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Choosing Science: Stories of Perseverance, Humanity, and Success
Finding inspiration and a will to persevere might be challenging at times, especially when you have been prevented by outside forces, in a way or another, to achieve your goals. Although actions speak louder than words, stories of people that succeeded despite opposition can have the power to put wind into someones deflated sails and perhaps also fight against the impostor syndrome so many of us experience . Here I hope you will find such stories, which are mostly focused on scientific figures maybe less popular, but who greatly contributed to the development of science and in the process showed perseverance through obstacles. I will also highlight each individual's humanity, struggles and strength, and break the coldness that I feel exists between science/ scientists and the general public. Be prepared for sarcasm and a bit of fooling around sometimes, because what's life but empty without humour. Enjoy!
Episodes
12 episodes
Tiny flies, but big discoveries! How the fruitfly changed humanity's course
Fruit flies, scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster, may appear as common pests, but they have been indispensable to biological research for over a century. These small insects have significantly advanced our understanding of ...
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Prof. Dr. Mario Capecchi or how to go from being a homeless child to Nobel Prize winner
Mario Capecchi was one of the 3 scientists who were awarded the Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2007 “for their discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells”. However,...
Mice as discovery driver or how to be small, but help achieve great things
Mice (17th century- current)Some find them cute, some find them repulsive, and science finds them useful. Mice have been a model organism for a bit over a century and is by far the most used nowadays. Let’s find out what these little cr...
Prof. Rita Levi-Montalcini or how to create a completely new science field in one's bedroom
Professor Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909-2012)A developmental biologist who left an indelible mark on the field of neuroscience through her groundbreaking discoveries and unwavering dedication to scientific inquiry, despite being forced at ...
Williamina Paton Fleming or how to go from being a maid to changing astronomy forever
Fleming, Williamina Paton (1857–1911) A single mum, deserted by her husband in a time when women were second class citizens and weren’t allowed to get a higher education, Williamina Paton Fleming rose from the humble position of ma...
Prof. Dr. Frits Zernike or how the Nazis did something good by mistake
Frits Zernike Although he spent his whole life from birth to retirement in the cities of Amsterdam and then Groningen, his life was far from ordinary. Incredibly intelligent and gifted, having the rare combination of simultaneously...
Prof. Dr. Lynn Margulis or how to be so good you get to use swearwords in your scientific titles
Although now Lynn Margulis is as the historian Jan Sapp has said "as synonymous with symbiosis as Charles Darwin's is with evolution...
Dr. Walle Nauta or how to stick it to the Nazis while revolutionising neuroscience
Dr. Walle Nauta was not only a brilliant neuroanatomist and scientist of the 20th century, but also a selfless, brave soul. He revolutionised research tools in neuroscience, making it possible to better understand one of the biggest mysteries o...
Dr. Hilde Mangold or how to live your life on fast forward
The short but fruitful life of Hilde Mangold produced one of the few doctoral dissertation that has ever been directly linked to a Nobel prize. Hilde performed transplantations of cells from one darker newt embryo (type of amphibian) ...
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Dr. George Washington Carver or how to have God as your lab assistant
Born just as slavery was abolished, Dr. George Washington Carver has managed to change the agricultural landscape of America through pure empiricism and perseverance and was one of the first African-American pioneers and inventors who ros...
Dr. Eng. Eliza Leonida-Zamfirescu (or how to crush your oposition with an ungodly amount of patience and work)
Have you ever asked yourself who were the first women that had the courage to go against society's expectations and pursue "unfeminine" careers such as engineering? (the only answer accepted here is "yes", sorry).Then you might be...
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Sir John Bertrand Gurdon (or how to succeed at proving people wrong)
For the pilot episode of Choosing Science, we are going to learn about a Nobel Prize winner in Medicine who by all accounts of his school teachers shouldn't have even be able to pass a science test. He is a great example of inspiring rebellion ...
