Adventures in STEM

What is this? <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uulGFtVbU5E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> [[Begin here->Start my journey]].

You go into the kitchen. Hmmm. There are a lot of things in here. You can work with this. You can mix things together and see what happens. What shall we mix together? Mix together [[cooking oil and water]]. Combine [[vinegar and baking soda]]. Mix together [[salt and water]]. Combine [[oranges and baking soda]].

You find yourself outside. You look around. There's more out here than you realized. What should you do? You decide to [[pick up leaves]]. You decide to [[collect rocks]]. You decide to [[collect snails and bugs]].

You walk into the other parts of your home. Hmmm. There are some tools sitting over there. You can do something with those. You pick up the tools. Now what should you do with them? You decide to take something apart to see how it works. There are two broken things you can use. Take apart a [[radio]]. Take apart an old [[phone]]?

You decide to look around the yard. There are so many types of leaves to see! Some are big. Some are small. Some are very green. Some have bits of yellow. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WsePuoxFTKA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </break> Would you like to look at more things in the yard? Yes, you would like to [[collect rocks]]. Yes, you would like to [[collect snails and bugs]]. No, the leaves are very interesting. You would like to [[Learn even more about biology]], which is the science that deals with living things.

You decide to look around the yard. What is that over there? <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/trDzSMjLJUw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </break> Would you like to look at more things in the yard? Yes, you would like to [[pick up leaves]]. Yes, you would like to [[collect snails and bugs]]. No, the rocks are very interesting. You would like to [[learn more about geology]], which is the science that deals with soil and rocks.

You decide to look around the yard. You seem to be alone, until you look closer. There are little bugs around, each one doing its own job! Let's take a closer look. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NQbmWV8L72I" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </break> Would you like to look at more things in the yard? Yes, you would like to [[collect rocks]]. Yes, you would like to [[pick up leaves]]. No, the bugs are very interesting. You would like to [[learn more about biology]], which is the science that deals with living things.

You found an old radio! Wow! this seems like it is from the 1980s or 1990s. Time to take it apart and put it back together! This should be a lot of fun. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0jGapLGjuxc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </break> Would you like to take apart something else? Yes, let's take apart the [[phone]]. [[No, but I would like to learn more about physics]], which also deals with how things work and can be a career option.

You found an old phone! Time to take it apart and put it back together! This should be a lot of fun. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QlxkmEvJYFw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </break> Would you like to take apart something else? Yes, let's take apart the [[radio]]. No, but I would like to [[meet a thermal engineer]], who also deals with how things work, but in things that go into space. [[No, but I would like to learn more about physics]], which also deals with how things work and can be a career option.

Physics is basically science that looks at how things work. How does matter move and behave over space and time? Physics can help us understand the basics of how things work in our lives, but also how do things work in outer space? Did you find it a bit confusing sometimes to put back together the radio or phone? You might be a good physicist! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CVnJRfCSSEQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Now it's time to pick a path! [[Meet a thermal engineer->meet a thermal engineer]]. [[Meet a physicist]]. Go to [[college]] to learn about physics. [[Stay in this neighborhood]] and stick with what I have here.

Biology can be a fulfilling career choice. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dND-Zx4UXAs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Now it's time to pick a path! [[Learn even more about biology]] Go to [[college]] to learn about biology. [[Stay in this neighborhood]] and stick with what I have here.

Geology or Earth sciences can open the door to many different careers. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zm3YMVWht4c" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Now it's time to pick a path! Go to [[college]] to learn about geology or Earth sciences. [[Stay in this neighborhood]] and stick with what I have here.

College is a great choice! You can explore different subjects, including all kinds of science. What would you like to do? [[Study, study, study!]]. See a [[graduating class]], which you might be part of someday. [[Party! That's what college is about, right??]]

Biology can be a fulfilling career choice. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yaMHLyFjINo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Now it's time to pick a path! [[Learn more about biology->learn more about biology]]. Go to [[college]] to learn about biology. [[Stay in this neighborhood]] and stick with what I have here.

Oh, that is so sad! You can do so much better than this. There is an entire world of science out there waiting for your skills and talents! Choose one: No, I'll [[stay here]] anyway. Okay, I'll give [[college]] a try.

You choose to stay in or return to this neighborhood and not finish college. There are not many opportunities here for you. THE END.

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/41701329@N03/50056500972/in/dateposted-public/" title="Ingresantes 2007"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50056500972_e146eef927_c.jpg" width="800" height="532" alt="Ingresantes 2007"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> What now? [[Study, study, study!]] so you can be part of that graduating class. [[Party! That's what college is about, right??]]

Welcome to Villa Jardín in Buenos Aires, Argentina. You live here: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EIJhu_dsr88" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> So now you are bored at home. There is nothing on TV. You're tired of going through YouTube to find something to do. So what should you do now? Welcome to your adventure in science, without even leaving your home. Science is all about experimenting. So let's choose something to do. Would you like to go to the [[kitchen]]? Would you like to go [[outside]]? Would you like to [[break things]] around the house?

Chemistry can be a fun career choice, where you can figure out now approaches to industry or even new chemicals to protect crops. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pcKCcatvKjM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </break> Now it's time to pick a path! Learn [[more about chemistry careers]]. Go to [[college]] to learn about chemistry. [[Stay in this neighborhood]] and stick with what you have here.

Biochemistry is a special kind of chemistry that combines chemistry with biology. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UXI1ZwoDcaM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Now it's time to pick a path! Learn [[even more about chemistry careers->learn about chemistry]]. Go to [[college]] to learn about chemistry. [[Stay in this neighborhood]] and stick with what you have here.

<h3>From Curious Kid to Virologist</h3> Virologist Jesús Emanuel Brunetti's journey began just like many of his high school students: in a poor neighborhood in Buenos Aires. The streets were run down. Bars covered the windows of houses with peeling paint. But Brunetti's brown eyes held a glimmer of hope and curiosity. His mother, who did not finish high school because she needed to work to help her family, encouraged he and his brother to invest in their education. <img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50055683333_651df5eb6f_w.jpg" width="375" height="500" align="left" style="margin: 20px 20px 20px 0px;" alt="Brunetti as a child"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> As a child, Brunetti experimented at home, without even realizing he was masterminding mini science experiments. He would find things around the house and take them apart, so he could piece them back together. He mixed ingredients together in the kitchen, such as water and oil, just to see what they would do. He even once put a hair clip into an electrical socket, sparking a fire in the house. "My mom wanted to kill me," Brunetti said of the curious incident. But his mom still supported him in his self-made learning endeavors. And in school, his biology teacher encouraged him to consider science as a path, entering him in the International Biology Olympiad, a worldwide competition for high school students, based on a series of difficult exams. <img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50056254836_e50bd535c8_w.jpg" width="375" height="500" align="right" style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 20px" alt="Brunetti defending thesis"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> "I had to study a lot," Brunetti said as he used his hands to show the thickness of the textbooks he had to use. The road from his poor Argentine neighborhood led to Brunetti earning a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Buenos Aires in 2019. And that road led to an interest in solving problems. Brunetti's thesis revolved around trying to learn more about the Junín virus, which causes Argentine hemorrhagic fever. The virus is endemic to certain parts of Argentina, particularly agricultural areas, since the 1950s. It spreads via rodent droppings and kills between 20 and 30 percent of the people who contract it, which often is agricultural workers. There's a vaccine, but no cure. "It's an unsolved problem here in Argentina," said Brunetti. But Brunetti wants to take on another problem, one related to science in a different way. <img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50056500187_bf279a2cc9.jpg" width="375" height="500" align="left" style="margin: 10px 20px 10px 0px;" alt="Brunetti as a child"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Brunetti teaches chemistry and biology at both the high school and college level, but he has found that his younger students struggle with being in a poor neighborhood. They think that is all they have and they don't see science as a pathway to a better life, one that could make the world around them a better place. "It is important to study science to solve problems," Brunetti said. So he is trying to find a way to reach those students and show them that there is potential beyond their run-down streets. Brunetti was chosen to take part in the first ever Humboldt-IJP Communication Lab for Exchange between Research and Media, held virtually in June of 2020. Through that lab, he teamed up with a journalist to use his own journey as a springboard for his students, through a "choose your own adventure"-style online interactive, which is featured below. Every journey begins with a step. And Brunetti hopes this step will lead to more Argentinian students becoming interested in science. You've read about Brunetti's journey. Now, it's time to take your own. [[Start your journey->Click to continue]].

Studying is key to understanding topics, along with a natural curiosity of the world around you. Learning leads to success. Many science fields require extra schooling to earn a PhD, which gives you extra training and insight to become an expert in a certain area. Not all science fields require this. Some environmental science fields only require a bachelor's degree or master's degree, which is slightly less time spent at the university. What are you going to do next? [[Continue on with university to earn a PhD.]] [[Graduate with a bachelor's degree or master's degree.->BS or MS]] Eh, this is too hard. You quit. [[You decide to go back to your old neighborhood.->stay here]]

Oh no! Too many parties! You failed out of college. Now your options are limited. You can work a job that doesn't have much meaning. You can end up in a life of crime or addicted to drugs. This is a really sad place. What do you want to do now? [[Try college again.->college]] [[Stay here in the neighborhood.->stay here]]

To get a PhD, you have to choose a topic of study and complete a thesis project. Then, before you can graduate, you have to "defend" your thesis before a panel of experts at the university, showing that you know your topic and you know what you are doing. You successfully defend your PhD and you are awarded a degree. What field are you going into? [[Biology]] [[Chemistry]] [[Geology]] [[Physics]] [[Engineering]]

Congratulations! You have earned a college degree! This opens the door for new opportunities for you. You can always decide later to go back to college to get your PhD if you feel like that might be useful with your career. This is a step in the right direction! You are on the path to success. THE END.

Congratulations! You now have a career as a biologist. What kind of biology do you plan to work on? [[Viruses]] [[Microbes]] [[Agriculture]]

Congratulations! You now have a career as a chemist. What kind of chemistry do you plan to work on? [[New materials]] [[Pharmaceutical]]

Congratulations! You now have a career as a geologist. What kind of geology do you plan to work on? [[Volcanoes]] [[Earthquakes]] [[Other planets]]

Congratulations! You now have a career as a physicist. What kind of physics do you plan to work on? [[Outer Space]] [[Energy]] [[Aerospace]]

Congratulations! You now have a career as an engineer. What kind of engineering do you plan to do? [[Space exploration]] [[Airplanes]]

Wow! You have really made a difference in the world. Not only do you have a great career, but you are creating new materials to use in industry and agriculture. Crops have become healthier and have doubled because of you. Or maybe you are creating a new type of gasoline. Those discoveries help to fight climate change by reducing emissions. Or maybe you create a new type of television: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iJks-gapzkk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Whatever you do, you are changing the world! THE END.

Wow! You have really made a difference in the world by becoming a scientist who works in the pharmaceutical industry. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BwTeFRcPeJI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Not only do you have a great career, but by working in the pharmaceutical industry, you are able to come up with new drugs. This means you help to treat diseases like cancer, dengue fever and Zika. Or perhaps you are the one who finds a vaccine or cure for COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic. You are changing the world! THE END.

Wow! You've become a vulcanologist, a scientist who studies volcanos. So cool! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ADnh2FcZwLg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> You help create an early warning system for volcanic eruptions that helps towns to be able to evacuate before a volcano erupts. This saves lives and it's all a credit to you. Way to go! THE END.

Wow! You made it! You've become a seismologist, which is a scientist who studies earthquakes. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OVKCqvyE5ZE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> You are the one who helps to create a better earthquake early warning system, given people precious time to be able to take cover and get to safety before an earthquake strikes. This saves many lives. Good job! THE END.

Congratulations on becoming a geologist who explores rocks and soil on other planets! <iframe src='https://mars.nasa.gov/embed/24944/' width='100%' height='400' scrolling='no' frameborder='0'></iframe> Your expertise in this area ends up helping scientists to better understand water flow on Mars, which will help to decide whether we can send people to live there and help determine if life could have existed there. Way to go! THE END.

Congratulations! You've become a virologist, a scientists who studies viruses. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TB-ecppFFEE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> You figure out how and why the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 connects to lung cells and infects patients. By doing this, you help scientists figure out a vaccine to prevent the virus from infecting people. You are changing the world! THE END.

Wow! You've become a microbiologist, studying microbes and other micro-organisms. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8rv2Fv6iyc0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> You end up studying microbes in the ocean floor, which help scientists to better understand the potential of life on other planets, such as Mars. Way to go! THE END.

Congratulations! You become a chemist who works in the agriculture industry. But that doesn't mean you have to be stuck on a farm. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rEw-VfFkUik" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Perhaps you come up with new chemical ways to approach vertical farming to make it more effective and efficient. Or maybe you come up with new types of pesticides that are not as damaging to the habitat. Or maybe you find new ways to grow soybeans so they are not as damaging to the soil. What you do helps to feed people. It's important to the entire world! THE END.

Congratulations on becoming an astrophysicist! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9rw5CoQIOcU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Here's what your day might look like as an astrophysicist: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XW_qIqLhPkI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Your expertise in this area is helping the world unlock the mysteries of the universe. Maybe you've figure out where and how black holes form and what that means for us here on Earth. You are spearheading the charge to explore space and learn about things we didn't even know existed! THE END.

Congratulations on becoming a nuclear physicist who deals with nuclear energy! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ta3z3pGK0vU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> You end up creating a new type of nuclear reactor that makes electricity production even more efficient, which means it is cheaper for more people to use. Way to go! THE END.

Wow! You have become an aerospace engineer, working on anything from satellites to airplanes. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YTBA-4ovpRA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> You figure out how to design a new type of rocket that makes travel to space much safer for astronauts. Way to go! THE END.

Congratulations on becoming an engineer who specializes in projects to explore space! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y3WqWazeWlI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Your expertise in this area helps scientists to explore the unknown of outer space and helps to create tools we can use to explore other planets. You are helping to break the boundaries on what we can explore! THE END.

Congratulations on becoming an aerospace engineer who designs airplanes. Honestly, the world could not work without you! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MDvH8lWcU4g" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> You may be the aerospace engineer who comes up with a new type of plane that doesn't burn as much fuel or uses a different kind of fuel, which helps fight climate change. Way to go! THE END.

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