1 00:00:02,639 --> 00:00:05,040 Hello, and welcome to the Physics World Stories 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:08,650 podcast. I'm Andre Glesser. And in October 3 00:00:08,650 --> 00:00:09,859 2025, 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,199 Queer Quest, a journey to self discovery, took 5 00:00:13,199 --> 00:00:14,644 place in Chicago. 6 00:00:15,664 --> 00:00:17,765 The event was recognized by UNESCO 7 00:00:18,225 --> 00:00:21,105 as officially part of the International Year of 8 00:00:21,105 --> 00:00:24,224 Quantum Science and Technology. In this episode, we're 9 00:00:24,224 --> 00:00:27,279 joined by Jessica and Emily Esquivel, who have 10 00:00:27,279 --> 00:00:30,259 come together to create this innovative event. 11 00:00:30,599 --> 00:00:31,099 And 12 00:00:31,439 --> 00:00:33,219 it is, of course, in Chicago 13 00:00:33,679 --> 00:00:37,939 where recent increased immigration enforcement operations have created 14 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,905 a heightened sense of tension and uncertainty across 15 00:00:41,965 --> 00:00:42,784 many communities. 16 00:00:43,245 --> 00:00:44,625 It's within this atmosphere 17 00:00:44,925 --> 00:00:45,664 that QueerQuest 18 00:00:46,204 --> 00:00:46,945 was forged 19 00:00:47,245 --> 00:00:50,304 with a view to build connection and resilience, 20 00:00:51,005 --> 00:00:53,484 offering as a reminder that science is not 21 00:00:53,484 --> 00:00:53,984 separate 22 00:00:54,445 --> 00:00:56,340 from the lives of those who do it. 23 00:00:58,579 --> 00:01:02,039 I'm doctor Jessica Esquivel. I'm a particle physicist 24 00:01:02,260 --> 00:01:04,519 and cofounder of Oya Nova Enterprises. 25 00:01:05,620 --> 00:01:07,159 I am Emily Esquivel. 26 00:01:07,540 --> 00:01:09,319 I am a licensed clinical 27 00:01:09,620 --> 00:01:10,680 professional counselor, 28 00:01:12,084 --> 00:01:14,724 and I'm the other cofounder, the mental health 29 00:01:14,724 --> 00:01:16,505 side of Oya Nova Enterprises, 30 00:01:17,045 --> 00:01:18,584 and I own my own, 31 00:01:19,045 --> 00:01:22,325 private practice called Oya Nova Healing. So Oya 32 00:01:22,325 --> 00:01:25,525 Nova is really us, I would say, in 33 00:01:25,525 --> 00:01:26,665 business form. 34 00:01:27,090 --> 00:01:30,549 The mission of Oya Nova is to forge 35 00:01:31,009 --> 00:01:34,390 innovative social initiatives through the power of community, 36 00:01:35,489 --> 00:01:37,590 and QueerQuest is one of those initiatives. 37 00:01:38,450 --> 00:01:39,829 We realized that 38 00:01:40,769 --> 00:01:42,310 as we were going through 39 00:01:43,045 --> 00:01:44,984 the ivory tower of academia, 40 00:01:45,604 --> 00:01:48,344 we saw a lot of, like, professional development 41 00:01:48,564 --> 00:01:49,064 spaces 42 00:01:49,524 --> 00:01:52,244 that were really focused only on the career 43 00:01:52,244 --> 00:01:52,744 progression 44 00:01:53,045 --> 00:01:54,984 of us in both of our fields. 45 00:01:56,959 --> 00:01:58,180 But when you're marginalized 46 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,379 in STEAM, when you're marginalized in, 47 00:02:01,759 --> 00:02:03,060 mental health practice, 48 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,219 leaving that holistic approach 49 00:02:07,599 --> 00:02:08,819 to career progression 50 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:10,259 was was lacking. 51 00:02:11,155 --> 00:02:13,574 And that's where we thought Olinova could really 52 00:02:14,354 --> 00:02:17,395 find that niche. Mhmm. I think through our 53 00:02:17,395 --> 00:02:19,574 conversations, we were really realizing, 54 00:02:21,634 --> 00:02:22,134 that, 55 00:02:23,079 --> 00:02:23,579 yes, 56 00:02:23,879 --> 00:02:24,859 higher education 57 00:02:25,159 --> 00:02:25,979 is important, 58 00:02:26,519 --> 00:02:29,739 but at what cost Mhmm. To our bodies, 59 00:02:29,879 --> 00:02:32,060 to our mental health, to our well-being. 60 00:02:33,719 --> 00:02:35,579 And I think we both 61 00:02:36,485 --> 00:02:37,384 had firsthand 62 00:02:37,685 --> 00:02:38,185 experiences 63 00:02:39,125 --> 00:02:41,224 of struggling to maintain 64 00:02:42,164 --> 00:02:43,064 our bodies, 65 00:02:43,525 --> 00:02:44,425 our minds 66 00:02:44,965 --> 00:02:47,224 as we moved through the 67 00:02:47,525 --> 00:02:48,745 education system. 68 00:02:49,044 --> 00:02:50,664 Yeah. In a lot of ways, 69 00:02:51,050 --> 00:02:51,870 for marginalized 70 00:02:52,169 --> 00:02:52,669 people, 71 00:02:54,650 --> 00:02:55,150 academia 72 00:02:55,449 --> 00:02:57,849 can be like a toxic relationship 73 00:02:58,169 --> 00:03:00,590 Mhmm. That you just can't kick. Right? 74 00:03:01,530 --> 00:03:02,270 I have 75 00:03:02,729 --> 00:03:06,090 a a passion for for physics and for 76 00:03:06,090 --> 00:03:06,590 studying, 77 00:03:07,105 --> 00:03:09,125 you know, the building blocks of our universe, 78 00:03:09,585 --> 00:03:13,205 but that came at a cost to 79 00:03:13,825 --> 00:03:14,564 my well-being 80 00:03:15,025 --> 00:03:17,585 and and being high cost. Yeah. And being 81 00:03:17,585 --> 00:03:18,805 in spaces that 82 00:03:19,105 --> 00:03:20,165 truly affected, 83 00:03:20,705 --> 00:03:22,085 like, my mental health. 84 00:03:23,150 --> 00:03:24,610 And when talking to 85 00:03:25,069 --> 00:03:27,949 specifically other black women in the field of 86 00:03:27,949 --> 00:03:28,449 physics, 87 00:03:28,990 --> 00:03:29,490 this, 88 00:03:30,110 --> 00:03:31,810 depression after PhD 89 00:03:32,509 --> 00:03:33,009 was 90 00:03:33,469 --> 00:03:35,330 a norm and not an anomaly. 91 00:03:36,194 --> 00:03:38,594 And we weren't talking about how it kind 92 00:03:38,594 --> 00:03:41,014 of ravaged our bodies and our minds. 93 00:03:42,194 --> 00:03:45,254 And while it's a huge accomplishment, like, 94 00:03:45,555 --> 00:03:46,215 I know 95 00:03:46,754 --> 00:03:48,914 that I'm only one of a 150 black 96 00:03:48,914 --> 00:03:51,240 women with a PhD in physics. Like, that's 97 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:52,139 huge. But 98 00:03:53,159 --> 00:03:55,819 the weight of it, right, was also huge. 99 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,800 And, yeah, we really just wanted to create 100 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,780 a safe space to have conversations like that. 101 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:04,620 And it wasn't until, 102 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:06,300 like, 2020 103 00:04:06,995 --> 00:04:07,495 that 104 00:04:08,034 --> 00:04:10,294 even the conversation around mental health 105 00:04:10,594 --> 00:04:12,675 was bubbling up to the surface in our, 106 00:04:12,675 --> 00:04:13,495 like, science 107 00:04:13,875 --> 00:04:15,735 fields. It was these conversations 108 00:04:16,115 --> 00:04:18,514 between Jessica and Emily around the time of 109 00:04:18,514 --> 00:04:19,975 the COVID nineteen pandemic 110 00:04:20,290 --> 00:04:22,629 that led them to see the critical need 111 00:04:22,930 --> 00:04:23,589 for connections 112 00:04:23,970 --> 00:04:26,470 and support networks within higher education, 113 00:04:27,009 --> 00:04:30,310 especially for marginalized groups. And these conversations 114 00:04:30,770 --> 00:04:32,954 were the start of a journey that led 115 00:04:32,954 --> 00:04:34,574 to the creation of QueerQuest, 116 00:04:35,115 --> 00:04:37,615 an event that blended the boundaries of science, 117 00:04:37,754 --> 00:04:39,134 healing, and community 118 00:04:39,435 --> 00:04:42,974 to celebrate black, brown, and queer identities. 119 00:04:43,754 --> 00:04:45,995 When Em and I were having these late 120 00:04:45,995 --> 00:04:46,814 night conversations, 121 00:04:50,660 --> 00:04:51,960 having the the 122 00:04:53,220 --> 00:04:56,420 the understanding of, like, what it means to 123 00:04:56,420 --> 00:04:56,920 be 124 00:04:57,379 --> 00:04:57,879 black, 125 00:04:58,180 --> 00:04:59,480 brown, queer, 126 00:04:59,939 --> 00:05:00,439 marginalized 127 00:05:00,900 --> 00:05:01,639 in STEAM, 128 00:05:02,324 --> 00:05:03,064 and and 129 00:05:04,324 --> 00:05:07,785 how therapy and therapists can help support that 130 00:05:07,845 --> 00:05:08,345 journey. 131 00:05:08,725 --> 00:05:10,485 Like, that was also kind of, like, a 132 00:05:10,644 --> 00:05:12,185 an a part of that puzzle. 133 00:05:12,564 --> 00:05:14,404 Yeah. And I would say from the mental 134 00:05:14,404 --> 00:05:17,829 health perspective, it was through those conversations too 135 00:05:17,829 --> 00:05:19,129 that you start realizing, 136 00:05:20,149 --> 00:05:22,449 oh, there are serious limitations to, 137 00:05:24,470 --> 00:05:26,329 just one on one talk therapy. 138 00:05:26,870 --> 00:05:27,370 And 139 00:05:27,990 --> 00:05:30,069 while it's great and amazing and I'm a 140 00:05:30,069 --> 00:05:31,754 therapist and that's what I do, 141 00:05:32,955 --> 00:05:34,254 it has its limitations. 142 00:05:34,875 --> 00:05:35,375 And 143 00:05:35,995 --> 00:05:36,555 we were 144 00:05:37,435 --> 00:05:39,834 the more we started having these conversations, the 145 00:05:39,834 --> 00:05:40,334 more, 146 00:05:41,115 --> 00:05:42,334 we started recognizing 147 00:05:42,795 --> 00:05:45,435 how many people were also having the same 148 00:05:45,435 --> 00:05:47,370 experience in higher education, 149 00:05:48,790 --> 00:05:50,949 where it was taking a toll on their 150 00:05:50,949 --> 00:05:53,529 mental health, on their bodies, and the sacrifices 151 00:05:53,910 --> 00:05:56,330 being made to do this. So, 152 00:05:56,870 --> 00:05:59,050 yeah, this is part of, I think, 153 00:05:59,830 --> 00:06:00,330 what 154 00:06:00,785 --> 00:06:04,004 got me thinking more about the limitations 155 00:06:04,464 --> 00:06:04,964 of 156 00:06:05,345 --> 00:06:06,644 white westernized 157 00:06:07,345 --> 00:06:07,845 theories 158 00:06:08,865 --> 00:06:12,485 for mental health and really leaning into more, 159 00:06:13,740 --> 00:06:15,360 like, holistic practices, 160 00:06:16,620 --> 00:06:18,160 to address the whole person, 161 00:06:18,779 --> 00:06:20,939 not just the individual. Yeah. And I think 162 00:06:20,939 --> 00:06:23,579 that's where, one, QueerQuest was born, right, out 163 00:06:23,579 --> 00:06:24,959 of those late night conversations, 164 00:06:25,740 --> 00:06:26,560 and, two, 165 00:06:26,925 --> 00:06:28,144 how quantum mechanics 166 00:06:29,165 --> 00:06:30,625 became like our 167 00:06:31,004 --> 00:06:31,824 North Star. 168 00:06:32,444 --> 00:06:35,904 And we use these concepts of superposition, 169 00:06:36,685 --> 00:06:39,425 of being in many states, of entanglement, 170 00:06:40,199 --> 00:06:42,139 of, understanding that 171 00:06:42,439 --> 00:06:43,660 healing in community 172 00:06:44,199 --> 00:06:47,240 is better than, you know, isolated kind of, 173 00:06:48,199 --> 00:06:48,699 healing. 174 00:06:49,399 --> 00:06:49,899 Mhmm. 175 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:52,379 And and we kind of 176 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:55,500 framed QueerQuest, 177 00:06:56,894 --> 00:06:59,935 with quantum mechanics and use quantum as, like, 178 00:06:59,935 --> 00:07:01,235 a framework for liberation. 179 00:07:01,774 --> 00:07:04,035 So all of our our workshops 180 00:07:04,495 --> 00:07:05,394 and our, 181 00:07:06,175 --> 00:07:06,675 questions, 182 00:07:07,214 --> 00:07:08,915 they they hit upon 183 00:07:09,615 --> 00:07:10,115 really 184 00:07:10,495 --> 00:07:11,634 complex concepts 185 00:07:12,310 --> 00:07:15,449 for, like, the general audience. Right? 186 00:07:16,870 --> 00:07:18,490 But what we saw 187 00:07:18,949 --> 00:07:19,769 was that 188 00:07:20,550 --> 00:07:21,689 there's language 189 00:07:22,230 --> 00:07:23,850 in the mental health space 190 00:07:25,125 --> 00:07:27,784 that mirrors a lot of the quantum mechanical 191 00:07:27,925 --> 00:07:30,264 concepts. It was so cool. It really 192 00:07:31,044 --> 00:07:31,544 was. 193 00:07:32,324 --> 00:07:34,185 And it wouldn't have like, those 194 00:07:34,884 --> 00:07:36,745 really awesome cross pollination 195 00:07:37,365 --> 00:07:37,865 conversations 196 00:07:38,699 --> 00:07:40,939 wouldn't have happened if we didn't have both 197 00:07:40,939 --> 00:07:44,300 therapists and scientists in the room. Mhmm. And 198 00:07:44,300 --> 00:07:44,959 I think, 199 00:07:45,339 --> 00:07:47,039 like, we've grown 200 00:07:47,899 --> 00:07:48,399 together 201 00:07:48,939 --> 00:07:50,319 because of those conversations, 202 00:07:51,099 --> 00:07:53,019 and it was just wild to see that 203 00:07:53,019 --> 00:07:54,345 kind of mirrored back 204 00:07:54,824 --> 00:07:56,045 to us. Mhmm. 205 00:07:56,665 --> 00:07:58,185 And one of I think the one of 206 00:07:58,185 --> 00:07:59,644 the, like, most meaningful 207 00:07:59,944 --> 00:08:03,245 meaningful feedback that I got was from 208 00:08:04,105 --> 00:08:04,605 sisters. 209 00:08:05,144 --> 00:08:07,704 One of them is a physicist, and the 210 00:08:07,704 --> 00:08:09,644 other one is a mental health therapist. 211 00:08:10,470 --> 00:08:12,250 And they said that their relationship 212 00:08:12,949 --> 00:08:14,810 was changed because of QueerQuest. 213 00:08:16,470 --> 00:08:18,330 Yeah. They they said that 214 00:08:19,670 --> 00:08:21,770 they weren't able to talk to each other, 215 00:08:22,150 --> 00:08:25,029 that the languages that each were using within 216 00:08:25,029 --> 00:08:25,770 their careers 217 00:08:26,414 --> 00:08:28,754 were, like, isolated and separate. 218 00:08:29,694 --> 00:08:32,754 But QueerQuest was able to give them language 219 00:08:33,534 --> 00:08:35,475 to shared language. Shared language. 220 00:08:36,894 --> 00:08:38,334 And now they're discussing. So, 221 00:08:39,549 --> 00:08:40,209 the physicist 222 00:08:41,549 --> 00:08:44,669 is a science communicator and educator, and she 223 00:08:44,669 --> 00:08:47,009 teaches teachers to teach science. 224 00:08:48,110 --> 00:08:50,990 And now they're having conversations about, like, let's 225 00:08:50,990 --> 00:08:53,889 expand that and use language, like science 226 00:08:54,355 --> 00:08:58,375 communication language to help mental health therapists expand 227 00:08:58,434 --> 00:08:59,174 how they 228 00:08:59,795 --> 00:09:03,394 help with healing and and therapy. Okay. It 229 00:09:03,394 --> 00:09:05,475 was wild. It was just wild. Like 230 00:09:06,910 --> 00:09:09,070 And I think that was also that was 231 00:09:09,070 --> 00:09:11,470 part of the hope for us in bringing 232 00:09:11,470 --> 00:09:14,110 together these two communities at an event like 233 00:09:14,110 --> 00:09:16,990 this. I mean, it's us. Right? We have 234 00:09:16,990 --> 00:09:17,490 come 235 00:09:17,870 --> 00:09:18,769 to an understanding 236 00:09:19,309 --> 00:09:20,290 of each other 237 00:09:21,264 --> 00:09:24,144 throughout the last fifteen years and have a 238 00:09:24,144 --> 00:09:26,544 shared language about how we talk about science 239 00:09:26,544 --> 00:09:27,605 and mental health. 240 00:09:28,144 --> 00:09:28,644 And, 241 00:09:29,824 --> 00:09:31,125 I think just destigmatizing 242 00:09:31,985 --> 00:09:32,725 the conversations 243 00:09:33,105 --> 00:09:35,584 Both on both ends. On both ends. Right? 244 00:09:35,584 --> 00:09:38,830 We had therapists saying, I'm just, quote, unquote, 245 00:09:38,830 --> 00:09:41,070 a therapist. Like, what am I doing with 246 00:09:41,070 --> 00:09:43,710 these scientists? Mhmm. And then we had scientists 247 00:09:43,710 --> 00:09:44,529 being like, 248 00:09:44,990 --> 00:09:47,629 woah. My mind is blown about what you 249 00:09:47,629 --> 00:09:50,815 just said about, like, mental health, like, in 250 00:09:50,815 --> 00:09:53,934 the context of what I just explained with 251 00:09:53,934 --> 00:09:55,714 regards to quantum physics. 252 00:09:56,095 --> 00:09:59,214 And so it really it was so cool 253 00:09:59,214 --> 00:09:59,954 to see 254 00:10:00,495 --> 00:10:04,289 these communities come together and create and demystify, 255 00:10:05,549 --> 00:10:06,049 destigmatize 256 00:10:06,909 --> 00:10:09,649 both fields and create a shared language, 257 00:10:10,990 --> 00:10:11,490 where, 258 00:10:12,350 --> 00:10:15,809 just the connections were amazing. Yeah. Yeah. 259 00:10:16,804 --> 00:10:18,565 Most of the people who listen to this 260 00:10:18,565 --> 00:10:20,804 probably won't have been to QueerQuest. So can 261 00:10:20,804 --> 00:10:22,644 can you tell me what people would experience 262 00:10:22,644 --> 00:10:24,964 when they were there? Oh, man. It was 263 00:10:24,964 --> 00:10:25,464 magical. 264 00:10:26,245 --> 00:10:27,225 So QueerQuest, 265 00:10:27,924 --> 00:10:30,105 we wanted it to be a space where 266 00:10:30,889 --> 00:10:35,389 black, brown, queer folk were centered and prioritized, 267 00:10:36,410 --> 00:10:36,910 where 268 00:10:38,889 --> 00:10:40,970 we we kind of said it was like 269 00:10:40,970 --> 00:10:42,590 a unconference conference. 270 00:10:43,225 --> 00:10:45,004 So we baked in 271 00:10:45,625 --> 00:10:47,404 time for rest and regulation. 272 00:10:48,184 --> 00:10:51,245 We baked in time for community building, 273 00:10:52,504 --> 00:10:53,004 and 274 00:10:53,465 --> 00:10:55,565 baked in those, like, spaces 275 00:10:55,945 --> 00:10:57,085 for conversation. 276 00:10:58,850 --> 00:11:02,049 So our days both days started out with 277 00:11:02,049 --> 00:11:03,750 a cosmic awakening 278 00:11:04,209 --> 00:11:05,669 slash grounding ceremony. 279 00:11:06,289 --> 00:11:08,529 So well, it started out with breakfast because 280 00:11:08,529 --> 00:11:09,509 food is important. 281 00:11:10,690 --> 00:11:11,589 In our communities 282 00:11:11,889 --> 00:11:13,509 in in our cultures, 283 00:11:14,245 --> 00:11:17,304 we build community around food. So that was 284 00:11:17,444 --> 00:11:20,564 also a very intentional space that we created. 285 00:11:20,564 --> 00:11:22,804 Yeah. We had so many people. We we 286 00:11:22,804 --> 00:11:24,584 had a local chef from Chicago, 287 00:11:25,764 --> 00:11:26,985 black, queer owned, 288 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:28,480 and, 289 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:31,519 he just pulled out all the stops for 290 00:11:31,519 --> 00:11:34,159 breakfast. And we got so many comments talking 291 00:11:34,159 --> 00:11:36,159 about, oh, we thought this was just gonna 292 00:11:36,159 --> 00:11:38,419 be, like, a sad continental breakfast, 293 00:11:39,039 --> 00:11:41,379 both, like, with bagels and cream cheese. 294 00:11:42,725 --> 00:11:44,804 He invited us into his home. It felt 295 00:11:44,804 --> 00:11:47,845 like we were sitting around his family kitchen 296 00:11:47,845 --> 00:11:50,485 table, and that that's what we wanted. That's 297 00:11:50,485 --> 00:11:53,284 what started off our event. Yes. And then 298 00:11:53,284 --> 00:11:55,580 we moved into to our morning ritual, which 299 00:11:55,580 --> 00:11:57,519 was a thirty minute grounding 300 00:11:58,059 --> 00:12:00,860 ceremony. One day, we had yoga, and the 301 00:12:00,860 --> 00:12:02,559 other day, I think, we had reflections, 302 00:12:03,899 --> 00:12:06,220 and intention setting. So that started 303 00:12:06,804 --> 00:12:09,205 Those two things started off the day. Then 304 00:12:09,205 --> 00:12:10,665 we moved into a keynote, 305 00:12:12,325 --> 00:12:15,065 where on day one, we had Jessica 306 00:12:15,524 --> 00:12:16,024 and, 307 00:12:17,045 --> 00:12:19,384 Desiree Whitmore, our laser physicist. 308 00:12:19,870 --> 00:12:23,149 Who weaved or who both set the stage 309 00:12:23,149 --> 00:12:23,649 for 310 00:12:24,029 --> 00:12:25,009 quantum mechanics, 311 00:12:25,389 --> 00:12:26,769 mental health, nonbinariness, 312 00:12:28,669 --> 00:12:29,169 and, 313 00:12:29,549 --> 00:12:30,929 yeah, really just looking 314 00:12:31,389 --> 00:12:34,049 into the, like, fabric of our universe 315 00:12:35,815 --> 00:12:36,475 to highlight 316 00:12:37,095 --> 00:12:40,375 and uplift the experiences and journeys that we 317 00:12:40,375 --> 00:12:42,774 as queer people are taking and really just 318 00:12:42,774 --> 00:12:44,154 kind of showing that 319 00:12:45,014 --> 00:12:46,394 in the quantum realm, 320 00:12:46,860 --> 00:12:47,600 our nonbinariness, 321 00:12:48,539 --> 00:12:52,399 our weirdness, our queerness is actually more integrated 322 00:12:52,460 --> 00:12:55,200 into the fabric of space time than society 323 00:12:55,339 --> 00:12:58,399 is letting on, than society is telling us. 324 00:12:58,894 --> 00:13:00,815 And then we moved into the really cool 325 00:13:00,815 --> 00:13:02,754 part of the day, which was the multiverse. 326 00:13:04,174 --> 00:13:05,955 And we transformed, 327 00:13:07,695 --> 00:13:09,934 the gym at the center on Halsted here 328 00:13:09,934 --> 00:13:10,595 in Chicago, 329 00:13:11,139 --> 00:13:13,860 which is three full sized volleyball courts. So 330 00:13:13,860 --> 00:13:14,839 it is massive. 331 00:13:15,379 --> 00:13:18,440 We transformed that into our, quote, unquote, multiverse, 332 00:13:18,659 --> 00:13:21,379 and you just walked in, and there were 333 00:13:21,379 --> 00:13:23,639 just these huge arches 334 00:13:24,304 --> 00:13:27,024 that said you belong here. They were purple. 335 00:13:27,024 --> 00:13:28,485 They had all of our branding. 336 00:13:29,024 --> 00:13:30,464 Anyways, we had our, 337 00:13:31,745 --> 00:13:33,904 we had Galaxy on the Go, which is 338 00:13:33,904 --> 00:13:34,644 a mobile 339 00:13:35,264 --> 00:13:35,764 Planetary. 340 00:13:36,315 --> 00:13:36,815 Planetarium 341 00:13:38,429 --> 00:13:41,169 and just designed a really amazing 342 00:13:42,029 --> 00:13:43,649 Visual video film, 343 00:13:44,750 --> 00:13:46,209 that kind of walk through 344 00:13:46,750 --> 00:13:47,649 our past, 345 00:13:48,990 --> 00:13:50,049 queer ancestors, 346 00:13:50,589 --> 00:13:52,129 moved into our modern 347 00:13:53,084 --> 00:13:54,065 movement builders, 348 00:13:54,445 --> 00:13:55,504 where we highlighted, 349 00:13:56,684 --> 00:13:59,504 scientists core scientists from 500 core scientists, 350 00:13:59,884 --> 00:14:01,804 and then we moved into what the future 351 00:14:01,804 --> 00:14:02,464 could be, 352 00:14:02,924 --> 00:14:04,065 all in five minutes. 353 00:14:06,879 --> 00:14:09,360 And then we had our resource village, which 354 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,240 had community partners from all around Chicago Both 355 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,399 in STEAM and in mental health. That our 356 00:14:14,399 --> 00:14:17,279 attendees could engage with, talk with, get resources 357 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:19,299 Yeah. Adler port planetarium 358 00:14:19,679 --> 00:14:20,079 was, 359 00:14:20,674 --> 00:14:22,694 in attendance. We had the Chicago 360 00:14:23,235 --> 00:14:24,534 Science and Technology, 361 00:14:25,475 --> 00:14:27,254 c two s t, 362 00:14:28,834 --> 00:14:30,294 Chicago Therapy Collective. 363 00:14:31,235 --> 00:14:33,894 The Depth Collective Yeah. Which is an amazing 364 00:14:34,539 --> 00:14:37,360 small group practice here in Chicago, mental health. 365 00:14:37,899 --> 00:14:40,240 And then we had our rest and regulation 366 00:14:40,379 --> 00:14:42,620 lounge, which I think was probably the highlight 367 00:14:42,620 --> 00:14:45,179 for a lot of people. Mhmm. That's where 368 00:14:45,179 --> 00:14:47,679 we had our cosmic awakenings in the morning. 369 00:14:47,740 --> 00:14:50,325 And then we had hammocks. We had 370 00:14:50,784 --> 00:14:51,284 biofeedback 371 00:14:51,904 --> 00:14:54,384 pods, which was really like a four foot 372 00:14:54,384 --> 00:14:54,884 beanbag 373 00:14:55,664 --> 00:14:58,084 inside of a pod we created. Mhmm. 374 00:14:58,384 --> 00:14:59,205 And each 375 00:14:59,664 --> 00:15:01,924 pod, we had three, had a different 376 00:15:02,384 --> 00:15:03,205 tech inspired 377 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,940 Biofeedback tool Yeah. To really show I mean, 378 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:10,360 we as scientists 379 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,559 I can speak for myself that the journey 380 00:15:13,559 --> 00:15:14,059 towards 381 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:18,460 recognizing and and understanding and validating my mental 382 00:15:18,759 --> 00:15:20,615 health journey has been hard. 383 00:15:21,554 --> 00:15:23,975 Not only because I'm part of the black 384 00:15:24,195 --> 00:15:27,315 and Mexican community where, like, mental health, we're 385 00:15:27,315 --> 00:15:30,995 still working through shame. Right? But also in 386 00:15:30,995 --> 00:15:31,495 physics, 387 00:15:31,875 --> 00:15:33,415 like, there is shame around 388 00:15:34,669 --> 00:15:36,910 recognizing your mental health. Like, I am a 389 00:15:36,910 --> 00:15:37,889 late stage, 390 00:15:39,309 --> 00:15:39,809 ADHD 391 00:15:40,429 --> 00:15:41,730 diagnosed person. 392 00:15:42,429 --> 00:15:44,750 And I've talked to scientists that say I 393 00:15:44,750 --> 00:15:46,669 also have ADHD, but I don't talk about 394 00:15:46,669 --> 00:15:48,450 it because I don't want people to think 395 00:15:48,825 --> 00:15:50,764 any less of me as a scientist. 396 00:15:51,144 --> 00:15:52,665 So I really wanted to, 397 00:15:54,184 --> 00:15:54,925 have technology 398 00:15:56,105 --> 00:15:59,065 that we're comfortable with that we probably help 399 00:15:59,065 --> 00:16:01,565 develop in some way or fashion 400 00:16:02,105 --> 00:16:03,085 to show that 401 00:16:03,570 --> 00:16:04,070 meditation 402 00:16:04,769 --> 00:16:08,610 and and calmness really does affect our nervous 403 00:16:08,610 --> 00:16:09,110 system, 404 00:16:10,370 --> 00:16:13,029 for the better. So it was real time 405 00:16:13,090 --> 00:16:16,129 biofeedback to show. And people were so proud. 406 00:16:16,129 --> 00:16:18,345 They were quoting their numbers back to us. 407 00:16:18,345 --> 00:16:20,264 Like, you go in and you start with 408 00:16:20,264 --> 00:16:22,445 the meditation app, and, 409 00:16:23,544 --> 00:16:25,144 it gives you your number of, like, where 410 00:16:25,144 --> 00:16:26,524 your heart rate, your 411 00:16:26,825 --> 00:16:29,304 all of your resting stuff is at. And 412 00:16:29,304 --> 00:16:29,804 then, 413 00:16:30,825 --> 00:16:32,524 it walks you through the meditation. 414 00:16:32,985 --> 00:16:35,210 And, I mean, the numbers were 415 00:16:35,590 --> 00:16:36,090 significant 416 00:16:36,470 --> 00:16:37,450 decrease. Yeah. 417 00:16:38,710 --> 00:16:40,549 And the other thing I'll say about the 418 00:16:40,549 --> 00:16:42,790 rest and regulation lounge was we had people 419 00:16:42,790 --> 00:16:45,290 falling asleep in the in our hammock. 420 00:16:46,230 --> 00:16:49,004 And, you know, I thought in the moment 421 00:16:49,004 --> 00:16:50,144 that was amazing 422 00:16:50,524 --> 00:16:51,824 and and what we wanted, 423 00:16:52,204 --> 00:16:53,904 but it took another therapist, 424 00:16:54,284 --> 00:16:56,924 like, reflecting back to me how meaningful that 425 00:16:56,924 --> 00:16:59,584 was. And they said, like, you don't understand 426 00:17:00,044 --> 00:17:00,690 what it takes 427 00:17:01,330 --> 00:17:02,870 to get someone to feel safe enough 428 00:17:03,330 --> 00:17:06,049 to feel like they can fall asleep in 429 00:17:06,049 --> 00:17:08,690 a public place with people they don't know 430 00:17:08,690 --> 00:17:11,670 around them. Mhmm. So you need to 431 00:17:12,130 --> 00:17:14,130 kind of, like, let that sink in about 432 00:17:14,130 --> 00:17:16,605 the space y'all have created here. And I 433 00:17:16,605 --> 00:17:19,265 also want to kind of underscore that because 434 00:17:20,045 --> 00:17:23,005 center on Halsted is fifteen minutes away from 435 00:17:23,005 --> 00:17:23,505 Broadview 436 00:17:23,884 --> 00:17:25,424 where there's an ice camp. 437 00:17:26,684 --> 00:17:28,465 When we were doing, you know, 438 00:17:28,940 --> 00:17:31,980 walk throughs and tech checks and meeting, you 439 00:17:31,980 --> 00:17:34,640 know, with vendors at the center on Halsted, 440 00:17:34,940 --> 00:17:36,480 we're going back and forth 441 00:17:36,779 --> 00:17:37,759 in a very, 442 00:17:38,140 --> 00:17:40,240 like, high tension area. 443 00:17:43,455 --> 00:17:45,234 We were scared of driving. 444 00:17:45,695 --> 00:17:47,375 And the fact that we were able to 445 00:17:47,375 --> 00:17:50,174 create a a sanctuary, a space for people 446 00:17:50,174 --> 00:17:52,914 to feel safe enough to rest, 447 00:17:53,455 --> 00:17:53,955 right, 448 00:17:54,599 --> 00:17:55,579 As marginalized 449 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:56,380 people 450 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,000 who are scared of the current climate, who 451 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,160 are scared of the current environment that we 452 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:02,140 are living in, 453 00:18:02,599 --> 00:18:04,619 that was Yeah. Alright. 454 00:18:05,079 --> 00:18:07,799 That was deep. That's a lovely, lovely, lovely 455 00:18:07,799 --> 00:18:08,299 thing. 456 00:18:08,724 --> 00:18:10,005 What isn't a lovely thing that you just 457 00:18:10,005 --> 00:18:11,764 mentioned is the current climate. Can you tell 458 00:18:11,764 --> 00:18:14,024 me a bit about how it feels living 459 00:18:14,085 --> 00:18:14,585 in 460 00:18:14,884 --> 00:18:17,784 where you're living now? Or I mean, we're 461 00:18:18,005 --> 00:18:18,505 probably 462 00:18:19,125 --> 00:18:22,410 20 miles outside of Chicago where we live, 463 00:18:24,250 --> 00:18:26,349 and ice has made its way 464 00:18:27,529 --> 00:18:29,789 to lots of pockets around us. 465 00:18:32,009 --> 00:18:34,830 And I would say that I know Chicago 466 00:18:34,890 --> 00:18:36,809 gets a bad rap and has a bad 467 00:18:36,809 --> 00:18:37,309 rap, 468 00:18:37,765 --> 00:18:40,505 but being this sort of war torn 469 00:18:41,045 --> 00:18:43,605 city that media is making it out to 470 00:18:43,605 --> 00:18:44,105 be, 471 00:18:44,484 --> 00:18:46,164 it's just not. It's so 472 00:18:47,684 --> 00:18:49,785 I mean, Chicago loves Chicago, 473 00:18:50,325 --> 00:18:52,164 and we are gonna take care of each 474 00:18:52,164 --> 00:18:53,065 other always. 475 00:18:54,130 --> 00:18:56,470 And and you can't push Chicagoans 476 00:18:56,769 --> 00:18:57,269 around. 477 00:18:57,730 --> 00:18:59,509 Like, the fact that 478 00:18:59,890 --> 00:19:00,849 they have come 479 00:19:01,730 --> 00:19:03,509 that we have come together, 480 00:19:04,450 --> 00:19:04,950 and 481 00:19:06,734 --> 00:19:08,575 I don't even know how to explain it. 482 00:19:08,575 --> 00:19:09,154 I mean, 483 00:19:09,535 --> 00:19:10,174 go ahead. 484 00:19:10,575 --> 00:19:13,075 What breaks my heart is that it's 485 00:19:13,695 --> 00:19:14,575 we are all 486 00:19:17,934 --> 00:19:20,930 everything not everything was fine, but we did 487 00:19:20,930 --> 00:19:22,309 not have the government 488 00:19:23,250 --> 00:19:24,470 we did not have 489 00:19:25,170 --> 00:19:25,910 the violence 490 00:19:26,529 --> 00:19:28,069 that the government is 491 00:19:30,609 --> 00:19:32,710 Dropping in. Dropping into 492 00:19:33,329 --> 00:19:34,150 our state, 493 00:19:34,849 --> 00:19:35,829 our cities. 494 00:19:37,625 --> 00:19:39,164 Like, they are aggravating 495 00:19:39,544 --> 00:19:40,204 the people. 496 00:19:41,464 --> 00:19:43,785 We were just fine. And then they brought 497 00:19:43,785 --> 00:19:46,285 the national guard, and then they brought ICE. 498 00:19:46,664 --> 00:19:47,404 And they 499 00:19:47,785 --> 00:19:48,605 are intentionally 500 00:19:49,065 --> 00:19:52,190 creating conflict and causing harm. And it just 501 00:19:53,049 --> 00:19:55,049 it breaks my heart because what is the 502 00:19:55,049 --> 00:19:57,549 reason? Yeah. There's no reason for this. 503 00:19:58,170 --> 00:20:01,690 Yeah. I think in 2020, in 2021, 504 00:20:01,690 --> 00:20:04,315 I lost my dad. We had the peak 505 00:20:04,315 --> 00:20:06,015 civil unrest in our country, 506 00:20:06,474 --> 00:20:08,394 and I threw myself into work, and I 507 00:20:08,394 --> 00:20:09,534 threw myself into, 508 00:20:10,075 --> 00:20:12,954 like, movement building and activism. And I was 509 00:20:12,954 --> 00:20:13,454 consuming 510 00:20:13,835 --> 00:20:15,454 and consuming and consuming 511 00:20:15,755 --> 00:20:17,934 every aspect of media 512 00:20:18,660 --> 00:20:20,580 because I felt like I just needed to 513 00:20:20,580 --> 00:20:21,080 be 514 00:20:21,539 --> 00:20:23,299 in it. I needed to see what was 515 00:20:23,299 --> 00:20:24,119 going on. 516 00:20:24,500 --> 00:20:25,000 And 517 00:20:25,380 --> 00:20:26,360 this time 518 00:20:27,140 --> 00:20:27,640 around, 519 00:20:28,340 --> 00:20:30,500 for my mental health because that broke me. 520 00:20:30,500 --> 00:20:31,000 Like, 521 00:20:32,100 --> 00:20:33,400 my body shut down. 522 00:20:35,544 --> 00:20:36,605 This time around, 523 00:20:37,384 --> 00:20:39,724 I recognized the need to have boundaries, 524 00:20:40,424 --> 00:20:42,284 like, around my 525 00:20:42,904 --> 00:20:43,724 my peace 526 00:20:44,424 --> 00:20:47,005 and focus on creating spaces 527 00:20:48,664 --> 00:20:49,565 that I had 528 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:51,960 the power to create. And I think that's 529 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,160 where QueerQuest comes in. And it was hard. 530 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,000 It was it has been hard this whole 531 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:57,500 year 532 00:20:57,799 --> 00:21:00,460 to kind of keep our eyes on QueerQuest 533 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:01,340 when 534 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,255 there's so much going on around us on 535 00:21:04,255 --> 00:21:06,174 a day to day that it feels like 536 00:21:06,174 --> 00:21:07,474 what is the point. 537 00:21:08,095 --> 00:21:10,335 So many times I was there throughout the 538 00:21:10,335 --> 00:21:12,515 process of what is the point of this 539 00:21:12,815 --> 00:21:13,794 silly event. 540 00:21:15,294 --> 00:21:17,980 And then the event happens, and you hear 541 00:21:17,980 --> 00:21:20,480 from everyone how much they needed this. 542 00:21:20,779 --> 00:21:22,940 And you're like, oh, that's why we did 543 00:21:22,940 --> 00:21:25,819 it. So you did create QueerQuest. It happened. 544 00:21:25,819 --> 00:21:28,140 There's a few things about it which I 545 00:21:28,140 --> 00:21:29,819 don't know what they mean, and perhaps Emily 546 00:21:29,819 --> 00:21:31,599 can help me with this. What what's liberation? 547 00:21:32,044 --> 00:21:32,865 That's a good 548 00:21:34,005 --> 00:21:34,505 question. 549 00:21:35,644 --> 00:21:36,144 Liberation 550 00:21:36,525 --> 00:21:37,184 for me, 551 00:21:37,884 --> 00:21:38,384 I 552 00:21:39,085 --> 00:21:39,984 think, means 553 00:21:41,724 --> 00:21:44,605 just feeling like we are free from the 554 00:21:44,605 --> 00:21:45,105 systems 555 00:21:45,779 --> 00:21:46,519 that we 556 00:21:47,140 --> 00:21:49,000 are forced to exist in. 557 00:21:49,539 --> 00:21:52,039 I think it's feeling free to be creative, 558 00:21:52,100 --> 00:21:54,820 to build our own systems, to live outside 559 00:21:54,820 --> 00:21:56,740 of the systems that we're forced to live 560 00:21:56,740 --> 00:21:59,320 in. It means deciding, like, 561 00:21:59,914 --> 00:22:02,654 okay. Yes. I live in The United States. 562 00:22:04,234 --> 00:22:07,034 There are systems I must, like, I keep 563 00:22:07,034 --> 00:22:08,954 saying live in, but that doesn't mean I 564 00:22:08,954 --> 00:22:11,434 can't do anything about it. That doesn't mean 565 00:22:11,434 --> 00:22:13,309 I'm powerless. That means 566 00:22:13,690 --> 00:22:16,190 I there are choices. I have agency, 567 00:22:16,890 --> 00:22:17,390 and 568 00:22:18,569 --> 00:22:19,230 I can 569 00:22:19,769 --> 00:22:22,089 use my autonomy to build something new and 570 00:22:22,089 --> 00:22:22,589 different. 571 00:22:22,890 --> 00:22:25,214 Yeah. I totally agree that it it 572 00:22:25,694 --> 00:22:28,355 it comes down to autonomy and agency. 573 00:22:31,134 --> 00:22:31,634 And 574 00:22:32,654 --> 00:22:33,714 in some of these 575 00:22:34,575 --> 00:22:36,255 in the in this climate 576 00:22:36,734 --> 00:22:38,974 Mhmm. Sometimes it feels like we have no 577 00:22:38,974 --> 00:22:40,444 agency over ourselves. 578 00:22:43,829 --> 00:22:46,250 The kind of beautiful moments of of realizing 579 00:22:46,309 --> 00:22:48,789 the common language between the this kind of 580 00:22:48,789 --> 00:22:51,929 healing and and quantum world. But is there 581 00:22:52,149 --> 00:22:53,990 are there tensions there as well that you 582 00:22:53,990 --> 00:22:55,690 have to be aware of? Yes. Probably. 583 00:22:56,470 --> 00:22:56,970 But 584 00:22:58,605 --> 00:22:59,424 when you 585 00:23:00,045 --> 00:23:00,865 bring together 586 00:23:02,205 --> 00:23:03,825 black, brown, and queer folk 587 00:23:04,525 --> 00:23:05,585 who are used 588 00:23:06,605 --> 00:23:07,825 to world building 589 00:23:08,765 --> 00:23:09,505 to create 590 00:23:09,929 --> 00:23:10,429 spaces 591 00:23:11,690 --> 00:23:14,269 of comfort, of safety. Mhmm. 592 00:23:16,970 --> 00:23:17,789 The creativity 593 00:23:18,250 --> 00:23:19,309 and the innovation 594 00:23:20,329 --> 00:23:21,309 and the resilience 595 00:23:21,769 --> 00:23:24,669 is baked into that community already. 596 00:23:24,970 --> 00:23:25,470 Mhmm. 597 00:23:26,465 --> 00:23:28,244 So, like, I mean, I'm a science communicator. 598 00:23:28,465 --> 00:23:28,965 Right? 599 00:23:29,345 --> 00:23:30,884 And I've had conversations 600 00:23:31,184 --> 00:23:34,065 where I'm using QueerQuest as a QueerQuest. Quantum 601 00:23:34,065 --> 00:23:36,465 mechanics as a framework for liberation or quantum 602 00:23:36,465 --> 00:23:37,525 mechanics as, 603 00:23:38,210 --> 00:23:40,069 kind of a mirror to queerness 604 00:23:40,609 --> 00:23:41,109 in 605 00:23:41,650 --> 00:23:44,450 predominantly white spaces. And there is pushback. There 606 00:23:44,450 --> 00:23:44,950 is 607 00:23:45,410 --> 00:23:47,650 but hold on. Or, you know, you didn't 608 00:23:47,650 --> 00:23:49,670 accurately represent what superposition 609 00:23:50,144 --> 00:23:52,105 actually is. And there isn't a one to 610 00:23:52,105 --> 00:23:53,125 one, you know, 611 00:23:53,984 --> 00:23:55,684 mirror to, you know, 612 00:23:56,305 --> 00:23:58,785 whatever. Like, you do get that pushback. Right? 613 00:23:58,785 --> 00:24:00,724 There is this, like, pontification 614 00:24:01,345 --> 00:24:02,565 and and, 615 00:24:03,585 --> 00:24:04,085 academic, 616 00:24:05,345 --> 00:24:08,220 rigor that, like, bubbles up to the surface 617 00:24:08,599 --> 00:24:10,619 more so than when you're in 618 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:11,980 community 619 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:14,200 with folks that look like you. I don't 620 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:15,880 know how to explain it, but there is 621 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:17,099 just so much more 622 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:18,619 willingness 623 00:24:19,319 --> 00:24:20,059 to receive 624 00:24:21,319 --> 00:24:22,595 this complex, 625 00:24:23,775 --> 00:24:24,275 intricate 626 00:24:24,734 --> 00:24:25,234 entanglement 627 00:24:25,855 --> 00:24:26,355 of 628 00:24:27,134 --> 00:24:30,674 different languages and different Mhmm. Career 629 00:24:31,694 --> 00:24:34,509 and Trajectory. I really hate to state the 630 00:24:34,509 --> 00:24:37,390 obvious, but I think there is something about 631 00:24:37,390 --> 00:24:39,329 being in non white spaces 632 00:24:39,950 --> 00:24:42,670 that allows that to happen because I think 633 00:24:42,670 --> 00:24:43,170 there 634 00:24:43,630 --> 00:24:46,349 there's something true for that about mental health 635 00:24:46,349 --> 00:24:47,650 therapists as well. 636 00:24:48,845 --> 00:24:51,884 The way that we are able to talk 637 00:24:51,884 --> 00:24:54,785 and engage differently without the pontificating 638 00:24:55,644 --> 00:24:58,205 and the holding on to theory, we are 639 00:24:58,205 --> 00:24:59,105 so like, 640 00:25:01,519 --> 00:25:03,039 therapists can be very 641 00:25:03,599 --> 00:25:05,940 Rigid. Rigid about us scientists. 642 00:25:06,399 --> 00:25:06,899 About. 643 00:25:07,919 --> 00:25:08,419 And 644 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:09,380 in 645 00:25:10,159 --> 00:25:11,139 this space, 646 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:12,419 it was just 647 00:25:13,694 --> 00:25:16,575 learning for learning's sake. Mhmm. Trying something new 648 00:25:16,575 --> 00:25:18,914 or thinking about something in a new way 649 00:25:19,214 --> 00:25:22,654 for fun. Just playing. Without being like, oh, 650 00:25:22,654 --> 00:25:25,794 well, you you got that theory wrong, or 651 00:25:26,019 --> 00:25:27,319 how dare you say 652 00:25:27,779 --> 00:25:30,119 mental health is x y z. Or 653 00:25:30,500 --> 00:25:31,400 there's just 654 00:25:31,940 --> 00:25:32,440 without 655 00:25:32,819 --> 00:25:36,019 what feels like without the oversight of white 656 00:25:36,019 --> 00:25:36,519 folks, 657 00:25:37,779 --> 00:25:40,839 black and brown people can just create 658 00:25:41,140 --> 00:25:41,640 create. 659 00:25:42,815 --> 00:25:43,955 Speaking of liberation, 660 00:25:45,055 --> 00:25:47,375 that's is kind of what it felt like. 661 00:25:47,375 --> 00:25:50,015 Yeah. The keynote speeches that you're having, are 662 00:25:50,015 --> 00:25:50,515 they 663 00:25:51,775 --> 00:25:54,174 predominantly about the science So day one, we 664 00:25:54,174 --> 00:25:55,714 opened up with quantum mechanics 665 00:25:56,095 --> 00:25:57,154 and what it meant 666 00:25:57,490 --> 00:25:59,190 and how it maps onto 667 00:25:59,569 --> 00:26:01,349 our lives as queer folk, 668 00:26:02,210 --> 00:26:04,049 and really just kind of setting the stage 669 00:26:04,049 --> 00:26:05,809 for what was to come in the, 670 00:26:06,289 --> 00:26:06,950 the event. 671 00:26:07,250 --> 00:26:08,950 And then Desiree Whitmore, 672 00:26:09,409 --> 00:26:10,869 she's the director of education 673 00:26:11,375 --> 00:26:13,555 at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, 674 00:26:15,375 --> 00:26:16,275 really took 675 00:26:16,894 --> 00:26:17,875 what I said 676 00:26:18,335 --> 00:26:19,475 and made it real. 677 00:26:19,855 --> 00:26:21,715 And we had hands on activities, 678 00:26:22,815 --> 00:26:24,835 where we were seeing kind of, like, superposition 679 00:26:25,055 --> 00:26:25,795 and entanglement 680 00:26:26,095 --> 00:26:27,589 in real time. 681 00:26:28,529 --> 00:26:29,029 And 682 00:26:29,490 --> 00:26:30,309 we got feedback 683 00:26:30,690 --> 00:26:31,670 where, like, 684 00:26:32,529 --> 00:26:33,910 people were in the room 685 00:26:34,849 --> 00:26:37,329 being like, oh, I don't know what the 686 00:26:37,329 --> 00:26:38,309 hell this is. 687 00:26:38,704 --> 00:26:40,305 I I don't know if I'm in the 688 00:26:40,305 --> 00:26:42,065 right space. I don't know if I can 689 00:26:42,065 --> 00:26:44,085 understand quantum. Right? 690 00:26:45,025 --> 00:26:48,224 And Desiree, like, solidified that for them. And 691 00:26:48,224 --> 00:26:51,045 throughout the rest of the the events, 692 00:26:51,569 --> 00:26:51,809 they 693 00:26:52,609 --> 00:26:55,829 it clicked. They got why therapists and scientists 694 00:26:55,890 --> 00:26:57,730 were hanging out together. Mhmm. 695 00:26:58,529 --> 00:27:01,329 And then for day two, we moved into 696 00:27:01,329 --> 00:27:03,190 kind of theory to practice, 697 00:27:03,569 --> 00:27:06,424 really. And we had doctor Raquel Martin, who 698 00:27:06,424 --> 00:27:06,924 is, 699 00:27:08,345 --> 00:27:08,845 a 700 00:27:09,305 --> 00:27:09,805 educator, 701 00:27:10,585 --> 00:27:11,085 psychologist, 702 00:27:12,105 --> 00:27:12,605 scientist. 703 00:27:13,065 --> 00:27:14,205 She's in the social 704 00:27:14,745 --> 00:27:17,325 media streets as she likes to say. 705 00:27:18,309 --> 00:27:20,309 And she's the well known kind of, 706 00:27:21,029 --> 00:27:22,009 voice for, 707 00:27:23,110 --> 00:27:24,570 she calls it mental 708 00:27:24,950 --> 00:27:26,890 wealth. Not health, wealth, 709 00:27:27,830 --> 00:27:31,049 and specifically for for black women's mental wealth. 710 00:27:31,994 --> 00:27:33,994 And, again, she just took some of the 711 00:27:33,994 --> 00:27:36,174 concepts that we talked about on day one 712 00:27:36,714 --> 00:27:39,595 and showed how they can be leveraged and 713 00:27:39,595 --> 00:27:42,575 used, when we're talking about our mental health. 714 00:27:43,909 --> 00:27:45,690 I think I'm just thinking because 715 00:27:46,470 --> 00:27:48,649 from a science communication point of view, 716 00:27:49,349 --> 00:27:51,669 quite apart from anything else, for just from 717 00:27:51,669 --> 00:27:53,769 the science communication point of view, having 718 00:27:54,149 --> 00:27:54,809 the space 719 00:27:55,109 --> 00:27:58,404 after you've had talks about and demonstrations of 720 00:27:58,404 --> 00:28:00,424 quantum mechanics, having the space to just 721 00:28:00,724 --> 00:28:03,164 think be, it's just a a really beautiful 722 00:28:03,365 --> 00:28:05,384 I'm just remembering when we spoke, 723 00:28:05,924 --> 00:28:07,845 several years ago, Jessica, when you you were 724 00:28:07,845 --> 00:28:09,605 talking to me about quantum foam and all 725 00:28:09,605 --> 00:28:11,190 these kind of things, I was like, wow. 726 00:28:11,669 --> 00:28:12,809 This is amazing. 727 00:28:13,589 --> 00:28:16,549 And what I could have done immediately after 728 00:28:16,549 --> 00:28:17,289 that conversation 729 00:28:17,750 --> 00:28:19,509 was, you know, go back to the day 730 00:28:19,509 --> 00:28:21,669 job and do some research into something else, 731 00:28:21,669 --> 00:28:23,190 but I didn't. I went for a walk, 732 00:28:23,509 --> 00:28:25,049 you know, amongst nature. 733 00:28:25,509 --> 00:28:26,234 And it just 734 00:28:27,035 --> 00:28:28,015 it it the 735 00:28:29,355 --> 00:28:30,494 the the concepts 736 00:28:30,954 --> 00:28:31,454 and, 737 00:28:32,154 --> 00:28:35,454 well, the experiments that are in, quantum mechanics 738 00:28:35,595 --> 00:28:36,095 are 739 00:28:37,035 --> 00:28:38,795 they deserve that time. So I think it's 740 00:28:38,795 --> 00:28:40,474 brilliant. Just from a science communication point of 741 00:28:40,474 --> 00:28:40,859 view, 742 00:28:43,500 --> 00:28:43,740 that that's how you designed it. Were you 743 00:28:43,740 --> 00:28:45,099 thinking about that as well from a science 744 00:28:45,099 --> 00:28:46,700 communication point of view when you were putting 745 00:28:46,700 --> 00:28:47,359 it together? 746 00:28:48,380 --> 00:28:50,480 I I think so. It's such a difficult 747 00:28:50,539 --> 00:28:52,240 concept even for me 748 00:28:52,779 --> 00:28:54,859 as a scientist who spends all my time 749 00:28:54,859 --> 00:28:58,144 in the quantum realm to, like, grasp. Right? 750 00:28:58,524 --> 00:29:00,944 And I think having space where 751 00:29:01,565 --> 00:29:04,125 you can, like, Rubik's cube it, right, and 752 00:29:04,125 --> 00:29:06,365 look at these concepts in such a different 753 00:29:06,365 --> 00:29:09,085 way and situate them in your day to 754 00:29:09,085 --> 00:29:09,904 day lives 755 00:29:10,204 --> 00:29:11,819 Mhmm. Makes it so that 756 00:29:12,779 --> 00:29:13,279 you 757 00:29:13,819 --> 00:29:17,200 under like, you you grasp it better. And 758 00:29:17,259 --> 00:29:18,000 to me, 759 00:29:19,419 --> 00:29:20,079 the, like, 760 00:29:21,019 --> 00:29:23,659 we did the damn thing for me was 761 00:29:23,659 --> 00:29:24,319 our videographer. 762 00:29:25,500 --> 00:29:28,065 On the last day, on the last interview 763 00:29:28,065 --> 00:29:31,045 that we had with him was saying, okay. 764 00:29:31,424 --> 00:29:34,804 Now tell me about the quantum mechanics and 765 00:29:34,865 --> 00:29:35,365 nonbinariness 766 00:29:36,065 --> 00:29:38,304 and and the superposition of states and how 767 00:29:38,304 --> 00:29:40,625 that wraps into what you created here at 768 00:29:40,625 --> 00:29:41,125 QueerQuest. 769 00:29:41,759 --> 00:29:42,980 He was mirroring 770 00:29:43,279 --> 00:29:44,740 back to us 771 00:29:45,119 --> 00:29:46,259 the quantum mechanical 772 00:29:46,559 --> 00:29:48,420 aspects of the of 773 00:29:48,799 --> 00:29:49,539 the conference 774 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:51,920 that we had been talking about for two 775 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,400 days. Yeah. You could really tell he had 776 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,640 been listening. We did an interview on day 777 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:57,494 one and day two. 778 00:29:58,214 --> 00:29:59,734 And at the end of day two, when 779 00:29:59,734 --> 00:30:01,494 the whole thing was over, you could just 780 00:30:01,494 --> 00:30:03,815 tell by the questions he was prompting us 781 00:30:03,815 --> 00:30:05,994 with Mhmm. That he had been listening 782 00:30:07,174 --> 00:30:10,394 to everything that had been happening, and that, 783 00:30:10,694 --> 00:30:12,900 like, that's it for us. Yeah. We want 784 00:30:13,059 --> 00:30:15,539 we want science and mental health to be 785 00:30:15,539 --> 00:30:16,039 accessible 786 00:30:16,900 --> 00:30:19,640 and a tool people can use and 787 00:30:20,339 --> 00:30:22,740 have fun with. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And we 788 00:30:22,740 --> 00:30:24,900 were also really intentional with all of our, 789 00:30:24,900 --> 00:30:26,200 like, parallel sessions, 790 00:30:27,194 --> 00:30:28,174 and our panels. 791 00:30:28,474 --> 00:30:29,615 There was a scientist 792 00:30:30,315 --> 00:30:32,015 and a mental health expert 793 00:30:32,394 --> 00:30:33,134 on each 794 00:30:33,595 --> 00:30:34,095 parallel, 795 00:30:34,875 --> 00:30:36,015 session. And, 796 00:30:37,355 --> 00:30:39,054 oh, man, the conversations 797 00:30:39,755 --> 00:30:40,734 that were happening 798 00:30:41,460 --> 00:30:41,960 were 799 00:30:42,339 --> 00:30:44,740 wild. Mhmm. So I'm just remembering one at 800 00:30:44,740 --> 00:30:45,400 the decolonizing 801 00:30:45,779 --> 00:30:47,480 therapy and science session. 802 00:30:48,019 --> 00:30:49,720 And our our therapist 803 00:30:50,659 --> 00:30:51,880 was talking about 804 00:30:52,500 --> 00:30:53,000 anxiety, 805 00:30:53,394 --> 00:30:56,595 I think. Right? Mhmm. And and and how 806 00:30:56,595 --> 00:30:57,575 difficult it is 807 00:30:57,954 --> 00:31:00,775 to meditate and to regulate 808 00:31:01,234 --> 00:31:05,075 the, like, anxious thoughts in your brain. Mhmm. 809 00:31:05,075 --> 00:31:06,855 And she stated something like, 810 00:31:08,029 --> 00:31:10,369 it starts with being able to observe 811 00:31:11,869 --> 00:31:14,210 the thoughts that are happening in your brain. 812 00:31:14,429 --> 00:31:16,929 And once you're able to observe them, 813 00:31:17,390 --> 00:31:19,730 you can essentially quiet them. 814 00:31:20,785 --> 00:31:23,765 And our scientist was like, holy shit. 815 00:31:24,065 --> 00:31:26,964 You just described the observer effect. 816 00:31:27,265 --> 00:31:28,244 You collapsed 817 00:31:29,025 --> 00:31:30,484 superposition of states 818 00:31:30,865 --> 00:31:31,924 in your brain 819 00:31:32,305 --> 00:31:35,679 by observe I know. I'm getting chills. Blow 820 00:31:35,819 --> 00:31:36,480 my mind. 821 00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:39,740 So those are the types of conversations that 822 00:31:39,740 --> 00:31:40,400 were happening 823 00:31:40,859 --> 00:31:41,679 all throughout 824 00:31:42,059 --> 00:31:44,700 the the event. Mhmm. And it was just 825 00:31:44,700 --> 00:31:47,179 like and and you should have seen how 826 00:31:47,179 --> 00:31:48,015 geeked out 827 00:31:48,734 --> 00:31:51,075 our panelists were. They were like 828 00:31:51,615 --> 00:31:53,615 and then after the session, they talked for 829 00:31:53,615 --> 00:31:56,115 over an hour just, I think, swapping 830 00:31:56,494 --> 00:31:56,994 languages, 831 00:31:57,535 --> 00:31:58,755 right, and 832 00:31:59,055 --> 00:32:01,869 building that shared language of let me, you 833 00:32:01,869 --> 00:32:04,509 just explained this, and holy crap. This is 834 00:32:04,509 --> 00:32:07,150 what you just explained. Mhmm. That and so 835 00:32:07,150 --> 00:32:08,990 much of the time and and at the 836 00:32:08,990 --> 00:32:11,470 beginning of the conference, the therapists were kind 837 00:32:11,470 --> 00:32:12,529 of like, oh, we're 838 00:32:12,990 --> 00:32:15,650 just therapists. This is all we do. 839 00:32:16,664 --> 00:32:19,544 Like, put next to a scientist. We we 840 00:32:19,544 --> 00:32:22,184 just do this. Mhmm. But by the end 841 00:32:22,184 --> 00:32:23,944 of it, it was so cool to see, 842 00:32:23,944 --> 00:32:25,164 like, oh, 843 00:32:26,265 --> 00:32:29,325 science actually isn't that hard. No. Yeah. 844 00:32:29,625 --> 00:32:30,605 Like, the concepts 845 00:32:31,250 --> 00:32:34,049 seem difficult. Yeah. Yeah. And there's and we 846 00:32:34,049 --> 00:32:35,590 all know that there's a hierarchy, 847 00:32:35,970 --> 00:32:39,890 right, of of science, right, and behavior science, 848 00:32:39,890 --> 00:32:40,950 especially in 849 00:32:41,730 --> 00:32:42,309 in western 850 00:32:43,805 --> 00:32:44,305 realms, 851 00:32:45,005 --> 00:32:47,184 it is deemed lesser than 852 00:32:47,484 --> 00:32:50,144 more objective or, quote, unquote, hard sciences. 853 00:32:50,684 --> 00:32:51,184 But 854 00:32:51,484 --> 00:32:52,224 the same 855 00:32:52,765 --> 00:32:54,625 concepts, the same tools, 856 00:32:56,045 --> 00:32:58,305 of, like, cracking open things 857 00:32:58,740 --> 00:32:59,559 and understanding 858 00:33:00,180 --> 00:33:00,680 complex, 859 00:33:02,180 --> 00:33:04,440 beings, whether that be particles 860 00:33:04,740 --> 00:33:05,640 or people. 861 00:33:06,259 --> 00:33:08,019 They're the same tools that are that are 862 00:33:08,019 --> 00:33:10,359 being leveraged and they're that are being developed 863 00:33:10,579 --> 00:33:11,295 in these 864 00:33:11,775 --> 00:33:14,815 careers Mhmm. In these professions. Who are the 865 00:33:14,815 --> 00:33:17,394 people who are walking the floors at QueerQuest? 866 00:33:17,455 --> 00:33:19,134 Who are they? Where where where do they 867 00:33:19,134 --> 00:33:21,555 come from? Are they all from Chicago? The 868 00:33:21,695 --> 00:33:24,734 furthest place we had someone come from was 869 00:33:24,734 --> 00:33:25,234 California, 870 00:33:25,809 --> 00:33:26,710 which is the 871 00:33:27,170 --> 00:33:28,789 opposite coast Yeah. 872 00:33:29,730 --> 00:33:31,650 From where we live. And then we had 873 00:33:31,650 --> 00:33:33,750 people from Michigan, from Tennessee, 874 00:33:35,170 --> 00:33:37,490 but it was largely Chicago. But we were 875 00:33:37,490 --> 00:33:39,330 so stoked that we even had out of 876 00:33:39,330 --> 00:33:40,549 town visitors. Mhmm. 877 00:33:41,575 --> 00:33:44,055 That was pretty wild. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, 878 00:33:44,055 --> 00:33:46,375 we built it with Chicago for Chicago. That 879 00:33:46,375 --> 00:33:48,775 was first and foremost. And when I say 880 00:33:48,775 --> 00:33:50,235 we built it with Chicago, 881 00:33:50,695 --> 00:33:52,075 it was small businesses. 882 00:33:52,615 --> 00:33:53,595 It was nonprofits. 883 00:33:54,455 --> 00:33:56,555 It was, you know, black and brown, 884 00:33:57,369 --> 00:33:57,869 queer, 885 00:33:59,049 --> 00:33:59,549 people 886 00:34:00,009 --> 00:34:02,569 that said we need this space. What do 887 00:34:02,569 --> 00:34:04,490 you need from us? Mhmm. And we could 888 00:34:04,490 --> 00:34:06,750 not have built it without them. Because 889 00:34:07,130 --> 00:34:10,109 here in The States, probably similar over there, 890 00:34:10,364 --> 00:34:13,005 anything DEI related, nobody wants to touch with 891 00:34:13,005 --> 00:34:14,784 a 10 foot pole. So 892 00:34:15,244 --> 00:34:18,204 we had, you know, plans of of of 893 00:34:18,204 --> 00:34:18,704 having 894 00:34:19,565 --> 00:34:20,065 sponsorships, 895 00:34:20,525 --> 00:34:21,585 having corporations, 896 00:34:22,045 --> 00:34:24,144 like, help fund this with us, 897 00:34:24,500 --> 00:34:27,539 But no one took our call from major 898 00:34:27,539 --> 00:34:30,039 corporations, and it was really small businesses 899 00:34:30,659 --> 00:34:33,239 and black, brown, queer owned community 900 00:34:33,539 --> 00:34:35,859 organizations who said, hell, yeah. Like, we don't 901 00:34:35,859 --> 00:34:38,025 have money, but we have people power. Yeah. 902 00:34:38,105 --> 00:34:40,344 We didn't have a production company. It was 903 00:34:40,344 --> 00:34:43,464 largely us and volunteers that built it. And 904 00:34:43,464 --> 00:34:45,565 when you see what it looks like, that 905 00:34:45,784 --> 00:34:47,625 in and of itself is gonna blow you 906 00:34:47,625 --> 00:34:48,125 away. 907 00:34:49,545 --> 00:34:50,924 We'll send the video. Yeah. 908 00:34:51,545 --> 00:34:55,309 Like, this was community built through and through, 909 00:34:55,309 --> 00:34:56,690 and I think it's a testament 910 00:34:57,230 --> 00:34:57,730 to 911 00:34:58,030 --> 00:35:00,450 us. Chicago Yeah. Not being a war zone. 912 00:35:00,510 --> 00:35:02,369 Exactly. And just showing, like, 913 00:35:02,829 --> 00:35:03,489 you can 914 00:35:03,950 --> 00:35:05,969 you can try to keep us down, 915 00:35:06,349 --> 00:35:09,085 but we are so much powerful when we 916 00:35:09,085 --> 00:35:10,464 come together. Yeah. 917 00:35:11,644 --> 00:35:13,804 The other side of it now, maybe it's 918 00:35:13,804 --> 00:35:15,644 the same advice you would have given before, 919 00:35:15,644 --> 00:35:17,904 but what what advice would you give to, 920 00:35:18,125 --> 00:35:20,304 you know, queer people who are in academia 921 00:35:20,684 --> 00:35:21,344 or stamina 922 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:23,059 and are feeling isolated? 923 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:25,539 I would start off with saying 924 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:28,099 the feelings that you're feeling 925 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:29,300 are valid. 926 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:31,780 And 927 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:33,700 I know that it feels 928 00:35:35,525 --> 00:35:36,025 isolating 929 00:35:36,324 --> 00:35:38,904 and that you're the only one going through 930 00:35:39,125 --> 00:35:39,625 that 931 00:35:40,484 --> 00:35:40,984 journey. 932 00:35:42,005 --> 00:35:42,824 But finding 933 00:35:43,684 --> 00:35:44,184 language 934 00:35:44,885 --> 00:35:45,784 to identify, 935 00:35:46,164 --> 00:35:47,224 like, the microaggressions 936 00:35:47,684 --> 00:35:49,950 and the traumas that you're going through 937 00:35:50,329 --> 00:35:51,150 is very, 938 00:35:53,050 --> 00:35:53,550 powerful. 939 00:35:54,250 --> 00:35:56,510 And then being able to share that language 940 00:35:56,570 --> 00:35:57,309 with others 941 00:35:57,849 --> 00:35:59,869 and seeing that there's shared experiences 942 00:36:00,890 --> 00:36:01,390 across 943 00:36:02,714 --> 00:36:05,835 your field and across other fields, that is 944 00:36:05,835 --> 00:36:08,074 also, like, really powerful. And I think that 945 00:36:08,074 --> 00:36:08,974 for like, 946 00:36:10,474 --> 00:36:13,275 the system is working as designed. Mhmm. It's 947 00:36:13,275 --> 00:36:15,500 trying to keep us apart. It's trying to 948 00:36:15,500 --> 00:36:17,739 make us feel like we're crazy. It's trying 949 00:36:17,739 --> 00:36:19,199 to make us feel alone. 950 00:36:19,579 --> 00:36:22,159 That is the way it was designed. 951 00:36:22,699 --> 00:36:24,719 So anything that we can do 952 00:36:25,099 --> 00:36:25,920 to counteract 953 00:36:26,460 --> 00:36:27,839 the feelings of isolation, 954 00:36:28,525 --> 00:36:30,465 the feelings of feeling crazy, 955 00:36:30,844 --> 00:36:32,545 the feelings of not belonging. 956 00:36:33,244 --> 00:36:35,824 That's how we break the system. Mhmm. So 957 00:36:35,965 --> 00:36:38,625 community is, like, one of the biggest ones, 958 00:36:38,684 --> 00:36:39,184 and 959 00:36:39,565 --> 00:36:40,065 developing 960 00:36:40,764 --> 00:36:41,264 language 961 00:36:42,284 --> 00:36:43,344 to, like, 962 00:36:44,289 --> 00:36:47,510 validate those experiences is really important. 963 00:36:48,690 --> 00:36:50,230 Yeah. And I would say 964 00:36:50,929 --> 00:36:53,489 just to remember that it's them, not you. 965 00:36:53,489 --> 00:36:53,989 Classic 966 00:36:54,929 --> 00:36:58,230 classic breakup advice. It's them, not you. 967 00:36:58,609 --> 00:37:00,105 It is the system. 968 00:37:01,605 --> 00:37:02,105 And 969 00:37:02,405 --> 00:37:04,485 I would also add on as a mental 970 00:37:04,485 --> 00:37:06,905 health therapist that no degree, 971 00:37:07,525 --> 00:37:09,305 no job is worth 972 00:37:10,405 --> 00:37:11,305 your well-being. 973 00:37:11,844 --> 00:37:13,765 That's a hard one even for me. That 974 00:37:13,765 --> 00:37:15,339 is a hard one for Jess. She She 975 00:37:15,339 --> 00:37:17,099 didn't listen to it in grad school, and 976 00:37:17,099 --> 00:37:17,920 that's fine. 977 00:37:18,460 --> 00:37:20,059 But she found out the hard way on 978 00:37:20,059 --> 00:37:22,539 the other side when it took a toll 979 00:37:22,539 --> 00:37:23,359 on her body. 980 00:37:24,699 --> 00:37:27,585 And I I believe that. I believe that 981 00:37:28,065 --> 00:37:29,045 nothing is worth 982 00:37:29,425 --> 00:37:31,445 nothing is more important than your well-being, 983 00:37:32,144 --> 00:37:33,605 the job, the degree. 984 00:37:34,144 --> 00:37:36,244 So if it's not serving you, 985 00:37:36,784 --> 00:37:38,324 you're not a tree. Move. 986 00:37:38,625 --> 00:37:39,125 Oh, 987 00:37:41,579 --> 00:37:42,880 you're not stuck anywhere. 988 00:37:44,139 --> 00:37:45,519 The system is designed 989 00:37:47,099 --> 00:37:49,039 to make you feel isolated. 990 00:37:49,900 --> 00:37:51,119 Talk to me about that. 991 00:37:51,579 --> 00:37:53,440 How is it designed in that way? 992 00:37:54,299 --> 00:37:55,039 The system, 993 00:37:55,704 --> 00:37:56,204 all 994 00:37:56,744 --> 00:37:58,204 systems, were designed 995 00:37:58,824 --> 00:37:59,885 by white men, 996 00:38:01,144 --> 00:38:02,125 colonial systems. 997 00:38:04,105 --> 00:38:04,605 And 998 00:38:05,224 --> 00:38:07,484 I don't believe that colonial systems 999 00:38:07,864 --> 00:38:08,364 want 1000 00:38:08,829 --> 00:38:11,150 black and brown queer folks, anything that is 1001 00:38:11,150 --> 00:38:11,650 different, 1002 00:38:12,190 --> 00:38:14,750 working in those systems. Because as we saw 1003 00:38:14,750 --> 00:38:17,469 with Pure Quest, when we have these folks 1004 00:38:17,469 --> 00:38:20,269 come together, oh, we get new ideas. Oh, 1005 00:38:20,269 --> 00:38:21,250 we get innovation. 1006 00:38:22,175 --> 00:38:24,414 Oh, we're gonna be like, you're not gonna 1007 00:38:24,414 --> 00:38:25,954 push us around. Mhmm. 1008 00:38:26,414 --> 00:38:28,755 There is so much power 1009 00:38:29,054 --> 00:38:31,954 in community. But if you keep us siloed, 1010 00:38:32,734 --> 00:38:34,594 the system wants us siloed. 1011 00:38:34,989 --> 00:38:37,570 Because when we come together, when we realize 1012 00:38:37,710 --> 00:38:40,190 that we are not each other's enemies, that 1013 00:38:40,190 --> 00:38:41,010 we're actually 1014 00:38:41,950 --> 00:38:42,450 our 1015 00:38:43,070 --> 00:38:45,250 sisters, brothers, people's keepers, 1016 00:38:45,950 --> 00:38:47,250 then we link arms, 1017 00:38:47,885 --> 00:38:50,204 and and then they're scared and then they're 1018 00:38:50,204 --> 00:38:50,704 scared. 1019 00:38:51,085 --> 00:38:53,105 Right? Because now we're together. 1020 00:38:53,405 --> 00:38:55,744 Mhmm. But so long as we're siloed, 1021 00:38:56,925 --> 00:38:58,385 we stay feeling crazy, 1022 00:38:58,925 --> 00:39:01,619 and we stay feeling like we are not 1023 00:39:01,619 --> 00:39:04,900 welcome. Yeah. Like, it's our problem. Like, we're 1024 00:39:04,900 --> 00:39:08,179 the problem. That's that's it. Right? Like, once 1025 00:39:08,179 --> 00:39:09,799 you start having the conversation 1026 00:39:10,339 --> 00:39:12,819 with somebody that looks like you, that's going 1027 00:39:12,819 --> 00:39:15,284 through the same journey, and you start seeing 1028 00:39:15,284 --> 00:39:16,264 these, like, 1029 00:39:16,804 --> 00:39:19,125 the the same things that you went through, 1030 00:39:19,125 --> 00:39:20,344 they went through too. 1031 00:39:20,644 --> 00:39:22,184 Now it's like, okay. Well, 1032 00:39:22,644 --> 00:39:23,945 it wasn't my fault. 1033 00:39:24,324 --> 00:39:27,684 Like, this person across the country in a 1034 00:39:27,684 --> 00:39:28,984 different physics department 1035 00:39:29,460 --> 00:39:31,079 dealt with the same 1036 00:39:31,780 --> 00:39:33,559 issues, the same barriers, 1037 00:39:34,340 --> 00:39:35,000 the same, 1038 00:39:37,619 --> 00:39:38,119 traumas 1039 00:39:38,579 --> 00:39:39,639 that I did. 1040 00:39:39,940 --> 00:39:41,940 Now now it's not a it's not a 1041 00:39:41,940 --> 00:39:42,440 coincidence. 1042 00:39:42,820 --> 00:39:45,914 Sorry. It's a trend. Mhmm. It's not a 1043 00:39:45,914 --> 00:39:48,175 me problem. It's a you problem. Yeah. 1044 00:39:50,074 --> 00:39:50,974 Yeah. And 1045 00:39:51,355 --> 00:39:54,335 so long as the system keeps us focused 1046 00:39:55,035 --> 00:39:57,994 and siloed on believing it is our problem, 1047 00:39:57,994 --> 00:39:59,454 everything is our fault, 1048 00:39:59,789 --> 00:40:01,809 Guess what? We don't succeed because 1049 00:40:02,429 --> 00:40:04,829 all we're doing in our spare time is 1050 00:40:04,829 --> 00:40:07,969 spending so much time and energy and resources 1051 00:40:08,190 --> 00:40:09,410 and mental capacity 1052 00:40:10,030 --> 00:40:12,190 figuring out why the teacher looked at me 1053 00:40:12,190 --> 00:40:14,835 like like that. Why did the teacher ask 1054 00:40:14,994 --> 00:40:17,315 only me why I haven't been in class 1055 00:40:17,315 --> 00:40:17,974 for weeks 1056 00:40:18,275 --> 00:40:20,195 when maybe I have been in class every 1057 00:40:20,195 --> 00:40:22,074 single week, but they didn't see me Mhmm. 1058 00:40:22,275 --> 00:40:25,014 Because I didn't raise my hand? Or, like, 1059 00:40:25,554 --> 00:40:28,375 the system keeps us in our head believing 1060 00:40:28,434 --> 00:40:29,974 we have done something wrong. 1061 00:40:30,570 --> 00:40:31,070 Yeah. 1062 00:40:31,450 --> 00:40:34,030 And when you're spending all that mental capacity 1063 00:40:34,250 --> 00:40:34,989 on anxious 1064 00:40:36,650 --> 00:40:37,630 thoughts about 1065 00:40:38,010 --> 00:40:40,010 why shouldn't be here. What did I do? 1066 00:40:40,010 --> 00:40:41,710 What did I was I too aggressive? 1067 00:40:42,010 --> 00:40:43,869 You don't have enough space 1068 00:40:44,675 --> 00:40:45,335 to innovate, 1069 00:40:45,795 --> 00:40:46,775 to be creative, 1070 00:40:47,155 --> 00:40:49,875 to see the world in Rubik's cube quantum 1071 00:40:49,875 --> 00:40:51,094 mechanics. Like 1072 00:40:51,394 --> 00:40:52,215 and and 1073 00:40:54,275 --> 00:40:55,494 and I say that 1074 00:40:55,954 --> 00:40:56,855 knowing that 1075 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:02,960 we, as black and brown people, are still 1076 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:03,279 so 1077 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:05,059 I almost cussed. 1078 00:41:05,359 --> 00:41:05,859 Freaking 1079 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:08,179 resilient in these spaces. 1080 00:41:08,559 --> 00:41:09,619 We are still 1081 00:41:11,234 --> 00:41:11,734 innovating 1082 00:41:12,194 --> 00:41:15,875 and driving change and creating new systems and 1083 00:41:15,875 --> 00:41:17,174 and ways of being. 1084 00:41:17,554 --> 00:41:18,454 Just imagine 1085 00:41:19,554 --> 00:41:21,734 if we didn't have to deal with 1086 00:41:22,194 --> 00:41:22,980 this white 1087 00:41:23,380 --> 00:41:23,880 capitalist 1088 00:41:24,260 --> 00:41:24,760 system 1089 00:41:25,380 --> 00:41:26,760 overbearing on us. 1090 00:41:27,300 --> 00:41:27,800 Right? 1091 00:41:28,099 --> 00:41:29,159 Like, woah. 1092 00:41:29,940 --> 00:41:30,440 Yep. 1093 00:41:31,539 --> 00:41:33,059 Yeah. I I see I'm I'm 1094 00:41:33,780 --> 00:41:35,859 it's tempting to think it would be really 1095 00:41:35,859 --> 00:41:37,300 nice if there was a world where you 1096 00:41:37,300 --> 00:41:39,155 didn't have to have QueerQuest. 1097 00:41:39,454 --> 00:41:41,054 But that would be a real shame because 1098 00:41:41,054 --> 00:41:42,835 you wouldn't have all of this collaboration. 1099 00:41:44,494 --> 00:41:46,494 I don't believe that. I just think it 1100 00:41:46,494 --> 00:41:49,054 would be different. Like, the need would be 1101 00:41:49,054 --> 00:41:51,554 different. Yeah. It wouldn't be to escape. 1102 00:41:52,690 --> 00:41:54,309 It wouldn't it would be to come together. 1103 00:41:55,010 --> 00:41:55,510 That's 1104 00:41:55,809 --> 00:41:58,210 true. Was, but the the framing, the jumping 1105 00:41:58,210 --> 00:42:00,390 off point would be different. Yeah. Yeah. 1106 00:42:01,650 --> 00:42:02,150 Brilliant. 1107 00:42:02,690 --> 00:42:04,784 What what's next for Queer Quest? Does it 1108 00:42:04,784 --> 00:42:06,405 come back? Are you doing it again? 1109 00:42:08,385 --> 00:42:10,405 Em's not ready. I'm not ready. 1110 00:42:11,824 --> 00:42:12,885 It's coming back. 1111 00:42:14,864 --> 00:42:17,684 There will be a Queer Quest to the 1112 00:42:17,930 --> 00:42:19,789 year two. The timing 1113 00:42:20,090 --> 00:42:20,590 is 1114 00:42:20,890 --> 00:42:23,690 we will have to discuss that. People also 1115 00:42:23,690 --> 00:42:25,849 asked us at the event, will we be 1116 00:42:25,849 --> 00:42:27,390 taking the show on the road? 1117 00:42:29,450 --> 00:42:31,755 And that's probably not gonna happen 1118 00:42:32,215 --> 00:42:34,614 quite yet. Yeah. We gotta do it do 1119 00:42:34,614 --> 00:42:37,735 it in Chicago. Do it with Chicago, our 1120 00:42:37,735 --> 00:42:38,235 city. 1121 00:42:38,855 --> 00:42:41,094 Make sure we we got it all all 1122 00:42:41,094 --> 00:42:43,735 the kinks ironed out, and then maybe This 1123 00:42:43,735 --> 00:42:46,289 is where we wanna build our community. Yeah. 1124 00:42:46,289 --> 00:42:48,150 Then it can go forth from there. 1125 00:42:48,450 --> 00:42:48,950 But 1126 00:42:49,329 --> 00:42:51,250 Chicago showed up for us, and we're gonna 1127 00:42:51,250 --> 00:42:53,769 show up for Chicago next next year Mhmm. 1128 00:42:53,890 --> 00:42:54,789 The year after. 1129 00:42:55,250 --> 00:42:57,650 But if if people were sort of thinking, 1130 00:42:57,650 --> 00:42:59,090 oh, we we if we had that in 1131 00:42:59,090 --> 00:43:01,105 our town, would would you be happy talk 1132 00:43:01,105 --> 00:43:02,224 to people if they wanted to get in 1133 00:43:02,224 --> 00:43:03,505 touch with you and and talk to them 1134 00:43:03,505 --> 00:43:04,005 about 1135 00:43:04,945 --> 00:43:05,684 it? Absolutely. 1136 00:43:06,305 --> 00:43:08,785 Yeah. Because these spaces are needed. And one 1137 00:43:08,785 --> 00:43:11,045 of the things that we learned at QueerQuest 1138 00:43:11,265 --> 00:43:11,765 is 1139 00:43:12,224 --> 00:43:14,840 every single person has the power to build 1140 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:16,679 a community. Mhmm. It doesn't have to be 1141 00:43:16,679 --> 00:43:19,420 on the scale of QueerQuest because I'm 1142 00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:20,380 crazy. 1143 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:23,599 And my vision like, I'm a crazy visionary. 1144 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:27,239 Visionary. I I I have a specific way 1145 00:43:27,239 --> 00:43:28,699 of things that I want 1146 00:43:29,324 --> 00:43:31,744 to create and anyways, it doesn't matter. 1147 00:43:33,484 --> 00:43:36,284 But a group chat. I mean, we have 1148 00:43:36,284 --> 00:43:39,164 a group chat, and it's soul filling. Just 1149 00:43:39,164 --> 00:43:41,324 being able to have that space where we 1150 00:43:41,324 --> 00:43:41,824 can 1151 00:43:43,030 --> 00:43:45,909 build community is It really just takes the 1152 00:43:45,909 --> 00:43:48,230 intention, the desire to do it, and then 1153 00:43:48,230 --> 00:43:48,809 the intention 1154 00:43:49,109 --> 00:43:51,349 to to bring it to life. Yep. Yep. 1155 00:43:51,349 --> 00:43:53,130 We're happy to have that conversation. 1156 00:43:53,589 --> 00:43:55,049 A 100%. Yeah. 1157 00:43:55,394 --> 00:43:56,675 If you would like to get in touch 1158 00:43:56,675 --> 00:43:58,675 with Jessica and Emily about that and maybe 1159 00:43:58,675 --> 00:44:00,675 see if they can help you arrange a 1160 00:44:00,675 --> 00:44:02,755 similar sort of event where you are, then 1161 00:44:02,755 --> 00:44:04,355 you can get in touch with them via 1162 00:44:04,355 --> 00:44:06,914 the iNova website or indeed the Quick West 1163 00:44:06,914 --> 00:44:08,690 website. I'd like to thank them both for 1164 00:44:08,690 --> 00:44:10,609 joining me for this episode of the Physics 1165 00:44:10,609 --> 00:44:12,690 World Stories podcast. If you'd like to hear 1166 00:44:12,690 --> 00:44:14,369 more from Jessica, and I don't know why 1167 00:44:14,369 --> 00:44:16,769 you wouldn't, then I would recommend going back 1168 00:44:16,769 --> 00:44:19,089 to the previous conversation we had on this 1169 00:44:19,089 --> 00:44:19,589 podcast 1170 00:44:19,969 --> 00:44:22,449 all about the muon mania. I'll post a 1171 00:44:22,449 --> 00:44:24,795 link to that, of course, on the Physics 1172 00:44:24,795 --> 00:44:28,414 World website alongside the article with this episode. 1173 00:44:28,875 --> 00:44:31,114 And if this has whetted your appetite for 1174 00:44:31,114 --> 00:44:33,835 even more quantum science and technology, this is, 1175 00:44:33,835 --> 00:44:36,480 of course, the international year of just that. 1176 00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:38,420 And at Physics World, we have a smorgasbord 1177 00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:41,219 of coverage spanning the history, mystery, 1178 00:44:41,519 --> 00:44:44,320 and industry of quantum mechanics. We'll be back 1179 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:46,320 next month with something else from this wonderful 1180 00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:48,719 world of physics, and thank you very much 1181 00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:49,460 for listening.