Working in their Chemistry 121 lab in the 2006 spring semester, sophomores David Farrow, Erin Fulks, Kallie Appleton and lindsey Fielder, future~members of the Gedanken Society, make ice cream. Chemistry labs 121 and 250 were prerequisites for gaining membership into the SOciety. -Courtesy of Megan Easterly imagining experiments Society offers opportunities to chemistry majors According to [he Gedanken Society's Facebook page, Gedanken is a German word for thought; a dioughr or experimem typically tested within the mind. Ie was only fitting, rhen, that one of the group's primary focuses served to encourage students to think about the physical sciences. . Comprised of students and faculty, senior club president Megan Easterly said the organization included chemistry, biochemistry, physics andphysical science majors and tried to influence other students to think about science as an educational avenue. «Students take chemistry classes but don't know what else is involved with chemistry," Easterly said. "We try to get people involved in science by doing things like going on mini-trips to see what jobs there are," Easeerly said the Gedanken Socieey was noe a eypical club. They did not have regular club meetings but tried to involve students as much as possible in science. The group went on field trips, published the "Gedanken Journal/' hosted a weekly science speaker series, meocored incoming freshman and participated in other social functions such as playing spons against other academic clubs. Senior club vice-president Josh Eichhorn said rhe weekly seminars happened every Monday when the group invited a guest speaker for all _ 230 organizations club members and prospective dub members ro hear. Sometimes the speakers were science professors and, ocher rimes, rhey were stuciems. Eichhorn said the student speakers benefited from speaking because they had to prepare a 20-25 minute discussion over their research. He said opportunities such as the Gedanken Society gave him a chance to network amongst other science students and professors. "The club activities got me more interested in the different sciences there are," Eic,~horn said. "It really helped me to get to know who the professors are. Junior Sarah Christensen said she also thought the Gedanken Society was great for students by preparing rhem for the fucure. "Gedanken helped include me in science," Christensen said. "With upperclassmen it helps you in preparing for what's coming up." The club's Facebook page stated that although a gedanken experiment would be impractical to carry out, it was still useful because of its theoretical reasoning. "Gedanken experiments are very useful in physics but must be used with care," the club's Facebook page stated. "It's too easy to idealize away some important aspect of the real world in constructing the apparatus." -Brian Hall
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