The article "The Past is a Foreign Country" by Gregory A. Petsko reflects on the cultural and technological differences between generations. Petsko shares a humorous anecdote about his father's exaggerated stories of walking through deep snow to school, which eventually led to the realization that these stories were not entirely accurate. This leads to a discussion of the Beloit College Mindset List, an annual publication that highlights the cultural and technological experiences of incoming college students. The list for the class of 2014, born in 1992, reveals that many of these young adults have never experienced certain aspects of the past, such as writing in cursive, using snail mail, or recognizing the significance of historical events like the Berlin Wall. Petsko then speculates on how the scientific worldview of today's graduate students, born in 1988, might differ from previous generations, noting that DNA fingerprinting, protein crystal structure determination, and molecular biology would be routine tools for them. The article concludes with a reflection on the rapid pace of change and the unique perspective of each generation.The article "The Past is a Foreign Country" by Gregory A. Petsko reflects on the cultural and technological differences between generations. Petsko shares a humorous anecdote about his father's exaggerated stories of walking through deep snow to school, which eventually led to the realization that these stories were not entirely accurate. This leads to a discussion of the Beloit College Mindset List, an annual publication that highlights the cultural and technological experiences of incoming college students. The list for the class of 2014, born in 1992, reveals that many of these young adults have never experienced certain aspects of the past, such as writing in cursive, using snail mail, or recognizing the significance of historical events like the Berlin Wall. Petsko then speculates on how the scientific worldview of today's graduate students, born in 1988, might differ from previous generations, noting that DNA fingerprinting, protein crystal structure determination, and molecular biology would be routine tools for them. The article concludes with a reflection on the rapid pace of change and the unique perspective of each generation.