About Kathryn!

Hello! My name is Kathryn and I am from Olathe, Kansas. In the future, I hope to be able to say I am from somewhere else (preferably a coast)! I also hope I will be able to call myself Dr. Lundquist one day, since I am working very diligently toward becoming an anesthesiologist. Speaking of anesthesiology and medicine, I am EXTREMELY passionate about closing inequality gaps in the administration of healthcare. There are far too many stories about patients being mistreated due to the fact that they are women, POC, part of the LGBTQ community, or are underprivileged. I hope to someday work with others toward remedying those inequalities in the healthcare field, and the world in general. What fascinates me the most about evolution and biology is how they relate to our lives. Everyone is so different and so unique, and I really value the fact that evolution has allowed all of us to become who we are today. The fact that people can be "cat people" or "dog people" even ties back to evolution! Past humans used our limited knowledge of how genes and generations worked, and now we have poodles and Scottish folds chilling in our laps on the daily. I think the most important lesson I could learn from learning about evolution is how to explain it to other people who are hesitant to seek to understand it. I know that domesticated animals are literal proof of evolution, but how do I explain that to others? I think it will take a lot of practice, but I am ready for the challenge!

Comments

  1. Madison NAugust 31, 2021 at 10:11 AM

    Hi Kathryn, great to meet you! I love hearing that people have passions not only for themselves, but for benefitting others. I'm sure you'll go far as an anesthesiologist!!

    By the end of this class, you'll *definitely* have the knowledge to explain evolution. It's not as hard as you think, so don't worry! I know you're up to the challenge. Let Michi, Libby, or I know if you're ever confused - we're here to help, and excited to see what thoughts you have on this blog!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evolution of Evolution: why have we not seen a big change?

When discussing evolution, there is usually a question of "when will it end?" or " why would anything still be evolving" or, better yet, "are humans evolving?" To answer these questions, we have to remember why anything ever evolves in the first place. Whether it be selection, nonrandom mating, or the weather, there is always a reason for evolution that is driven by some outside force. These outside forces are why organisms continue to evolve. We've had a heck of a time dealing with the evolution of COVID-19 over the past couple years! The reason organisms keep evolving is simple: to become better suited to their environments. It would not make sense for a bright pink moth to live in the dirt now would it? And to answer the question regarding the evolution of humanity, we have yet to see a true survival-driven evolutionary characteristic of humans in the modern era. Sure there may be redheads or blue-eyed people, but those mutations do not constitute e...
Read more

Evolution Pit Stop!

I have been learning so much about evolution and problem solving over these past few weeks. I have really enjoyed working my brain and making connections, asking questions, and solving problems that I don't normally get to see. My original thoughts on evolution haven't changed, per se, but they have grown. I understand more of the nitty gritty of evolution rather than just the general concept. I think I may still be struggling with some real-world applications of my knowledge, but some of what I have been working on has really helped drive that home. I am even more curious about how our general understanding of evolution as both a society and a scientific community will change in the future. I think more people are becoming comfortable with the idea that while we may not know everything about evolution we continue to learn more about it each and every day.
Read more

Piping the Pipefish

Much like humans, female pipefish are the more alluring and attractive of their species. This is in strict opposition to many other mating relationships in the animal kingdom. Why would this be? Maybe it's because there are fewer male pipefish and the females must fight over them. Maybe it's because male pipefish are picky and do not want to have ugly offspring. Even with all these different options for why female pipefish are the ornamented of a pipefish mating pair, one thing remains constant: the idea that females are more vibrant than males is evolutionary. Though conflicting theories of why these females may be more attractive exist, all theories are surrounded by the idea that the females must perform for the males and that the males prefer beautiful females. The females must appear attractive for a male pipefish to mate with them, and that is an element of sexual selection in pipefish. 
Read more