experience for my post PhD career whether that is inside or outside of academia. I work my ass off to do all of these things to the best of my ability and to try and make the smallest of differences to just one persons life and aspirations, or to give them that little bit of hope or realisation that they need. . I am a scientist that loves to share with the world what I do using social media all whilst baking, watching sport, spending time with my friends, writing blogs, supporting other amazing scicommers, planning a wedding and fulfilling my craving to travel the world! . Being a great scientist & a great scicommer is not a binary thing! I CAN do both and I WILL do both! And so will all those in this community and thats why we are #strongertogether πŸ’ͺ . What do all of you think about social media for scicomm?
πŸŽ‡ HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMAN'S DAY πŸŽ‡ . Today I am celebrating being surrounded by awesome and inspiring women who are incredible role models and were trailblazers for women in STEM. . I am celebrating for being given the chance to be a role model, a trailblazer and a face to ask questions to! . Being a woman in this community of women in STEM can be summed up in one word: πŸŽ‡ EMPOWERMENT πŸŽ‡ Inspired by @bbcsouthnews #IWD18 feature, I wanted to share an object - however literal or figurative - that makes you feel empowered! . Mine is my camera πŸ“Έ - whether that be the one on my phone or this one! My camera allows me to share moments, videos, messages and so much more with all of you! My camera allows me to be a role model to the next generation and show those you girls that they can be a scientist! My camera allows me to show the world what being a woman in science means and that is everything to me! . Happy International Womans Day you wonderful people! Thank you for inspiring me! . Who inspires you? What object makes you feel empowered?
IT'S WORLD BOOK DAY! πŸ“š . And Im celebrating with an awesome SCIENCE BOOK GIVEAWAY! πŸ“š . I remember being 11 years old and dressing up for world book day in school and a few weeks ago I came across a photo of a young girl dressed up as Hypatia - one of the first recorded women to study maths and an expert in astronomy. And it got me thinking about World Book Day and how I could celebrate as dressing up as my favourite book character and heading into lab wasnt going to be acceptable :p . Instead in this digital age I wanted to celebrate good old fashioned science books for all ages and backgrounds. So Ive been scouting out some awesome science books and paired up with the authors so that I can share them with you! . Ill be sharing a blog post tomorrow with more details on these books and more of my favourite science books, but for now swipe ⏩ to see what books are up for grabs! . All you need to do to enter the giveaway is like this post, and leave a comment with the item number (1 to 6) - ONLY ONE ITEM PER COMMENT PLEASE but you can enter as many times as you like. . 1πŸŽ‡ Science ish - the book for the sci fi or film buff in your life! The science behind the movies! 🎬 . 2πŸŽ‡ Ada Lace - 2x story books about an 8 year old girl with a knack for science, maths and solving problems with technology. Perfect for the aspiring scientist in your life. . 3πŸŽ‡ The Baby Biochemist - 4x childrens books for the even smaller wannabe scientists in your life! I love these! Just shows that science can be learnt at any age! . 4πŸŽ‡ Science and the City - science & engineering is working behind the scenes of all our major cities in the world to solve the problems with city life. This book gives you a snapshot of the future! . 5πŸŽ‡ Intuition - many of us in the world know very little about science and the process of science research. This science fiction of a different kind shares the mysteries of a cancer research lab. . 6πŸŽ‡ A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived - delve into the history of our species and what the data from our genes says about us and our ancestors! . Giveaway will close on Friday 9th March at midnight GMT! . Lets get stuck into a good science book! Science love!
Time to hang up my lab coat for a few weeks and then Im outta here... 😁 . Okay... so I finished in the lab for two weeks yesterday. A day earlier than planned so I could make it home before the 'Beast from the East' drives the UK to a complete standstill. . Im now back home in Wales preparing myself for a big birthday extravaganza 🎈 with my cricket girls and then two weeks out of the lab but making a bit of progress writing papers and thesis chapters instead! It will actually give me some time to get back on top of my blogging and a healthy lifestyle... because I have not been on it recently. . So I have one more post to share with you later today before its partay time for me!! πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸΎπŸ’ƒπŸ’ƒ Ill be sharing a few story highlights across the weekend and then back to the science on Monday. . But a reminder to all you hard workers out there - youve worked hard, remember that means you deserve a break!! . Happy weekend! What are you plans this weekend?

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