#bioanth

True/False: Primates are very generalized.

Hi All - sharing a recruitment advertisement from the bioanth disability group: Researchers involved in the project "Patient Perspectives on Delayed Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic," led by Dr. Jessica Dimka at Seton Hall University ([email protected]), want to learn about participants’ experiences with unintentional or intentional delayed health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants can do an online interview, fill out a survey, or both. To learn more or express interest, please go to https://shu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9mNVVZv3fy545pk or contact Dr. Dimka.

10.04.24

My mom always just said that going in and out of such drastically different environments makes everyone sick. Then when I went through bioanth, I asked my genetics professor about a theory because Jake, who is genetically adapted to the highlands/upper elevations of central Europe, is quick to adapt to the temperatures in the spring (though the boy suffers in humidity, but that’s ‘cus he was raised in Chicago, and I was on the east side of Lake Mich, where the humidity hardly falls unless it freezes lol), while I, who am genetically a mutt but pretty consistently adapted to the northern lowlands, particularly of the Baltic region, get easily sick going in and out of AC.

She, a BAMF featured several times in NatGeo specials, leader in her field, and real-life Bones who helps legal forensics teams as a consultant and has a fully certified lab in her garage, just dead-pan looked at me and went “yes, because temperatures in the mountains are faster to change and be variable, so he is genetically more adaptable to short changes, while your body is made for lowland seas and will more wholly adapt to any environment, but it will take longer and more consistency for your physical adaptions to get the message.”

Which has been SO TRUE! 

(2/2) So now I’m trying to choose between studying natural sciences, geography and history & politics! I know that studying a science subject ‘opens more doors’ after your degree, and just because I’m really good at sciences, everyone expects me to study them rather than an arts… I love the thought of studying both sciences and humanities at Cambridge, and almost feel that I might be *a bit* more passionate about arts… What should I do? Do you know anyone who has been in a similar position?

This is definitely tough! So I think that there are a couple of things you should consider: 

#1: Whatever you pick, you’re going to be studying it at a very high level and you’re going to be studying it pretty constantly. From your message, it seems like you’re very good at maths and physics, but do you enjoy it enough to spend around 8 hours a weekday in labs/lectures/supervisions revolving around maths and physics? Same for arts/humanities -- do you enjoy history/politics/geography enough to spend 8 hours a day in lectures/supervisions/the library reading about the topics and constructing arguments? I’d suggest checking out the Kings’ reading lists for the subjects you’re interested in if you haven’t already -- they’re HERE and are a very good way of taking a look at the kinds of things that you’ll be reading/studying should you pursue that subject at Cam.

#2: What do you want to do in the future? I know, I know this is kind of an unfair question considering that you’re not sure what you want to do at uni, but it’s relevant. If you go into an arts subject, you’re pretty much shutting the door on any science-related careers in research/engineering. If you go into Natsci, you’re not cutting yourself off from going into one of the Big Three (law, banking, consultancy) or even other artsy careers, like journalism or heritage. That being said though, there are a number of skills that you’d learn in an arts degree that you wouldn’t have as much experience with in a science degree (particularly understanding lots of different arguments and bridging across them to create your own). If you’re not cool with giving up the possibility of going into a science field, then it’s probably best not to choose an arts subject, but at the same time, definitely have a think about what you really want to do both in terms of interest and the lifestyle that you want to have -- ie. going into academia isn’t as glamorous as people think it is (it involves a lot of moving around and low paying jobs), and research positions can be hard to get; likewise, the Big Three are high stress and long hours, and will require you to live in the city (read Sarah’s post HERE for more). 

#3: If you’re really, really stuck, pick a compromise. There are a number of subjects that combine both arts and sciences -- they involve both stats and scienc-y related fact learning, and they involve reading + essay-writing. You’ve picked out geography, which is definitely a good bridge between the two, as are certain routes in Natsci (Earth Science, for example, involves physical/biological sciences and you do a fair bit of essay writing too, although less than you do in a proper arts subject -- then again, you do more of the sciency stuff, especially in first year where you can only do Earth as one of your papers). BioAnth and PBS are also good ones for bridging between arts and biology-based stuff, but I don’t think they’re relevant here as you say that you like maths/physics.