My Research Died. I'm Still Digging

Nine species of moa disappeared within 150 years of human arrival. I read that today and thought about how quickly my research passion went extinct too. Three years into my PhD, I can't remember what excited me about this project. The proposal that got me here feels fossilized—something I excavate from old emails when my advisor asks about "original vision." I keep collecting data like I'm sampling bones. Sixty samples, they said about the moa. I'm at seventy-two failed experiments and counting. Maybe that's what de-extinction really is—not bringing back what's dead, but admitting you're still digging through the remains of something you once loved, hoping to find enough intact pieces to remember why you started. The moa were ecosystem engineers. I used to think I was too. #Science #LabBurnout #GradSchoolLife