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Laura Willcox

Laura Willcox

Designated Learner, Secret Life Team

When Laura is not learning how to play the shofar, wrestle, cheer, skate, and be a synesthete, she is also a producer, writer, and performer in NYC. Laura has associate-produced several segments for NOVA ScienceNOW and “Secret Life”; writes, produces, and appears in comedic web shorts for LandlineTV; and also performs long-form improv comedy at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre. Laura came very close to being a Biology major at Tufts University, but opted to be a Psychology major instead so that she could learn to read people’s minds.

Laura's Secret Life Posts

Laura Willcox

Learn To SCREAM!

Posted by Laura Willcox | 08 April 2011

Science is no easy field to work in, and it takes a lot of guts to stick with it. Luckily for Rachel Collins, she’s 100% guts. Not only does she juggle two vastly different lives, but she dominates in both science and in wrestling. Laura learns to bring it from “deep down inside”!

And it turns out the line between Rachel and MsChif is pretty blurred—she happily went to the airport still in her wrestling garb after our interview with her, and she totally delighted in all the looks she got.

Check out the video in the player of Rachel teaching me a thing or two about unleashing my own inner MsChif.

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Laura Willcox

Shofar So Good

Posted by Laura Willcox | 25 March 2011

Like most things that are worthwhile, playing the shofar takes a lot of patience and practice. In the Jewish faith, being a shofar sounder is an incredible honor. Puckering-up will only get you shofar… It is your job as the Ba’al T’qiah (which awesomely translates to “Master of the Blast”) to usher in the high holidays, particularly Rosh Hashanah, when the sound literally announces the commencement of the new year. Even in our small studio, the shofar produced an incredibly powerful sound that must be even more all encompassing when blown in a house of worship. However, this full, beautiful sound that Dr Zon produced doesn’t come easily, as evidenced by my rather, er, pitiful attempts to copy his trumpeting. Check out the video in the player above and see for yourself.

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Laura Willcox

Spinning Into Oblivion

Posted by Laura Willcox | 11 March 2011

My mother paid for ice skating lessons for me when I was younger, but when I stepped onto that ice with famous physicist and figure skater Michio Kaku, I couldn’t help but feel like a real amateur. Know your physics and perfect a double axel! The fact that I struggled to avoid skating into a much more proficient child skater didn’t help shake this feeling. But in true Michio Kaku fashion, he was able to get me on my feet (and off my butt) by explaining the actual physics that make it possible for a human being to gracefully skate (and stop) on a frictionless surface. Check out the video on Michio’s homepage to see how I did, and then you can re-watch all your favorite Michio videos while you’re at it.

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Laura Willcox

Meditating with Andre

Posted by Laura Willcox | 28 February 2011

The human mind is a constantly firing, immensely complex maze of neural networks and systems. It’s so complex, our meager human brains have yet to fully figure out and comprehend the amazing human brain. Stay relaxed and present as you focus on this video! It’s incredibly difficult to tune out all the many thoughts we are capable of having at one time and practice the art of mindfulness, to be as present in the moment as humanly possible. Luckily, Andre has been doing this for years so he was able to share some tips with us. So pull out your yoga mat, put on some soothing whale sounds, and enjoy the video in the player above.

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Laura Willcox

An Instructional Film on Synesthesia!

Posted by Laura Willcox | 14 February 2011

I thought I was an organized person until I met Steffie Tomson. Not only is her physical world covered in to-do lists (literally on her cup, the walls, and tabletops of her office), but her mind is the world’s best organizer. Just take a look at the instructional video in the player above and see for yourself! Yes! You, too, can be a synesthete!

Every number, day of the week, week of the month, and month of the year has its own color and location. The concepts that we know of as date and time are tangible things that have personality and shape. The rest of us have to buy iPads to experience our metaphysical world as concretely and colorfully as Steffie does. Come to think of it, if Apple could sleekly package Steffie’s brain into an iMind, I’d probably be the first in line to buy it.

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Laura Willcox

Jean, Laura, And An Instructional Film

Posted by Laura Willcox | 29 October 2010

Maybe it was the proximity of a camera, or all those lights, but I found myself thinking a bit harder than a 24 year-old adult should when I took the Wug test with Jean. Thankfully, we native English speakers don’t usually have to think about the mechanics of our rather convoluted language. That’s because we already know it. If we do stop and think about it, though, we see that English has so many exceptions to the rules, so many options. It makes me pity those poor toddlers who have no choice but to take on the task of mastering the English language.

But this blog-maker can safely say that she is a satisfactory English-talker and test-taking lady.

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Laura Willcox

Mollie, Laura, And An Instructional Film!

Posted by Laura Willcox | 14 October 2010

About two seconds after meeting Mollie in person, you are not likely to be surprised that she is a cheerleader. She is so full of positive energy, it’s not much of a stretch to picture her cheering enthusiastically for her team. I am willing to bet that most people don’t look at Mollie and assume that she is, in fact, an accomplished neuroscientist at a top university—but being predictable has never ranked high on Mollie’s to-do list. And isn’t it nice to know we don’t need to waste our time doing just what is expected of us too?

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my rugby game.

Just kidding. But, hey, maybe someday!

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