December 13, 2013

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Happiness on a Chain: Is That An Oxymoron?

Scientists are, in general, a rebellious bunch. But Raven Hanna, the brains behind Made With Molecules, may be more rebellious than most. After completing a PhD in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale and doing a post-doc at UC Berkeley, she left the well-trodden path to the Ivory Tower to live off the grid and [...]

By Kalliopi Monoyios

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

Scientists are, in general, a rebellious bunch. But Raven Hanna, the brains behind Made With Molecules, may be more rebellious than most. After completing a PhD in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale and doing a post-doc at UC Berkeley, she left the well-trodden path to the Ivory Tower to live off the grid and pursue science art (not necessarily in that order). Specifically, she makes jewelry out of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin and molecules like caffeine that enjoy name recognition with the general public.

What started as a desire to communicate science to the public in a non-intimidating way (in case you were wondering, mentioning that you work in molecular biophysics does not generally make for great small talk) has turned into much more. Hanna regularly receives letters from customers who take her designs as symbols - reminders of a struggle or an aspiration - bringing her work full circle. By connecting with people on a human level, she opens a door to communicate something else. As she puts it, there's "a covert science lesson in every box."

More on Raven Hanna and Made With Molecules:

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Made With Molecules website

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