Holiday reminder: Mole Day is here!

For those of you that may have forgotten, today is Mole Day!


I had a fantastic chemistry teacher in high school that went all out for Mole Day, it was most definitely the highlight of the academic year for her. She even dressed up like a mole all day, and it takes no small amount of bravado to march around a building full of 1500 teenagers dressed like a fossorial mammal. We had a party in class with mole-themed snacks, crafts, etc, and everyone made their own creative stuffed mole (examples: a pink Pepto-Bismole, Pepsi Mola made out of a soda can box, Molses with the 10^23 Commandments, and my own Mickey Mole that won the "cutest mole" award!). Last year that teacher died unexpectedly and way too young, and today was a reminder for me of just how much of an impact a truly great teacher can have. I have never enjoyed chemistry, but I learned so much about science and how to *think* from her class, she is truly on my list of teachers that will never be forgotten. So in honor of her and science teachers everywhere, everyone celebrate Mole Day today.

(For any non-scientists that have come across this and are utterly confused, a mole is a unit of measurement often used in chemistry, equal to 6.02 x 10^23. This is a HUGE number, and illustrations of its vast magnitude have captured the imaginations of creative scientists everywhere). On a side note, there is also a holiday dedicated to pi).