Random Thought #179

I was over at a friend's house the other day and we were looking at a globe. You know, those spinning round balls representing the earth? I know....it seems like ever since Google Maps came around, we never even think about a globe anymore, but we were talking about lines of Latitude and Longitude. The interesting thing that I never considered before was that the lines of Latitude are parallel to the equator so naturally the lines of Longitude are parallel to the Prime Meridian right? WRONG! They actually all intersect at the north and south poles. You would necessarily think this at first because we're used to looking at maps on a 2-D plane and all of the Latitudinal and Longitudinal lines intersect at right angles. Since they are all perpendicular to each other, that makes since on a 2-D plane, but we don't live on a 2-D plane, we live on a 3-D sphere, so in order for the lines to be perpendicular, one of the sets of lines cannot be exactly parallel to the base point (Equator or Prime Meridian). Since the earth is magnetic (bi-polar) and we have normal spans of night and day, the Longitudinal lines take the hit. I guess I never considered it before, but it was just kind of an "aha" moment. Interesting how things are designed just right.

Random Thought #178

I always enjoy an alternate ending to a story. In this case, this is a possible alternate ending to the story of David and Goliath as told by Malcolm Gladwell. I've actually heard this guy speak live and own a couple of his books and he's quite a good story-teller. Whether you buy his version or not, it at least makes you think, especially about the traditional meaning of the story. The story is representative of the underdog and gaining an unlikely victory, but what if David wasn't really an underdog? Nevermind the Christian perspective of God being on his side, what if he really wasn't disadvantaged?

http://www.ted.com/talks/malcolm_gladwell_the_unheard_story_of_david_and_goliath.html

Random Thought #177

Ever wonder how "generations" get grouped? What is the cutoff line for the Baby Boomers vs Gen X vs Gen Y? How is this line determined? What's even more interesting are the differences in personalities and perspectives. This very interesting and intriguing talk perhaps sheds a little bit of light on the question. I thoroughly enjoyed the talk so I hope you do too.

http://www.ted.com/talks/james_flynn_why_our_iq_levels_are_higher_than_our_grandparents.html

Random Thought #176

If I were to ask you whether you trust people more now or less than you would back in the 50's, what would you say? Perhaps you would say less because of the population growth, urbanization, and lack of social skills that have resulted. Perhaps that isn't the right question though. The question isn't so much as how much you trust, but rather who you trust. Do you trust doctors and judges and librarians more or less now than you did then? Do you trust politicians, marketers, car salesmen less or more now than you did then? That trust level is likely pretty close. So why do we feel so edgy now in comparison to the "good ol' days"? This talk presents an interesting hypothesis. Worth the watch at least.

http://www.ted.com/talks/onora_o_neill_what_we_don_t_understand_about_trust.html

Random Thought #175

We're always told that we should pursue knowledge and gain understanding, but are those two always synonymous? In my personal studies, it seems like the more I read and the more I learn, the more I find I don't know anything. I usually want to end up studying 5 extra topics and 10 more books after reading a single book. There is so much I don't know and yet I feel like I'm learning, but what exactly am I learning? It seems like gaining knowledge only gains me more ignorance. That isn't to say that ignorance is a bad thing. Ignorance typically has a bad connotation but in this case, I think ignorance is good. Its recognizing that there is a lot I don't know and it gives me a challenge and takes me on an exhilarating journey through unknown realms of yet-to-be-understood concepts. Its never boring on the path of learning. I hope you never lose the desire to learn and always recognize that you never really know.

http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_firestein_the_pursuit_of_ignorance.html

Random Thought #174

I found this talk rather entertaining. I had to rewind and pause it several times before I caught him picking the pockets and misdirecting. I was able to do it, but definitely not the first time. See if you can catch this guy in the act. Supposedly one of the best pickpockets in the world.

http://www.ted.com/talks/apollo_robbins_the_art_of_misdirection.html

Random Thought #173

Nature is so cool!!! No matter how many times you try to understand it, it always amazes you with something new! This was an article my co-worker sent to me about a fungus that essentially uses mind-control to infect its host and spread itself. Its actually kinda creepy but soooo cool too!! I know this may seem super nerdy but I love this kind of stuff! Its so fascinating.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/09/absurd-creature-of-the-week-zombie-ant-fungus/#slideid-236871

Random Thought #172

What if we've got it all wrong? What if everything we've been told just plain and simple isn't true? It may be more real than you think. The Food Pyramid is a great example. Watch the movie "Fathead" on Hulu for free and you'll learn all about that. This talk by Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe from Discovery channel shares some interesting thoughts from the show. His opening story is a little bit graphic but he makes several excellent points and the entire talk is a classic. This is one of my favorites.

http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs.html

Random Thought #171

This video just riled up the inner geek in me. Its a fun and entertaining talk about nerdy stuff but the point he makes at the end is important. People need to strive for things and imagine what could be possible. I see so little of that anymore. Quite sad. If you're not a geek, hopefully the comedy entertains you. If not, well then just chalk it up to randomness.

http://www.ted.com/talks/adam_spencer_why_i_fell_in_love_with_monster_prime_numbers.html

Random Thought #170

This video was sent to me in an email and I thought it was very clever and kind of fun. I hope you enjoy.

http://biggeekdad.com/2013/01/im-a-daddy-and-i-know-it/

Random Thought #169

Its time again for the round-up of interesting TED videos. I've been saving these up over the past couple of weeks. I hope you find each one interesting, inspiring, and unique in their own way.

A 3-D Printed Jumbo Jet
http://www.ted.com/talks/bastian_schaefer_a_3d_printed_jumbo_jet.html

Designing for all 5 senses
http://www.ted.com/talks/jinsop_lee_design_for_all_5_senses.html

A talented pianist
http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_paravicini_and_adam_ockelford_in_the_key_of_genius.html

A creative and thoughtful architect
http://www.ted.com/talks/shigeru_ban_emergency_shelters_made_from_paper.html

Manipulating Memories
http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_ramirez_and_xu_liu_a_mouse_a_laser_beam_a_manipulated_memory.html