Failure, storytelling, and science.

It's been quiet around here at Princess Tradescantia lately, but I'm excited to report back with a few of my recent adventures!

In January I had an opportunity to participate in a storytelling event co-sponsored by some fantastic folks: The Monti, UNC's Morehead Planetarium, and Scientists with Stories (SwS). The event was called #ScienceFail, and each storyteller shared an experience regarding failure and our careers in science. If you're so inclined, watch this video to learn a bit more about the event and SwS's associated research.

The story I told was from my graduate career; I wrote a bit about it a few years back (I bleed for my thesis: Part I).  I met with Jeff Polish from The Monti several times to craft the details of the narrative, and found the process to be both amusing and intense. The quick version of the story is that I wrecked my truck while doing fieldwork. A longer version of the story can be heard below. The longest version of the story is one I'm still developing, as the repercussions of the events I describe still affect how I pursue my career and think about science. I could write numerous posts about how stories and science reciprocally inform each other, and I'm very grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to participate.

You can also head over to the SoundCloud page to hear the rest of the stories told that night.