Author Archives: Laura Jean

About Laura Jean

I worked in the financial arena all of my adult life until May of 2001 when I received my AS degree in General Science from Bergen Community College and was accepted in to the School of General Studies at Columbia University. I have been an Earth and Space Explainer at the American Museum of Natural History since 2000 and also serve as the stage manager for the Isaac Asimov debate. I am fortunate enough to be a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador and have participated in the Ambassador program since 2003. I received my BS degree in Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution from Columbia University in 2006 and would like to continue my education in the area of Geophysics focusing on extremophile research. It is my hope that I will continue to be afforded opportunities that will allow me to motivate individuals to participate in and be inspired by science.

Coronavirus Jigsaw Puzzle Video & Explanation

Posted on by

https://youtu.be/ULKEnfiE1Eg

**(Please note: after listening to the explanation I gave in this presentation I found a few items that I was uncomfortable with and made a separate video explaining those items. You can see that short video by going to my YouTube channel or  clicking on the following link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WgYNx-UXQq4)**

The Coronavirus Jigsaw Puzzle Explanation

Many people are asking me about the new Coronavirus – COVID-19 – and I figured out a way to explain the situation so that people without an academic science background might understand the situation a little better.

The Coronavirus is not new although this strain, called Covid-19, is a variant that we have not seen before.

Think of the Coronavirus as a jigsaw puzzle. There are many pieces to the puzzle and each piece has a partner to which it connects. Viruses are like puzzle pieces as they have shapes on the end of their spikes that fit into certain receptors. Part of the Coronavirus puzzle has already been completed with coronaviruses that we have encountered before like those that cause the common cold. We understand those pieces and know how those puzzle pieces fit together. Due to the development of vaccines, and past Coronavirus exposures, our bodies have some defense against the known coronaviruses. Our bodies have the ability to recognize the known pieces and can block them from coming together. There are other parts to the Coronavirus puzzle that are already completed as well like the parts that represent SARS and MERS. You get the idea. Now imagine that you realize that you are missing pieces to your puzzle. You start looking around for the missing pieces. You search under the table and the couch and you come up with new pieces that you never saw before. This is Covid-19. Still part of the larger Coronavirus puzzle but part of an incomplete section with new pieces you have to deal with. The medical professionals need time to examine the pieces and see if they are edge pieces or middle pieces. Maybe they will sort them by color or by other markers that they see in the puzzle but they need time to figure out which pieces go together and where in the puzzle the connected pieces fit. Once they do that, they will develop a vaccine that will boost our immune system’s response to Covid-19 and we will be better able to deal with the virus if we come in contact with this new Covid-19 strain. Until then please do not panic! Scientists all over the world are working on learning how to deal with this new situation. Please do not feed the panic or listen to the hype. Listen to the scientists! Be diligent! Wash your hands and sneeze into tissues and then throw the tissues away. Try not to touch your face and clean surfaces that you use regularly such as the items on your desk at work. Also, your pets are not susceptible to this variant of Coronavirus but they can come in contact with the virus and may act as a contaminated surface. If you are worried, you can gently wipe down their paws and nose after walking them outside. I hope this explanation helps. Be well and be diligent! Stay healthy. LJC

Communities are the threads that make up the American Flag

Posted on by

I am often asked why I think it is so important to get involved in community outreach and local politics. I believe that every small town represents a thread in the American Flag. It is our responsibility to keep the integrity of that thread strong by standing up for what is right and just. When the thread is frayed because of corruption, greed, and injustice then the entire flag is at risk of becoming frayed. We must work to re-establish the integrity of our piece of the flag so that the surrounding towns will see our example and maintain the integrity of their thread as well. In this way each small town does their part to strengthen the Country as a whole. Every individual has the opportunity to enhance the strength of their piece of thread by acting altruistically and in the interest of the Country. One act of kindness can be enough to set a chain of events in motion that can change someone’s perspective and motivate them to be a positive influence in the lives of others.