I actually am trying to figure out what might have happened on earth Billions of years ago, when little molecules were reacting with each other to make bigger molecules, and bigger molecules were combining with each other, and fatty molecules were getting together to form membranes, and all these molecules were getting together to form cells. I think this is exciting, and I'm so happy to be working in this research area. There's an article about me called, Granny Says Life Evolved Between the Mica Sheets | LiveScience - click here but it doesn't show the picture of me with my baby granddaughter any more.

So science can be fun, and it's also useful. Scientists are trying to figure out what caused climate changes millions of years ago, so they can make better predictions about how our climate might change during your lifetime.

It's also important for everyone to know some things about science, and how science works, because decisions about science, and science policy, affect our lives. It's good to understand something about these decisions, so we can vote for the candidates who want to make good decisions.

You can do a little scientific experiment every time you decide whether to wear a jacket when you go outdoors. You can look out the window and guess how cold it is. Or you can look at the thermometer to see what the temperature is. Or you can step outdoors and feel the air to see how cold it is. Those are all examples of the scientific method - gathering data, to make a better decision.

Because what happened in the past determines what the Earth looks like today, will determine what the Earth will look like in the future, and because the processes that took place in the past are not too different from those taking place in the present, and which will, again, determine the future.