How are you inspired by science?

Science doesn't lie. Math also never lies but it's also really boring at heart, so I don't like that. Science is so cool. There are so many different types of science that you can do and it's just based on things you observe. And that's really... yes, inspiring is the word I would use. People can learn just by looking at different things and everyone can interpret what they are seeing. But it really does take a scientist or someone who's dedicated to mapping out what they are looking at, to make sense of it.

Anyone can look at a caterpillar turning into a butterfly and say, “Oh, that's metamorphosis.” But then there are all these other processes happening which people still have questions about. Scientists dive in and give the details. I've always struggled in school with teachers showing us how to do something without explaining why they're doing it that way. Science is observation and explanation. And even if it's kind of hard to understand or for some people it might not be so interesting, it's definitely worthwhile to have knowledge of the world.

Do you think hope has a place in the scientific process?

Yes, absolutely. I've always been told that I'm an optimistic person and I think that's one of my biggest strengths. A lot of scientists are really similar. When it comes to things like climate change, it can be really easy to lose hope and feel despair about our impending doom. But scientists, at least every climatologist that I know of, have always been adamant about the fact that climate change is real and there's something we can still do about it. They say, “It's okay. We don't really need to freak out. We just need to be aware.” Not only does hope belong in science, but scientists are really good facilitators of hope. There are a lot of ways science can make people feel less anxious about their lives just by answering questions of the unknown.