FEMMES at Duke

Rachel spent the day at Duke, attending the FEMMES program (Females Excelling More in Math, Engineering, and Science). She knew a handful of girls there (Jordan, Marin, Carolina, Genevee, and Kate) but somehow they all ended up in different groups (it was probably good for them to have to mix things up and get to know new people).

She came home gushing about her experience. 

She got to observe fruit flies (knock them out, examine them, and so forth); she got to make a filtration system; she got to use an ultrasound machine to locate hidden objects in jello; she got to learn how to bandage a horse leg; and she got pizza. So, basically, it was a fantastic day.

One of her mentors was an undergrad (majoring in science) and one was a medical student. And they got to meet/listen to the woman who discovered/named the Gaga Fern (after Lady Gaga, not even joking). 

She was like, "You know Kathleen Pryer?"

I was like, "Nope."

She was like, "C'mon, Mom. She discovered the Gaga Fern..."

"Still nope."

"You love ferns."

"Apparently not enough."

But I do love ferns. And I love that learning about the Gaga Fern got Rachel excited about science.

Huh...we really should paint that board behind Rachel...

"But we didn't use math the whole day," Rachel boasted at dinner. "So I don't know why they put math in the name."

"You did science without using math?" I asked.

"Yes. We just did science all day. No math."

"Okay, so when you made your filtration system how did you know if it worked?"

"Well, the particulate count would have to be lower than it started out with," she explained.

"And you figured that out using..."

"Ugh, Mooooom!"

I kind of live for "ugh, mom" moments.