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Considering the Turtle Mafia?

Thank you for your interest in the Turtle Mafia!

The Mafia is a support organization for people with “turtle questions” (long term research projects or artistic inquiries).

The Turtle Mafia exists to find ways to support and encourage turtles, including younger ones just starting out: to find challenges common to turtles and help when possible. This includes: helping turtles find the right guidance and advisors, own their turtle-ness, navigate the complexities of academia and creative pursuits, get past personal challenges like lack of confidence, etc. (see List of Challenges Turtles Face)

The form should take less than 10 minutes. These questions will help you think through whether you're a turtle or not. It can be hard to know! They'll also help you think about joining the the Turtle Mafia, and provide next steps.

Am I a Turtle?

Turtles are people with a deep scientific question, artistic inquiry, or otherwise open-ended question they pursue for a long time. This results in a long-term research project without a clear outcome. Turtles devote a significant amount of time to their question, and have the humility to check their work somehow.

Basic Checklist

Joining the Turtle Mafia

Want to join the turtle mafia?
Some advantages
- Help finding mentors. See Turtles Need Four Kinds of Supporters
- A turtle sponsor. One of us will meet with you and be personally responsible to make sure the mafia helps you navigate whatever challenges are listed above.
- Mafia activities. We do various things together. See Some Activities of the Turtle Mafia
Do you think you're a turtle? Do you still want to join the mafia?
Your City
A
B
(The mafia is starting in Berlin, but we can collect applicants elsewhere for later.)

Next Steps

If you said you want to join, we'll be in touch. Someone who's already in the turtle mafia will read your answers here, and probably invite you to go for a walk. After that, they may offer to be your sponsor and invite you to an event.