by Fraser Hibbitt It is not difficult to imagine that somewhere in our galaxy there is a planet like ours. A planet suited for life. The unimaginably vast, mind-boggling space outside our solar system always makes one wonder about other life out there. And extra-terrestrial life likely begins on a planet. This is what Dr. … [Read more…]
By Asia Leonardi The story of Heinrich Schliemann and his discovery of Troy, has all the elements of a children’s adventure novel and gives archeology that passionate and not very academic character that feeds the dreams of kids at that tender age when they fantasize about their future. Schliemann was born on January 6, 1822, … [Read more…]
SOBR and His Dancing Silhouettes by Hazel Anna Rogers I grew up dancing. I started in ballet, which I quit at around the age of 12, but took up again after a stint of street dance in my early teen years. When I moved to Leeds at 18, I began regularly dancing at a Freestyle … [Read more…]
By Stella Karageorgi For those young at heart, the Rainbow Village is a must-visit if ever near Taichung, Taiwan. People often cheer as they encounter the vibrant place, even more so after learning of its story. The location spreads across a neighborhood of 11 houses of what used to be a former military housing complex … [Read more…]
by Hazel Anna Rogers Throughout history, we have knowingly driven species upon species of animals to near or full extinction. In 2018, the last male Northern White Rhinoceros died in Sudan leaving two impotent females to die, a forced downfall of the magnificent species resulting from poaching and deforestation. The elegant passenger pigeon, once a … [Read more…]
By Jaymie Hilder It’s not uncommon for kids to be born with missing or under-developed fingers, hands or arms. These differences in development are often painless, but can make life hard later. Handicapped children often are bullied, for a start, and they can wind up feeling left out or self conscious. For many of these … [Read more…]
As many of you know, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is one of my favorite nonprofit groups. For decades, RMI has been tirelessly working on rearranging our relationship with energy. Few organizations have such big impact with so few resources. One of the beautiful tenets of RMI is that small changes can lead to dramatic … [Read more…]
My friend Maui Goodbeer’s younger brother was murdered by a gang member in San Diego in 2003. Melvyn was not in a gang, just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have been you or me and two lives were lost that day – Melvyn’s and the young man who pulled … [Read more…]
Those who follow my blog know I love to celebrate the seasons, much as humanity has celebrated seasons since time immemorial. I always try to get an ode in to the season du jour, be it fall, winter, spring or summer, and revel in the ebb and flow of nature, perhaps more introspectively during fall, … [Read more…]
In the midst of the cultural brouhaha I wrote a recent article on whether to honor Confederate generals (we should not), but today received an image of a decapitated Christopher Columbus that hit closer home. As someone who grew up in Puerto Rico, an island Columbus landed on, whose first governor was Juan Ponce de … [Read more…]
Peering at the stars many of us wonder if anyone else is out there. At least I wonder and assume everyone does as well. And in the vastness of space someone else is likely looking back, wondering the same. And if not what a waste of space. Even if the probability of two intelligent life … [Read more…]
Much like the favorite extraterrestrial hunting software program SETI@home, the Rosetta@home initiative leverages idle computing time across the globe to crunch data. It takes its name from the “Rosetta Stone” tablet, which enabled deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. Rosetta@home seeks to decipher protein structures to help find cures for devastating diseases, including COVID-19. The project may have … [Read more…]
By Carl Kruse Most of us wonder when looking at the sky – into the infinite vastness of space — if there could be intelligent life out there, other beings we could communicate with, learn from, or even meet one day. In spite of decades of Hollywood films depicting E.T.s we have yet to find … [Read more…]
It was in April 25, 1953 when Watson, Crick, and Wilkins published their seminal paper on DNA and today a group of us crazy people celebrate what that knowledge has done for human well-being. Happy DNA Day! We covered last year’s DNA Day in another blog post and this year we return to give it … [Read more…]
The icy mountains of Norway are the perfect hideyhole for preserving anything important against time, the elements, maybe even alien invasion. The Svalbard Seed Vault, which we talked about here and also here, isn’t the only cool archival project in the region. Surrounded by glaciers, permafrost, and polar bears, GitHub is readying to store valuable … [Read more…]
In 2008, Norway gifted the world the Svalbard Seed Vault, also known as the “Doomsday Vault.” This self-sustaining facility, carved into a mountainside and surrounded by permafrost, protects heirloom seeds from future apocalyptic conditions. The idea is if we ever need to restart society these precious plant species will not be lost and our food … [Read more…]
The advance of our science begets knowledge — and control — of our environment, so much so we often seem not of this world but above it. Grand masters. But there’s no escaping we are part of nature and sometimes it’s a microscopic thing like the corana virus that reminds us of how intimately we … [Read more…]
Six Poems By Otho Campbell Presented by Carl Kruse “No good deed goes unpunished,” is just one of Murphy’s laws. The golden rule: A fantasy, like elves and Santa Claus. People take advantage of the kindness you commit. Jean Valjean would just buy drugs, with the bishop’s candle sticks. The road to hell, as we … [Read more…]
I wrote about Giving Tuesday last year and this year I do it again. For those who wonder at the idea of a Giving Tuesday or Giving Wedensday, rest easy knowing that Giving Whenever is usually a good time indeed. Pick your favorite person or charity, show them some love. The truism that you cannot … [Read more…]
Living north of the equator it’s three short months between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. Summer comes and goes quickly and when mid-September comes, we know it’s all nearing a close. The heat of summer often lingers while the light declines and the withering leaves crackle underfoot as the trees begin their seasonal … [Read more…]