Wednesday, April 1, 2015 // The Statement
7B
Personal Statement: The image of a scientist
by Irene Park, Daily Staff Reporter
I
knew what I wanted to be since I was three: a scientist.
The thought of solving the mysteries of the universe
was the only thing that got me excited — even more than
Disney characters, or whatever three-year-olds were into at
the time. For the next twenty-something years, I dedicated
my life to science. I read Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of
Species” as a five-year-old and I started doing experiments
in our family house’s basement in elementary school. I also
built my computer from scratch in high school. Oh, and if
you were not impressed already, when I took an IQ test, I
scored over 200.
Only none of what I just said is true. I wish they were.
If you are reading this, picture a scientist in your head. At
least some of you pictured a person who is extremely intelli-
gent in a pristine white lab coat, wearing goggles and gloves,
and holding a flask with mysterious, bubbling liquid in each
hand. And of course, sporting the messy, mad scientist hair-
style and the social ineptitude too.
As a Human Genetics graduate student, I have faced sev-
eral stereotypes associated with being a scientist. In Ann
Arbor, where students make up a good chunk of the city
population, I fit in. But when I hang out with people who
are mostly working, I almost feel out of place. It has become
pretty common for people to stare at me with awe or act
intimidated by me, though the only thing I’ve said is: “Hi.
My name is Irene, and I’m a genetics Ph.D. student.”
Either the person’s eyes grow wide and they interject
something like “Whoa,” and walk away, or they start com-
plimenting me on how smart I must be because I am doing
a Ph.D. in science. Situations like these have happened so
often that I sometimes hide my true identity and just say my
name when I first meet people to save the trouble.
You might wonder why I feel uneasy to have people think
I am smart. After all, isn’t that better than the other way
around? Isn’t this a first-world problem?
Sure, I like it when people compliment on my intelligence.
And I do prefer to have people think of me as smart than
not. But the problem here is that most of these people have
met me for the first time, and they are assuming something
about me solely based on what I like or what I do. Isn’t that
the problem with all stereotypes?
Yes, I like science. That’s why I am doing a Ph.D. that will
take me anywhere from four to “n” years to complete. Unlike
other advanced degrees, you graduate when your thesis
committee, a group of four to five faculty members, agrees
that you are ready.
And I do like to do science. But, in contrary to what most
people think, doing science is simple problem solving, which
sounds fancier than what it actually is. Virtually everyone
does a bit of problem solving here and there without realiz-
ing it. People follow the steps of the scientific method all the
time: observe, ask a question, construct a testable hypoth-
esis, test your hypothesis, analyze the results, and draw a
conclusion. For instance:
1. Observations: I have gotten many texts from this par-
ticular guy lately. He always wants to hang out with me and
is possibly flirting. He is single. I am single.
2. Question: Is he interested in me?
3. Hypothesis: He is interested in me.
4. Test: I will ask him in person if he is interested in me.
5. Result: He says that he is indeed interested in me.
6. Conclusion: He is interested in me.
Sounds familiar? Congratulations! You think like a sci-
entist. With simplicity and the unlikeliness of the situation
aside (usually no one does the test in #4), you get the idea.
We all are capable of thinking through a problem. The only
difference is that scientists, myself included, routinely apply
this process to scientific problems.
As a person who has been doing science for several years,
I do not think science is as difficult as the public perceives it
to be. Don’t get me wrong — it takes a lot of hard work, but
some people (e.g. my parents) seem to see science as some-
thing “normal” people simply cannot understand even if
they tried. Because of this I am troubled when people per-
ceive me as extremely smart. I immediately sense an invis-
ible barrier and people distancing themselves away from
me, as if I am an alien doing something that is far out of their
reach.
I see that barrier in people’s attitude toward the STEM
subjects. Why is it that when people struggle with science
and math it is almost readily accepted, as if doing well in
science and math is not normal? But when people struggle
with reading, they are treated like idiots? My high school
required four years of English for graduation, but only
required two years of science and math. The ability to read
is clearly important for everyday life, but being able to think
logically is equally as important. That is the skill you pick up
from science and math classes.
What is so intimidating about science? Is it the jargon? At
the end of the day, those are just words. They are just as spe-
cialized as the words that we encounter in other fields, like
finance, history, and art.
Could it be the people? The people who have made the
scientific discoveries that we read about in textbooks and
newspapers are not too different from you or me. I have
been on the other side before when I was talking to an emi-
nent, accomplished scientist who has received many awards
and recognitions for his work. But when he started talking
about his hobbies and what he likes to do for fun, I realized
that he is just like the rest of us, and he became less intimi-
dating.
I am certainly not a genius who knows everything there
is to know about science and thinks about my project all
the time. On my off-days I like to wind down and watch
the Food Network and try to re-create some dishes (and eat
them), jog through the Arb when the Ann Arbor weather is
nice for once, or waste time taking BuzzFeed quizzes. And
I’m sure this isn’t just me.
So maybe the next time when people in lab coats intimi-
date you, you should ask them what they like to do for fun.
Their answers just might surprise you.
ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND