I Tracked Gulls for Years. I Lost Myself, Too.

I spent months tracing the diets of gulls who, 4,500 years ago, ate better than I do now. Their bones told me stories of freedom—hunting at sea, untouched by our trash. I ran the isotope analysis again and again, hoping for a different answer, something less bleak. But the data just confirmed what I already knew: we’ve dragged them inland, fed them our waste, clipped their place in the world. I used to think discovery would feel like progress. But tonight, under the hum of the lab fridge, it just feels like guilt. The more I learn, the heavier it gets. I’m not sure if I’m still doing this for the birds, or if I’m just trying to prove I can still care. #ScienceFatigue #LabBurnout #ResearchConfessions #Science