Saturday, October 22
Feynman on Fire
Man, I love Richard Feynman! He has just such a passion for science, I love seeing how he seems to get such enjoyment in explaining the world. It would have been such an incredible experience to take a class from him because his love of science just rubs off on you and really inspires you to think and look at the world around you in new and interesting ways. This video is from a lecture and there are several clips I really enjoyed that you should check out
Home for the Holidays
Yesterday, after nearly nine years, Obama announced that the troops will be out of Iraq by December 31
Nine years! Longer than WWII...
think, where were you nine years ago? I remember clearly the 9/11 attacks and the patriotic fervor that followed. I remember the newscasts delivering the news of the "shock and awe" campaign, with the giant fireballs and bombs leveling buildings. it was so easy to watch on the tv but so hard to imagine that happening here.
but the economic realities and consequences of the of the war slowly came to realization (too slowly). With the cost of the war and the economy in shambles the need for investment in America stands in my mind as a far more important use of our resources
Nine years! Longer than WWII...
think, where were you nine years ago? I remember clearly the 9/11 attacks and the patriotic fervor that followed. I remember the newscasts delivering the news of the "shock and awe" campaign, with the giant fireballs and bombs leveling buildings. it was so easy to watch on the tv but so hard to imagine that happening here.
but the economic realities and consequences of the of the war slowly came to realization (too slowly). With the cost of the war and the economy in shambles the need for investment in America stands in my mind as a far more important use of our resources
"After a decade of war, the nation that we need to build and the nation we will build is our own — an America that sees its economic strength restored, just as we've restored our leadership around the globe," - President Obama
Wednesday, October 19
Where you live makes you happy
Listened to this short podcast from NPR on happiness and heard some interesting things. I was first surprised at how many times the work "bike" was mentioned, which was something that I did not expect to hear in this. But as the commentator in the program notes that some of the things that make us most unhappy according to studies is having a long commute that separates us from work, family, and friends. So having a well designed and connected city is something to consider for policy makers.
Another thing which stuck me is how it was noted that as a rule of thumb we should be getting at least 6 hours of face to face social time in our day. This seem like a lot of time to be devoting to social activities but it also fits in line with the results of studies that indicate:
1. People who live in cites (and thus interact with people more) are happier and more fulfilled with life
2. After a certain amount money does not tend to make people happier. Studies indicate that contrary to common "wisdom" becoming extravagantly rich is not the direct ticket to happiness, instead only having enough money is what seem to make the most difference in peoples lives.
But most importantly as mentioned in the podcast, where you live seems to have a strong correlation with how happy you are. This has some pretty strong implications in how we factor what makes us happy. Will buying a new fancy car make us more happy or will possibly relocating to be closer to family and friends make more of a difference in our happiness.
Small Changes Can Help You 'Thrive' Happily
Another thing which stuck me is how it was noted that as a rule of thumb we should be getting at least 6 hours of face to face social time in our day. This seem like a lot of time to be devoting to social activities but it also fits in line with the results of studies that indicate:
1. People who live in cites (and thus interact with people more) are happier and more fulfilled with life
2. After a certain amount money does not tend to make people happier. Studies indicate that contrary to common "wisdom" becoming extravagantly rich is not the direct ticket to happiness, instead only having enough money is what seem to make the most difference in peoples lives.
But most importantly as mentioned in the podcast, where you live seems to have a strong correlation with how happy you are. This has some pretty strong implications in how we factor what makes us happy. Will buying a new fancy car make us more happy or will possibly relocating to be closer to family and friends make more of a difference in our happiness.
Small Changes Can Help You 'Thrive' Happily
