For my STEP project, I was a member of the Biological Roots in the UK class and study abroad trip. During class time throughout the semester, I learned about the origin of biological and scientific inquiry (particularly in the UK and France). After learning a great deal about these origins, our group visited the sites of many historic discoveries in London and Paris over our spring break.

My experiences taking this class and traveling to London and Paris greatly changed my outlook on scientific study and how I can contribute to the study of science in my own life. Our class and visits abroad focused a great deal on the personal lives of great scientists such as Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Louis Pasteur. By viewing these scientists in a more human way, the idea of scientific inquiry became much more accessible to me. In my future, I hope to work as a psychologist. As the field of psychology is becoming ever more reliant on neuroscience, it’ very important for me to understand the natural sciences as well as my role within the field of science. This trip really helped me to gain a better understanding of both areas.

There were many experiences that really impacted me during our visit to London and Paris. Our visits to Down House, The Royal Society and the Louis Pasteur Museum were particularly impactful for me. At Down House, what we learned in class about Darwin really came to life. I especially enjoyed the upstairs exhibit of the house that focused on Darwin’s time on the Beagle, and learned a lot about Darwin’s collecting during this time. Overall I think that our visit to Down House gave me a much better idea of who Darwin was as a person, and not just as a scientist. Hearing about how he liked to play with his kids, read novels and play pool contrasted with the idea of Darwin that I had from school. I think this was very impactful for me, because it’s a reminder that all scientists are still real people. Learning to define myself as a “scientist” has sometimes been difficult for me. The term can seem a bit sterile and can lack a strong sense of humanity. For me, learning about the personal life of Darwin helped me to understand how he could make such profound scientific discoveries even though he had many other responsibilities in his life.

Our group visited The Royal Society on our last full day in London. The Royal Society was a group of scientists that have focused on the improvement of natural knowledge since 1660s. Members of the Royal Society including Isaac Newton, William Cavendish and Robert Hooke. At the Royal Society, we heard more about the history of scientists like these and learned about the continuation of the Royal Society, and some of the ongoing works of current members. On particularly special moment was when our group was able to view the original transcripts of the Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton and the first printed copy of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. I believe that the preservation of these works by the Royal Society is very important because it allows us to look back at the progress of scientific history and see how many changes we have made in the last 400 years, as well as how much scientific progress we still have to make.

Seeing the Louis Pasteur Museum was also definitely one of the highlights of our trip. We got to see the actual glassware and microscope used by Pasteur. We also got to look around the apartment that Louis Pasteur lived in at the end of his life. Finally, at the end of the tour we saw Louis Pasteur’s crypt which was amazing. The crypt looked like something that would be built for royalty (which seems to be how the French view Pasteur). Seeing how much respect the French have for a scientist (Pasteur had almost an entire neighborhood dedicated to him in Paris) made me think about the way that we view science in America. I don’t think that our scientists are quite as venerated in the U.S. and I’m hoping that this will change in the future.

I believe that overall, this class and trip were very important for me because they increased my appreciation for and understanding of the natural sciences as a whole, and biology in particular. In my studies of psychology, I have sometimes been frustrated with the emphasis on research and hard facts. However, by knowing more about the history of science I can see more clearly how ideas of experimentation and empiricism have improved our modern world, and how they will continue to do so. As a history minor, the class also made me realize the impact that the study of science has had on the progress of history and the change of governments and social norms. Overall, this program has really impacted my academic study as well as the way I see my own future in a scientific field.