New Zealand looks pretty nice
2. If you could have been a child prodigy what would you have wanted to be skilled at?
Gymnastics because I think it’s really cool
3. If you were reincarnated as an animal what would it be?
A monkey—I like to climb things. And if I were a monkey it would make the number of bananas I eat per day seem more reasonable.
4. What would you name your autobiography?
Synthesis and Reactivity of BrI(2H)Ge(3H)
5. What do you miss most about being a kid?
Having time to sleep
6. What was your favorite activity in gym class?
Crab soccer, I must have had massive triceps because crab walking kills me now
7. Would you rather be really really big or really really small?
Really really small so I’d know what it feels like to be Esther.
8. What did you want to be when you were young? And now?
The first thing I can remember wanting to be when I was like 6 or 7 was a construction worker because I liked to build things and I thought it was cool how they got to build stuff all day. This teenage kid that worked for my dad told me that I didn’t want to be a construction worker, I wanted to be an architect because they made all the money but I didn’t believe him.
Now I want to be a synthetic chemist because I like making molecules and studying them.
9. What song would you sing at karaoke night?
All the Small Things – Blink-182 because half the song you just say “na na na na”
10. Where would you not mind waiting?
A deserted Oregon beach—because I have never been bored when I’m alone on the beach. There’s always something to do and sometimes it’s just a good place to stop and think.
11. What would you refuse to do for one million dollars?
4 more years of Caltech!
12. How do you like to relax?
Now I like to sleep. Back before sleeping was a luxury, I liked to draw and paint and read.
13. If you could dis-invent one thing, what would it be?
Reality TV
14. What always makes you a more confident person?
Having a dream something goes well before it happens
15. What language would you like to master?
English because then maybe I’d be able to spell
16. What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?
Let’s get it Started by the Black Eyed Peas
17. If you could paint a picture of any scenery you’ve seen before, what would you paint?
The sun setting over the beach in Oregon—I’ve always had issues painting water and sunsets never last long enough to paint them
18. If you had to work on only one project for the next year, what would it be?
Taming a wild rhinoceros
19. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?
I don’t know, but not Sarah. My dad has gotten enough Terminator prank calls being John Connor. I don’t want to get them too.
20. What story does your family always tell about you?
This one Christmas when I was pretty young, my Grandma gave my sister and me a globe of the world. We opened it and I was looking at all the countries and I saw Turkey and so I asked my mom where Chicken was.
21. Where’s Waldo?
No idea. I lost patience for that game years ago.
