Posted by Arianne:
Basing my dissertation work in China has had many perks, but one I did not necessarily expect was the opportunity to meet so many interesting people from around the world.
In late July, grasshopper ecologist Tony Joern and grasshopper/insect ecophysiologist Spencer Behmer made their first visit to China. Dr. Kang was a postdoc in Tony’s lab in Nebraska — I’m becoming increasingly convinced that the degrees of separation are down to 2 in academia. Colleen and I had the opportunity to join them in Beijing for a few days while members from Dr. Kang’s group showed us the wonders of the Forbidden City and The Great Wall. The sites were fantastic to see again, but being the grasshopper geek that I’m becoming, I’ll admit that the most exciting part was hearing about their research and getting to ask questions first-hand.
Wu Rei (a Kang PhD student and fantastic guide), Tony, Spence, Colleen, and Arianne on the infamous wall near Badaling
(a little help for the students) From the Taoist White Cloud Temple: “…They are protectors of scholars and students, and are able to bestow intelligence on people, and provide assistance to pass examinations and tests…”
Kuixing: rub the belly for good luck on exams!
Stoichiometry, Fairly Unbalanced 