Random Thought #235

I love watching Marco Tempest perform. He is also so entertaining and tells great stories too. I've also always been a fan of Tesla and the legacy and even more so, the potential legacy he could have left us, had it not been for Edison and his greed. This is very informative and fun to watch. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


http://www.ted.com/talks/marco_tempest_the_electric_rise_and_fall_of_nikola_tesla

Random Thought #234

I've always wondered how the brain works and how neuron firing patterns work. Although the work done in this talk describe regions of the brain, it still looks like a 2 yr old coloring a picture of a brain. I think that you could even map this down to the neuronal level, although that would be a lot of work. I also think that neurons can be used for multiple purposes and they could be related or not depending on not only the firing sequence but also the intensity of those firings. We'll see if I'm right as time moves on.


http://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_kanwisher_the_brain_is_a_swiss_army_knife

Random Thought #233

We marvel at Earth when we went to space. We realized how small and insignificant we were on our little blue marble but when we ground ourselves and take a closer look at the magnificent space that is our home, the ingenious design (nature) of this place simply leaves us in awe. Its no accident we're here and its no accident that this place has a purpose and that it is for beauty and our happiness, but we abuse is so terribly and yet it still does its best to be beautiful for us. This TED talk just reminds me of how amazing our Earth is, just by considering one of its gems, the Amazon!


http://www.ted.com/talks/antonio_donato_nobre_the_magic_of_the_amazon_a_river_that_flows_invisibly_all_around_us

Random Thought #232

Sometimes I wish I could just be a kid again. They are so innocent, precious, kind, and loving. They will believe almost anything and it allows their imagination to run wild and be creative and care-free. They are always just so happy. I really like the story that this guy tells and how much of a kid he still has in him. Books are a way for us to re-live some of those moments along with our kids. Enjoy.


http://www.ted.com/talks/mac_barnett_why_a_good_book_is_a_secret_door

Random Thought #231

You know that catchy little toon from "The Lego Movie"? Everything is awesome!!! Well, this lady would like to disagree! She has a point....we have come to use words in ways they were not intended and in the process make ourselves look like a bunch of blundering idiots. I like and sympathize with her please to put the "awe" back in awesome! A fun watch for sure.


http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_shargaa_please_please_people_let_s_put_the_awe_back_in_awesome

Random Thought #230

When is the last time  you thought about the people who work in the school cafeteria? I know I never did. In fact, I didn't think about it much until my kids started going to elementary school and one of our neighbors worked in the cafeteria part-time and told us what she does. There are many more like the lunch lady that are unsung heroes but this guy made them famous and I think that's pretty cool


http://www.ted.com/talks/jarrett_krosoczka_why_lunch_ladies_are_heroes

Random Thought #229

Be Happy!!


http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2014/08/11/positive-thinking/

Random Thought #228

I never did well learning simply by reading. Don't get me wrong...I enjoy reading but I learn best and quickest when I'm watching a video that represents what is actually happening. I think animations like the ones shown here are can immensely helpful for furthering medical research, teaching in classrooms, and making the complex more accessible. Check out the link below to learn more.


http://www.ted.com/talks/janet_iwasa_how_animations_can_help_scientists_test_a_hypothesis

Random Thought #227

This takes some serious talent and planning. You've got to know the end from the beginning and everything has to fit perfectly together. Definitely fun to watch

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_kwong_two_nerdy_obsessions_meet_and_it_s_magic

Random Thought #226

Be the Good in the World


https://www.youtube.com/embed/uaWA2GbcnJU

Random Thought #225

And all this time they said that matter could neither be created nor destroyed. One could argue that light particles (assuming you're not bothered by the whole quantum nature of photons) are a form of matter but what about matter that we can't perceive? Dark matter? Spiritual matter? Sounds like we're splitting hairs here but nonetheless, quite a fascinating article.


http://phys.org/news/2014-05-scientists-year-quest.html

Random Thought #224

I've often thought about the impetus for creating the Interstate Highway System under Eisenhower. I think about it every time I go on a road trip. That must have cost a fortune in materials and labor. Now consider how much we spend on maintenance on these roadways. Don't get me wrong, the Interstate system is amazing but is there a better way and if so, who would pay for it? Here is one alternative.


http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/25/the-crazy-genius-behind-solar-roadways/

Random Thought #223

Just a video. Consider its message.


https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z7dLU6fk9QY

Random Thought #222

Ever think we would have flying cars? All the rage now is self-driving cars but flying cars might be pretty cool too. Some companies are actually developing these. I'm not terribly fond of the designs but its a pretty cool advancement anyways.


http://blogs.discovery.com/inscider/2014/05/flying-cars.html

Random Thought #221

Biomimicry is a field of study that I always found interesting. We can learn a lot from Nature. This particular TED talk is all about learning from ants to see how we can apply what they seem to know to complex networks. In particular, it could help us understand about our brains, computer networks, and even diseases such as cancer. I think there are also lessons learned about how to run teams in any organization.


http://www.ted.com/talks/deborah_gordon_what_ants_teach_us_about_the_brain_cancer_and_the_internet

Random Thought #220

I love this guy's website/comic strip called XKCD. Just to give you a flavor of what kind of person this is. XKCD, if you take their position in the alphabet and add them together, it equals 42, which if you watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you would know that 42 is the answer to everything in the universe. X=24, K=11, C=3, and D=4. 24+11+3+4 = 42. Anyways, his comics are hilarious and insightful. As a side project, he answers "what if" questions from his readers using science and math and in this funny TED talk, he sort of explains his process for doing this. Its a fun watch and should inspire the inner mathematician in you.


http://www.ted.com/talks/randall_munroe_comics_that_ask_what_if

Random Thought #219

I always love a good medical advancement but this is pretty darn cool. I've posted previously about synthesizing new organs with 3D printing but this takes it to a totally different level being able to do it within water droplets. Its pretty cool. Check out the link below


http://motherboard.vice.com/read/how-to-3d-print-synthetic-tissue-out-of-water-droplets

Random Thought #218

I think everyone either knows or hopes that we are not alone in the universe. Given the number of stars and planets there are in the universe and just the general immensity of space, there has to be!! Why is it so hard for us to find a planet that could harbor life just like Earth? This video very succinctly tells us why and what we're doing about it. Pretty cool!


http://www.ted.com/talks/jeremy_kasdin_the_flower_shaped_starshade_that_might_help_us_detect_earth_like_planets