Author: jasmine94lee

• Observation

  I was sitting in my car for 40 minutes with the engine on, because my car battery is weak. I have a suspicion that the wiring of the radio is causing the battery to drain, but I’d rather wait to get a new car than fix this current one, as it might cost more than a grand, which isn’t worth it after depreciation.

  So I was in my car revising for science lessons I had this week, and observed an example of physics happening in real time.

  

  I drew the arrows of how light would travel from the sun and reflect off the mirrors into my eyes (I tried to draw an arrow pointing out, but it’s restricted on a 2D image (such as a 2D representation of the 2Pz orbital coming out along the z axis.) Applying it to Renaissance art, the trickery of the eye is done by using foreshortening and perspective lines to create the illusion of the Z axis for the drawings and paintings. So I could have drawn a 3D arrow with foreshortening techniques.

  I think I retract that notion of physics being harder than chemistry at this particular point, because with chemistry, I don’t know how to find a real life example of shells, sub shells, orbitals and electrons. We were shown an analogy of a building, but I still have trouble extrapolating how a building relates to electrons on a microcosmic/quantum level, it confused me more than if I was just explained the non-analogy of orbitals and sub shells. I’m watching Khan Academy videos on YouTube to help me understand it further.

  I’m also observing different styles of teaching, and taking note of it so it can help me one day, on an odd chance of me ending up teaching when I pursue a PhD. What seems to work in pedagogy is being interactive with students instead of the classic lecturing style of having the lecturer talk and students take notes. There’s also methods STEM lecturers use to gather data from students and gauge whether we’re learning and following the teaching during lesson.

  2026.09.16

• Oscillations of re-drafting the research proposal

  This is my latest blog out of many failed ones. I think life has given me quite the journey so far. I came from a sixth form which emphasised their STEM ethos, and went onto study BA Fine Art. I have retained my learning from science subjects throughout these years. I then assimilated the art side and did my masters in Fine Art embracing a non-science identity. I had a job within food science at the end of last year, early this year. I had imposter syndrome because I wasn’t legitimately qualified to work it. I left shortly after because of neurodivergence related problems. At this point I abandoned the research proposal I have written, along with the guidance of my potential research supervisor. I thought getting a job was my path to the holy grail.

  I’m doing a U turn now, because I’ve started studying L3 Applied Science, with the intention of getting a job within a science-related field, but I can’t seem to let my research go, maybe that’s a sign of grit? Even though it’s a bit tentative. I’ve just been learning about transverse waves in the physics section of unit 1 (we learn AS biology, chemistry and physics in this unit). I sometimes feel like I’m perhaps oscillating perpendicularly to the direction I’m travelling in! Never straightforward. It’s more like a M or W turn than a U turn.

  I feel it has slightly improved my proposal when I combine the skills of science investigative techniques through the legitimate training from scientists/lecturers. I’m able to formulate my research questions to become a hypothesis and null-hypothesis, as both predictions of my chosen research area could be possible. This would go onto forming my methodology and how to go about collecting qualitative and quantitative data.

  I don’t want to be too serious about my proposal though. I don’t want to think of it as ‘I must write a proposal and get into doing a PhD’, but rather write it in my free time as fun. This isn’t the exact point Kant was making, but in the context of detaching the action and consequences, imagine the idea that an action has true moral worth if it’s done purely for the sake of duty, and not as a means to an end.

  I think my job for this particular PhD I’m proposing is to remember my old identity prior to art education, and to apply it to present endeavours, without diluting the identity I assimilated within art. One of my previous art lecturers was right on his insight, that this dilemma of science and art isn’t a phase for me.

  2026.09.15