Unknown

 Well it has been a while, since I sat down and just typed my present thoughts. It always feels weird to write to the unknown and a result suddenly appear. Finding the unknowns in my sciences classes, were some of my favorite times. It very similar to finding X in an algebraic equation. Those are also my favorite. 

Today I come with a series of unknowns. Unknowns that will take years to finally discover the answer. My biggest unknown being "where will I go from here". I think that is always the next question after an experiment. If the experiment fails, well "what is next?" If the experiment succeeds, it is a lot easier to find the "next", but the same question is asked. 

My failed experiments are something very common. According to Ann-Sophie Barwich, "Failure in science has many flavors." I enjoy this sentence. Failure has many flavors. Barwich write a fascinating article about how failure is present, represented, and used throughout science. I relate science back to own problems. Sometimes I hold my ideas , wants, or expectations almost at perfect standard; that nothing could ever be wrong, similar to how we mostly view science that it is predominantly right. 

However, just because failure is not actively spoken out doesn't mean science is always right. Science can be filled of bias depending on what the research is for and about, similar to our lives. I know I get caught it in my own expectations of getting a bachelors by 21 and getting a well respected job by 22. Well, I can tell you that scenario is not my present, but was definitely and expectation I had. This is not going to say that expectations or holding yourself to high standards are bad. It is simply stating there are multiple ways to reach the end goal. 

For example, I can still obtain a bachelor's, maybe not by 21 anymore unless I have a time machine, but it is certain achievable. Bringing back the unknowns. In algebra, X can be found using many different odds and ends from logarithms to graphing to the class PEMDAS. Multiple ways to reach a goal to reach an unknown. Now how long it takes to get to that goal varies. For me, logarithms are very tedious so it would not be my most efficient or most accurate way to find out my unknown variable. Just as in life choosing different paths can take different people a different amount of time. 

Today is for not only being present, but being content with the choice to find that unknown variable. 

Barwich, A.-S. (2019, October 4). The value of failure in Science: The story of grandmother cells in neuroscience. Frontiers. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2019.01121/full