Nadine Schneider is motivated by curiosity. She tears through books on topics such as critical theory, the history of science, and whatever she has just heard about on NPR. As a nature enthusiast she spends a lot of time studying changes in the garden and observing wildlife in the backyard, noting the comings and goings of the squirrels like a nosy neighbor. When the kitchen isn’t covered in the remnants of a DIY experiment, she’s in there channeling her German grandmothers as she bakes.