Hello Internet!

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


Hello Internet! Scicurious here. For the past FIVE years now, Sci has brought you the latest and greatest (and sometimes the worst), in neuroscience, physiology, and stuff like poop. Blogging has been a life changing experience for me, I’ve learned so much, and I have also made so many wonderful friends! And of course, I’ve read a lot of VERY weird science.

As many of you probably know, I’m a big fan of being able to use a pseudonym. I think it’s incredibly important that we have the freedom to express ourselves, even when we can’t make those expressions under our real names. While yes, a pseudonym can be a great opportunity for trolling, it can also be an opportunity to develop yourself online. as the person you want to be. Developing your talents, skills, and meeting people you might not be able to otherwise.


On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.


And over the years, Scicurious has become almost as much a part of me as my real name. It’s just another name I go by. It has allowed me to build a reputation for myself, independent of where I work, where I have studied, what I look like, or other things that might give people preconceptions about what I have to say. I am proud of (almost) everything that Scicurious has done (except when I’ve gotten stuff wrong), and I hope that she and I will be together a long, long time.

But internet, you’ve been good to me, and because you have, I really think

it’s time that we take our relationship to the next level.

So. Hello, Internet. My name is Bethany Brookshire. I have degrees and things. I have a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy from the College of William and Mary, and a Ph.D. in Physiology and Pharmacology from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. I am finishing up a postdoc in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. I live in Philadelphia with my significant other and my cat. I love running, chocolate, coffee, the internet, and SCIENCE. I am Bethany. And I am also Scicurious. It’s nice to meet you all!

(Yeah, that's the good picture)

But don't worry folks! Scicurious continues on. I love to write and I'm going to keep at it! It's practically a brand name, after all. I will continue to bring you the best and worst of neuroscience and physiology! You'll just now have a face and a name to peg all of my mistakes on. You can continue to follow me on Twitter at @scicurious, and you can hunt me down on Google + under B Brookshire. I've also got a Facebook page (brand new!) and you can see that here.

Scicurious has a PhD in Physiology from a Southern institution. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from another respected Southern institution. She is currently a post-doctoral researcher at a celebrated institution that is very fancy and somewhere else. Her professional interests are in neurophysiology and psychiatric disorders. She recently obtained her PhD and is pursuing her love of science and writing at the same time. She often blogs in the third person. For more information about Scicurious and to view her recent award and activities, please see her CV ( http://scientopia.org/blogs/scicurious/a-scicurious-cv/)

More by Scicurious

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe