stocking stuffers for women in science

Stocking Stuffers for Women in Science

When I stumbled on the necklaces made by Uncorked at etsy, I was

immediately struck by her clever re-use of laboratory supplies. If you

have girls and women in your life who love science, these necklaces

would be a great addition to their stocking this year. I would love to

have one of these necklaces (the one with the family of mountain

gorillas on it) myself. There are more than 50 different designs to

choose from. I know you'll be able to find something you like too!

I asked Uncorked what prompted her to start making them. She said she

has always loved to re-purpose things in her home and classroom (she

teaches 6-8th grade science).

She has used test tubes as carrying cases for vitamins, in spice

racks, and as push pin holders that hang on her bulletin boards. As

for the necklaces, "One day with a regular test tube order I received

a better grade of cork than what I was used to. The cork felt

unbelievably cool and smooth to the touch and looked so beautiful that

within seconds I was imagining my uncorked line!" she says.

Uncorked calls herself a "mad scientist" in her profile on etsy, so I

asked her about what that phrase means to her. "I am the kind of

scientist that gets "mad" when people think they cannot be scientific

and artistic at the same time," she said. I completely agree. Science

requires imagination, passion, originality, and an ability to think

outside the box and improvise - all traits usually associated with

artists. Uncorked has successfully combined her love of science and

art with her test tube line.

When I asked Uncorked about what prompted her to start selling her

creations on etsy, she told me that she "was trying to get some crafty

girls in my school interested in the science fair by offering them a

new category for the most creative project. The girls were all etsy

addicted, and when I got home that night and googled it, I was quickly

addicted, too!" It sounds to me like she learned about Etsy from her

students. Neat!

In addition to teaching science, Uncorked teaches photography classes.

Just as she encourages her science students' love for art, she

introduces her photography students to the beauty in science. "I am

determined to get my photography students to see the beauty in tesla

coil, exploding glass and, yes, cork! And I am equally determined to

get my computer students to see the beauty in their binary numbers!"

she says.

Clearly Uncorked is passionate about what she does. "As a scientist I

am continually inspired by the things I do not know. When a student

asks a question in a way I had not thought about, I get excited. When

I hear something I am unfamiliar with, the researcher in me kicks into

high gear. I love to google! I am also a born skeptic so I love to

experiment," she says. She also strikes me as a natural artist. "I

have been an artist all my life. College was kind of a crossroads

where I choose science as a career because I knew the art would always

be there for me." Gotta pay the bills!

Her "uncorkedUCATION line" is designed specifically for girls to

inspire a love of math and science.

The cork she uses in her pieces is a renewable resource (as are the

glass test tubes). Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree.

She says the cork she uses "is grown in managed forests in Portugal

and Spain where the bark is carefully harvested, once every nine

years, in a centuries-old tradition with hand tools and without

fertilizers or pesticides, a process that ensures the forests will

remain undamaged."

The photo on the right shows what a harvested and still alive cork oak

tree looks like. I passed through a forest of them in Tunisia, and

they are amazing trees. The WWF has an excellent page devoted to the