The science and design of ordinary life
I spent a long weekend at the coast a few weeks ago. It’s my favorite place to go even though Pacific Northwest beaches are usually cold, misty, and windy. On my last full day of vacation, I took advantage of the unusually beautiful weather and drove along the coastal highway pausing whenever I wanted along the way. I had spotted a sign for Arcadia Beach the day before and decided to make it one of my stops. I pulled into the parking lot and took the path down to the ocean. As soon as I caught sight of the beach, I was delighted to discover a long stretch of sand, covered in interesting rocks, with a beautiful cliff background.
I struck out to explore. As I was walking the long sandy coast with cool rock formations, all kinds of neat driftwood, and gorgeous steep cliffs, I was stopped in my tracks by the unusual boulder shown here. Dark mineral interlaced with lighter mineral, with an almost sparkling thread of rock in the deepest spider webbing marks. My mind started wondering. How did this rock get this way? Were the two different kinds previously lava partially swirled like a partially mixed batter, like the marbleizing of of raspberry sauce in a cheese cake? Or were the minerals compressed together with one filling the other’s cracks? How did it get here? Only this spot has rocks like this.
Like the boulder during my walk on the beach, throughout life I enjoy beauty while exploring the story behind it. As a scientist, I discover the stories behind what I observe and finding solutions to the problems in our world. As a perfect complement to science, I like to use design to create beauty with a story. In ordinary life, good design is also functional - problem-solving in its own way.
Science reveals the stories in our natural world. Design is a way to tell a story about ourselves. Nature is all around and in us because we’re living beings living on Earth. As humans, we’re drawn to what we perceive as beautiful. Through my writing, designs, and teaching, I want to show you how science and design touch our ordinary lives, each in its own way.
With my background as a scientist, I hope to help you understand why science means something - why bacteria on kitchen counters to bacteria in the ocean matters to you. I’m not formally trained in design, but, as I learn, I want to share how to design stuff that matters. And combine science and design sometimes along the way!