STORIES IN SCIENCE
a student's perspective
Science is a discipline that enables us to...
...learn about our past and to predict, if not shape, our future. It is generally driven by observation and a curiosity to understand, leading often to profound insights and innovations. Why do things fall down? Why are carrots "orange"? Can sight be restored to the blind? Why are...? What if...? I wonder...! These are the questions, these are the statements, that science speaks!
In 2015, Prof. Paul Wender started a Science Communication and Innovation (SCI) course designed to enable students to investigate things of interest to them and create a website for their work (e.g., https://scifari.wordpress.com/). The "million dollar hamburger", "miracle berries", "new life in the DMZ", "fungi and the future", "franken-ants" and more followed. SCI content was posted each year on websites that had the wonderful "SCI-" related names: SCIfari, exSCIte, faSCInate and more.
This project was reintroduced this year by Wender and his co-instructors Rami Hourani, Owen McAteer and Dr. Adam Cook for students in CHEM123, a course at Stanford University focused on the chemical principles that shape molecular design, medicine, energy, environmental stewardship, materials and control our senses.
As part of the course, students were invited to choose a topic that resonated with them, whether it be a reaction, molecule, technology or concept from class, and explore its scientific, societal or personal significance. The result is a diverse set of short stories that blend scientific insight with creativity, curiosity and real-world relevance.
You are invited to explore the student stories from this semester.
EXPLORE THE COLLECTION!
Pedagogical Notes
This project was designed to encourage students to draw connections between classroom concepts and real-world impact, to highlight the role of storytelling in scientific communication, to build confidence explaining chemistry to non-experts and to inspire a deeper appreciation for the human side of scientific discovery. As Wender puts it: the best way to learn is to teach!
Each student story has been designed to be scientifically grounded, creative, impact-focused and accessible. By transforming chemistry from a set of abstract concepts into something dynamic, meaningful and human, students cultivate skills that extend far beyond the course.
Collectively, these reflections highlight the idea that chemistry is not confined to the classroom - it is woven into everything around us. Life is a series of chemical experiments and experiences!