An Astrologist’s Contribution to Understanding Research

A few weeks ago, a friend sent me a link to one of the best short videos I’ve ever seen. The video is nothing more than a simple song, some graphics, and a speech by Neil Degrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist and cosmologist, but it changed my outlook on so much. At the beginning of the video he is asked the question: “What is the most astounding fact that you can share with us about the universe?” And he goes on to match this profound question with a thoughtful, moving, and introspective answer equally as profound. The answer is intricate and complicated, but these are my favorite lines from the response:

“I look up at the night sky, and I realize that yes, we are part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up at the night sky… Many people feel small because they’re small and the universe is big, but I feel big! Because my atoms, came from those stars. There’s a level of connectivity: that’s really what you want in life, you want to feel connected, you want to feel relevant, you want to feel like you’re a participant in the goings on of activities and events around you. That’s precisely what we are, just by being alive.”

(15/10 recommend you go watch the video because it’s remarkable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D05ej8u-gU)

Before you think I’ve lost my mind, I promise I haven’t forgotten what class I’m writing this blog for. Admittedly, this quote is a rather grandiose one about our world, the universe, and each and every single one of us living here. It may seem like a stretch to you, but as I listened to it, one of the connections I made was how small this particular class has made the world feel.

This was my first experience ever being such a small part of such a large project; my first time being one single part of a project that spans 5 countries, includes hundreds of students, and has taken thousands of hours. As a psychology major, I’ve had my fair share of studies with participants and other people’s involvement. I’ve worked in labs both at Colby and other Universities, looking at social psychology and neurobiology related concepts, but none of the research projects I’ve done have been collaborations outside of a single institution… So nothing quite like this. I have a new appreciation for how fundamentally critically teamwork and collaboration truly is. Perseverance, understanding, and flexibility are all key components of research at every level, and this project has truly allowed me to comprehend and internalize that.

 I was the interviewer in my group, which meant that I had the fortune of having direct contact with Kostas (the student from the Croft School). We were incredibly lucky to have been paired with such a responsible student. He was online on time, never rushed through the questions, asked for clarification when he needed it, and overall was just a really fun, intelligent, engaging guy to talk to. Hearing some of my classmates’ experiences I know that this wasn’t necessarily the case across the board, but my interaction with Kostas could not have gone smoother. I can’t help but be in awe at how small technology has made this world. Kostas was thousands of miles away, and yet we talked about everything from the breed of his dog to Donald Trump’s election like he was right in the next room. As Tyson says, we are all so fundamentally interconnected.  Particularly given the climate of this increasingly globalized world, those of us fortunate enough to have the technological means have opportunities to make incredible transnational connections in a way that would not have been possible 20 years ago.

Tyson’s quote made me realize that no matter how small my contribution, this project would not be the same without the work of every individual involved. We are all a thread in the fabric of this curriculum, without which it would unravel. For instance, while I was the actual interviewer, someone else organized the fact that Kostas would be the one I was speaking to. Hundreds of email correspondences likely went into organizing those few hours of actual conversation between us. That’s pretty cool to think about. Thanks, whoever you are!!

The other piece of Tyson’s speech that resonated with me was the part about social connectivity. How, at the most fundamental level, human beings are social creatures. No matter how introverted or shy, at a very biological level, we crave belonging and purpose, and this project has done an incredible job of bringing so many people around the globe together. While we may not all know each other’s names or stories, we have all worked together towards a common goal. Take a second and just think about how incredible that really is… Colby can be such a microcosm, where we all get wrapped up in our everyday lives and challenges, and forget to pause and remember that there is, quite literally, a whole world out there. People we haven’t met, friends we haven’t made, obstacles we haven’t overcome. And despite the unknowns and the distance, these people are likely going to face similar challenges to those of us here at Colby — we are all human, at the most basic level. I understand that feeling like you have a “place” at Colby is so important, but this project has helped me conceptualize the fact that there is so much beyond what we see and what we focus on during our time here on the Hill. 

I’ve learned a lot from this class, and what I’ve learned extends far beyond Bourdieu’s theories and the implications and expectations of elite-ness. It’s allowed me to be a part of something bigger than a single assignment in a single class in a single semester at a single school. I’d say that’s pretty special, and the process of working with others to achieve a common goal in an academic setting like this isn’t something I’ll soon forget.