Research Updates | Summer 2020

This has not been the best of summers. Sure, I successfully completed my comprehensive exam, but beyond that, life has been tough. The pandemic began effecting us in March. It was another 6 months before I got to see my family again, the longest I’ve ever been away. Even that, was because my grandmother died. That was a very difficult experience made only worse by the pandemic. For a full discussion of that, I invite you to watch my Friday Reads for that week.

Nevertheless, we’ve all had it rough, and, as always, we manage. As the summer began I shifted focus to my comps, and it left me disheveled such that my routine fell apart. With it went my blog. I am here to summarize my research, and to bring us back into the routine of more regular updates. Of course, it is difficult to be specific about details months later, but I will do my best to summarize the last few months.

June

By June, the Remote Sensing class was over, but we had assignments to complete. I tried to complete one lab a week, but that fell apart after the first lab. I ended up spending a lot of time updating my proposal after getting feedback from Dr, Pratt. That involved creating a few new figures, but the biggest objective was to review the literature pertaining to the model and the fundamental approaches it uses. The need to complete this is, I think, what broke my routine of blogging and pomodoro.

Life became less about focused work about meeting deadlines. Luckily, I learned a lot in this process. I do regret that I never discussed the papers in my Science Paper blog post. I want to return to this, but it was hard to justify a deep dive in one paper when I needed to review so many so quickly. Nevertheless, I hope to review some of the material and present it in that post to 1) refer back to and 2) discuss with the lab.

July

In the end, I was very happy with the updates to the proposal. I sent it out to my committee very early into July. At this point, I had hoped to create a more structured studying approach, but I got overwhelmed with the labs for the Remote Sensing course. I quickly finished these and promptly moved on to the project. I was very frustrated with these labs. Although, I can’t complain much because I learned a lot of things in the process.

I dove into the project understanding things I had struggled to follow several years ago for my Titan crater mapping. It is in fact why I’ve steered away from using ArcGIS when possible, but I feel much more comfortable with it now. That helped me push through the project.

My project was to map craters on Pluto, take there depths, and relate the crater degradation to the N₂ content in the craters. This was based on past research which suggested that N₂ cycling will lead to 1) erosion and 2) relaxation. Sadly, I made a critical error when importing my data into MATLAB (where I took the depths and related it to the N₂ content). I had separated pristine craters from degraded craters in my crater maps based on what the new Robbins et al. (2020) defined as pristine. When importing the crater data, I assigned the diameter and N₂ content of the pristine craters to the degraded craters.

I believe this was a issue with sorting the data, so I patched the error and rushed to recalculate my results. In the end, I only processed the pristine craters. This severely limited my ability to analyze what was happening. I intend to completely redo my code after the project if the project was carried forward (it was).

SEction ofPluto overlain with craters mapped and N2 Content

In the final week or so leading up to my comps, I took time create flash cards. Essentially, I was reviewing the basics when it came to Titan. I had hoped to do this sooner, but it didn’t pan out. Luckily, the proposal process was a very good review, especially addressing Dr. Pratt’s suggestions. I didn’t review the note cards much, but the act of making them gave me a sufficient framework of what I needed to know. Obviously, I ended up passing with some recommendations (although these were minimal).

August

August began very well(ish). I was fresh off my exam, and let myself relax. I still did a bit of work each day the first week. Although, I didn’t stress too much about it. Things were complicated early on when my place flooded, again. A new emergency window in my basement unit wasn’t done right. It already required my floor needing replaced, and after it happened again, but worse, we had to speed up the process because of mold. I moved into an Airbnb (not at my expense). This lasted 2+ weeks, and made it hard to work.

Luckily, I was able to work from school for a bit. Most of my time was spent troubleshooting the code as I wanted to get it to work at higher concentrations. I ended up getting to work well enough. I don’t remember the other things I did, and I didn’t log it in Pomodoro at all. It doesn’t help that my grandmother died half way through. That ended up monopolizing the rest of my month. Again, see my Friday Reads for that week if you’re interested in a more personal discussion.

In the meantime, remember to check out my September updates.

My grandmother and I in 2014, Thanksgiving I think.

Black Lives Matter and the Cost of Silence

As a white man, I am not writing this because I think I have a special insight that can’t be found elsewhere. I am writing this because 1) I have a platform, 2) to promote Black voices, and 3) to take responsibility. I will highlight things that I think are important but for the purpose of encouraging you to check out the various resources I’ve provided. A lot of this will be Booktube content, but I use them because they are completely reflective of society as a whole. I started this post with a video of Kimberly Jones, the author of “I’m Not Dying with You Tonight,” discussing the problem with the system and why the riots/protests/property damage are not the problem. If anything, they speak to the severity of the problem. What’s more, it was beautiful, profound, and devastating. Please watch it.

Silence and the Power of Social Media

Now lets talk about silence and complicity. People don’t want to talk about this. Why? Because they’re uncomfortable. They’re uncomfortable because they don’t know what to say or don’t want to say the wrong thing. Well, if you don’t know what to say, do same damn research. White Fragility (check that book out, I still need to read it), isn’t an excuse not to talk. You’re going to make mistakes. I continue to do that. Just the other day, I made a comment about our responsibility and described it in a way that perpetuated a white savior complex which goes right back to white supremacy and this idea of superiority. Obviously, that isn’t what I think, or maybe my ingrained prejudices have subconsciously made me think that. The fact is, consciously, I know it isn’t true. What I intend doesn’t matter when what I say and do feed into the ideas of white supremacy and oppression. I’ve used that phrase to a lot of people, and white fragility leads a lot of us to jump to the defense. We know we don’t want to be racist, so we assume that is enough. We have to take responsibility for what we say and do and that takes work and a desire to learn and listen.

However, learning is only the beginning. Another thing Francina (the booktuber in the video) touches on is the power of social media. Those of you who haven’t shared/said even the slightest thing, I’ve noticed. I can’t make you speak out, but if you are reading this, please recognize we have to do more. Now before I go on, I recognize social media isn’t a direct reflection of what someone is doing to support. Support can be shown through donations, petitions, and protesting, and complications in life happen too that may prevent you from being as active as you’d like to be. I say this to encourage self reflection on if you’re doing enough not to pass judgment. Social media is just one small way to make a difference.

Social media, even before Covid, has become the center of some many of our lives. It shapes how we see the world (e.g. Russian bots), and because of that, it’s a powerful tool. While it is a useful means of listening and learning, it is also an opportunity to share voices that some people aren’t exposed to. It is also a way to spark a conversation. Fundamentally, it is about getting people to listen.

Being Ignored and the importance of listening

Understanding racism is to understand the oppressed. That means we have to listen to Black voices. Looking back, we can see how support for Black Lives Matter has evolved. Look at everything that is happening, all because more people are listening and believing. One question that Ashley (I’m unsure about the spelling) poses is “Why now?” She doesn’t believe us. We sit here showing support but history shows it’s fake. History shows we speak up when it’s trendy, and go away when it is not. Again, I doubt few of us would say we intentionally would do that, but intent and actions are not the same. We have to recognize our silence. We have to ask why, and we have to be aware of how easy it is to let it just fade into the background (because we have the privilege to do that; black people can’t escape it so easily). I still don’t know why now is the moment people are listening. I wish I knew.

Support for BLM with time.

The closest answer I could come to seems to be the one Ashley gives: we are afraid of being called out, afraid of being shamed. I know I am ashamed. I think back to when BLM first arose; I considered myself an ally (a term we have not right to assign ourselves). In reality, I was, at best, complicit, at worst actively fighting against it. Both are just as bad. In my years here at Western, my best friend has accused me of racism, more than once. My first reaction is to get defensive, deny, reject, and gas light. I owe her an apology. Yes, I am ashamed but not because of how it makes me look; I’m ashamed of the harm I have put into the world, even on the people closest to me. I don’t say this looking for forgiveness or a pat on the back. Yes I am ashamed. That may have been what made me care enough to listen, but that doesn’t do jack-shit to fix the problem.

1 Being an ally and what we have to do to help

2 Being an ally and making a difference

I can sit here all day and cry about the bad I’ve done, but the point of self reflection is to figure out how to fix the problem. Diana, from the second video on being an ally, summed it up pretty well. Racism isn’t a black problem, it’s a white problem. We started it. We benefit from it. It’s up to us to fix it. Black people have been fighting racism for centuries because their resilient, strong, and capable; it’s on us to decide if we stand on the side of oppression or the side of equality.

Speaking up and joining the conversation is the first step. The other is calling people out; friends, coworkers, and family. Any time, any place. Speak up. This isn’t about politics; it is about basic human rights. I also intend to listen. Too often black voices are ignored, but I know as a white man, I can’t understand without listening because my experience is so fundamentally different than what it is for Black people and other POC. But more than that, I was raised by a system that taught me I should benefit from discrimination and oppression. I can easily sit here and say, “I don’t stand for that!” But that doesn’t change the fact that it is ingrained into my psyche and the society I live in.

That is why it is all the more important that we listen and believe Black people and other POC (Western students, check out the amazing memoir by an alumni of our own University, Eternity Martis). Then we use that to support them; stop supporting racist people and organizations that contribute to the oppression. Stop being silent. Lastly, vote and fight for systematic change.

I want to finish this post off with two videos from TikTok. I know many of you may scoff, but these highlight how powerful social media can be. In this first video we see a strong yet succinct message of how white people ignore Black people. Then we see a performance of a piece that references all the harm and fear the Black community has to experience. Like the first video I shared, it stresses the pain that is being felt.

September Update 2020

The more time passes the more I realize I don’t know. The biggest thing I realize is I need to listen more. There is a difference between promoting black voices and talking for them. Despite my intentions, I’ve continued to do harmful things, but it is an ongoing effort.

Resources

Support BLM: https://blacklivesmatter.com/

National Action Against Police Brutality Petition : https://www.change.org/p/national-act…

Victims Funds : https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#v…

Justice for Breonna Taylor Fund : https://www.gofundme.com/f/9v4q2-just… Bail Funds : https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#s…

NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund : https://www.naacpldf.org/

Ahmaud Arbery Fund : https://www.gofundme.com/f/i-run-with…

Minnesota Based Black Visions Collective : https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/about

Thank you for mentioning us! ❤️ Any black business owner can add their business for free on https://t.co/WaQIdfkNKd for Canada, https://t.co/yRDSANp0XF for USA, https://t.co/D6Gvr12rgb for Europe or https://t.co/IY7u6DrBYb for Africa, post events, write blogs @AfroBizWorld. 😊

— AfroBizWorld (@afrobizworld) June 3, 2020

Read and Learn

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racism in America by Ibram X. Kendi, available on Spotify in its entirety.

White Fragility by Robin Diangelo

White Rage by Dr. Carol Anderson

How to Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi

Here is another list of amazing resource of ways to educate yourself created by @Autumn_Bry

Research Updates | May 2020

May Calendar (April/June)

S	M	T	W	R	F	S
26	27	28	29	30	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31	1	2	3	4	5	6

This is an ongoing post of research updates during the month. Updates are provided every few days, and you can easily reach the update by clicking the link in the calendar.

5/1/20 – particles vs solidification fronts

This was a so-so week. I’m doing pretty good at 4-5 pomodors a day, but I have had even slower days. Today I am clocking in 6 pomodors though. Still, I’ve done a bit of reading. I’ve started discussing some papers in a new blog post, you can find it here. Like this, I will update it monthly (assuming I can keep it up). I use as an outlet to discuss the paper as a review, and then I discuss its relevance to me. I’m also tacking on some papers referenced in it that are worth looking further into it.

I talk about sediment and particle entrapment (as opposed to solutes), and one thing Catherine pointed out was that solutes may not act the same as particle. The difference between a particle and a solute is just that a solute becomes a homogeneous mixture, sometimes breaking down (I think). HCN is miscible; that is just the liquid equivalent of soluble. I’ll discuss the mechanics over on the paper review post. I am not going to finish the paper today, but I am going to do an overview of it for now.

Also, I found this site that lets you easily import a pdf and fairly well read it to you. It isn’t perfect. It limits you to 20 minutes a day of moderate quality voice (no limit on low quality). However, a VPN does fix that issue. Nevertheless, it has helped me stay focused. If you know me, you know I am an auditory learner, so even if I have to go back several times, it helps having that to help me follow it along.

5/13/20 – Remote sensing, paper reading, and comps review

Since we last spoke, we had the remote sensing short course. It was informative and mostly enjoyable experience, but it was also exhausting at times. I made significant progress on each of the daily labs. Although, I still have a good bit of work left to do in addition to the project we grad students have to develop.

I am trying to work a little bit on the labs and on other things since I have so much time. I finished reviewing a paper I had begun before the class (you can read my thoughts here). I am going to continue doing that paper review post which I think is working well. Overall, this week has gone well. I think the remote sensing course helped get me in the mindset of treating my days at home like work days (sucks we didn’t do it sooner!).

Monday I reached 7 pomodoros. Tuesday wasn’t the best at 5, and that includes a meeting which is a questionable task. Today I think I will clock in at 7 pomodors (and end the day a bit early!). Granted, that includes one for the group meeting, but a 2 hour meeting deserves one pomodoro in my opinion. It is interesting to see how I work on different tasks. Today, I got carried away by Garhard’s comments on my proposal. I was very engaged, and it made it easier to focus. Alternatively, reading a paper or writing are very different activities that I often get distracted from. I think that is also reflected by my tendency to obsess on one task. I start each day with a plan; I try to dedicate time to everything I need to work on. I inevitably focus most of my time more on one task. Granted, I make a point to shift focus the next day, but it still makes it hard to do multiple things in a day. That is disappointing because things like reading or writing end up being sprints that are tough to maintain (as I’ve mentioned). All that said, it is interesting to reflect back on my tasks. I have a saved account on pomodoro, so I can see what I did when.

In regards to Gerhard’s comments, I felt good about most of them, and those that I was unsure about I feel I know how to go about answering them. That said, there were definitely things I am going to push back on because I am confident in my work (or so I keep telling myself).

a beautiful montage of Cassini images from Cosmos Possible Worlds

5/29/20 – A belated update

As I write, the date is June 11th, and needless to say I’ve fallen short of my blogging goals. I’m going to try and summarize the rest of this month to best of my abilities because I still like to have for here. It helps that I logged my time on Pomodoro. This was fresh off of the remote sensing class, and I was trying to balance research and the class responsibilities. I’m trying to balance my daily activities. More often than not, I find my self spending entire days on one thing (labs and class project vs studying for comps). Overall, if it works it works, and it seems I am spending equal time for each.

In the last week of May, I met with Gerhard about my proposal. This has me worried for my comps, not because I wasn’t prepared, but because of the level of anxiety I had around the meeting. Realistically, I don’t think I should be worried. We had two very productive meetings. In one I answered all of his questions with ease while also identifying a couple areas where I could stand to research the Titan background. In the other, we talked about the model and where his focus is going to be; it’s the paper I base this off of.

We came to the conclusion that the proposal could stand some edits, and after talking to my other committee members, we agreed on letting the proposal run a bit long. I needed to spend more time discussing 1) the numerical methods used and 2) the broad uses of the mushy layer model and reactive transport models. I did a broad review of the material with great help from Jacob, and you can find some of my discussions in my May paper log. I’ll probably go back and do a review for one of the other papers I read too, so keep an eye out for that (3rd) listing on that post.

I successfully finished lab one for the class. My goal is to finish at least one a week. I also need to make time for work on the project so I don’t leave myself with just two weeks to do the project.

Selective Log of Scientific Papers | 2020

List of Papers

• [1] Clayton et al., 1990 – Effects of Advancing Freeze Fronts on Distributions of Fine-grained Sediment Particles in Seawater and Freshwater
• [2] Remble and Worster 1999 – The interaction between a particle and an advancing solidification front

[1] Clayton et al., 1990 – Effects of Advancing Freeze Fronts on Distributions of Fine-grained Sediment Particles in Seawater and Freshwater

Summary (4/30). This work discusses an experimental study of sediment (dirt) particles in water as it freezes. It assumes some level of mixing has occurred sufficient enough for the sediment to be suspended in the water. The experiment is performed in a small tube with insulated edges to simulate natural scenarios. The authors track the change in salinity and sediment distribution in the ice. The findings suggest salinity removal is higher for slower freeze rates, and the same appears to be true for the sediment. However, sediment much less sediment is removed than salt, with 94% remaining in the ice. Finer particles migrated further than coarser sediment particles.

Discussion. This study says a lot of interesting things, but it is important to note the authors do not touch on mechanisms or venture to guess why sediment particles act different than salt. To me, it implies further dependence on particle size which is reflected by the distribution of sediment by size. Does this suggest HCN (or other organic molecules) will be less resistant to removal than salt? Is the difference in particle sizes significant enough to matter for HCN as it does with sediment used?

Addendum. I think it is safe to equate dissolved molecules (i.e. solutes) with suspended particles. I found this interesting virtual lab that helped me conceptualize the idea. It shows how water will break down salt into the atoms it is made of, perhaps with a slight charge. Alternatively, sugar will break down but only into individual sugar molecules. Fundamentally, these are still particles suspended in the water. We might imagine that the inter molecular forces are more important than larger particles, but fundamentally, they are just particles suspended in water. Therefore, the basics physics should still be applicable. For more on the physics, see the next paper (Remble and Worster 1999).

Further reading: Corte 1962; Reimnitz and Kempema 1979, 1987;

List of Papers

[2] Remble and Worster 1999 – The interaction between a particle and an advancing solidification front

Intro Summary (5/1). I am still reading through this but I wanted to start by reviewing the basic mechanism here as an introduction to the paper (as defined in the paper). When an ice surface approaches a particle in the liquid, the distance (H) between the two shrink. As it gets within a critical distance, intermolecular forces (e.g. van der Waals interactions) come into play and force the two apart. Whether the particle becomes entrapped depends on whether the ice front velocity exceeds a critical velocity that is essentially faster than the particle will move due to these forces. This was known prior to this paper, and this paper explores the idea further. I’ll summarize the entire paper after I finish it, but for now I want to discuss this idea as it relates to my project.

Schematic diagram of a freezing front impinging upon
a foreign particle. From paper. Explanation in text above.

Summary (5/11). This work uses the fundamental physics of particle entrapment to calculate critical solidification velocities (i.e. how fast the water freezes) needed to trap a particle of a given size. They consider the effects of different scenarios of inter molecular forces and briefly consider the effect of buoyancy on the process. As a particle approaches the ice interface, thermomolecular pressures repel the particle. However, within one particle diameter, the process is slowed. Once the solidification velocity reaches a critical point, the particle will become entrapped. The critical velocity is inversely related to the particle radius (e.g. larger particles move slower). Significant buoyancy differences will effect the forces at play, either hindering or encouraging particle entrapment.

Discussion. This is an interesting look at the role of intermolecular forces in this process. I want to look back at Buffo et al. (2018 and 2020) to see if 1) he references this paper and 2) how it relates to his work. I know I’ve seen van der Waals interactions mentioned in the code at the very least. Worster et al. mention that particles with different conductivity will react differently, so I need to think about the conductivity of organics vs water (probably closer than salt?). There is another point in here where Worster says that the higher thermal gradients promote particle repulsion, but that seems to conflict with sea ice observations which suggests thermal gradients are a major factor. This is also only mentioned in passing, so I don’t know what to make of it. My main take away is to investigate intermolecular forces more closely and the role they play.

Further Reading. Israelachvili 1992; Sen et al., 1997; Dash et al., 2006

List of Papers

Research Updates | April 2020

April Calendar (March/May)

S	M	T	W	R	F	S
29	30	31	1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	1	2

This is an ongoing post of research updates during the month. Updates are provided every few days, and you can easily reach the update by clicking the link in the calendar.

4/7/20 – slow and steady wins the race

Modeling is still going strong. Sadly, the code I had running at school was reset, I assume from a power outage? If it happens again I will probably stop running code at school. Meanwhile, Jahnavi and I have gotten into the rhythm of reading pretty much every day. My comps are being set in July (date TBD?). I don’t love that idea, but I would rather do that then start our time back on campus stressed to the max. I think it’s also less intimidating over video. In other news, I have begun making an outline for a paper write up of the stuff I am working on. I suppose working on that will help prepare me for comps as I think more and more about what I am doing and the background around it. Although, I need figure out a good pattern to studying. I think once I met up with my committee I will get a better idea what I need to study.

4/14/20 – Writing, Studying, Modeling, and Time Management

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Images from night bike rides taken with my Google Pixel Night View

Modeling has continued as ever. I am fast approaching the point where I will have to reasses my results to decide if there are any points missing. I think I may have everything I need for HCN after the next week or so which is great seeing as I need to start composing a paper of this stuff. I haven’t actually made any progress on that front. Pretty much all of the work I’ve done has been toward an introduction chapter for my thesis. The purpose there is to use that as a means to study. I am not sure how or if I am going to handle doing that and the paper I need to write.

I am waiting on feedback from Gerhard and I got some feedback (more pending) from Rick. I’ve composed an outline for my Chapter 1 thesis, but I am thinking I will start focusing on the area he mentioned which was terrestrial understanding of organics in ice as he does not seem convinced that this sea ice model is applicable (or so is the implication I’ve garnered). I think the problem is he’s thinking on a molecular level when this is a bit larger. As I have described before, we are modeling “average” inclusions in the form of brine channels. In a 1-D model we can’t detail the actual channels, but is more of a bulk look at the system. I intend to document terrestrial studies (limited by life which may act differently) and the basic chemistry/physics. Of course, I will also compare this to clathrates which are different all together than what we expect to find here.

This week I returned to my handy-dandy pomodoro timer. I am going to start using that to help motivate myself to work. Again, 6-8 pomodoro’s is the goal. Today, I ended up doing 4 which sounds so bad, but I expect its the best I’ve accomplished as of yet. As I’ve said before, I work well with goals and boundaries. I am hoping this will help motivate me because it becomes a challenge of sorts. If I want to read, I need to work; the sooner I focus the sooner I will be done with what really isn’t that big of a goal, especially without others around to distract. Although, I am including meetings in this which isn’t exactly “focused work,” but I figure given the situation I can justify being a little lenient with myself.

On the side of self care, I’ve had a good run of focused reading. I also have a decent biking routine; every(ish) evening or night I go for an hour or so bike ride. It is a beautiful ride at night. Plus, there are fewer people (next to none). You can see one of my rides below and more pictures above.

4/22/20 – So so goings on

Things have improved somewhat. It is a little embarrassing to discuss my proficiency, but things have improved. My goal everyday is 6-8 pomodor timers, same at work. Over the last week I’ve ranged from 4-7 pomodors a day, I’d guess ~5 on average. I suppose compared to my goals that really isn’t that bad, but it still feels so insufficient. I’m working on improving my sleep schedule, but it’s hard. Just last night I went to bet at 1:30 and woke up at 7:30 because I’ve become accustomed to limited sleep. Then when I wake up that early, it is hard to get up and to work because it feels like free time which is absurd. Its the time I need to get to my 6-8 pomodor’s.

Work wise, models are going slow. One crashed when I accidentally unplugged my computer and it died over night (luckily one stayed in hibernation or something). I also finished grading the astrobiology reports with Jahnavi, and to our surprise, we were pretty close in our grades. Other than that, I had a fantastic weekend participating in the #StayHome Reading Rush. It was great reading experience, and I think I left it a little less stressed. I definitely wasn’t feeling as many anxiety symptoms by the time it was over. You can watch my vlog of that on my channel if you’re interested in hearing more!

Here is a short video of my ride (as I don’t #StayHome) one evening. I made it for my vlog and decided to upload it alone to my personal YouTube page too.

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4/24/20 – Living the Loop

Have you ever seen lost? There is this iconic introduction of this one character, Desmond, in a bunker, and we basically see his daily routine that never ends, until it does. To quote Carl Sagan, “That’s here. That’s home. That’s us.” That is why I know how important it is I nail down a routine here. Honestly, I think I have a pretty steady work flow. It isn’t as much as I’d like, but it’s a matter of refining the routine. That said, there are days, that is, yesterday, that aren’t great. Thursday was not a good day for work. It was very unproductive. I had hoped to make up for it on Friday, but that didn’t happen. I’m probably going to pull in 6 pomodors today when all is said and done.

We’re over a month in. Should I be past this point? Should be I lying here, or, at least be less up front about all this? Maybe I’m too comfortable. In any case, I’m getting some work done. I am really liking the Titan reading sessions with Jahnavi; that is the one thing we do fairly consistently. Today, I also got some paper writing done. My goal is 3 or so pomodors for writing and reviewing each. That didn’t happen, and I didn’t end up reviewing today. I have imported my relevant proposal info into my manuscript file. now, I am working on refining it and adding parts I need that weren’t in the proposal. That is results and a discussion of my thermal model which will act as a review.

I didn’t do it today, but I want to spend my current thesis time reviewing specific papers. Write up what I learn in a way that can fit into my thesis but also work as a standalone review. I feel weird talking about it instead of doing it, but #goals I guess.

4/27/20 Paper update

Today was not a bad day. I am on my 7th pomodor (updating my blog being the task). I spent most of my time working on my manuscript. I was making some tables about the variables being used, and reached the point where I need to talk about the results and the fits we use to approximate them. I looked at the results I’ve produced in the last few weeks in MATLAB. They are not great. The results using dz = 10 cm look different, and I need to figure out why. I’ve started coding lower concentrations that I have data for at dz = 10 cm to compare and see what the difference is. I need to figure out if its an overall problem with using 10 cm, or if there is something else I am missing. If dz doesn’t work, I am at a loss how to move forward because it doesn’t want to work with the usual dz = 1 cm.

Honestly, the fact that it doesn’t want to run at 1 cm for higher concentrations doesn’t make sense. At the higher concentrations, the system remains stagnant, and doesn’t convect when it does for the higher density difference. The only other change is a lowering in the melting temperature. I couldn’t pinpoint the problem the last time I reviewed the code, but I think I may go over it again and try to figure out why the critical Rayleigh number isn’t being reached.

Since I spent the day focusing on the paper and the results for it, I think I’ll devote tomorrow to thesis review starting by reviewing a few papers. I had hoped to do it today, but I got carried away with the 1D model issues.

Research Updates | March 2020

March Calendar (February/April)

S	M	T	W	R	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31	1	2	3	4

This is an ongoing post of research updates during the month. Updates are provided every few days, and you can easily reach the update by clicking the link in the calendar.

3/24/20 – A month long update

I’ve fallen behind on my blog updates the last few weeks. Let’s recap why. The main reason was that I was working on labs and my proposal. It was taking more of my time, and I was becoming aware of the looming (desired) deadline. As such, I found it harder to come in and start with the blog. As with most things, this a pattern of behavior. It is easy to lose the habit. I actually haven’t blogged much research or otherwise. Most of my free time has been on my YouTube channel instead. As we transition to spring, I will try to get back in the swing of things. Of course, there are a lot of factors at play with that.

I’ll start with the research side of things. I finished my proposal, and I have sent it off to my committee for review. We also set a date for my defense! Was it April 24th or 21st? I don’t remember. I’m busy that day anyway because of the social distancing and all. Our labs have been canceled because they aren’t the easiest to do remotely. The group project is still being done by Nigel. I mean, he hasn’t been very communicative, so I am not concerning myself with it. I am still running models at school, but they are running slowly. I need to figure out how (and if) it is possible to get these higher concentration runs to work at higher time steps. Then I am also continuing to study for the comps exam whenever that may be.

On that note, I think we all know we are working from home. It is good and bad (mostly bad). I need to get a routine down, and I do think updating this blog is a good way to start that. I am trying to shower and dress for a virtual meeting each day so I don’t get stuck in laziness. I’ve also been doing a bunch of stuff around the house, yet it is still a wreck. I’ve also tried to start making videos more frequently (every other day perhaps) given all my free time. Obviously, that isn’t a priority over work, but one doesn’t rule out the other.

I am trying to focus, but for my own mental health, I am not letting myself get too overworked if I have a unproductive day. At some point, I say the rest of the day is mine regardless of my progress. Obviously, I need to start thinking of methods to get my routine going. Naturally, this is a tough time for everyone. I fear (and know) I have overreacted. Things aren’t as bad as they could get, but we can only take it one step at a time. We all have our own coping mechanisms. Mine are mostly eating too much. To overcome that, I try to make a smoothing to help pace myself (these are huge and can last hours). I also am trying to make myself to bike every couple days (I haven’t gotten to doing it daily yet). Other than that, I am video chatting with people more. I played Ultimate Werewolf on Zoom and that was a lot of fun.

3/27/2020 – My Week of Stress and Isolation

This has been a tough week. Things really haven’t gotten as bad as the could. I’ve moved past the initial phase of constantly worrying that every little discomfort may be a symptom. Sadly, I’ve only become increasingly worried for my family. I’m sure it goes without saying this hasn’t been the most productive week. Nevertheless, I’m here to talk about what I’ve done to hold myself accountable and to encourage myself to strive for more to say next time!

I’ve been playing around with my models, and I’ve managed to begin to get results for 10%+ concentration at higher (50m+) depths. It seems using a larger dz makes it more stable? Although, I am worried that might mess with the result accuracy or precision.

3/31/2020 – Inching Forward

I spoke to Jacob, and he thinks 10 cm should be just small enough to get reliable results. The trick is needing a dz that is smaller than the actual “mushy layer”. This is the layer where we have a mix of phases occurring which has convection driven by changes in concentration (buoyancy) and temperatures. I am still trying to understand the problem with higher concentrations. For whatever reasons, the Raleigh number it produces is just very small, but higher concentrations should create a bigger density difference between it and the ice. There is no reason why that should hinder the convection. I am running a couple at 5 cm dz as well. Once I get some results I am going to compare these with my 1 cm dz to get a better senses of what effect this has on it.

I need to study more. Jahanvi and I are going to start doing meetings to keep reading Lorenz’s book. I think I might start writing a background chapter for my Thesis. It is the best way for me to review and study for my comps which are only NaN weeks away.

February 2020 Research Updates

February Calendar (January/March)

S	M	T	W	R	F	S
26	27	28	29	30	31	1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29

This is an ongoing post of research updates during the month. Updates are provided every few days, and you can easily reach the update by clicking the link in the calendar.

2/4/20 – Leveling off after a bumpy start

Monday wasn’t the best day. I didn’t reach my timer goals, but I managed to make them up today while still managing six today as well. It makes me feel a bit better about the week. That said, I look at the progress I’ve made on these labs and it terrifies me. I spent all of today grading, even though I know I shouldn’t. Tomorrow I’m going to refocus on background review for comps. Jahnavi and I are trying to work together, each studying a different topic and coming together to discuss each with one another. The goal is to hold ourselves accountable while lightening the load a bit. That is, we each help in finding good sources for different topics.

I went ahead and started a few models to expand on the data I have. I am facing a serious problem with models in the 100s of ppt. I can’t figure out why the model doesn’t want to work, and I’m afraid it may take me spending a good amount of time troubleshooting it. There is also a problem with the data where it spikes at a certain depth for all my concentrations. I need to figure out why. Imagine the curve following a set path, then you take a slice and slide it to the right. That is basically what is happening at maybe 50 m depth for each depth.

Return to Calendar.

2/6/20 – Lab meeting, grading, and proctoring

Wednesday was a good day, spent grading, but productive nonetheless. I managed 6 pomodoro’s even after the lab meeting. Those labs are almost done. Although, now I have a new set. I think I am going to have to start logging exactly how much time I am working and even do grading on my own time. Honestly, I don’t mind tedious labs because I can listen to audiobooks while I go through numbers and one word answers, but short responses require I actually think about what they’re saying.

This weeks lab was on “Is it Science,” which is always fun. Of course, I would always refer the reader to Carl Sagan’s The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark among other works by him. This also marks my last lab until lab 10, so that will help me moving forward (especially with LPSC around the corner).

Return to Calendar.

2/11/20 – Grading and Deceptacon (Visiting Atlanta)

I’m leaving to go to Atlanta tomorrow night for Deceptacon. It isn’t the best timing because I have so much grading to do on top of my proposal being due soon. I’ve been focusing mostly on the grading to get it out of the way. I’m also hoping to make time to get some grading done while I am away. Reading week will give me some time to get ahead in my grading.

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2/18/20 – Unproductive trip home

Sadly, this was not a productive trip home in any way. I didn’t get any grading done, and I never spent much time focused on my proposal. On top of all that, I fell behind on my Youtube and reading schedule too. You’d think a time away from work would mean I have more free time to do the things I like. Sadly, I just couldn’t get in the mindset to do it. It isn’t all bad, though. I had a lot of fun playing werewolf and seeing my friends. I actually got more sleep than normal too getting to be at ~10 PM the first night and ~12 AM the second night. Admittedly, I literally didn’t sleep the last night, but I knew I probably wouldn’t. That’s why I didn’t feel as bad missing time to play the first two nights to ensure I had a couple full nights rests. Now that I am back I have to refocus onto labs and proposal.

• 

The final hours of the final day of Deceptacon 2020. You can see me in the back left under the left most light fixture.

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2/21/20 – The Best WORST week of 2020

Everything is coming down to the wire. The astrobiology midterm is barely a week away, yet I am still behind on my labs. My proposal is due in like three days. You would think that these two deadlines would motivate me, but that just wasn’t the case. This all has me very anxious and stressed about all I have to do, and instead of working, I am doing less work than I normally do. Honestly, this has probably been the worst productive week this year.

Even outside of school, when I am at home I can’t help but stress about my lack of work at school and thus feel like I can’t stop and read. Of course, I don’t work, instead I just sit down and watch TV, and the result is that I end up reading next to nothing. That sucks because I like reading. It’s relaxing, educational, but it has also become a fantastic way of structuring my work-life balance. I’ll be relieved when this month is over. For now, it looks like I’ll be having a weekend of working from home.

Return to Calendar.

2/24/20 – Success

It took a lot of time, but I finished the proposal. I didn’t even have to postpone the deadline. I also finished one of the labs I have been grading which gives me time before I do the next one. I ended up tackling my proposal by asking which parts I had left. Then I made an item in my pomodoro timer for each section asking how much time each section ought to take. Then it shows me 1) how much I’ve done and 2) how much I have left. It really helped me focus, but it also kept me from focusing too much on minor sections that weren’t worth that much time.

In the end, I did ~30 pomodoros. With a daily goal of ~6-8, that equates to roughly 5 days of work. That doesn’t even include the time I spent grading. Obviously, this doesn’t change the fact that I have more to do. I still have to create updated drafts for the proposal and keep grading, but it is still a relief to be able to say I did what I needed to up to this point. It’s also nice to be able to look back on the work I did and quantify it. Sure, I had a bad week last week, but this pretty much makes up for it. That alone is helpful in breaking free of this spiral of stress and self destruction.

This week, I will finish another lab and hopefully get a final draft of the proposal finished too. Outside of school, I am working to make a final sprint of reading to make up, at least in part, for the sluggish couple weeks I experienced. I am hopeful moving forward that I will make good progress all around!

Return to Calendar.

January 2020 Research Updates

January Calendar (December/February)

S	M	T	W	R	F	S
29	30	31	1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31	1

This is an ongoing post of research updates during the month. Updates are provided every few days, and you can easily reach the update by clicking the link in the calendar.

1/6/20 – A new month, year, and decade

I had one hell of a trip back on Saturday. I had just come down with the flu which made my trek home a miserable one. Add on to that the two hour late Greyhound I had from Detroit (to London) I was about ready to die. Nevertheless, I made it home. Friday I submitted my revisions, and I was able to submit it under the Cassini submission (yay!). Today I got the edits back from my collaborator for my LPSC abstract. I still have the flu, so I am not that eager to finish it just yet.

Return to Calendar.

1/10/20 – Flu gone, LPSC abstract done

The flu didn’t go away until Thursday. That was a blessing since it was also the first day of lab. I finished my LPSC abstract in a flu induced daze. Most of my week was spent at home in bed resting. The first astrobiology lab went fine. The set up was annoying, as was coordinating with the professor to ensure we had all the proper items for the lab (apples, sugar, etc.).

Given the flu, I didn’t do much time management techniques. I did some work reproducing my model. I spent much of December reviewing it and the models it is based on, but I am at the point where I have to start applying it. My goal for next week is to focus on that as well as get back into the Pomodoro timer, which Catherine has suggested a much more reasonable goal which I am excited about (the reasonableness of it that is).

Return to Calendar.

1/14/20 – Astrobiology and Model Work

I’ve had a more successful couple days of 6-8 pomodoro’s. Part of me feels I ought to be doing more, but it definitely is a much more attainable goal. I’ve also found myself keeping a much more regular sleep schedule which has helped form a more structured routine. Hopefully it sticks.

I spent some time doing TA duties for Astrobiology. It is a little frustrating because Jahnavi and I have yet to get an official duties sheet from the professor. That means it is a little unclear what our responsibilities are. Obviously, I’ve done the class before, but is he expecting us to handle the course project. He’s having us receive the relevant information which suggests we are handling it, but a bit more guidance would be appreciated.

As for the model, I’ve been able to piece together how a few components are implemented. That is, it makes sense, and I can replicate it, but there is one piece that is very convoluted. It is unclear how it is making use of the governing equations. I have an idea of how I would apply them, but it isn’t what I am seeing in the code. I’m discussing this with Jacob to understand what it is he’s done, but I am also going to review a bit of finite element modeling to make sure I’m up to date with the material.

Return to Calendar.

1/17/20 – Model Progress

I still haven’t replicated the code, but after a bit of thought plus a little help from Jacob (code maker) I was able to figure out what was going on. It’s a straightforward application of the equations that set the gravity driven brine velocity, the ice fraction, and the Raleigh number used in the model. I was confused when it came to solving for temperature and salinity.

The actual solution is a bit more complicated as it uses a method in linear algebra to expedite the solution. Again, I couldn’t replicate this (as it stands), but I think that is okay?

Return to Calendar.

1/24/20 – Astrobiology lecturing and grading

This wasn’t a great week. In addition to having lab on Thursday to do and prepare for, I had grading for the previous weeks lab. That was exacerbated by having to sub-lecture for Nigel, the professor of the course, on Tuesday. It was one of those weeks where I get overwhelmed and become less productive and feel worse. I didn’t do any pamadora timers, and I think that was part of the problem. Luckily Nigel got back from his conference early and was able to lecture on Thursday, and that was a bigger relief than I realized. I was able to focus on grading the rest of the day and Friday (for a bit).

In terms of research, I did a bit of work trying to check the progress of the models I’ve been running the last few weeks as I review how it works. Obviously, it hasn’t been a major priority, but I didn’t want that time to go to waste. I am at a bit of an obstacle because I can’t get it to work for over 200 ppt (20%). I’ve been troubleshooting that because I want more data to present for LPSC in a couple months.

Return to Calendar.

1/27/20 – Paper Accepted to Icarus!

I got big news yesterday; my paper was officially accepted by Icarus! It took a year and two rounds of revisions, but it’s finally done. Thanks to the coauthors, the reviewers and Icarus.

It's live! https://t.co/mTYmGYn9Kx

— Josh Hedgepeth (@jjosh_h) January 29, 2020

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1/29/20 – Astrobiology and time management

I’ve had a hard start to the week as I’m not using the timer. I have a lot of grading and other astrobiology work, and I am worried I am spending too much time on that. It is just very easy to gravitate toward that, and it ends up taking up a lot of my time. I need to just restrict myself to a set number of timers a day for that because what I am doing right now is just not even bothering with the timer when working on astrobiology stuff.

I spent some time reviewing my work on the model, less review and more checking on my state of results. There isn’t much progress to show in this regard as of yet. Overall, the end of January has been very sluggish, and I am going to aim for a more productive February. I can use Pomodoro’s every day, save Thursday’s. That is my goal; use these every day with a clear outline of what I did and on what. If it’s a slow day, then it’s a long day.

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1/31/20 – LPSC Presentation and February Goals

Much to my surprise, I received a presentation at LPSC. That is equally exciting and terrifying. I did well last time, so the pressure is on to prove it was the norm and not a fluke. Obviously, I have amazing self confidence. I went ahead and started making a frame work for my presentation. I want time to thoroughly practice and review it, but I also want to make sure I have a clear idea what results I need to focus on producing for the slides.

Okay, goals for next month: 1) use timer, 2) grade/ focus on astrobiology less, 3) spend time reviewing Titan, 4) work on presentation, and 5) produce the results needed for the timer.

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The Mismeasure of Man, Stephen J. Gould ★★★

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Read 1/18/20 to 1/19/20

The Mismeasure of Man was a poignant book about the use of racism, sexism, and xenophobia to fuel misinformation and bad science to support the bigoted views of scientists throughout history. Gould tells a story about how bigotry can drive us to believe things that aren’t true, even in science. I read this novel right after How We Know What Isn’t So where it talked all about human bias and how it can lead us to believe in untrue things because of our, or someone else, preconceived beliefs.

A key point in that book is how science is probably our best tool to try in avoid said deception. Of course, that makes this book all the more discouraging considering how rampant bias has allowed racist and sexist bias to exists throughout scientific history. In this way, it is clear that science is not immune from such biases. It highlights how even scientists need to be acutely aware of these biases not only in our everyday life but also in the science that we do. If our goal is to reach the truth, then there is a clear path forward to do so.

Gould uses this book to discuss a series of cases where scientists use bad judgement, lies, and bad methodology to reach what are clearly preconceived conclusions based on their personal bigotry. They do so by manipulating their approach, manipulating the data, or outright misrepresenting what they find to get to their conclusion. This is a necessary book, and I implore every scientist to read it. It doesn’t matter if this is your field. Don’t assume you are a immune to this type of fallibility (in your science and in how you treat people).

My biggest problem with this book is it overall structure. The way Gould presents the book is very in-cohesive. As I said, it covers a series of examples where bias has produced bad science. He does not shy away from this shameful side of science, but he fails to create an overarching narrative. Each example felt separate. Moving from one example to the next meant I had trouble retaining the details of most of them. I don’t expect to memorize everything he tells me, but I would have liked a more succinct conclusion to each example that tied it to the next one so we have a better overall picture. The book doesn’t flow well. Sure, I leave the book with the point across, but I think each example could have been tied together more effectively.

All together, I do not regret reading this. I’ve already said I think other people should read this too,especially scientists. Not all works of science are the easiest to read. Some people would rather ignore history rather than acknowledge the fallibility or the harm that the that their history has caused. As I am a part of this institution. Therefore, I am have to be able to defend science against these actions that abuse the institution of science. It is the job of scientists to demonstrate how science is still the best tool to avoid misinformation, misdirection and bigotry. Still, I am not rating this on principle but on its merit as a book. 3/5 stars

Stephen J. Gould discusses the use of IQ tests to suggest black people are less intelligent.

Rating Break Down
Writing Style (7%): 7/10
Content (15%): 10/10
Structure (15%): 5/10
Summary (1%): 7/10
Engagement (5%): 5/10
Enjoyment (25%): 5/10
Comprehension (20%): 6/10
Pacing (2%): 5/10
Desire to Reread (5%): 2/10
Special (5%): 10/10
Final Rating: 3.11/5
Note, each rating is weighted based on personal importance.

December 2019 Research Updates

December Calendar (November/January)

S	M	T	W	R	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31	1	2	3	4

This is an ongoing post of research updates during the month. Updates are provided every few days, and you can easily reach the update by clicking the link in the calendar.

12/2/19 – Another Month

I came in this morning to find the 200 m depth python code I had running over the summer was still running. Unlike with MATLAB, I don’t know how to measure its progress. I am going to let it continue and when I need a figure I may have to use an existing result from the previous set up for the meeting on Thursday. In the meantime, I need to finalize the presentation and the annual report write up.

Goals: Work on the report and presentation over the next two days. I intend to have the written report done by EOB on Tuesday and the presentation by the end of Wednesday. The last couple days of the week, I will work on the manuscript edits.

Return to Calendar.

12/5/19 – Vicious

Okay, so the annual progress report meeting with my committee was today. It was vicious. I’m writing this the following Monday, so luckily I’ve had time to let it all sink in. Nevertheless, I’ve got a ways to go. I am not prepared for comp exams in February and it is being pushed back until April or May. I do not have a sufficient understanding of how the code I am using works. Granted, I reviewed it at the start of the year, but after I got to Georgia Tech it became hands on. I made the necessary changes and everything after that was about getting the necessary results. In any case, this has been an eye opener.

Catherine, has given me some recommendations on how to try and improve my understanding of the novel (e.g. replicate pieces of it in Matlab). I’m working on that. Even on my first review, I recognize the discussion makes more sense this go around having been hands on with the model, so I am hopeful moving forward. I won’t pretend it wasn’t embarrassing and shameful to be told, “you are not at the point you should be at the stage in your PhD (~16 months in).” It was tough but necessary. I’m not about to give up. As long as I am offered a path forward I am going to take it, and I must say, I feel better despite what happened. Obviously, I’ve felt like I should be further along. It sucks to have that confirmed, but it means I have more guidance to get on track.

There was some criticism in regards to my Annual Progress Report. Apart of choosing not to pass it by Catherine first, I don’t regret how I approached it. There is literally one line even addressing the need for an Annual Progress Report on the Earth Sciences requirements page. I used the template I was given a couple years ago that asked for Background and Progress to date. I knew it was an abridged document and made a conscious decision to include references in text, in case the reader wanted to dig deeper, but this wasn’t my proposal. Therefore, I opted not to provide a full list or a complete run down of the model. I did the same thing for my first report.

Obviously, my lack of details on the model was representative of a greater problem, but it is frustrating that there aren’t more details on this provided by the department. I recognize this may have been resolved, at least in part, if I had reached out and included Catherine in the process. Unfortunately, I wrongly presumed to think that wasn’t necessary because I had been through the process before. I am trying to make a point to reach out to her more often.

Return to Calendar.

12/9/19 – Tomato Timer

I’ve taken to using the tomato timer. It has helped me focus a good bit, but I’m also faced with quantifying all the time I could be working. I can fit 15 pomodoro’s in an 8 hour day. Of course, things come up, so my goal is at least 10. I have yet to achieve this. I spent a good deal of time studying the model and making notes/writings in my proposal. Unfortunately, I lost focus later in the day Monday. Then Tuesday didn’t go much better. In any case, I think it is a good thing to work towards. my tasks/goals: continue studying model/editing proposal, edit manuscript, work on LPSC abstract, and a bunch of administrative tasks.

One thing I think might help to keep me focused. If I get the urge to do something distracting, I can log it as a personal pomodoro. While still a distraction, hopefully this will help me regain focus after the 25 minute segment is up.

Return to Calendar.

12/13/19 – Model Review and LPSC

I’m still getting the hang of using the Pomodoro timer. That is to say, I am not reaching my goal of 15 Pomodoro’s, but it does help me focus. Of course, things come up (meetings, problems and helping others). My minimum is 10 that I try to strive for. I have room for improvement, but I made good progress on reviewing the model. I’ve been doing a lot more back reading. I haven’t applied any of it to MATLAB yet; I am trying to review the different models the Planetary Ice Model (Buffo et al. 2019) builds on. I am getting a much better senses of the assumptions I have to make here and how the code works in general. In regards to my LPSC abstract, I’m roughly half way through it which I feel good about.

Return to Calendar.

12/16/19 – Model Review and LPSC Continue

I’m still spending a good deal of time reviewing the model. As I do so, I am finding which assumptions are being made where. I haven’t started trying to replicate the code yet. I think what I might do is use what I have, making note of what assumptions are where such that I can return to them later while still getting along with doing hands on work with the code.

I’ve been trying to get a good figure for my LPSC abstract. That means I’ve been frantically trying to get the analytical fits to work with the model results I have but have to get more results each time. I have a final exam tomorrow to proctor (and start grading), and I am beginning to worry about my abstract because I really wanted this done today with the exam the next couple days then traveling home on Thursday.

Return to Calendar.

12/18/19 – Exam grading

I finished the grading. I ended up staying up late last night to get it done, but it left me with time to finish packing. I leave tonight at ~3 AM. I think I should have time to finish my LPSC abstract by Friday, and I am hoping I can get my manuscript finished by Monday.

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12/23/19 – LPSC and Manuscript

Its proven much harder to get the work done. Family get together over the weekend didn’t leave a lot of down time. Then, yesterday, my computer crashed, so I’m using my iPad and an old laptop with a broken key board. Imagine typing with an on screen keyboard (not a touchscreen). I’m working on the abstract and should be done by the end of the day. The manuscript is taking longer than I would like. It will likely be Friday before I get it done.

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12/30/19 – LPSC and Manuscript updates

I got the updates back and am working on those for the LPSC abstract. I finished the updates on my manuscript (a little later than I had hoped). Luckily, it was also not as bad as I was expecting (I just had less free time than I had hoped). I have this week to do the revision on the LPSC abstract. I can do that.

This has been a busy break. I’ve barely done any reading let alone blogging about my reading, so I’m ready to get these edits done so I can finally do a bit of that 😊. Even these updates, I’m making them in the new year based on memory because I just haven’t had time for it. Luckily, things are beginning to lighten up. It’s a new decade and a new year. I’m excited. Its a big year (comps) of my PhD and hopefully of reading. I’ve got a reading goal of a 100 books, and that’s fairly conservative considering the pace I’ve been reading at. Be sure to check out my end of year stats post for the books I read last year (still in progress)!

How I Broke Up With My Colon by Nick Seluk ★★★☆☆

Special thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with a an electronic advanced copy (E-ARC) of this book for a fair and honest review.

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Read 12/15/19 – 12/19/19

I was so delighted when the publishers approved me with the opportunity to review this. I am familiar with Nick Seluk’s comics online, so I was very intrigued by this concept. Much like the standalone comics he posts online, these are cute, funny, and surprisingly entertaining. Seluk does not disappoint as he takes every story, from the simple to the extreme, and finds a way to use his existing comic-verse to articulate these oddities of science in an entertaining way. I was also pleasantly surprised when I discovered this was nearly 200 pages long; there is an ample amount of content to enjoy with this book.

I think the biggest problem I had with the book was more to do with my own preconceptions of what I was getting. This is an anthology of medical oddities. Individually, they are great. True, some are better than others, but overall they are each fairly enjoyable. Unfortunately, when taken as a whole, I found myself losing interest. There was no overarching story-line which might have helped me stay interested, but there weren’t. It was just a bunch of random stories that got kind of boring.

That is why I have to rate this at such an average level. However, I think it is important to recognize people want different things from books. I imagine this would make a cute coffee table book, but if you’re a bookish person looking for a fun read, this does not stand out. I’ll probably still buy it when it comes out because it would make a cute conversation piece. 3.25/5 stars.