I Wish to Expand my Knowledge of Literature and Astronomy
"Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Who is to say of the two, which has the grander view?" - Victor Hugo
Hugo's words ring true for me because my principal academic interests fall into two main categories: literature and astronomy. In literature, I have learned that there is a great amount of meaning to be found through careful analysis; one must often look at literature "under a microscope" to discover its deepest value. Yet in studying astronomy, I have begun to feel that the greatest mysteries of life, such as "Where does life come from?" and "What role do we play in the universe?" can only be solved by looking through a telescope. My interest in these two subjects reveals my main academic goal: I wish to explore these areas as fully as I can. I feel that this approach will result in one of the two fields emerging as my deepest passion and career direction, and the other remaining a lifelong interest. While I hold this goal close to my heart, I know that the journey toward it, upon which I have already e...
There are few decisions in life that will affect you as profoundly as the decision to seek higher education. The degree you earn is both a ticket to personal and professional fulfillment and a badge representing hard work and dedication. The world is built by people who have trusted to their own unshaken will in hope and in despair. Those are the heroes, the idealists who amidst the gulf of solitude more isolating than that, which surrounds a dying man, could think great about their future. Their lives foment many spirited acolytes for whom destiny is no matter, a chance, but a matter of choice and it is nothing to be waited for, but a thing to be achieved. I wish to place as one among them.
In 1653 Leeuwenhoek made his first microscope, a simple microscope like a magnifying glass used by textile merchants to count threads. The day he made his first Leeuwenhoek soon discovered it wouldn't be his last and just like that he opened a door to the small yet magnificent wonders of the world. As Antonie discovered his new hobby he also discovered that it wasn't a cheap hobby, s...
In Alice Walker’s story “Everyday Use,” symbolism, allegory, and myth stand out when thinking about the characters, setting, and conflict in the story. The conflict is between the mother and her two daughters (Maggie and Dee). There is also the conflict between the family’s heritage (symbolized by the quilt, bench, and butter chum) and their different ways of life. Dee chose a new African name, moved to the city, and adopted a new way of life while Maggie and her mother have stay behind. The quilt (the most important symbol) represents the family’s heritage in that it is made of scraps of clothing worn by generations of family members. The quilt has been sewn by family hands and used on family beds. It has seen history and is history. Maggie and her mother see that that history is alive but Dee thinks it is as dead as her name. Dee does not see that name as part of her heritage. By analyzing these symbols, a number of possibilities for a theme can be seen. Walker could be suggesting that to understand the African-American heritage, readers have to include the present as well as the past. However, the theme could be that poverty and a lack of sophistication and education cannot be equated with ignorance. Lastly, she could be telling her readers that dignity or self-respect rise from and are virtually connected to one’s entire heritage- not just a selected part of it.
John Barry’s piece explores that science is more than the outcome of an experiment but rather the questions asked in the process. Through many different types of rhetorical strategies, he addresses the need to be uncertain to be a successful scientist.
The microscope is an advancement in technology in Chemistry since it was invented since 1959. The technology that involves Chemistry has evolved as the Chemistry that involves technology. From looking at cells 500 times greater to the naked human eye, and from looking at cells to bacteria in an animal to what goes on in a plant and how it absorbs light, the microscope can change the world in just a second when a new discovery is made. People has come very close to discovering a cure from cancer but all the times it has failed time and time again A cure for someone who needs a cure for cancer can happen in a moment with the help of the microscope and the necessary resources. Once people look at life through a microscope, there is no stopping or telling on how many discoveries and cures we can find.
Shiffman believes that the drop in interest in the humanities results in the inability of students to have clear bearings amid life’s uncertainties. He believes that only by studying the humanities will students be able to introspect and recognize that endless achievement may not add up to a meaningful life (Shiffman 5). However, Shiffman fails to realize that this form of reflection need not be done solely by those majoring in the humanities. It can be done by all who try, their fields of study are no limitation. In fact, it may be this same reflection that leads to an individual’s decision to prioritize practicality. Not all those who choose the practical path are doing it for themselves. Many may do it for their families, as a safe and stable means of supporting their loved ones. Others may take this opportunity to give back to their community through the ways they are most skilled. Instead of pursuing a single interest in a certain field, they choose to follow their various callings. Doing solely what an individual loves is a self-centered view of the world. While it is important to chase happiness, it is also important to reflect on what one is doing to spread happiness to the rest of the world. One must find something that they are good at, and put that into the world. They should contribute to others and help the world be better, in addition to following their passions. An individual’s acts of service may just become one of their many passions.
” There are many small details that are only visible to the unscrupulous observer. When the obstacle of narrow-sightedness is overcome, there is more of a chance to capture such great discoveries. People need to realize that if they never take the time to stop and look around, appreciate the small things in life, they might miss out on important details and moments that the world has to offer. Scientists didn’t obtain their greatest discoveries by looking at the world with a closed mind. During the months of September through November, the leaves start to fall off the trees.
The one instant I can pinpoint as the genesis of my interest in biomedical science was the winter of sixth grade, when I picked up a book on creativity and the brain. I found it fascinating, but what really struck me was that here was a several hundred page book that mostly talked about how little we knew about its topic. It made me think. This was supposed to be a book about how much we’ve learned, and what it’s saying is that the progress we’ve made is only in finding out how little we know. This didn’t upset me; it made me curious. Because, of all the things that we should know about, surely our own minds and our own bodies are paramount among them, and yet we still have so much to learn. I’ve since learned that this phenomenon is not restricted to the biological – gravity is one of the most important things in our lives, yet we do not know its cause. But the biomedical questions continue to fascinate me, perhaps because the answers are so vital. Sure, cosmology is intriguing, but what about a cure for cancer, or even the common cold? What about a way of repairing or bypass...
One definition of a microscope is "an optical instrument that uses a lens or a combination of lenses to produce magnified images of objects." Holden Caufield can be symbolized by a microscope and its parts: the field of view, the focus, and the magnifier.
...ight in blending together a proper knowledge of both the Sciences and Arts. I’ve always believed a proper knowledge in all fields of human endeavors is essential to finding truth and through knowledge of both fields one can create a life of beauty.
One of the greatest revolutions was the invention of the microscope in 1590 (“Zoologists”). This invention opened up a whole new world to all scientists, not merely zoologists. The ability to substantially magnify an organism enabled the discovery of cells and gave scientists a greater understanding about how animals function.
The year 1913, Henri Matisse returned to printmaking. Developing numerous prints of drypoints, woodcuts, lithographs, monotypes, and etchings. Matisse focused on the world around him, which included friends and family, everyday life in the studio, but it was the tools and techniques the artist used that had a significant impact on his work. Matisse began working on prints for Bathers in 1913, working with models in various seated and standing positions. The artist was working to simplify the human form by only capturing the essential elements and describing the figures with minimal lines. The drypoint technique creates a rigid line, and more angular because the artist uses a sharp metal tool to scratch directly into the surface of the copper
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is one of my favorite poems for many reasons, but recently it has started to gain new meaning as I face graduation. I have started to wonder how different my life would be if I had only chosen to travel down one road instead of sprinting down both roads at the same time. When I declared my biology major, my dad expressed concern that I was choosing one possible life and career over another possibility. He said he knew how happy writing made me and he wondered if I was doing the right thing in not pursuing that. He spoke the words I had not yet spoken out loud for myself. “You shouldn’t enter college worried about what you will do when you exit,” said David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group, at a World Economic Forum panel discussion last week on the state of the humanities. Rubenstein’s words are true now and they were true then: I should not have worried about choosing so soon. After I arrived at Columbia College, I began taking English courses because I could not take biology courses without at least trying to explore my passion for literature and creative writing. Thanks to time at Columbia College, I started to see the value the required courses of the WPDM major more because of what they taught me about myself than what they taught me about the subject matter. Combined with my classes, my internship experiences have confirmed that I am indeed heading in the right direction. I could not become a successful writer and biologist without the valuable set of skills that I have gained through my time at Columbia College. I believe I made the right choice by choosing both roads.
My passion for the fascinating wolrd of science literally can not be put into words. Since receiving my first home science kit at five years of age the way things work and why has always been at the forefront of my mind. During my early years I would find great delight in examining anything I could fit under the lens of my telescope. I will never forget my first look at the intricate detail of a human hair.
“Don’t do that. You’ll never get a job.” Such was the response of one of my favorite teachers to the interest that I had voiced in history as a potential field of study. A teacher whose class a friend and I had enjoyed so much we had taken time out of a weekday afternoon to come visit her. Sure, my response contrasted pretty acutely with that of my friend who wanted to pursue a career in computational linguistics, but history is my genuine interest. In an environment that constantly peddles science and technology careers, it’s hard to love history and literature.