Matter, Energy, and Life of Michaela A. Castello.

Category: Long Reads

Stories that take a bit longer to get through.

  • Wild Zones | Loma Linda University School of Medicine Student Blog

    At one point in my life I spent a lot of time mowing the lawn. We had a decently-sized area with terrain ranging from wide, flat spaces to steep hills and washed-out depressions. The ride-on mower was the closest I got to having a four-wheeler, so the chore wasn’t all bad. Even so, during the…

  • Near-Field Possibilities

    Near-Field Communication (NFC) is one of those technologies that feels like the future—and not just because it’s  been used in Japan for a hemidecade. Through short-range wireless transmissions, NFC helps connect physical objects to the electronic world. Something as thin as a sticker can contain an NFC tag, allowing people equipped with devices to interact,…

  • Repressive Conservatism

    Throughout history, conservative groups have ascribed to a particularly irksome idea: If they do not want to do something, nobody else should be able to do it either. Thus, conservatives attempt to use the state to coerce people to conform to a specification or to prohibit something entirely. Why does this keep happening? How does…

  • My Scientific Debut

    Today I gave my first-ever presentation on my research to the other the LLU graduate students and assembled faculty. Since I haven’t done this before, it was kind of my debut as a budding scientist, so I wanted to make a good impression. I spent a lot of time working on this presentation, which represents…

  • Prevening Boulders

    It was supposed to be more of an afternoon trip, but by the time we got people together and made the drive out to Joshua Tree, it was more like prevening. In the past I have duct taped the knees of my ripped jeans for adventures such as these, but this time I was convinced…

  • Jesus. All?

    Recently, Loma Linda University used the slogan “Jesus. All.” to brand a series of worship services. Apparently it’s also the headline of a reform-type movement within the Seventh-Day Adventist church. It’s one of those phrases so firmly reflective of Christian tradition that, to Christians, it is incontrovertible. Upon closer, more objective examination, however, the statement…

  • Finding the Right Path

    God’s way is the right way because if he exists, he exists outside the world and can see the shape of things. God’s way is the right way because that is the way the world is; therefore, you can find God’s way by looking at the world—which is exactly what people did when they wrote…

  • Fitocracy Needs Improvement

    After seeing the xkcd comic about Fitocracy, I scoured the internet for invitations and was thrilled when I finally found one. Now that I’ve been using the site for a month or two, some of my enthusiasm has waned. The concept is excellent: Turning fitness into an RPG-style game is a brilliant idea, tapping into…