Youth Voices: Seismic Shifts and Scientific Strides

As the fourth week of my internship in Lima unfolds, I find myself completely in sync with the city's vibrant pulse. This connection was abruptly deepened by a jolt - a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake - that seemed to shake not only the ground beneath my feet but also my very soul. Lima, perched elegantly on the Pacific's edge, embraced me tighter in its wake, a city unyielding in its grace. The quake caught me off guard. But the real surprise wasn't the tremor itself; it was my reaction. My bed tossed me aside like a ragdoll, yet my nerves remained oddly unruffled. Perhaps I've begun to understand Lima's resilience, mirroring it in my own way.

Beyond these seismic interludes, my week has been a whirlwind of discovery. The lab hums along steadily, but this week offered me the luxury of time - time to shadow the brilliant scientists around me. My research project demanded extensive "incubating at -20 degrees," freeing me to absorb knowledge and help out as an assistant.

I witnessed PCR injections, tuber separation, DNA plasmid extraction, liquid nitrogen grouping, and so much more. These experiences catapulted me far beyond my high school science classes - chemistry, physics, biology - to a realm my younger self in 2022 could scarcely have fathomed. I still remember the pure joy of achieving that perfect light pink in my first titration, jumping up and down like a kid on a sugar high. Now, here I am, knee-deep in sophisticated lab techniques, feeling like a character straight out of a sci-fi novel...[CONTINUE READING]