the giant tube-worm's relationship w/ bacteria is also a very encouraging story.
story goes that Dr Colleen Cavanaugh, who had yet to earn her PhD at that point -- just in her first year as a grad student -- was hearing a lecture that was one of the first ever on Riftia tubeworms. Hearing the presence of sulfur crystals in the worm's guts, she jumped up and proposed that worms fed using chemosynthetic bacteria -- she was told by Dr M Jones: "Sit down, kid. We think it's a detoxifying organ."
but she didn't let that remark from a senior scientist in her field discourage her. She convinced Dr Jones to give her tissue to analyse. & she was right.
I think it's a good quick tale to ward oneself against impostor syndrome, immediately caving to pressure from authorities / experts, doubting one's own ideas, so on.
