Recently I’ve been contemplating giving up on the modern world and moving to a cabin in the woods. I mean – what is with all of this technology, the 50+ hour work week, and guilt over the simple pleasures like spending time with friends and family on the weekends? Maybe I would be able to feel happier and more fulfilled if I turned my back on the world of today and instead started living a simple life. After all, despite the fact that technology has made our lives easier over the past century, people do not report being happier than they were before smart phones, computers, and the internet.

Picture it – a cabin in the woods next to a gurgling river, a garden out back with beautiful flowers and delicious produce, a feeling of being close to nature, like my ancestors. More time for important social interactions, which are really at the heart of a meaningful life. No more random interneting or hours spent ignoring my husband in favor of my smart phone. Instead I’ll spend my days doing meaningful things, going to bed with the setting sun and sleeping as much as I need. Really, imagine it. Don’t you all want to come and join me in the woods?

Does it ever feel like you only hear about important deadlines when it is too late? I frequently feel that way, so in this series, I am going to remind graduate students of some upcoming deadlines, as I did for Science Exchange in Graduate Student Award and Conference Opportunities and Innovative Research Awards for Young Investigators.

These upcoming funding, conference, and award deadlines are focused on the graduate student audience; however, many may also apply to postdocs, undergraduates, or young faculty as well. Profiled below is funding to attend the Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting, a grant for public outreach of Analytical Chemistry, an Organic Chemistry Graduate Fellowship, and the ACS Western Regional Meeting.

As a neuroscientist, I spend my time thinking about the inner workings of the brain and what they mean for human life.  I often find myself carelessly losing sight of the amazing world that exists around me, with the assumption that what goes on in between our ears is more interesting than anything else.  Every now and then, I hear about a scientific discovery that snaps me back to reality, making me realize that this planet is a much more mysterious, unknown place than I give it credit for.  For a prime example of one of earth’s natural wonders, I present to you the Barreleye:

Now, I want you all to stop for a second and look at the picture above.  Notice anything strange?  That’s right—the fish’s head is transparent.  And those two globular things inside: no, they’re not its brain, they’re actually the fish’s eyes.  While the creature’s existence has been known for a while, researchers were recently able to capture a Barreleye on video with some pretty sophisticated deep-sea exploration.