A platform for the research and ideas of the @Caltech community. Taking science out of the lab and putting it into context #SciComm.

Pasadena, CA
Joined January 2017
In this week's Viewpoint, organizers for C/GPU argue why graduate students and postdocs at Caltech should unionize. caltechletters.org/viewpoint…
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"Building trust through shared values might not be a typical focus during outreach, but I’m hopeful that by prioritizing those relationships, we can grow lasting, authentic, and impactful educational partnerships." - Skyler Ware, Caltech Chemistry Graduate Student
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The artwork for this week's viewpoint - on relationship-centered approaches to science outreach - is by Caltech alum and scientist Jennah Colborn. You can find more work by Jennah and other artists on our website at caltechletters.org.
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In this week's viewpoint, Chemistry Graduate Student and Caltech Letters Managing Editor Skyler Ware describes inventive ways of bridging the gap between scientists and their communities. caltechletters.org/viewpoint…
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"The time pressure undergraduates experience at Caltech forces students to choose between central aspects of the traditional college experience. A lot of undergrads at Caltech don’t go to lectures, and many that do are late or exhausted." -- Jadzia Livingston, Caltech '20
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The artwork for last week's article, on burnout culture at Caltech, is by Caltech alumna and research scientist Jennah Colborn '22. #caltech #caltechletters
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In this week's Viewpoint, Caltech alumna Jadzia Livingston '20 calls for a re-examination of undergraduate "burnout culture." caltechletters.org/viewpoint…
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"In the bellies of these stars— seemingly serene dots in the sky—a high-pressure inferno begins to squeeze together atoms of lighter elements and combine them into heavier ones." -- Kaustav Das, Caltech Astronomy graduate student
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The artwork for this week's article, on the stellar origins of the elements, is by our graphics director, Sarah Zeichner. You can view more of Sarah's work at sarahzeichner.com/
After a supernova explosion, what’s left is an extremely high-density neutron star. It’s so dense that a spoonful of a neutron star weighs more than the Himalayas! Theyprovide a gigantic reservoir of neutrons for the synthesis of heavier elements. caltechletters.org/science/s…
"I am confident that continued research into the complex nature of fear could one day yield deep insights into human behavior, allowing us to better understand and control our decision-making in the real world." - Sharon Chen, former Caltech graduate student
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The artwork for this week's article from Sharon Chen (@sharon_chen_twt) on the science of fear and decision-making is by Caltech graduate student Julie Inglis. You can view more of Julie's work at julieinglis.com/
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Would you reach into a black box if there was a chance a tarantula lurked inside? What if you were paid to reach in? In this week's article, @sharon_chen_twt discusses how fear and anxiety affect our decisions. caltechletters.org/science/s…
"To my fellow graduate students: resist the deforming gaze of today’s academia, which compels the commodification of your innate curiosity. You have the freedom to direct your research; this is a unique privilege." - Kian Faizi, Caltech Biology Graduate Student (@kianfaizi)
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In our first feature article of the term, graduate student @kianfaizi calls for a renewed commitment to the pursuit of basic science. caltechletters.org/viewpoint…
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Welcome back! Caltech Letters is kicking off our fall publication cycle with our annual "Year in Review," highlighting some of our favorite articles of the last academic year. caltechletters.org/science/y… Interested in science communication? Get in touch at [email protected].
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(1/10) Thirty-four years after his death, famed physicist Richard Feynman's legacy continues to be the subject of both celebration and scrutiny.
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(9/10) This included Feynman's expletive-laden description of women that he had temporarily adopted at a nightclub near Los Alamos in an unfortunate social experiment.
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(10/10) Ultimately, to Leighton’s surprise, the publishers decided to “let the historical record stand”.
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