How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll the center of a Tootsie Pop? I don’t know exactly. However, I did learn this week that if there were ever to be a genetically concocted hybrid dinosaur secretly backed by the Navy, scientists would name said animal the “Indominus Rex” in place of a name that small children would struggle to pronounce. You learn something new everyday. Thank you movie makers of Jurassic World for informing me of this.
All in all, the days since I have boarded the plane here have passed both very quickly and exaggeratedly slowly. For up to seven hours everyday I am in class, which is a wonder world where my imagination runs free. We study memory development, the first step being to teach the rats we observe how to complete complex tasks. Then, we use the technology at our disposal to observe which sectors of the hippocampus (the brain’s memory center) are most heavily utilized when they access the memories that would guide them in completion of tasks.
All in all, the days since I have boarded the plane here have passed both very quickly and exaggeratedly slowly. For up to seven hours everyday I am in class, which is a wonder world where my imagination runs free. We study memory development, the first step being to teach the rats we observe how to complete complex tasks. Then, we use the technology at our disposal to observe which sectors of the hippocampus (the brain’s memory center) are most heavily utilized when they access the memories that would guide them in completion of tasks.
Free time, which is interspersed between the classes, the evening meeting, and dinner composes a large portion of the day. With so many other students in the immediate proximity, I find that the options are limitless, in spite of there being an absence of the sort of attractions you would find in Atlanta. There is no public transportation, and there is no mall that has more than maybe 12 small stores. There is however a dairy farm within walking distance where the university produces ice cream so fresh it can’t be sold off campus. Because the program consists of 46 students in total, we all pile onto one bus and go on fieldtrips together, this week to the bowling alley and movie theatre and next week to a location yet to be unveiled. I am one of only two students working at my site "Do You Remember When We Used To...?"- Memory Formation & the Brain" along with five undergraduates, a graduate student, and a professor.
Departing for this educational opportunity, I felt a nagging anxiety unlike anything I typically experience before leaving home. Though I love my family and friends and Atlanta, I also love the personal strides I make whenever I have the chance to study intensively away from them. I love recovering from the initial queasiness you feel to find that though you rely so heavily on the familiar at home, you have the capacity to navigate a new environment without it. Home always will be home, and like a bird always returns to its nest, you always will find your way back. Perhaps flying, literally or figuratively (however you wanna take that one) could be just as fulfilling at times as nesting. It means that upon your return you have obtained something new to give.
"Down" pour certains français ? Cliquez below. ("Down" for some french? Cliquez ci-dessous.)
"Down" pour certains français ? Cliquez below. ("Down" for some french? Cliquez ci-dessous.)