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To agree with the other comments, this course has certainly broadened my view of the field of science, not just by what I know, but by what I know I do not know. As others have said, I have often (if not always) seen science as firm and exact and never took the time to question what I was being presented. This seminar has let me question conclusions of ‘hard’ science research while adding to my knowledge on a variety of topics. It is not that I now doubt everything that I’ve been taught, but I can now think about these things on my own and draw my own conclusions.

Personally, our talk about animal models has had a profound impact on me. While I still believe the same thing as when I started the course (that these models provide a variety of information that we cannot obtain through other means), it has made me sit down and think through my exact thoughts and beliefs on the subject. I never really questioned our use of animal models before, and this course has allowed me to question and re-evaluate my support for their use. Through this process not only have my beliefs been reaffirmed, but also strengthened. Since I’m going to be using these models for a long time, most likely for the rest of my life, this was an important experience that I had to go through to be comfortable continuing with this work.

Lastly, our continued talk about disability and diversity has certainly made me think more carefully about how I categorize people. In general, how I categorize anything at all. After our talk about consciousness last week, I also feel as though I need to be more careful when talking about consciousness, and in doing so, I think that I am becoming much more aware of how often and how much we categorize people (as well as situations, events, laws, etc.). While I’ve always thought of myself as open-minded, I feel as though I now am truly able to BE open-minded since I can see where I put people into categories (even if the categories are correct) and think about why I am doing this.

I am sure that this course, and how it has made me think as an individual, will stick with me through the rest of my career in science. I can draw my own conclusions, weigh categorizations, and support my belief in animal models besides just saying ‘I think they’re worthwhile’. Thank you everyone for all of great discussions.