Working in the lab yesterday and essentially creating aspirin from scratch was a very interesting and eye-opening experience. It was a hands-on task that really had us utilize different topics we have covered in class, including experimental design, scientific uncertainty, and drug development. I’ve done a lot of experiments in labs, but not in this kind of setting, where we were working with real chemicals and intense safety precautions (the fume hood was especially new to me). Ultimately, it was a task that involved very meticulous concentration and incredible attention to detail, since there were a lot of precise measurements and timings that needed to be conducted. Being able to synthesize different ingredients to form aspirin was very satisfying, since it was a testament to the careful attention and effort that I displayed during the entire experiment.

The lab experience definitely connected to the major projects that we have been working on, the Bioblitz and 3D printing. Both emphasize the importance of following a procedure and using all the elements of the scientific method, as well as data analysis. Given all of the projects and experiments that I have worked on this semester really helped me understand the significance of using all of these things that we learned (scientific method, data analysis, media science literacy, experimental design, scientific uncertainty, drug development). Having the opportunity to conduct a very cool experiment in a real laboratory environment validated that.