Lab meetings

The past two days I have had the privilege to sit in on my lab's meetings. The first was a journal club in which each person scanned through a journal, chose articles which they thought might interest the others, and discussed them with the group. I read some fascinating studies- some of which I didn't totally understand. The most interesting paper which we discussed was concerning the role of double-stranded RNA in transgenerational adaptations, a study detailing the mechanisms of epigenetic a. Although I had to spend a few hours on Google just for the vocabulary, I got through it and was amazed by the end. 

In the second lab meeting, a prospective post-doctoral scientist presented his past, present, and possible future research to our lab. He had been all over the world from what I understood! Much of his study was conducted on European blackbirds in Germany and light pollution's affect on their lifestyles and circadian rhythms. He applied some of his hypotheses to the relationship between light pollution and nature as a whole and related it to recent studies which say that humans may be becoming more obese due to disruptions in their natural circadian rhythms. I had never before considered the affects that light pollution could have on me personally, considering I am not usually aware of it. The discussion afterward was energetic and interesting as well. People were suggesting solutions to certain ambiguities as well as challenging his methods, I find myself wanting to contribute at times. It was a welcoming yet challenging environment which wasn't afraid of intellectual confrontation. What a great feeling!