When people say, "Science is too hard. I don't have a mind for science," I cringe because I believe everybody has a mind for science -- it's what avenue within the science world you happen to take that makes a difference. Science is not about memorizing facts and figures, but a process of interpreting the world around you. To me, the most thrilling way to teach science is through conducting hands-on experiments. I believe that education's move away from lab sciences is contributing to the erosion of critical thinking in our society.

I have been on the path of experiential science since I was a toddler. My parents delight in telling people of the time when I took apart a telephone when I was four -- and put it back together again. I have had a passion for the physical sciences -- my favorite subject is physics -- ever since.

I look at everything as an experiment, including my hobbies. When I can, I enjoy working on antique pianos, rebuilding and refinishing pieces that might otherwise languish in someone's attic. I also enjoy refashioning clocks, ham radios and robots. Even in cooking, I experiment, never making the same dish twice because I taste as I create and always add a new twist to old favorites. I also enjoy discoveries in my travels, such as finding gems and minerals in old mines.

I also love astronomy, and try to get out with my telescope as often as I can.

This was my first attempt at a color image using my CCD camera and telescope. It's not publication quality (By far), but I like it.

Oh, and I absolutely love animals, and the more animal encounters I have, the happier I am. Here are two of my favorite photos of myself:

Of course, it's not my face that I like in these photos... These were two of my absolute favorite animal encounters. Yes, koalas are incredibly soft- softer than the stuffed animals in the gift shop, even! Now if only I had digital pictures of me working with penguins at the New England Aquarium... (They exist somewhere!)


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