Thanks to a grant
from the U.S. State Department, I recently had the opportunity to speak via videoconference
with students in Angola. Wow!

Boy, were they interested in science. They asked me
question after question about how diamonds form and how to find fossils. They
really challenged me when I mentioned that some creatures can live in
completely dark ecosystems. And they were simultaneously fascinated, delighted,
and horrified to hear that they have tiny mites living in their eyelashes.
 

In
other words, they were no different than the kids I talk with here in the U.S.

No matter where children
live, no matter how they lead their lives, they are all curious about the world
around them. And they are all eager to live.

I’m not sure who was
more disappointed when our hour and a half visit was over—them or me. It’s the
kind of day that reminds me how lucky I am to have this job.