Short Wave Organic Chemistry Helped Me Embrace My Identities
Jun 29, 2021
Ariana Remmel, a chemist and science writer, shares their journey of self-discovery through the lens of chemistry. They discuss the challenges of defining identity in a world of rigid categories, drawing parallels between chemical principles and personal experience. Ariana highlights how their passion for chemistry provided a framework for navigating their mixed Mexican-American and white heritage. With insights on resonance as a metaphor for identity, they celebrate the beauty of embracing complexity in who we are.
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Childhood Pressure to Conform
- Ariana Remmel felt pressured to conform to gender and racial categories.
- Growing up in the American South with a mixed racial background and Catholic upbringing added to this pressure.
Finding Comfort in Science
- As a child, Remmel found solace in the concrete world of atoms and molecules and the periodic table.
- This interest led them to become a chemist and science writer.
Chemistry as a Metaphor for Identity
- Remmel uses chemistry metaphors to understand their identity.
- They found that exploring these concepts during the pandemic helped them answer questions about their identity.