Sunday, June 2, 2024
By:
Hello everyone! My name is Sonja Boettcher, and I am a recent graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno, with my B.S. in Physics and a minor in math. Graduation and defending my senior thesis was quite hectic but I am proud of the work I’ve done and how much I’ve learned the last few years. This fall, I will be starting my Master’s in Physics through the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-PhD Bridge Program. My undergraduate research fell into condensed matter theory: looking into the electronic and structural properties of graphene on Cu(111). At Fisk, I will be directly pursuing materials science research, which I believe will be more hands-on and experimental! This summer, I am working as the SPS Physics Today intern, and I am so excited to learn more about scientific writing. I am an avid reader and aspiring writer, and I hope to learn more about the art of sharing physics with others through writing. I figured an introduction was fitting for the first week, but I wrote a whole actual blog post to follow:
I entered the TSA security checkpoint with tears in my eyes. Having never lived away from home before, spending the whole summer apart from my loved ones is a daunting task. It didn’t help that it was an overnight flight from Reno to DC, and I tend to be especially teary eyed past 9 PM. I made it into DC around 11:00 AM on Sunday and hauled my luggage to the George Washington University dorms. I hadn’t slept much since boarding the first plane at midnight, so the first thing I unpacked upon arriving at my room was my bedding. After waiting ~20 minutes for my roommate to arrive, I quickly introduced myself and proceeded to pass out. A few hours later, I had a more awake introduction with my roommate, Jenna, and we agreed to do a little grocery and household shopping that night. My first “meal” of the day was at 6 PM: a vanilla sweet cream cold brew. Jenna and I encountered the BEEFIEST pigeon I have ever seen while walking. I generally like birds, but even I was a little uneasy being so close to that behemoth. The first day in DC was pretty busy and very tiring, yet I could feel the excitement growing in me about my internship and exploring the city.
Memorial Day consisted of more household and grocery shopping. I am already very grateful to have Jenna as my roommate, as she is quite good with navigation! She got us on the Metro and all the way to the nearest Target with no problems. I have a poor sense of direction and rely entirely on landmarks when navigating at home, so the city streets and public transport can be a bit challenging. That night, most of the interns gathered in one of the dorm rooms and played some card games to introduce ourselves.
Tuesday marked our very first day of the internship, as well as our orientation at the ACP-DC office. We got to meet Kayla Stephens and other members of the SPS staff for the first time and make our official introductions to the other interns. We had a spaghetti-marshmallow tower building competition and my group won! (I’ve never won one of those before so this was a really surprising moment for me). Later that day, I had my first Zoom call with one of my mentors, Andrew Grant. We started laying out a plan for my introduction to scientific journalism and discussed some future projects that may lie ahead. In the evening, many of the interns went to the National Mall to play some spikeball. I am not too fond of ball games, but I enjoyed lazing in the grass and watching all the dogs that passed by.
In future weeks, I will be going to the College Park office some days to interact with the Physics Today staff in person. This first Wednesday, though, I had no clue how to get there so I worked from the dorm. As part of my science journalism crash course, I am reading a science news article every day and analyzing its structure and writing style. I am trying to look at these articles through a writer’s lens, rather than a scientist’s lens (although the science is still fun to learn about). Through this exercise, I have begun to notice patterns through different news outlets in how they hook the reader and organize the “story” of the research. I also began one of The Open Notebook’s free scientific journalism master classes on how to find an angle for a story. I worked from the dorm on Thursday as well and started to get a bit antsy staying in my room.
On Friday, a smaller group of the interns worked at the ACP-DC office and we acquired free food for breakfast, lunch, and some extras to take home! Interns never say no to free food. The DC office has a really cool coffee machine that can make some fancy drinks, and adjustable desks for sitting down and standing up throughout the day. Working with the other interns definitely made me more prone to blabbing, but I still completed my goals for the day. That night, most of us went to the Heurich House for a free art exhibit. The exhibit was really pretty and interactive: each guest could draw a fortune for the future, then write their own wish/prediction for the future of a location. I chose Lake Tahoe, in hopes that 100 years from now it will still be clear and blue, and that all will be able to enjoy its beauty.
Saturday involved another group trip to the National Mall for some spikeball and touch football (I once again relaxed in the grass and even got to pet a dog this time). The last couple of years have been very packed and stressful for me, and laying on my back staring up at a clear blue sky with nothing urgent to be done was an experience I appreciated greatly. One of the interns (Kai) and I went to a grilled cheese restaurant for dinner, which was delicious! Some of the cutest squirrels I’ve ever seen politely begged for some food. Friday and Saturday night involved more card games with the other interns, and the most competitive game of Go Fish I have ever partaken in. I also finished reading The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu. My goal this year is to read primarily science fiction, and so far Three-Body Problem was easily the most science heavy of the books I’ve read. The author really goes in heavy on the physics, and takes some liberties that create a fascinating approach to dimensionality and alien civilization. It is difficult to tell what the book will be about from the beginning, but it builds the dilemma thoroughly and as a reader I felt invested in the actions and fates of the characters.
Today is Sunday, June 2nd. Kai, Jenna, and I went to the DuPont Circle Farmers’ Market and found some goodies! I got a $6 big jar of apple butter, which I felt was a very good price considering how much of a pain it is to make apple butter. I also found a rooibos vanilla bourbon loose leaf tea, which sounded too good to pass up. Strawberries are definitely in season right now, but I don’t think any other fruit is. Farmers’ markets are always the best place to see/meet cute dogs. People love showing off their pups at the markets, especially since vendors often have treats ready-to-go. I might go back out today to check out some book stores in the DC area. I am tempted to find the sequel to Three-Body Problem, despite the other five books I have sitting unread in my dorm.
My first week in DC has been very enjoyable, and I believe I will learn so much about scientific journalism through my mentors and other resources. I hope to build my skills and get some articles out this summer! The other interns are so friendly and fun to hangout with, and DC is an eventful city to explore. I miss my family, my boyfriend, and my dogs back home– I hope I can entertain some visitors throughout the summer! The upcoming second week seems like it will be very busy (dinner cruise?!), so I’m sure my next blog will have exciting things to share!
Sonja Boettcher