I remember the early days of first year when the work was hard and the labs were long and we had our hands in cadavers and our heads in biochemistry and we felt like some of the smartest people in the world. Everything is great, you’re dating new people and forming strong friendships and then BAM. The work is too much that week, that night, or that day and the peson next to you is getting it. They’re excited the way you used to be excited and life still feels easy to them the way you miss it. That feeling will hang around your neck as long as it needs to. It’ll keep hanging there until you have a conversation with yourself.
Why am I doing this? My friends back home are starting their jobs and making money and buying new things to make their apartments look nice so the…
I saw this photo online today, and being the skeptic I am, I tried to invert the photo, thinking it was one of those ‘optical illusion’ type photos. Well friends, this is amazingly real (and scary too). The man you see in that photo is Alex Honnold, a 28 year old free solo rock climber (i.e. He climbs without ropes).
This is bravery beyond anything I could ever imagine. I’m trying to wrap my head around this, wondering how he gathered enough courage to climb WITH ropes, and progress to finding his way to the top of walls, nearly 2000ft tall without ropes. How does one gather such courage, knowing that there is no room for mistakes, as one glitch will immediately lead to death?
I applaud his bravery, and somehow it makes me feel I can actually do anything some things I set my mind to do. This is inspiring to see that humans are capable of more than we know. Putting in the time and paying attention to the little details puts us in a place where we can achieve almost anything!
I read an article about a 16 year old girl from Essex with an IQ of 161. To put this in perspective, Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein* and Bill Gates all have an IQ of 160. Since then she has been enrolled in the Mensa Society, alongside the top 1 percent cleverest people in the world, like Nolan Gould who plays Luke Dunphy on the ABC sitcom, ‘Modern Family’.
Today, I stumbled on what could be a potential Mensa candidate. A three year old boy is expected to be learning to ride a tricycle but this three year old is advancing in particle physics. He has been taught physics and chemistry by his dad, who believes we are all born with unique gifts that need to be cultivated. This is exactly what he has done with 3 year old Romanieo Golphin Jr.
Check out this video below:
So what do you think? Are his abilities inherent or attained? I think this is amazing! I can’t wait to see the impact he will make.
*Albert Einstein never took an IQ test because at the time, modern intelligence tests did not exist. However, experts believe he had an IQ of 160.
Another graduation season is here again, and if you are anything like me, although you’re probably terrified of what’s out there, and confused on where to begin, your enthusiasm is high and you are ready to change the world in your own little way. The Honorary graduate at my graduation gave us a ‘gift for the soul’ as he put it, a poem. The Emmy award winning movie, ‘The Odessey’ is based on the story behind this poem.A movie about how the king of Ithaca, Odysseus left his newborn son and wife to fight the Trojan war which lasted about ten years, and his adventurous journey home to his family and his kingdom.
Ithaca
When you set out for Ithaca
ask that your way be long,full of adventure, full of instruction.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon – do not fear them:
such as these you will never find
as long as your thought is lofty, as long as a rare
emotion touch your spirit and your body.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon – you will not meet them
unless you carry them in your soul,
unless your soul raise them up before you.
Ask that your way be long.
At many a Summer dawn to enter
with what gratitude, what joy –
ports seen for the first time;
to stop at Phoenician trading centres,
and to buy good merchandise,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensuous perfumes of every kind,
sensuous perfumes as lavishly as you can;
to visit many Egyptian cities,
to gather stores of knowledge from the learned.
Have Ithaca always in your mind.
Your arrival there is what you are destined for.
But don’t in the least hurry the journey.
Better it last for years,
so that when you reach the island you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaca to give you wealth.
Ithaca gave you a splendid journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She hasn’t anything else to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca hasn’t deceived you.
So wise you have become, of such experience,
that already you’ll have understood what these Ithacas mean.
Constantine P. Cavafy
Life may not get easier after this, there may be disappointments along the way and our journey as world changers may be longer than we anticipated. Regardless, the journey is to be embraced, for in the end, when we get to our destination we will be better equipped and more mature to handle it, because of life’s blessing in disguise, experience. This experience, we can only get through the long and sometimes hard journey.
It may be easier said than done, but I hope whatever comes, the youthful enthusiasm remains and the journey, and all life’s gifts that come in the form of little moments are fully embraced.
‘…look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two…’ Proverbs 6:6.
This proverb was written between 971 – 931 B.C., and since then, our inspiration has gone from beyond the ants to diverse animals and plants. Today, a lot of inventions are based on the intricate designs of nature, i.e biomimicry. Biomimicry is the study of nature’s successful design solutions and the imitation of these designs and processes to solve human problems. The images below show some inventions and parallel designs found in nature.
1.) Velcro:
The most famous example of biomimicry is the invention of velcro brand fasteners. In 1948, a Swiss engineer, George de Mestral noticed that his dog and his trousers were covered with seed pods from a type of coarse plant called cockleburs. After studying this phenomenon under a microscope, he noticed that the seed pods were covered with tiny hooks that would attach to animal furs or clothing fibres it came in contact with. This inspired the invention of the 2 part velcro system that is now used in place of shoe laces and zippers, amongst other things.
2.) Seeing through the glare in water
The kingfisher has the ability to see through the glare in water, locate a fish, dive in and catch the fish in the blink of an eye, and this is due to its highly sophisticated eye sight. The cone cells of the eyes of the kingfisher contain red droplets which serve as chromatic filters, that allow sight through water or glare.
This camera was directly inspired by how the eyes of the kingfisher works, and when built into planes the camera can spot things in the water from the air. Possible human applications for this technology could be in air-sea rescue, helping in finding people who are lost at sea.
3.) Powered Prosthetics
Athropods have exoskeleton that give them external support, thus protection and strength. This has been applied in the creation of powered prosthetics.
Although the muscles of the legs are weak and incapable of offering support, the rigid exoskeleton provide strength and support for movement.
A photo showing the reaction of a little boy hearing for the first time. An earpiece had just been placed in his ears by the doctors treating him.
Photo taken by Jack Bradley
It has been shown that hearing for the first time could be overwhelming, and this is the same with seeing for the first time, where patients have some form of visual agnosia when they regain their sight, unable to distinguish between objects.
People recovering from hearing loss find it hard to distinguish sounds because it is a totally new experience for them. I guess it is easier for children to adapt than it is for adults, as young people assimilate the world quicker.
The video shows the reaction of a boy hearing his dad’s voice for the first time.
Oxygen is very essential for life on earth and is considered a good thing, without which we would all die. The atmosphere is 21% oxygen and since oxygen is such a good thing, it is expected that a world without it would be uninhabitable right? Well just how bad would the loss of oxygen be for only 5 seconds?
For the last three years, at least 30 children living in the nearby slums have had free education under this bridge in India. Thanks to founder Rajesh Kumar Sharma, underprivileged children can now get an education.
Superheroes play a major role in our childhood, they make us believe that we can identify and fight the bad and in the end, the good always wins! Ad agency JWT Brazil are rebranding cancer treatment and if nothing else, this is giving hope to children, as this new ‘superformula’ gives them the power to fight the real villain, cancer!
Watch as the people at ocean sole flip flop recycling company use the magic of imagination, creativity and plenty of passion, to recycle waste flip flops into beautiful toys!
Waste washing up onto the beaches of the remote Island of Kiwayu, Kenya.
Worker Jacqueline Achien washes the waste flip-flops in a bucket before they are sorted and carved.
Machinist Benedict Ndambuki, 36, uses a lathe to smooth off the rough edges of a toy elephant made from the discarded flip-flops.
Cleaning up of the newly made toys.
…and VOILA!
Check out their website – http://www.ocean-sole.com
full of adventure, full of instruction.
SoteeCohenLife 