Class today was in a small lab in Brown's Bio-medical center. We practiced making accurate use of the micro-pipettes and find out some properties of DNA by mixing it with ethanol. Working on this lab was a very new experience to me even though I did some very interesting labs in AP Biology two years ago. The procedures in today's lab called for much more precision and technique than my those of my high school class. Also, the materials we used were more technical. The agglomerate of these things creates a distinct difference in experience between labs performed in a high school setting and labs performed in a college setting. Perhaps some high schools may be able to have this kind of advanced lab with enough funds, but many high schools, especially those from the district I'm from don't have the funds to provide every student with his/her own work station, bunsen burner, and micro-pipettes. I couldn't help but feel like an amateur scientist with my lab coat on and little test tubes of DNA on the table.
On a side note, it's been very hot and humid these past few days. I've been drinking a lot more water than I usually do in California. There would be brief showers in the evening caused by the enormous humidity. I also heard the sound of a live violin for the first time in a week. Even though the player was only practicing and did not sound very rehearsed, hearing just the sound of the strings made my day and made me realize that my bonds with classical music will always stay strong.
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