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ScIU Indiana University Bloomington
I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Cognitive Science Program and the Department of Anthropology at IU, and I teach labs for "Becoming Human," an Anthropology course in human evolution, and discussion sections for "Introduction to Cognitive Science." I am interested in how paleolithic archaeology can inform us about the evolution of human cognition and language, and my research at IU is specifically on handedness and language laterality in the brain. I think one of the most interesting aspects of science--especially the social sciences--is how it can inform us about who we are as a species, help us understand where we've come from, and inspire us to move forward. I am excited to share some of the amazing work done here on campus with ScIU readers!

Entries by Chloe Holden, Lana Ruck and Jennifer Sieben

Science with Nemo: Ethics of Care in Animal Research

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[animated GIF of seven tropical fish of various kinds, who are all in plastic bags, floating in the ocean. The image captions one fish, speaking, who asks the group, “Now what?”]

We are all familiar with the plot of Finding Nemo: a scuba-diving dentist takes a small clownfish, Nemo, from a reef, keeps him in a fish tank in his office, and Marlin (Nemo’s father) goes on a whirlwind adventure to rescue his son. Obviously, Disney’s creative fiction is just that — fiction. However, many millions of fish are kept in tanks in the real world, for both recreation and research. Although we cannot know the fate of home-kept fish, for fish used in scientific research, there are specific rules for ethical treatment and proper care for fish of all kinds. How and why do scientists use fish in research anyways? 

Where is our administration right now?

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[Protesters outside the county courthouse at the June 5th Enough is Enough protest.]

This week, Bloomington has made national news for racist hate crimes and tolerance of them once again. This news has been covered well by the IDS, but Indiana University has made only one official statement, on Twitter and Facebook. That is unacceptable to me, so I am calling on our administration to do more…. (Content Warning: white supremacy, hate speech, violence).

It can’t be about science right now

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[Black protesters hold up fists in the air.]

In the aftermath of George Floyd and many others’ murders, police and armed forces have instigated violence against peaceful protesters across the nation. Our small community in Bloomington is no exception to racism and pervasive tolerance of it. We at ScIU support the Black Lives Matter movement and the peaceful protests occurring across the country, and we condemn the escalating violence at the hands of local police departments, federal service members, and elected officials. Below is a starting point for helping protesters, amplifying the voices of Black scientists, and engaging with anti-racist literature…

Ethics in Research: What is the IRB?

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[A human silhouette made of small data points.]

Across many fields, scientific research involving humans has a dark history, and many studies conducted in the past are completely unethical both in their original contexts and now. In America, examples include the Tuskegee Study on syphilis, which ran for over 40 years, and Henrietta Lacks’  ovarian cancer cells which were used in scientific research for decades without her or her family’s knowledge…

What’s up with leap years?

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Today is February 29. Unlike every other day in the year, this day only shows up in the calendar once every four years… but why? To understand this, we’re going to use a little bit of history and astronomy to get to the calendar that most of the world uses today. First, let’s talk about… Read more »

Creating a Science Communication Collective at IU

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As you might know, here at ScIU, we like to publish weekly blog posts about science happening on campus — especially science that might not be reaching other news outlets — because a lot of the work happening here at IU is amazing, and we believe that broader audiences should have access to it. Another… Read more »

Science Fest 2019

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a plastic skeleton holds a science fest sign

Falling leaves, pumpkin spice, and football — it’s that time of year again in the Bloomington community: Science Fest is tomorrow! Grab your goggles and plug your ears, the Science Fest is coming up! Did we mention it’s FREE? https://t.co/saS44RYdMV pic.twitter.com/N9jcx2EsXf — Indiana University Bloomington (@IUBloomington) October 9, 2019

From Classroom to Community: IU clinical psychology students launch their careers through local internship

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Colorful hands reaching towards each other

In 2015, IU’s Department of Psychology and Brain Science (PBS) began a Clinical Psychological Science Certificate program for undergraduates, through which students interested in clinical psychology can learn the foundations of the field, participate in PBS research, and gain internship experience with local community partners. Although many departments offer internships, the main goal of the… Read more »

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