Lessons on Employment

I figured that since many of us will be at some point entering the working world this post would be appropriate:
For the last four months I’ve been working at my co-op position at a fairly large corporation. The latter half of those two months was filled with many attempts to outperform others and beat [...]

Badges make scientists cooler

From the University of British Columbia, the Order of Science Scouts of Exemplary Repute and Above Average Physique have brought us a vast array of badges to show off our scientific might.
Now the ladies will be a-running towards my abode.
Among the badges that I qualify for, two of my favourites are:
The “I blog about science” [...]

Awesome medical podcast

In an effort to learn as much as possible, while still being entertained, I’ve been listening to a lot of different podcasts. One that I think is particularly well done and captivating is the Vital Signs Podcast from Discover magazine.
Vital Signs showcases a series of medical tales that usually have some air of mystery. For [...]

Random Interesting Fact #3: Utility

The concept of utility is useful to know in studying economics, biology, sociology, philosophy and even sweet, sweet mathematics.
Utility describes the happiness or value that you give to objects or actions. It may vary from person to person.
For example, while many people want money, one hundred dollars doesn’t mean the same to me as it [...]

A free university / college education

If you share a love of free learning – with no cost or boundaries – here is a wonderful resource from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT):
MIT OpenCourseWare
MIT has graciously uploaded course lectures with topics ranging from astrophysics to feminist political thought.
As I love the idea of independent learning, content from one of the world’s [...]

Staying healthy to stay focused

My nose is a torrent, my head is a pressure-cooker and my lymph nodes are a series of warzones.
Maybe it goes without saying, but I haven’t gotten much studying in today.
From an experiential point of view, we know that when we over-stress our body — through studying, physical exertion, emotional tumult, etc. — our body [...]

Dedication: Screw the naysayers

There is a unique way of thinking that dedicated people have. In the same vein, there is an all too common way of thinking that undedicated people have. Here are some things I’ve heard over the past month on the topic of studying:

No one needs to study for a week for an exam.
I don’t want [...]

Are you fully using your library?

If you are a student, I’m sure you have had to sign-out at least a few books from your school’s library; I think it’s a pretty safe assumption to say that these books were most likely for a research project of some sort.
As much as I love projects, only using the library for academic work [...]

Random Interesting Facts #2 – Gynecomastia

I read this in Scientific American, but this link is from HealthFinder.gov:Personal-Care Products Can Spur Breast Development in Boys
If that title doesn’t say it all, I’ll briefly elaborate. It was found that some pre-pubescent boys were exhibiting gynecomastia (abnormal breast growth in men). After they stopped using products that contained tea tree oils and/or lavender, [...]

Getting yourself to commit

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help [...]