Monday, July 4, 2022
By:
This week has been finally feeling like things have been settling down. I have a semblance of a routine and know my way around DC pretty well now, but I have still been experiencing new things!
This week at work, I have joined a giant undertaking! Mitch, Will, and Andrea are creating a database that tracks important government science organization budgets over a ten year period. This means I read budget documents from 2014. it was definitely interesting seeing how government priorities change over the years and which projects got started or terminated. I also learned to use Microsoft Access, which I didn’t know existed before this week. It is a useful alternative to Excel, but definitely has somewhat of a learning curve.
This week, we interns had a potluck, and Lucy and I brought scones. I was heartened by all the tasty vegetarian choices. This was the first potluck I have brought food to, and I love the idea. Lucy, Taylor, Gizem, and I also went to a talk on exoplanets. This was incredible! The JWST will be releasing photos next week, and it has already discovered 5000 exoplanets, some of which are in habitable temperature zones like Earth. I also enjoyed visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Old Post Office Tower. The Fourth of July Fireworks on the Mall was also a treat!
Matangi Melpakkam