loving art, science and creative kids
5/29/2026 6:40:35 PM
Origin of a Thought
Never Stop Asking Why
Why do we live, and what should we live for, are questions we should never stop asking. The fact that humans are but a speck in the vast universe is a profound conundrum. Yet here we are, trying to make the most of our brief time on Earth. Some argue that the search for meaning is nothing more than an exercise in self-deception because the universe shows no evidence of caring about our hopes, dreams, prayers, or continued existence. In that view, the cosmos is indifferent to what we think or do. Artists, writers, philosophers, and scientists frame the question, making us think about it in a multitude of ways.
Yet from the earliest days of human consciousness, people have looked at the night sky and wondered why we are here. Almost everyone grapples with the mystery of existence. Religious traditions offer perhaps the most comforting answer: the belief in a creator and a greater purpose. Scientists say that science can explain how the universe works, but not necessarily why we exist or whether life has ultimate meaning. No matter how deeply people probe, there is still no absolute answer.
Modern science and philosophy gave rise to existential thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, who focused on the lived reality of individuals rather than abstract systems. Existentialism examines the concrete, and often uncomfortable, experience of being alive and free. Sartre famously wrote that “we are condemned to be free.” We have no choice but to choose what we do, and those choices define who we become. Albert Camus concluded that while life itself may be without ultimate meaning, human beings can still find dignity and satisfaction in the struggle to live fully.
However, the very act of asking these questions reveals how deeply aware we are of the miracle of life on a small planet speeding through space. The evolutionary journey from single-celled organisms to human consciousness gave us minds unlike those of any other creature. Humans accumulate knowledge, share ideas through language and writing, and continually ask questions that probe deeper into the significance of our existence.
Perhaps the answer is not found in grand discoveries, but in ordinary moments: comforting a grieving friend, watching a child laugh, standing beneath a sky filled with stars, or creating something that did not exist before. These experiences remind us that meaning may not be something we discover once and for all, but something we continually create.
Asking what we should live for also leads into psychology. A sense of purpose is essential to mental well-being. Numerous studies suggest that people who live with purpose tend to be more resilient, healthier, and happier. Purpose brings people together, fosters cooperation, and builds community. It helps us endure hardship and create goals beyond our immediate circumstances.
Contemporary approaches to meaning-making focus less on cosmic answers and more on human flourishing. Psychologists such as Martin Seligman argue that a meaningful life includes positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. His perspective does not attempt to solve the ultimate mystery of why we exist. Instead, it asks how we can live well while we are here. Increasingly, researchers point to awe, creativity, compassion, and connection to nature as important sources of fulfillment and emotional well-being.
Meaning evolves as we acquire skills, fall in love, raise children, pursue knowledge, perform acts of kindness, and build societies shaped by art and culture. It is through being meaning-making creatures that we continue to evolve, constantly reaffirming both our existence and our place in the cosmos. Yet circumstances change throughout life, which is why we should never stop asking what we ought to live for. Finding new meaning at each stage of life keeps us creative and resilient.
Perhaps humanity’s greatest gift is not that we possess all the answers, but that we continue searching for them while creating meaning through how we live, love, and imagine our place in the universe.
References:
Rodriguez, R. (2026) The one Question That Haunts Every Human: Why do We Even Exist? Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-question-haunts-every-human-why-do-we-even-exist-raul-8becc/
Website (2025) The Human Quest for Meaning : Insight from Existential Thought. Philosophy Institute. Retrieved from https://philosophy.institute/philosophy-of-human-person/human-quest-for-meaning-existential-insights/
Editors (2025) Why Are We Here? The Human Quest of Meaning. Science News Today. Retrieved from https://www.sciencenewstoday.org/why-are-we-here-the-human-quest-for-meaning-and-existence
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My own search for meaning finds expression through art and writing. The novels and essays I create are my way of exploring humanity’s emotional and moral struggles—our fears, hopes, failures, and resilience. Whether writing about environmental conflict, social injustice, or personal relationships, I find myself returning to the same central question: how do we live meaningful lives in an uncertain world? Storytelling becomes more than entertainment; it becomes a way of understanding both ourselves and the fragile world we inhabit.
Eichinger books are available in paperback, ebook, and soon to be audio formats on AMAZON. For thrillers about social justice and the environment, turn to the Rightfully Mine Series.
11/30/2024 3:21:27 PM
Holliday sale of art. 30% off through December 7th. Contact the artist at [email protected] to receive discount.
ALDER TREES CANVAS PRINT
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE --IT AIN'T EASY
All You Need is Love was introduced by The Beatles during the Summer of Love. The song was broadcast via satellite in June 1967 to 400 million people in 26 countries. John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the lyrics and music, expressing an idealism that resonated with young people who wanted to change the world through love and peace. To most people, it’s a clear message saying that love is everything, though some view it to mean that to achieve the impossible, all you need is love. A line in the song says there’s nothing in the realm of doing that can’t be done if you have love. Others interpret it to say you don’t have to be great and shouldn’t feel the need to do anything special. All that’s needed for a fulfilled life is love.
My Unitarian minister always ends a service by saying, “Go in peace, practice love.” I understand the peace part; I can be peaceful. But she makes me wonder how love can be a practice. The Bible says to love thy neighbors as thyself. I don’t know many people who follow that commandment. If there were more, there probably wouldn’t be wars in Gaza, Sudan, or the Ukraine. The Beetles sing “It’s Easy,” but is it?
Webster’s Dictionary defines love as intense, deep affection involving warmth, tenderness, intimacy, fondness, and attachment. Religious gurus add devotion to the list, while K-pop fans add obsession. Some consider love to be the most important of the human emotions. Yet other people use it to describe almost anything. OMG, I love this Bing cherry ice cream! Your cooking is fantastic; I love the way you made the potatoes! Couples in long-term relationships are strong on the loyalty and commitment side of the definition, while young adults in their first real relationship find love messy and complicated. Their love may be based on infatuation or short-lived passion. Unrequited love can break a person’s spirit, sending them into a tailspin.
When told to practice love, what am I supposed to do? Psychologists say love is influenced by both biology and culture. Numerous research studies say romantic love exists in all cultures, indicating a strong biological component. Yet culture influences how individuals think about, experience, and express romantic love.
I’ve become addicted to Korean Netflix series where parents will go to great lengths to help their adult children find a compatible mate. This includes going to matchmakers and arranging their dates. When someone decides to take the next step, they courageously say, “I like you.” This is usually followed with, “Would you like to date?” or “I’d like to date you with the object being marriage.” Parents and relatives have great sway at this point. The word “love” is only expressed after the couple has gone through and survived the ups and downs of their relationship.
There isn’t a single way to practice love. Every relationship is unique, and each person has their own history and needs. I was surprised when I found suggestions to show and develop loving relationships. Cultivating a lasting relationship is marked by trust, commitment, and intimacy. It means communicating to meet your and your loved ones’ needs. It involves tackling conflicts in a healthy way that moves the relationship forward. Some people try loving-kindness meditation, which promotes self-acceptance and reduces stress. At the same time, you concentrate on warm feelings toward the person you care about and your desire for them to be happy.
Be willing to be vulnerable.
Be willing to forgive.
Do your best, and be willing to apologize for mistakes.
Let the person know that you care.
Listen to what they have to say.
Prioritize spending time with the person.
Reciprocate loving gestures and acts of kindness.
Recognize and acknowledge their good qualities.
Share things about yourself.
Show affection.
Make it unconditional.
Love impacts mental health. Loving relationships are linked to lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, stress levels, better health habits, and increased longevity. When love is practiced conscientiously, it can turn into the emotion we call love, providing a sense of security and well-being. Being in a loving relationship makes it easier to take the occasional risks necessary for achieve your goals. Do I think love is easy, as the song says? Not really. It is a practice that must be nurtured again and again. Having such a wonderful result is worth the effort.
This holiday season is an excellent time to practice love.
References:
K, MSEd, (2024) Do You Know What Love Really Is? Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-love-2795343#:~:text
Website. American Psychological Association. APA Dictionary of Psychology.
Teo AR, Choi H, Valenstein M. Social Relationships and Depression: Ten-Year Follow-Up from a Nationally Representative Study.
Wong CW, Kwok CS, Narain A, et al. Marital status and risk of cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Winston R, Chicot R. The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children.
It's good to hear your thoughts. Please comment below.
Lyrics to Love,Love, Love.
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
There's nothing you can do that can't be done
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung
There is nothing you can say, but you can learn
How to play the game
It's easy
Nothing you can make that can't be made
No one you can save that can't be saved
Nothing you can do, but you can learn
How to be you in time
It's easy
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Nothing you can know that isn't known
Nothing you can see that isn't shown
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where
You're meant to be
It's easy
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
All you need is love
Over the Peanut Fence provides insight into what happens when you practice love.
9/7/2024 12:58:44 PM
Short-Faced Bear (Field Museum) Great Ape Human
Sasquatch and the Short-Faced Bear. Who are they?
He was between ten and eleven feet tall when standing on his hind legs. His arms were long, and his toes faced straight ahead, creating a human-like stance when walking. He weighed as much as sixteen hundred pounds, probably impressive to his lady friend, half his size. Though the couple enjoyed tasty meat dishes, she may have eaten more vegetables. In general, they weren't that picky, adapting to the food in various climates and terrains. The species occupied North America during the Pleistocene, between 1.6 million years ago and the end of the ice age, approximately 11,000 thousand years ago. Their remains have been found in the plains, steppe tundra, boreal forests, open grasslands, and subtropical woodlands. Archeologists call them Arctodus sinus, or Short-faced Bears.
After seeing a museum rendition of a Short-faced Bear, I wondered if they were behind stories of Sasquatch or Bigfoot, as they were called when Hollywood glamorized them. For nearly 5,000 years, the Short-faced Bear shared the land with the Clovis people who had crossed the Bering Sea and with those who sailed here from Oceana. When these First Americans encountered Short-faced Bears, they must have found them frightening and taught their children to hide from them. Could they be the ones who named them Sasquatch?
The original word for Sasquatch is "Sasq'ets," from the Halq'emeylem language of Coast Salish First Nation peoples of southwestern British Columbia. Though Sasquatch's habitat is usually associated with the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, the species is said to thrive in the High Desert, in dry canyon lands, pine forests, and scrublands as well. And so did the Short-faced bear.
Though Sasquatch is described as a cross between a gorilla and a human, I think the bear and human would be a better analysis. Stories about the creatures go back thousands of years, well before recorded history, and are said to roam the forests today. The hairy man (or is it fur) with a flat face was believed to have special powers. The Ojibway people of the Northern Plaines believe he appeared in times of danger as a messenger of warning, telling humans to change their ways. All tribes see Sasquatch as shrouded in power and magic, though some describe him as violent and crude, and others say he's helpful.
Sasquatch?
Native American Mask from my collection
Children must have been frightened when elders told stories about Sasquatch. He was described as being seven to ten feet tall, with a penetrating odor and a howl that can make your hair stand on end. Tribal members say it is incumbent upon them to protect Sasquatch's anonymity.
The historical record of Sasquatch in Oregon began in 1904 when settlers on the Coast Range reported seeing a hairy wild man. Witnesses say he walked through the forest at night, digging for ground squirrels in rock piles. Decades later, a group of miners reported being savagely attacked by giant apes on Mount St. Helens. Their cabin was pelted with gigantic rods, and a huge hairy ape arm reached in through the window to try to grab an axe left on a table. The men took aim at the beast, shots rang out, frightening them away, and they lived to tell the tale. Most reported encounters characterize Sasquatch as non-aggressive, shy, intelligent beings who travel in family groups and hide from human encounters. Writers of fiction and science fiction depict Sasquatch as a charismatic beast living in harmony with the environment.
If my take is correct, the Short-faced Bear, not a great ape, gave birth to the Sasquatch legend and the hundreds of stories that were, are, and will continue to create speculation about elusive creatures roaming the woods. What do you think?What do you think? Please comment below.
References:
Robert Walls Bigfoot(Sasquatch) Legend. Oregon Encyclopedia (2024 website). Retrieved from https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/bigfoot_sasquatch_legend/
Website (2024)Short-faced Bear. Illinois State Museum
Retrieved from https://iceage.museum.state.il.us/mammals/short-faced-bear-0#:~:text
Neil, (2019) Is Bigfoot Real? Facts. Retrieved from https://facty.com/network/answers/things/is-bigfoot-real/?style=quick&utm_
Website (2024) Sensing Sasquatch. The High Desert Museum. Retrieved from https://highdesertmuseum.org/sensing-sasquatch/
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Fiction is usually based on glimmers of truth. Like the Short-faced Bear, The Water Factor: A Rightfully Mine Novel is also speculative to a point, with much of the story based on fact. Access to clean water is denied to those in war-torn countries and poor communities without the means to pay for it. According to the UN, water is at the center of the climate crisis. You have a chance to peer into the near future to a time of water scarcity controlled by corporate criminals. The story is a gripping tale that will have you turning pages.
The Water Factor is available in ebook, paperback, and audio formats. It can be purchased on AMAZON, Barnes and Noble, and as an audiobook on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Ask your bookstore to order a copy from Ingram. I am available to zoom into book club discussions.
1/27/2024 10:51:43 AM
Flickers Caring for Their Young
Access to food and clean water is necessary for the survival of all living species. We need to be diligent about preserving nature’s gifts to humanity.
A Writer’s Passion
While president of OMSI, I collaborated with Dr. Marion Diamond, my counterpart at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley. Before assuming its directorship, she was one of the founders of modern neuroscience and the first to demonstrate that the brain improves with experience and enrichment. Though known for her studies of Einstein's brain, her rat studies showed that an enriched environment (toys and companions) beneficially changed the brain's anatomy. In contrast, an impoverished environment lowered the capacity to learn. By showing the plasticity of the brain, she shattered past beliefs of the brain as static and unchangeable, degenerating as we age.
Dr. Diamond advised me to stay active after retirement by changing my daily activities, interests, exercise routine, and readings. Doing so, she said, would develop new synapses to keep me vibrant and engaged throughout my senior years. To grow and continue learning throughout my life would keep me relevant and give life purpose.
So…when I retired at seventy-three, I followed her advice. Instead of remaining a consultant to the corporate world, I divested myself of boards, committees, and fundraising activities, choosing to spend my time with individual endeavors instead. Community activities took on a counseling aspect with singular individuals rather than leading groups. I spent hours engrossed in my art. But of all the undertakings, writing is the one I focused on most. I had always been an idea person, but when I put my thoughts on paper, I relied on others to make my thoughts well composed. My retirement goal was to learn how to write. I joined a writers’ group, so what I put down is critiqued before distribution. The best way to become a writer is to write every day without fail. Sending out a weekly blog keeps me on course, but most of my effort goes towards my books.
Lives of Museum Junkies and Over The Peanut Fences were non-fiction, partly biographical endeavors. The first explored my early involvement with science museums and hands-on learning, how I learned to manage large institutions, and the people who helped the profession grow. The second accounts for the days spent mothering a previously unsheltered youth and getting to know the staff and volunteers of organizations that help young adults heal.
As I watched the environment suffer due to global warming and pollution, I decided it was time to write a novel, a thriller to capture the public’s imagination and to encourage governments to improve their care of life-affirming resources.''
Capturing attention with the written word requires dedication, a nuanced knowledge of the English language, and an understanding of people's emotions. My first attempt at an environmental novel was focused on petcoke, a little-known petroleum by-product that resembles coal. When I wrote the last chapter, I realized it could have been better, but I needed to figure out what was wrong. I found a teacher who had me flush out character descriptions in the middle of the night when my mind wasn't sharp. I was advised not to begin my story before I understood how each looked, walked, talked, was raised, and felt. I had to live in the head of each individual and worry about their families and friends.
After three years of research and writing, I completed The Water Factor, a thriller about the corporate takeover of water. It should be in bookstores and online by late spring. Though set in the future, everything I write about has already occurred. Access to clean drinking water is in peril and will affect everyone's life in the future. I was shocked to learn that the World Water Forum of 1998 and 2000 led to water being declared a commodity and not a right. This opened the way for it to be traded on Wall Street and privatized by corporations that charge 2000 times more by bottling it than letting it flow through a tap. Backing from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund followed, giving a handful of international corporations license to take over the management of public water services aggressively, leading to higher water and sanitation rates.
The United Nations recognizes access to water and sanitation as a human right fundamental to everyone's health, dignity, and prosperity. Unfortunately, well over billions of people today live without water being safely managed. The plot moves from rural Oregon to Ethiopia to a Native American reservation, showing what can happen when corporate interests take over access to clean water.
My purpose in writing The Water Factor is to bring this issue to the forefront so communities can do something about it. The first of the Rightfully Mine series, the novel shows the depths of manipulation and deceit people will engage in for money. It's a page-turner to stimulate your brain, though I hope it will do more. The book is a call to action for citizens to monitor how their water and sewage systems are managed. Northwest Natural, an investor-owned gas company in Oregon, has begun purchasing small water companies in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. The company is positioning itself to buy municipal water systems as it expands. It is time to ask if we want our water to be privatized.
Communities need to take heed of water issues. Lives depend on it. Who is selling, and who is purchasing local water rights? How will this affect your family in the future? I hope you get actively involved. Your effort is bound to stimulate new brain synapses and be a meaningful endeavor.
Resources:
United Nations website. Human Rights to Water and Sanitation. Retrieved from https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/human-rights-water-and-sanitation#:
Burtka, A. & Montgomery, W. (2018) A water right—Is water a human right or a commodity? ERB Institute University of Michigan. Retrieved from https://erb.umich.edu/2018/05/30/a-right-to-water-is-water-a-human-right-or-a-commodity
Green, E. (2018)NW Natural is buying water utilities. Should Oregonians be concerned about privatized water? Street Roots. Retrieved from https://www.streetroots.org/news/2018/08/10/nw-natural-buying-water-utilities.
Art is always for sale. Flickers Caring for Young is a 22” x 25” framed acrylic on canvas painting. It is available for $425 and shipped free in the continental U.S.A. For information or to answer questions, contact [email protected].
I look forward to reading your comments below.
8/12/2023 6:52:46 PM
The Other Oppenheimer
The film Oppenheimer brings back memories of Robert Oppenheimer's brother Frank, a colleague from my days as a museum director. I knew him years after he worked on the nuclear bomb with Robert. Frank started the Exploratorium three years before I incorporated Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing, Michigan in 1972. I met him that summer while my husband worked at Stanford and I toured museums. During our stay, a friend and I went to see the Exploratorium in San Fransico with five children in tow.
I was overwhelmed by the size of the Palace of Fine Arts, the building the science center occupied, but was underwhelmed by the number of exhibits. The building was poorly lit, with interactive displays covering one-third of the floor, with the rest filled with airplanes. As I walked through the hall, I waved my hand through a rock hovering in space above a barrel. The illusion of a floating object became one of the early exhibits I added to my Lansing Museum.
Frank greeted me in a trailer office in the center of the building. It was the only place that was heated and air-conditioned. He was perched like a bullfrog on the seat of his chair, squatting the whole time we talked. Our conversation was animated as we discussed interactive teaching methods and lamented the difficulty of raising money for our ventures.
After spending a pleasant morning, I was horrified to find I had locked my keys inside my car. Frank saved the day by inserting a wire under the rubber at the top of the window and pulling up the lock, a feat impossible today. Over the next eighteen years, until his death, our paths crossed often at conferences, meetings, and workshops.
Frank Oppenheimer was a nuclear physicist who became a science center director by chance after being blacklisted for belonging to the communist party. Banned from university positions, he sold an inherited Van Gogh painting to purchase a ranch in Colorado. He was an angry, confused, unhappy man until McCarthyism ended and a local school lost its physics teacher. The administration begged him to take the position, and a new life took off.
Frank turned their poorly attended science class into a top contender at the Colorado State Fair. His teaching methods ensured that pedantic material came alive, making the bored children of ranchers into student scientists. From teaching high school, he went to the University of Colorado, where he returned to particle physics research and taught, but his interest in science education never wavered. It led to his developing a "Library of Experiments" for educators. With new these new methods in hand, he made his dream of starting a science center a reality by founding the Exploratorium in 1969.
Three years later, when I became involved, there were fewer than twenty science centers sprinkled across the U.S. Only sixty-five of us attended the first Association of Science and Technology Center (ASTC) gathering. With National Science Foundation funding, the fledgling group started when the American Association of Museums (now the Alliance) wouldn't recognize our centers as worthy of membership. The snub disappeared a few years later as the number of science centers, natural history museums, children's museums, and nature centers with interactive displays grew into the thousands.
Our group of newbies looked up to Frank, who played an important leadership role in the development of hands-on learning in museums. We were a heady group of quasi-fanatics who attended workshops organized by the Exploratorium. There we complained about public school teaching, about how children were required to memorize science from textbooks. And, we weren't happy with the push-button, copy-heavy commercialism of the twelve major science museums, including those in Philadelphia, Chicago, and L.A.
Frank was a Renaissance man promoting art and science and touting aesthetics, engineering, and technology as necessary elements for creative outcomes. Exploratorium displays weren't in fancy cabinets. Yet they were sophisticated and built solidly. Their construction shop was open to the public to peer inside. If you ever played with a pin screen and made the pins pop up in the shape of your hand, you participated in a display by an artist funded by the Exploratorium. A few years later, a toy company illegally flooded the market with copies of the artist's creation.
We shared ideas with Exploratorium staff and discussed ways of making thought-provoking problem-solving exhibits that wouldn't fall apart when thousands of hands played with them. Frank never pushed ideas on us but rather opened opportunities for discussion. With my psychology background, I shared that children approached exhibits fearlessly, without reading instructions, while their timid parents read every word we put out. Our goal was to make the instructions more intuitive than lengthy while providing in-depth information to adults who didn't mind reading.
Frank's struggles were many, and his perseverance was admirable. His journey is one of twelve biographies included in Lives of Museum Junkies, a book I wrote about the trendsetters of the science museum movement. Frank was among us not knowing how to run a public institution. We learned the hard way how to attract volunteers, assure public safety, make dispids on the cheap, and manage our boards.
Building a museum from the ground up is expensive. We were poor and had to become handshaking fundraisers. Impression 5's museum suffered by not having air-conditioning during boiling hot summers. Visitors to the Exploratorium needed hand warmers and overcoats during winter excursions.
Before the pandemic, the science centers and museums that were part of ASTC reported an annual attendance of over 62 million visits, with another 10.1 million people served in off-site events and programs such as school outreach. Those numbers plummeted during COVID and still haven't grown to pre-pandemic levels.
Lives of Museum Junkies candidly addresses the mistakes we made and gives a behind the scene look at the challenges of running a public institution. Passionate and naive, we plodded along, working long hours to ensure our institution's success. I say "naively" because many of us might not have started our projects if we knew what lay ahead.
I updated Lives of Museum Junkies to cover the trials brought about by COVID-19. It was a terrible time of closures when centers had to be inventive to survive. Every museum director included in the book tells a unique story. Though I'm definitely biased, I think you'll find the stories inspiring. If you purchase from Amazon, please write a review. Though the first edition had dozens of positive reviews, they didn't transfer to the second edition's sale page. I need at least twenty-five more to ensure that these stories will inspire future generations to follow their passions.
Questions about museums? Contact me at [email protected].
Please share your science center experiences below.
4/1/2023 10:33:17 AM
Spring Has Sprung
This is a busy time of year for me. I just installed thirty arboretum paintings at the Lake Oswego Library's Gallery and am finalizing edits of Rightfully Mine: the Water Factor to be published later this year. The paintings will be on display throughout April, so stop by to see them if you are in Oregon.
Some things are constant reminders of spring, like grabbing a light jacket from its peg by the back door and being reminded of the poem I recited as a child. With jonquils and hyacinths pushing through the earth, and chrysanthemums blooming in the yard, my energy has increased and I'm ready for action.
Spring has sprung
the grass is riz
I wonder where
my jacket is.
The words pop into my mind as soon as the first flowers push through the ground. When I looked into who wrote the verse, I came up with a big zero. Though often attributed to Ogden Nash or ee cummings, the poem has roots that go back to an anonymous author centuries before.
Spring is sprung, the grass is riz,
I wonders where the birdies is.
They say the birds is on the wing.
Ain't that absurd?
I always thought the wing was on the bird.
And then there is my favorite adaptation in Arnold Silcock's Verse and Worse.
The Budding Bronx
Der spring is sprung
Der grass is riz
I wonder where dem boidies is?
Der little boids is on der wing,
Ain't dat absoid?
Der little wings is on de boid!
And then - attributed to Ogden Nash though I can't find proof.
Spring has newly sprung
the hills are full of grass
and along comes a billy-goat
sliding on his overcoat down the summer pass.
Whatever the words, the poems carry the joy, beauty, and energy of the season, a time of rebirth. Spring is a gift that propels me to start anew and focus attention on realizing my dreams. As Passover, Easter, and May Day arrive, they remind me that much of life is cyclical. But after participating in the festivities, I realize the celebrations are not identical to those I went to the previous year. Though the earth circled the sun completing its cycle, I find that I'm not the same person either. All I have to do is look in the mirror to see a few more wrinkles and gray hairs.
The universe is so vast it is easy to forget that it is in a constant state of transition. Why should humans be different? Our solar system began 4.6 billion years ago as a collapsing cloud of gas and dust. It took 600 million years for the sun and the planets to form. And even longer for the oceans on earth to be formed from the impact of comets rich in water ice. Microscope bacteria evolved into plants and animals to create our present environment. The oldest known fossils from living species are from 3.8 million years ago—not a very long time ago when you consider when the planets began spinning.
As human brains evolved, sapiens became foragers focused on basic needs like finding food, shelter, and immediate pleasures, not concerned with how the universe and all its creatures are in a constant state of transition. They knew that the earth traveled around the sun but didn't know the extent of changes that came with each revolution. A NASA study published in March 2021 found that Earth's axis has been shifting drastically since 1995, speeding the movement of the poles and changing its direction. The reason behind the shift is melting glaciers, a contributor to climate change.
Since the earth will be here long after I'm gone, I can only hope that wise land stewards will take the helm from those who choose to remain ignorant or those who are motivated by instant gratification. Pollution, population growth, and our warming planet are major problems that must be taken seriously if our great-grandchildren are to enjoy the boidies and see that the grass is riz each spring.
d a warming planet must be taken seriously if our great-grandchildren are to enjoy the boidies and see that the grass is riz each spring.
Your thoughts? please respond in my comment secdtion below.
Art is always for sale. Canvas prints of the paints are available for $99, shipping included. Purchase through web sited or contact me at [email protected]
Resources:
NASA Website. Planets Grow and Change OVer time. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/YOSS_Act_14.pdf
POEM- sources for "pring has sprung”
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Visit Lake Oswego Library's gallery at 706 4h Avenue during the month of April to see paintings inspired by Hoyt Arboretum.
3/25/2023 11:44:36 AM
Arbor Day is on its way!
It's wonderful that our country dedicates an entire day to planting and celebrating trees each year. Some places, like the library, honor them for a month each April. Trees are held in my heart every day of the year. I give thanks for the shelter, shade, fruits, and nuts they provide. Their roots hold soil in place and their leaves block howling winds. Birds build nests and protect their young in them. Some, like the pawpaw tree, attract insects that woodpeckers pluck from the bark. They communicate with each other, doing their best to nurture young saplings until they are strong. Trees are an ecosystem of their own making.
Arbor Day started in Nebraska by settlers who moved from dense forests in the east to the Great Plains of the midwest. When J. Sterling and Caroline Morton arrived from Detroit they imported plants into their home. Sterling, journalist, and editor of Nebraska's first newspaper, started writing about the value of trees and encouraged people to plant them. As well as protecting shade crops from the sun, trees held the soil together, prevented dust storms, and helped bring irrigation to their farms. After Nebraska achieved statehood, in 1872, the Board of Agriculture approved a proposal to dedicate one day a year, April 10th, to planting trees across the state.
The holiday spread across the nation until 45 states adopted Arbor Day as a state holiday in 1920. The date was changed to April 22, Sterling Morton's birthday. Today, every state celebrates Arbor Day including Puerto Rico, the date was again moved to the last Friday of the Month. A good day to plant a tree. Added to the list of benefits of planting trees, are that they slow climate change, support biodiversity and create stronger communities.
With the arrival of spring, what tree will you plant this year? In 2022, the Arbor Day Foundation committed to planting five hundred million trees in five years with a focus on neighborhoods and forests. That adds to the five hundred million it already planted worldwide since its founding in 1972. The foundation has over a million members and is one of the largest conservation foundations in the world.
Lake Oswego Library is located at 706 4th Avenue, Lake Oswego, 97034. If you know of nature centers, libraries, or organizations that might be interested in displaying the paintings, please contact me at [email protected]/
What is your favorite tree? Should I add it to my collection? Comment below
2/3/2023 10:10:47 PM
Limitless Possibilities
So many people, so many ways, so many paths. It isn't very clear. Should we use our minds and set boundaries or physiology to let biological instincts lead the way?
Oh, Rats!
Is the human species so messed up that people now behave like rats in a cage? Considering that we are biological animals, it isn’t surprising that the aggressive and deviant behaviors we see on the street are responses that mimic rat behavior in crowded situations. The world’s population grew dramatically since Thomas Malthus wrote his 1798 Essay of the Principle of Population. He thought the problems Industrial European society suffered from —poverty, malnutrition, and disease—all attributable to overpopulation. If growth were left unrestricted, the population would grow at an exponential rate, exceeding its ability to produce resources to support itself. He cautioned that if action wasn’t taken, the growing population would self-correct through war, famine, and disease. Social scientists say his prediction didn’t come true because humans have the foresight and the ability to plan for the future. New agricultural technologies put Malthus’ theories on the back burner for the next two-hundred years.
The conversation returned to the forefront when Stanford University Professor Paul Ehrich wrote The Population Bomb with environmental issues part of the discussion. In 1968, 3.55 billion people occupied the globe, increasing by 2.09 percent a year. Ehrich was an optimist though. He too thought that human foresight and emerging Ag technologies would keep the population safe from disaster. After revisiting his predictions fifty years later, he said that the most serious flaw in his writing was that it was too optimistic about the future. Fresh water is one of the greatest limitations facing the world. Today there are over 8 billion people on the globe, and though the rate of increase has dropped to less than 1 percent, the base number is high. The UN predicts that in seven years the earth will have to support 600 million more people.
Rats! Where will they all go? What will happen to the United States? An estimated 83 percent of the population already resides in urban areas, increasing urban land by 15 percent. That’s up from the 64 percent recorded in 1950. By 2050, metropolitan occupancy is expected to reach 89 percent, causing double the need for urban land by 2060. More than 300 urban areas today have a population of over 100,000. The average urban population density is 283 people per square mile. New York, a city with 8.8 million inhabitants, has 27,012 people in every square mile.
Oh, Rats!
Back in 1962, animal ecologist John Calhoun foresaw a future of overcrowded cities and devised a population experiment by introducing five pregnant rats in a quarter-acre pen that could accommodate as many as 5000. The animals were given adequate food, water, and shelter. To his surprise, the rat population grew rapidly at first, but over time subsided and leveled off at 150. Following is a description of what he saw.
“Dominant males became aggressive, some moving in groups, attacking females and the young. Mating behaviors were disrupted. Some became exclusively homosexual. Others became pansexual and hypersexual, attempting to mount any rat they encountered. Mothers neglected their infants, first failing to construct proper nests, and then carelessly abandoning and even attacking their pups. In certain sections of the pens, infant mortality rose as high as 96%, the dead cannibalized by adults. Subordinate animals withdrew psychologically, surviving in a physical sense but at an immense psychological cost. They were the majority in the late phases of growth, existing as a vacant, huddled mass in the centre of the pens. Unable to breed, the population plummeted and did not recover. The crowded rodents had lost the ability to co-exist harmoniously, even after the population numbers once again fell to low levels. At a certain density, they had ceased to act like rats and mice, and the change was permanent.”
Since Calhoun’s experiment, social scientists and biologists in the fields of ecology and mental health continued studying issues around urban crowding. They investigated prisons, mental health hospitals, refugee camps, and slums. Recent research focuses on destination communities where the quality of life for the residents plummeted as tourism increased.
Though there is some variation in results, overall studies show that crowded conditions increase the risk of the spread of infectious diseases, cause stress, and create mental health problems and sleep disorders. Home injuries multiply since many crowded areas are in poor repair. And, urban sprawl brings traffic congestion, air and water pollution and in some cases flooding. The demand for energy rises and water quality decreases. An urban heat effect from so much cement and high- rise buildings, causes temperatures to rise and greenhouse gas emissions to get trapped in the atmosphere. The average annual temperature in metropolitan areas is 1-7 degrees higher than in rural regions.
Given these conditions, it is not surprising that there are so many mass shootings, suicides, and unsheltered people. Wealthy families reside in dwellings with adequate per-person space. They live near parks and shop in neighborhoods that are relatively safe. Since the pandemic, they’ve taken even more control over their lives by demanding their employers let them work from home on flexible work schedules.
The majority of the population is not so fortunate. Their wages are low and they have little control over their hours and work week. They arrive at their jobs stressed by living in crowded apartments in crowded neighborhoods. Some become disturbed and exhibit behaviors like those in Calhoun’s experiments. They self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, become aggressive drivers, develop deviant sexual behaviors, commit suicide, join gangs, steal, riot, and murder. Their aggression crosses neighborhood boundaries to impact others who live and work in the city. They create fear throughout the nation and sometimes the world.
Human brains are capable of designing housing and community areas for dense populations. Theoretically, we should be able to build livable cities that don’t impact the environment. We should understand the impact eight billion people have on global resources and the psychological problems that occur when it is too crowded.
We should, but we don’t. The wealthy don’t want to foot the bill to make cities equitable for all. And, I don’t see our citizens as having the will to tackle problems caused by urban living. I don’t see them making the leaps needed to protect the environment.
I am hopeful that we’ll wake up and change. Since the world’s population is still growing and ever more people are migrating to urban areas, cities will become more dysfunctional, putting more pressure on residents to remain sane.
_________________
I enjoy hearing from you. Your opinions matter. Please share them on my blog site below.
Art is always for sale. For information about Limitless Possibilities contact me at [email protected]
Books by Marilynne Eichinger are available online and in bookstores in paperback and ebook formats. To purchase on Amazon go to AMAZON.
10/30/2020 5:18:23 PM
Over the summer I edited a second edition of “Lives of Museum Junkies,” bringing events affecting the museum community up to date. The American Alliance of Museums estimates that one-third of the nation’s museums and science centers will close as a result of COVID-19. Impression 5, the museum I founded in Michigan and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry look like they will survive. They do what they can to educate children who are sequestered and provide limited in-museum offerings for those needing help with homework. A variety of programs reach adults craving intellectual stimulation. Special exhibits like the one OMSI has on Genghis Khan are available with a timed entrance reservation.
What staff is doing is not easy. OMSI, for example, had to reduce its budget by half which meant laying off fifty-three percent of its employees Though the organization remains viable due to commitment and inventiveness of its staff and financial support from the community, each day is a struggle. Before Covid, like minded institutions across the nation, joined together to develop, share, and circulate exhibitions and programs. With museums concerned about staying alive, they lack the staff, time and resources to band together.
In the late nineteen-sixties there were a dozen science centers in the United States and another handful in Europe. Before Covid nearly three thousand dotted countries around the globe. Focused on increasing science literacy, each center developed unique attributes that make it a novel place to visit. Unfortunately, with tourism down and the entertainment business curtailed, the public has limited access to their resources at a time when it is needed the most. The pandemic has focused our attention on how important it is to listen to scientists and medical professionals who have years of training rather than giving credence to wishful thinkers and rumor mongers that extend Covid’s dangerous reaches. When open, science centers play a critical role in helping the public separate truth from fiction.
When I was a young wife and mother, I started a science museum in my basement. It was 1972 when Impression 5 Science Museum was incorporated as a non-for-profit organization in Lansing, Michigan. That action heralded the beginning of an adventure that changed a timid, naive woman into one capable of running one of the nation’s foremost science museums.
A wise man advised me, “When the time feels right, go for it! Don’t wait for everyone else to agree with your dreams because that never happens. Grab your own opportunities.” And that is what I did, though not alone. In Lives of Museum Junkies: Second Edition I share the joys and difficulties I experienced, as well as the struggles of eleven men and women who were on the leading edge of an international movement to create experiential museums dedicated to science.
As pioneers, we were change agents influencing the country’s education ethos. And, as visionaries, we broke from tradition by combining art with science, engineering, math, and technology. Years later schools followed our leadership with a curriculums known as STEM, and when the arts got included, STEAM education. We saw ourselves as promoters of lifelong self-improvement, practitioners of creative problem-solving, believers in equal opportunity, disseminators of the latest scientific information, and teachers who made learning so much fun that students were compelled to ask the next question. We wanted visitors to leave the museum yearning to know more.
We were unsophisticated when we started our museums and not skilled at fundraising, board development or staff management. We were artless in the way we constructed interactive displays and did not understand how chauvinism, race, poverty, and social class played a role in what we were doing. Included are sections called “lessons learned” so you will understand how the people I write about were changed by their experiences. Hopefully, these insights will be helpful to anyone attempting a new venture.
You’ll read about how the director of the New York Hall of Science fought Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on behalf of the Brooklyn Museum of Art and learn how directors dealt with deadly accidents, managed a devious press, and spoke to slippery insurance companies. You’ll see what it’s like to run a multimillion-dollar auction for the elite and read heartwarming tales about underprivileged children who were inspired by museum experiences. You’ll be introduced to dedicated volunteers like author Jean Auel of The Clan of the Cave Bear fame and staff in granting organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) who helped the movement grow.
For twenty-five years I built and ran science museums. In my late fifties, I took a risk by leaving the comfortable cocoon spun around me. With the help of twenty-two national museums and several board members, I left OMSI and started the Museum Tour Catalog to spread science literacy to two million households. My goal was to provide parents with information and hands-on manipulative devices so they could help their children be actively engaged and questioning rather than retreating to mindless television programs. Before retiring, the catalog was mailed to 2 million households annually. For eighteen years, the Museum Tour Catalog and science centers inspired toy companies to develop hands-on science materials for children. Today hands-on science and art kits can be found everywhere toys are sold. They are at Target, Michaels, Bi-Mart, Amazon and a host of other stores, including science museum gift shops.
Lives as Museum Junkies: second edition demonstrates how entrepreneurs who follow their dreams have to stay motivated and dedicated despite setbacks. Staying positive and reaching for a better tomorrow is as important today as it ever was then. As Norman Stiles implied in his children’s book Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum, the entire universe is everyone’s museum and we just have to fine tune the way we see things to take advantage of all that is there. I hope my writings will encourage readers to do just that.
Lives of Museum Junkies: Second Edition is presently available online in ebook and paperback formats. The print version will be in bookstores beginning Monday, November 2nd.
About homeless and runaway youth.
Virtual Book Talk at Lake Oswego Library, Tuesday, November 17th at 7pm.
For information, Go to https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/calendar/month/2020-11?og_group_ref_target_id=13
8/8/2020 1:10:57 PM
Japanese Red Pine Tree Maple Tree Bark
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
—From "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer
TREES
There once was a woodsman who worked very hard but was never content. One day, a old hermit saw him in the woods and the two men got to talking. At the end of a pleasant hour, the wise man revealed that he had special powers and would grant the woodsman three wishes. He was told to call out “Raven, Raven, Raven” and he would come to grant his wish. The woodsman thought for a moment and said, “I want a wish now. I am lonely and would like a wife to share my bed and keep me warm at night.”
That evening, on his way home from work he passed a maiden traveling in the same direction. She had long hair the color of a red pine tree that sparkled in the sun. They smiled at each other and fell instantly in love. The couple got married and before long they had five children, three boys and two girls. After the birth of their fifth child, the woodsman’s wife complained that they needed a larger house, one that reflected his improved station in life, for he had become a lumberman who wore a shirt and tie to work.
The woodsman remembered the hermit he met in his youth. It had been a long time since their last meeting but he called out to see if he was a man of his word. ”Raven, Raven, Raven,” he cried and the old man appeared in his office. “My wife complains that the roof over our head is too small,” the woodsman said. “I need a house that make her happy and impress my business partners.
That evening when he returned from work, his wife gave him a smile as she did when they first met. She stood in front of a large red door with a brass knocker the size of his forearm. The white mega mansion before him had eight majestic columns that supported a porch with rocking chairs and a rocking horse for their youngest child. Inside were five bedrooms and a dining room table made of the finest mahogany that was large enough to accommodate his family and friends. The woodsman and his wife were content watching their children grow, marry, and have children of their own.
One day, the woodsman looked in the mirror and saw wrinkles and hair that was grey. He \went to the office but could only work a few hours before his back started hurting. It wouldn’t be long before he died, he thought. He started to brood, drank too much, and complained about the unfairness of life to all who would listen. Sitting alone in his rocker one day, he remembered he had one more wish he could ask of the hermit. “Raven, Raven, Raven,” he shouted in a grumpy, demanding voice.
The old man appeared at once. "What do you want now?" he asked annoyed. "You have a loving wife, a mansion to come home to, five children who gave you grandchildren to bounce on your knee, and gold bars in your vault for retirement. What more could you need?"
“Use your magic to make me live as long as any living thing on earth so I can watch life pass through the ages,” he said.
In the blink of an eye, the hermit disappeared and the woodsman was turned into a 2,500 year old sequoia tree. He stood majestically by a trail in a western forest overhearing young lovers pass by and enjoying the feel of wind as it rustled its limbs. “I am the oldest and wisest tree alive in these woods,” he said to his neighbors. “I know all that is happening and watch people come and go as the years pass.”
Then, one day, a lumberman came by and saw the tree standing so taller than any tree in the woods. “Let’s cut it down, he said to his partner. We’ll make a lot of money and have firewood left over to bring home to our wives.” And so they did.
__________
I love trees. Many of my walks are at the arboretum where I’m especially aware of the shape and feel of the bark of various species. On narrow trails, it is difficult to look up at the crown of a tree without tripping on a root as I walk, so my eyes stay closer to earth. When I look around it is at head level where I take note of the trees’ bark. I am surprised at how soft and spongy California Redwoods and Giant Sequoias feel to the touch as compared to native Douglas Fir trees. Some of the bark is dark with deep furrows like the lines that gouge an old person’s face while other bark is lined with long textured.
Do you remember studying trees in biology class? It’s good to remember how these beautiful organisms cool the earth with their shade and release oxygen so we can breathe. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and the heat-trapping greenhouses gasses human activities emit. But, recent research shows that trees also communicate with each other. I wonder what they say as I walk by.
Best selling author and forester, Peter Wohlleben, in The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, was revolutionary when he wrote that trees of the same species are communal and form alliances with trees of other species. Botanists call his discovery of an underground fungal network the “wood-wide web.” They share water and nutrients through networks and communicate information about drought, disease and insect attacks. Distress signals are dispatched through hairlike root tips that join together with microscopic fungal filaments they use to send chemical, hormonal and slow-pulsing electrical signals that scientists are just beginning to decipher. They also communicate through the air, using scent signals.
Trees alter their behavior when they receive distress messages. For instance, trees in Africa can make their leaves taste bad when giraffes start nibbling on nearby branches. Trees can loan one another sugars where there are deficits from seasonal changes which is particularly beneficial between deciduous and coniferous trees. Crackling sounds heard in the roots of some plants are inaudible to humans and have yet to be interpreted.
When Wohlleben attended forestry school he was taught that trees needed to be thinned, that helicopter-spraying of pesticides and herbicides was essential, and that heavy machinery was the best logging equipment, even though it tears up soil and rips apart the mycorrhizae. He worked this way for more than 20 years until he visited a few privately managed forests in Germany, which were not thinned, sprayed or logged by machines. “The trees were so much bigger and more plentiful,” he observed. “Very few trees needed to be felled to make a handsome profit and it was done using horses to minimize the impact.”
At the University of British Columbia in Vancourver Canada, Suzanne Simmard and her grad students study the sensitivity and interconnectedness of trees in the temperate rainforests of western North America. They found that when a tree is cut, it sends electrical signals, analogous to pain, into its tissues. A group of scientists from Tel Aviv University also confirm that some plants emit a high-frequency distress sound when in environmental stress.
Simmard also identified some trees as hub trees, or “mother trees.” Mother trees are the largest trees in forests and act as central hubs for the network below-ground. For young saplings trying to survive in a shaded part of the forest, the network is a lifeline. Mother trees support seedlings by injecting them with a sugary fungi. They change their root structure to make room for baby trees. Simmard says that to have resilient forests in an era of rapid climate change, large trees need to be conserved for they form the heart of a forest’s communication network and are the lifeblood of the next generation.
Forests compose over 30 percent of the world’s land area, but are disappearing at an alarming rate. Between 1990 and 2016, 502,000 square miles were lost, an area larger than South Africa. Eighty percent of the Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests. Over 250,000 million people reside there and depend on trees for subsistence and income.
Countries that preserve forest ecosystems give conservationists a reason to hope. In addition to reducing carbon emissions and deforestation, billions of trees need to be planted across the globe and a sprinkling of nations are heeding their call. The Billion tree Campaign is managed by the nonprofit Plant for the Planet Foundation. Tree planing is the biggest and cheapest ways of taking CO2 out of the atmosphere to tackle the climate crisis. But, we need to start now because it will take 50 -100 years to reach its full effect of removing 200bn tonnes of carbon. Below is the ranking of the top 100 countries in terms of how many trees they’ve planted last year.
|
Ranking
|
Country
|
Trees Planted
|
|
1
|
China
|
2,407,149,493
|
|
2
|
India
|
2,159,420,898
|
|
3
|
Ethiopia
|
1,725,350,234
|
|
4
|
Pakistan
|
1,006,776,724
|
|
5
|
Mexico
|
789,307,032
|
|
6
|
Turkey
|
711,103,088
|
|
7
|
Peru
|
646,502,236
|
|
8
|
Nigeria
|
626,725,667
|
|
9
|
Kenya
|
534,680,609
|
|
10
|
United States
|
315,586,982
|
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
--Greek Proverb
KNOW YOUR TREES
There are five parts to a tree;
Crown The top of the tree is the crown, made up of the leaves and branches that come in many shapes and sizes. The crown has numerous jobs. It shades the roots, collects energy from the sun (photosynthesis), and keeps it cool by removing extra water
Roots Trees have a lot of underground roots — the size of the root system is usually as big as the part of the tree above the ground. This is essential because the roots help support the tree so it won’t fall over, but its main job is to collect water and nutrients from the soil and to store them for times when there isn’t as much available.
Leaves Leaves, part of the crown of a tree, convert energy into food, which is mostly sugar. They contain chlorophyll which gives leaves their green color. Chlorophyll is a critical biomolecule, used in photosynthesis which leaves use the sun’s energy to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water from the soil into sugar and oxygen. The tree’s food or sugar is either used or stored in the roots, trunk, and branches. The oxygen from this process is released back into the atmosphere.
Branches Branches serve as support to distribute the leaves efficiently for the type of tree and the environment. They are conduits for water and nutrients and store extra sugar.
Trunk The tree gets its shape and support from the trunk which holds up the crown. The trunk is the main transportation water and nutrients from the soil and sugar from the leaves. The bark, cambium, heartwood, phloem, and xylem are the five different layers that make up the trunk.
Outer bark is a protective layer made up of dead cells, much like fingernails. The inner bark, made of living cells, is mainly there to carry sap full of sugar from the leaves to the rest of the tree. The Cadmium is the layer of living cells inside the bark that makes new cells to allow the tree to grow wider each year.
Sapwood (Xylem) is a network of living cells that bring water and nutrients up from the roots to the branches and leaves. In the center of the trunk is the heartwood. It is dead sapwood and is the hardest part of the tree, giving it strength. Pith, in the very center of the tree has tiny dark spot of spongy living cells that carry essential nutrients up through the pith. Since it is in the center it is protected from damage by insects, the wind or animals.
References:
Folk tale is an adaptation of a story I heard years ago.
Grand, R. (2018) Do Trees Talk to Each Other? Ask Smithsonian. retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/
Nunez, C. (2019) Deforestation. National Geographic. retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation/
Stanton, K. (2019) Which Countries are Planting the Most trees? UnitGuide. retrieved from https://www.uniguide.com/countries-planting-the-most-trees/
Carrington, D. (2019) Tree planting ‘has mind-blowing potential’ to tackle climate crisis. The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/04/planting-billions-trees-best-tackle-climate-crisis-scientists-canopy-emissions
Kahn, S (2019) A Group of Scientists Suggest that plants Feel Pain. The Scientist. retrieved from https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/24473/20191218/a-group-of-scientists-suggest-that-plants-feel-pain.htm
I enjoy hearing from you. Please comment on my blog site below..
Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected]
Japanese Red Pine is a mixed media piece that includes tree bark. It’s base is acrylic on deep canvas / 20” by 16” / $325.
The Maple tree is acrylic on deep canvas / 20” by 16” / $325.
1/24/2020 4:02:58 PM
Mystery
A DNA Story
Biology is certainly different than it was when I studied peas in high school. I find it exciting to be a witness to changes in the field of bio-genetics. Genes are responsible for human traits, including health, behavior, and disease. Contemporary research influences forensics, medicine, agriculture, pharmaceutics, and what we know about our ancestors. Scientists discovering new genetic markers are rapidly filling gaps in understanding. Our personal stories will eventually take us back to the beginning of human existence-a fascinating thought.
Over the years, I've had three DNA tests. The first was for medical reasons while the next two were for fun. Fortunately, I was told I did not carry genes for a type of cancer common in people with Jewish heritage. Without need for additional medical help, I happily turned my attention to my ancestors. I was delighted when my partner gave me a gift that allowed me to participate in the National Geographic Genome study.
The Genome Study's mission was to track the diaspora of humans who left Africa approximately 180,000 years ago. Due to overpopulation and depletion of natural resources tribes were forced to move in search of better hunting and agricultural land. Just as today, thousands of people escaped to the north.
Scientists use markers to identify the paths they traveled through Northern Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. How they do this is by using genetic markers identified through DNA passed on from generation to generation with little change. Occasionally they find mutated markers. These are then mapped to show how people diversified into separate genome groupings. This enables geneticists to plot evolutionary trails that show when a person's ancestor evolved from hunter-gatherers to farmers.
My kit arrived with easy-to-follow instructions. All I had to do was rub cotton swabs inside of my mouth, put them in an envelope and return it for analysis. Getting the result took longer than the promised six-week turnaround time, but I was able to follow their progress online. Four months later, I had a story to tell. My family traveled through the Middle East - Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and then went north through eastern Europe and England. I was surprised to learn I had a minuscule amount of Neanderthal genes, proof of intermingling between Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens in the area around Jordan.
Results were interesting but didn't provide as thorough an understanding as I wished. One problem was that by being a woman with two X chromosome only the female side of my ancestry was followed. It would have been more informative if by brother was the one tested, for my history is the same as his. The Y chromosome is special in that it links men back to their common male ancestors. He would have obtained information about my father's side of the family as well as my mother's.
The other disappointment was that the information gave a story that ended about 5,000 years ago. Happily, my daughter filled in some of the gaps with a gift that led me back in time from today. Ancestry.com introduced me to my European heritage. They even provided a list of people who might be related. I found my grandparent's Ellis Island documents and located the family on early U.S. census roles. If I had the time, I could dig more deeply and develop a family tree. The study has made me quite curious about Riga, Latvia where my father's family resided for many generations.
As in all things, good and bad come from innovation. Genetic information can easily be subject to misuse if we act naively and do not consider ethical implications. Concerns around such things as genetically modified food, sharing of medical information without consent, and cloning human beings, abound. With that in mind, if you decide to participate in a genetic study, it is wise to understand how your personal information will be used.
The first phase of the National Geographic Genome Project ended on December 31, 2019. The study was considered a great success. Over one million people participated from over 140 countries. Researchers are able to apply for access to the massive amount of data amassed since 2005.
Have you ever received gene therapy or participated in genetic experimentation of any kind? How about genealogical research based on your DNA? Were you surprised by your results? Do share your experiences and concerns on my blog site.
References:
The following youtube videos are informative.
Video about the National Geographic Genome project (12 years ago) -https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=national+geographic+human+genome+project#id=1&vid=3be39ca0ddf5d1edbc1b342eb9195ff1&action=click ( this tells about the start of the project and what they hope to find)
Video about DNA Mysteries The Search for ADAM National Geographic Documentary (2 years ago) https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=national+geographic+human+genome+project&_guc_consent_skip=1579819131#id=15&vid=b13b46f11908e3c8e8a7e25dc5785c31&action=view (This shows a search for the scientific Adam that leads to the roots of humanity’s family tree)
Lessons from the Human Genome Project ( one year ago) https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=national+geographic+human+genome+project&_guc_consent_skip=1579819131#id=23&vid=26221d12f9a27a500058e51a41eea431&action=view
Takezawa, Y., Kato, K., Oota, H. et al. (2014) BMC Medical Ethics. BMC part of Springer Nature.Article number 33 retrieved from https://bmcmedethics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6939-15-33
For information about Ancestry’s DNA Program go to - www.ancestry.com/DNA
Art is always for sale: Contact me at [email protected]
Mystery is a 38" by 12" acrylic painting on deep canvas. Cost is $ 399.
4/15/2017 9:08:17 PM
Rub a Dub Dub Five Men in a Tub
Acrylic painting on Canvas/ 42” by 54” / $ 790
Courageous explorers set out to sea and disproved the flat earth theory. What if they hadn’t? Galileo was punished for saying the earth travelled around the sun. What if he (and others) hadn’t? Salk wiped out polio with a vaccine? What if people had refused to give it to their children?
Science vs Belief
In 2015, Julie Beck wrote an article for The Atlantic saying Americans Believe in Science, Just Not its Findings. Though 79 percent of Americans do think life is much easier because of science and that investments in research are worthwhile, they question the findings. A recent Pew Research study concurred that there is a large gap between what the public believes compared to the beliefs of scientists. Following is a quote from the report:
- Genetically modified foods: 88 percent of scientists say they’re "generally safe" to eat; 37 percent of the public agree.
- Vaccines: 86 percent of scientists believe they should be required in childhood, compared to 68 percent of the public.
- Climate change: 94 percent of scientists say it’s a “very serious" or "somewhat serious" problem; 65 percent of the public agree. 87 percent of scientists blame humans; 50 percent of the public does too.
- Evolution: 98 percent of scientists say they believe humans evolved over time, compared to 65 percent of the public.
- There were also large disparities on issues like whether it’s safe to eat foods grown with pesticides (scientists: 68 percent; public: 28 percent), and
- whether the world’s growing population will be a problem (scientists: 82 percent; public: 59 percent).
Instead of trusting facts, the public tunes into feelings. People are quick to turn to pseudoscience when they want to refute a claim they dislike, for most any reason. While they trust and respect scientists, they don’t believe in their evidence-heavy research. Dan Kahan, professor at Yale Law Schools asserts that there is a “creeping anti-science sensibility” overtaking the country and it is gradually getting worse. I wanted to know why.
Pew research scientists say that the fault is with the media because they don’t know how to present complex information in a concise manner that can be easily digested. Scientific information does not lend itself to being communicated through sound bites and reporters can’t capture their reader’s attention for a long enough period of time to present results and their ramifications. Many people have stopped reading newspapers altogether and are not apt to come across science articles while browsing the web.
There are, however, other factors to consider beside the media. Religion, jobs, and past experience with faulty science causes people to reject studies they don’t like. Preferring childhood indoctrinations and conclusions they draw from personal experiences, they use them to sieve through research findings. In other words, they stay committed to their own beliefs which may or may not be based on tested results. It may be why so many people argue that ghosts are real, that holding your laptop on your lap will make you sterile, that talking on your cell phone will give you cancer, or that sugar makes your kids crazy. Many also believe that hair and nails continue to grow after you die, that crossing your legs gives you varicose veins, and that brown eggs are better for you than white.
The 2015 international student assessment test (PISA), given to 15 year olds, revealed that out of 71 countries the United States placed 38th in math and 24th in science. Though math scores steadily increased since the early 1990s, in 2009 they once again started to dip. Science scores showed a very slight improvement. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) blames our country’s overall weak scores on poor STEM education in the schools.
The statistics are more discouraging for adults, for only 28 percent of the population qualifies as being scientifically literate. However, those who are interested in science and engineering and continue on for advanced degrees tend to excel in their fields. “The United states has done more to advance science in the modern world than any other country on earth,” says physician/researcher Danielle Teller.
Our engineering schools are among the top in the world and medical research still remains among the best, though it is slipping. At the highest level of academic achievement the country performs well, but the general public falls behind in understanding scientific subjects. One reason may be that scientists have not been able to connect their researched to daily life in order for it to have meaning to the public. Instead, their information is presented in confusing bullets that claim findings to be truthful but say there are nuances to the study that need to be more carefully evaluated. It is difficult for the average person to know what to make of the information so they stop trying. Rather than show their ignorance, many simply say, “I don’t believe it.”
What do we do about the public’s lack of understanding? How do we communicate to those who are not interested in science and what is important for them to know? For over 50 years the National Science Foundation (NSF) had science initiatives that funded programs like NOVA, encouraged building science centers, and supported innovations in teaching. The present administration is reversing the trend by cutting research budgets for NSF and NIH (National Institute of Health) as well as funds targeted for science literacy. I suppose their reasoning is that if they are not going to accept the outcome of the research, why conduct the studies in the first place? If they do not want public discourse about the impact of fossil fuels to the environment, why give out research grants? Should we care? Perhaps we need to think about the subject a bit differently.
Science literacy is not just about facts for it prescribes what to do with them. It is about being able to predict and explain natural phenomena like volcanoes, tornadoes, and tidal waves. It enables informed participation in civic, cultural, and economic affairs and defines ways to make judgements about the future. Scientific literacy is crucial in that it affects everyday decision making, but it is also personal in that it buts up against societal values. Since many value-laden beliefs get applied to critical issues, you have to accept that much more than the latest study is involved.
Science is a way of thinking—a process involving ideas, collecting data, developing a hypothesis (an educated guess), testing, and coming to a conclusion only to start the process over again. It is not focused on absolute perfect answers but rather ton outcomes based on the best input data available at the time. It involves challenging preconceived notions, over and over again in a never ending cycle.
It is difficult to live in a world without absolutes but due to high speed communication we are forced to do so in order to decide which findings and innovations will benefit society. Decisions are constantly having to be made, and they can’t be allowed to be based on thin air. For instance, we know how to make robots and drones, but do we know how we want to use them? Should they deliver packages, pick up passengers, clean our homes, and bomb distant villages? How do we deal with their noise or the problems they create for those who will lose their jobs? Who decides if all children need to be vaccinated? Is there such a thing as clean coal? What is an acceptable level of toxins to allow in drinking water?”
Science literacy also includes understanding how data is manipulated and purposefully misinterpreted for political and business reasons. Informed people need to ask how information is collected, what biases are involved, and who is footing the bill for the study. We need to be able to interpret statistical information so as not to be fooled. It also behooves us to look for mental laziness on the part of the investigator and to make sure that researchers aren’t just looking for comfort results that fortify their cherished opinions.
Inquiry can be used to reenforce long held beliefs or can be used to shed light on the universe. It can give us answers to curious inquiries and a platform for the next great discovery or fodder for those who want to negate findings. Whether science is used for good or for evil depends on our values and motivations. Since we are traveling speedily through the universe, clinging to the land by means of gravity, it behooves us to understand as much as possible in order to protect and sanely develop our spaceship earth.
References:
Beck, Julie, The Atlantic, 2015 , Americans Believe in Science, Just not its findings, In https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/americans-believe-in-science-just-not-its-findings/384937/
Desilver, Drew, Pew Research Center, 2017, U.S. Students’ academic achievement still lags that of their peers in many other countrieshttp://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/02/15/u-s-students-internationally-math-science/
Lombrozo, Tania, 2015, NPR, Scientific Literacy: It’s Not Just about the facts,
http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/09/14/440213603/scientific-literacy-it-s-not-just-about-the-facts
Teller, Danielle Quartz MEdia LLC, 2016,There’s a good reason Americans are horrible at science,https://qz.com/588126/theres-a-good-reason-americans-are-horrible-at-science/
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CELEBRATE! and learn about hands-on learning and the growth of art and science museums by naive but passionate directors from throughout the country. Laugh and cry with them as you read their stories of trying to navigate the quagmire of running a non-profit organization.
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1/28/2017 10:52:27 PM
Surf’s Up
Acrylic on Canvas, gold frame, 48” by 36” / $ 699
Violent Storms A’ Comin’
A few days ago a friend of mine went to a Buddhist induction ceremony where initiates were given a bowl and robe and told that from that moment on these objects are their only possessions. Letting go of attachment, being mindful and focused, having kindness and compassion, reducing suffering and increasing happiness are all that mattered in taking Buddhist vows. Property ownership is meaningless to a monk.
This story made me wonder what it would be like to give up everything I own? I realize that you can’t take valued objects with you when you die, but possessing and creating beautiful art has always made me feel good. I like the idea of passing it on to my children, though most of my possessions they don’t want. As a visual person, both natural and human-made environments give me pleasure. Just as I appreciate observing birds in the wild, I enjoy putting my hands around a lovely piece of Native American pottery I own to feel ripples in the clay that the potter made when crafting the bowl.
I was thinking, with some embarrassment, just how attached I am to possessions when I switched on the television and it happened to be tuned into the weather channel. They were showing to old images of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. I had not given a great deal of consideration to the trauma that beset the New Jersey Coast but when I heard the newscaster mention Barnegat Bay, he grabbed my attention. My family had once owned a summer home on Long Beach Island. Located between the Bay and Ocean, the narrow strip of land bore the brunt of the hurricane’s force. It struck me that I can no longer bury my head and say that losing everything is not a possibility for disaster came close during the past two years.
Several trees landed on my property due to erratic weather conditions that caused rain to oversaturate the land. One tree smashed through the roof of my house while I was looking out the window and the second demolished a car in the driveway. In both cases, members of our family were inches away from being killed. I wonder if these storms going the be the norm in the future? Not understanding the science behind rising temperatures and weather, I decided to explore more deeply why a warming climate produces violent storms that include icy cold winters.
As early as 2007, NASA predicted that increased levels of carbon dioxide would make continents warm more quickly than oceans, resulting in storms becoming more vigorous. On the west coast, an increased amount of rain and snow could solve California’s problems of summer drought, as long as there are ways to capture rainwater before grounds are saturated and prone to flooding. However, the west coast will also see an increase in lightning strikes which are prone to start wildfires. Central and eastern states will face their own set of problems. They will be vulnerable to numerous severe disturbances and thunderstorms like Sandy, Katrina, Andrew and Ike. Social, economic, physical and psychological scars will be left behind for years in the future for those living in harm's way.
I have a friend who owns a champagne bar on the island of Manhattan. He was horrified to discover what can happen when a violent storm hits low land. During Sandy, his bar flooded. My first thought when he described floating bottles of champagne was, “how great, I’ll take a few.” Unfortunately, the corks were contaminated and the labels came off so there was no way of knowing what was floating. It was a waste of hundreds of bottles of good wine and lost revenue
Doyle Rice, writing for USA Today, reported on proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Their scientists say that thunderstorms and violent tornadoes will have “ a robust increase across parts of the U.S. in upcoming decades because of climate change.” Between the Rockies and the Atlantic, severe storms could increase as much as 40 percent. The scientists explain that there are two primary ingredients needed to produce monster storms. The first occurs when the air in the lower atmosphere warms. Warm air rises carrying moisture to high elevations. The second factor is a strong vertical current of wind that spins up energy and the moisture in the atmosphere.
If surface ocean water is cold and a strong wind churns up the surface, the cooler water can weaken the storm. But, if the deeper waters are too warm then there is no braking mechanism for hurricanes. For example, Hurricane Katrina intensified significantly when it hit deep pools of warm water in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Nature Conservatory predicts that rising temperatures will cause one-quarter of earth’s species to become extinct by 2050. Ocean acidification, heat waves, droughts, and floods are already endangering species. Poverty, hunger, and disease are among the reasons so many people migrate from their homes in Africa and the middle-east. Rising sea levels in Pakistan new the Indus Delta have resulted in salty soils rendering 1 million hectares of land arid. Families in Pakistan are on the move.
In addition to oil, warlords in that part of the world fight fiercely to control water. With so much devastation due to war and with a lack of water for crops and animals, survival is at stake. What can a family do but seek shelter elsewhere? Though there have always been natural and human-induced disasters, an increasing number of people are having to leave their homelands. According to the United Nations, last year eight million people around the world—the largest number ever—were displaced from their homes by conflict and social upheaval.
This migration is occurring close to my home as well. Oregon has been experiencing record numbers of people moving from southern California and locals are getting angry. Upset citizens are placing “No Californian” stickers on For Sale signs according to realtor Lori Fenwick. I wonder if the governor of Oregon will follow in Trump’s footsteps and close the borders to Californians? Why are they fleeing? Drought is the number one reason heard. The taps are running dry.
In New Orleans, the reason is too much ocean water. Since Katrina, there have been four more major hurricanes and the city os losing its coastline faster than any other city of its size. (25 square miles every year). At the current rate of growth in it will take Orleans Parish 20 years to return to its pre-Katrina population according to an article for the Lens: Focused on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Friends, climate change is not a theory. In Florida, rising sea levels are affecting roads, drains seawalls and buildings. The ecosystems of Florida Bay, the Everglades, the Ten Thousand Islands and the coastline are already experiencing sea-level stress. Where will people more to when their coastal homes are under water?
97 percent of scientists agree that global warming is happening and that it is human-induced. Why would anyone ignore this information? Who benefits from forbidding them to continue their research and share the results with the public? The bible says,”the truth will set you free.”
Those working for oil companies and in coal mines must realize by now that what they are doing is bad for the rest of society. This is not a matter of liberal vs conservative but is a matter of ignorance vs wishful thinking. It is a matter of money interests. However, global warming is an issue of survival and quality of life for the next generation.
I fear that if we do not continue to reduce carbon emissions a great many more of us will be faced with the loss of our possessions and experience trauma due to war and climate disasters. Isn’t it time to listen to scientists rather than industrialists or politicians who stand to benefit monetarily? If we don’t, perhaps we will all be forced to develop monastic values in response to the climate ’s violent storms.
References:
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1/21/2017 12:07:30 PM
Nurturing
Acrylic Painting, 43”by 84” , $ 1,100.
Though the environment is being destroyed by who are insensitive to their surroundings there is still hope if each of us will take the time to nurture one little seed.
Who Trusts Science Anyway?
It disturbs me that the gap between the attitudes of scientists and those of the general public is widening. Many people do not realize that science is a simply a way of thinking. It is not an absolute and is similar to methods employed by mental health counselors engaged in helping clients overcome personal problems. In both instances, the scientific method begins with collecting background information, forming a hypothesis (a guess) about what is happening, testing the guess, and coming to a conclusion only to start the process over again. It is a never ending cycle of refining results based on tested facts. It requires the researcher, the public (or client) to be willing to be wrong about original assumptions and open to changing their opinion.
Social scientist, Gordon Gauchat was most surprised when he analyzed survey data pertinent to the public’s trust of the scientific community today as compared with forty years ago. He was particularly taken aback with information about conservatives. In 1974, Republicans with college degrees had the highest level of trust in science but as of 2010, they had the lowest. They are not alone in changing their attitude about science. There are many factions in our society that value their own beliefs more than those of the scientific community. Religious groups challenge evolution, industry groups are skeptical of climate change, and wary parents mistrust medical recommendations to vaccinate their children.
What has happened? Why are people so willing to accept pseudoscience and fake reports rather than information that has been tested? I find it even more strange to know that 8 out of 10 Americans believe that scientific advances have improved the lives of most people and 7 out of 10 have a high regard for scientists, yet they distrust the findings of these same investigators.
A 2015 study by the Pew Research Center shows that younger adults are less inclined than older generations to believe vaccines should be required for all children. There is a 37 point gap between scientists’ views about climate change being caused by human activity and those of the general public who believe it is mostly due to natural patterns. 3% are even holdouts who adamantly say that there is no solid evidence the earth is getting warmer. In matters of evolution, 65% of the public do say that humans and other living things have evolved over time while 31% believe humans and other living things have existed in their present forms since the beginning of time.
Scientists who want to understand how to make people more comfortable with scientific information do what good researchers always do, they test their hypotheses. One test demonstrated that when the people were presented census-messages that were the combined results of many scientists, they were more likely to change their opinion than if given arguments based on scientific reasoning. This means that if you think global warming is a hoax, you will most likely not accept a scientific presentation that explains otherwise even if it is filled with accurate data. Instead, if you are told that a censuses of scientists agree to thus and so, then you will be more willing to consider the possibility of the earth’s warming being man-made. (According to NASA’s review of multiple studies on climate change, 97 percent claim that climate-warming is likely due to human activities. )
Consensus-information is powerful because it shows the norm within a community. Though it presents information with a social-science approach rather than a scientific one, it is more comfortable to most people since it is similar to consensus decision-making that is part of the basis for cooperation. Consensus-information gives authority to a contention rather than requiring the individual to become an expert evaluator.
The media has been complicit in making the public more skeptical of scientific studies by promoting false news that emanates from political or business greed. Industries often pay scientists and marketers to spread disinformation. Big business has known for a long time that people make decisions on consensus-information rather than facts and have figured out how to spread doubt in order to build their own consensus-group based on false information. In Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Orestes and Erik Conway, the authors provide story after story about how scientists and advisers with deep connections to politics and industry run effective campaigns to mislead the public.
Let's ask those who work for the media to increase their investigative reporting and challenge where information is coming from. My suspicion, though, is that it will only happen if the public is willing to pay for investigations. There was a time when news departments were independent of advertisers. Edward R Murrow, Barbara Walters, Harry Reasoner, Dan Rather, Bob Woodruff, and Peter Jennings were trusted welcome figures in homes across America. Do you think the public could demand in-depth reporting once again? Are you willing to pay?
Please share your thoughts on my blog site, eichingerfineart.com/blog.
Artwork is always for sale. Please contact me at [email protected].
References:
Gawande, Atul, June 10, 2016, the New Yorker, The Mistrust of Science, http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-mistrust-of-science
Blake, A., January 30, 2015, The Washington Post, Americans’ increasing distrust of Science and not just on climate change; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/01/30/americans-increasing-distrust-of-science-and-not-just-on-climate-change/?utm_term=.00ffeb31f64e
Funk, C. & Rainie, L.: January 29,2015, Pew Research Center Public and Scientists’ Views on Science and Society
Orestes, N. & Conway, E. 2011, Merchants of Doubt, Bloomsbury Publishers
10/29/2016 1:08:22 PM
Walking on Air, by Marilynne Eichinger
Acrylic on Canvas / 25.5” by 49.5” / $ 650 / Painting made after visiting Bath, England.
The following article was written by my son, Ryan Rosenberg ,for the Los Gatos Education Foundation. It is an appropriate follow-up to my blog about STEAM education. Thank you for the many comments and suggestions you made to that particular writing.
Study finds arts, music can be the "secret" to a successful tech career
Successful tech entrepreneurs seem to have a surprising “secret” to their accomplishments - studying art, music, and hands-on creative activities (such as wood or metal working). A study published in the journal Economic Development Quarterly (1) found that participation in artistic activities boosts the chance of entrepreneurial success in technical fields. Researchers followed a group of Michigan State University honors college graduates from 1990 to 1994 who majored in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).
Graduates who were successful entrepreneurs — those who went on to found companies or produce patents — were significantly more likely to have had participation in art, music and hands-on creative activities than those who did not. And it's not just entrepreneurs who benefit from the arts; a strong link was found with STEM graduates overall. In fact the STEM practitioners in this study were 62% more likely to have had classes in visual arts than the general population, 59% more likely to have been taught music, 39% more likely to have had dance instruction, and 38% more likely to have taken acting lessons.
So how does their music, arts, and hands-on creative experience help these engineers and scientists in the real world? It seems artistic thinking is crucial to their work. The study asked participants to identify the types of tools they used for problem solving and found, “as one would expect of science and engineering professionals, the vast majority reported using logic while doing their work…[but] an overwhelming majority also reported using ‘artistic’ styles of thinking: 95.3% reported using exploratory play as a method of problem solving; 80% reported using either intuition, imagination, or both; and about 80% reported using analogies. In other words, these successful STEM professionals use ‘artistic’ types of thinking at work just as often as they use stereotypical ‘scientific’ modes of thinking.”
In summary, researchers determined that “participation in various arts and crafts positively correlates with the production of patentable inventions and the founding of new companies, and can differentiate the entrepreneurs from less innovative individuals, even among a group of highly successful individuals such as Honors College STEM professionals.”
Reference:
Arts and Crafts: Critical to Economic Innovation
LaMore et al., Economic Development Quarterly, August 2013, 27 (3), p. 221
Guest Author - Ryan Rosenberg for the Los Gatos Education Foundation, 9/26/2016
My artwork is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected].
8/7/2015 10:17:41 AM
Clarity
With age comes a degree of wisdom. A gift you can give your child are the habits needed to live a long life.
Longevity - a gift by example
The American Medical Association on Aging has sketched a do-it-yourself check list of how to live longer and better. The list suggests a balanced diet, regular elimination of waste products, enough rest of both mind and body, pursuit of interesting and specific recreational activities, a sense of humor, avoiding of too much emotional tension, common loyalty of friends and family, pride in a job, partaking in community affairs and continued development of knowledge, wisdom and experience.
Heard this information before? Nothing to it, Lets do it !!! It seems to me that to end up with the above characteristics it would have helped to be in training since childhood. Perhaps a path to longevity is a gift you can give a child. Instead of reading a to-do list in middle or old age, you can benefit a young one by example. How do we begin this training?
- Nutrition . . . . Across the United States Americans are finally getting it together. According to the New York Times, after decades, average weight has gone down, especially among the young. Michelle Obama has played a big role in this by getting restaurants to give caloric information along side the food they serve. School lunch programs are serving more nutritious options, and corner grocery stores in minority areas are challenged to carry fruits and vegetables. Farmers markets that have sprung up across the nation have also make buyers conscious of healthy choices. The greatest impact, though, is that full calorie soda drinking has decreased by 25%. There really is no reason for childhood obesity and starting children on a path to adult diabetes. Parents who grapple with this issue when their children are born are giving a gift to their young ones. Nutrition books that are available by the hundreds are easily available. By gaining control of your own body as an adult, you set the boundaries for others in your family. If you are overweigh don’t hesitate to join programs like Weight Watchers. Acting alone can be very difficult.
I know of one family that went so far as to lock their refrigerator door and kitchen cabinets to discourage unhealthy snacking between meals. This may be extreme, but parents can educate and involve their children in nutritional meal planning, lower the fat content of the milk, eliminate cookies and ice cream at home, and introduce chop sticks as a fun way to dine. Chop sticks slow down eating and encourage attention to what is being consumed.
- Rest and relaxation? Lots of children, especially teens, do not get enough sleep. It is also a problem for aging adults. Tired children go to bed late and are not alert for their morning classes. I have often wondered about school schedules and whether they take into account naturally recurring circadian rhythms. Many high school students have to be in classes at 7:30 or 8 am while their elementary school siblings do not hear the bell until 9. This schedule seems backwards. High school students tend to stay up late and needs to sleep in while young children arise up early. Parents are often late to work because they have to stay home until their elementary children leave for school. Why not reverse the hours?
Average Sleep Needs by Age
3 to 5 years old 11 - 13 hrs
5 to 12 years old 10 - 11 hrs
12 to 18 years old 8.5 - 10 hrs
Adults (18+) 7.5 - 9 hrs
- How do you create a sense of humor in your child? It starts with laughing at Kock, Knock and other jokes your child espouses. Do you look at the funny side of situations? It helps to laugh at awkwardness in yourself, for by doing so you demonstrate that life and you are not perfect. I remember our family in a tent in the mountains of Colorado while it was being blown away during a storm. We had to sit in the corners to hold the material in place. My children were terrified so we sang songs and told jokes, quickly forgetting the outside elements. We all relaxed, had fun and we laughed at the storm while we remained alert for our safety.
- Why wait until you are old and ulcer prone to think about stress? Childhood stress is getting a great deal of media coverage these days. Booked up schedules, pressure to perform perfectly, and lack of time for reflection are having a toll on children. Recognizing and discussing the symptoms of stress, and devising ways to reduce it create teaching moments. Does it help to exercise? to get homework done early rather than late? to develop a daily schedule? to find a friend or adult willing to listen without comment? To meditate? If a young child learns to control stress, then as an adult he or she will have developed excellent coping mechanisms. Stress will always be in our lives, at times bad and often good when motivating. How we deal with it is a skill that can be learned young. As we age it is important to maintain a sense of purpose in life and maintain a balance of activities. Too much stress at any age is not good.
6. Friends, loyalty, and participation in the greater world starts with involvement
in your family, expanding to neighborhood, school, clubs, and community. As a
parent we demonstrate the qualities of a good friend and citizen by example.
The time it takes to develop friendships should be valued as worth doing. I know
many an elderly person alone in their world because they forgot to that
friendships have to be continuously renewed. In old age and old acquaintances die
then new ones have to be sought. Friendships require sharing, giving and as
well as receiving. Participating in meaningful endeavors is a way to find new
friends. Meet-up is a wonderful social media site for finding like minded
individuals. Start showing your children the way by involving them in community
activities like the food bank (one of my daughters did this), delivering food on
wheels (another daughter’s family participated), or collecting money, as I did as a
child for the cancer society. By having your child spend some time giving to others
you are training a future adult to make and keep friends and have a positive impact
on society.
- Jobs are on everyone’s mind in today’s economy. Start building skills by getting your child passionately involved in something . . . collecting comics, model building … music … art …. dance … karate. It does not make a difference as long as it involves some effort to learn a skill and the activity gives a deep sense of accomplishment. When a child feels passion and has pride in his or her accomplishment (even if you think it is foolish) then there is carry-over to the job of the future. Work done with passion is exhilarating and leads one to crave finding that special job that allows for it develop. Experienced when young ,the adult will find his or her way to enjoyable work and hobbies as he ages.
6. Exercise - Why do it? It is one of the most important activities to help people
lose weight and lower the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and
high blood pressure. Exercise burns calories but to do so you need large chunks
of time to reap weight-loss benefits. Best of all, exercise boots brain power and
reduces stress. It also builds bones, strengthens muscles, expands lung capacity,
reduces risk of falls and enhances the immune system’s ability to detect and
fend off certain types of cancer so why not set an example in your family?
Exercise is a life saving, life extending gift to give your children.
7. Wisdom starts with birth and grows as the child experiences the world. By
providing a broad range of experiences, demonstrating lifelong learning, and
encouraging curiosity you are directing your child towards a life of vigor and
enjoyment. Parents demonstrate their wisdom by example. Grandparents too
make a contribution because they have had more years to test life. They are often
better able than a parent to transmit their knowledge without pressure.
Grandparents can love their grandchildren with abandon, take the time necessary
to get to know them and avoid the pitfalls they fell into when they had a young
family.
Following the advice of the Medical Association on Aging can be your greatest gift you can give your children..
Art work is for sale. Contact me at [email protected].
It is a pleasure to hear from you. What have you been doing to pass the longevity gift on. Please comment below.
References:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/25/upshot/americans-are-finally-eating-less.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0 - Nw York Times article on Americans Eating Less.
www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/how-much-sleep-do-you-need.htm- How Much sleep is needed at various ages.
http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/aging-and-sleep - Aging and sleeping from National Sleep Foundation.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/researchers-explain-why-exercise-works-magic/ - Scientific American about rewards of exercise.
5/15/2015 8:55:28 PM
Heaven and Beyond by Marilynne Eichinger
What Saith the Soothsayer?
“If humanity is to survive long-term, it must find a way to get off planet Earth-and fast. In fact, human beings may have less than 200 years to figure out how to escape our planet,” claims famed physicist Stephen Hawking. “Otherwise our species could be at risk for extinction.”
Wow! Those words are are strong and make me wonder how to embrace ideas such as a mass exodus of earthlings from our planet to one in outer space. Though not my immediate concern, I do wonder about my great-grandchildren. What will their lives be like if they continue to live on land that is being increasingly degraded, or will they be first in line to board a space ship?
There are two potential manmade catastrophes of major concern to humanity. The first is climate change and the second, nuclear or biological warfare. (Genetically engineered monocultures are not far behind.) Every day newscasters present stories about pollution and its related sister, global warming. Pictures of rising coastal waters overspilling land in countries like Bangladesh and of polar bears fighting for their lives in search of ice bergs, give graphic examples of species in trouble. How can we continue to exponentially populate the earth, over-fish the waters, and build oasis houses in the desert? According to the United Nations, 7.3 billion people presently inhabit earth and that number is expected to be 11 billion by the end of the century, adding to the depletion of fresh water supplies and oil resources. This mega-population will also accelerate food scarcity and disease outbreaks caused by dense living-quarters. Earth's inhabitants presently dump 713 million tons of waste annually and destroy habitat for many thousands of species, cutting 18 million acres of forests each year in competition for land. Clean, fresh water, a major cause of conflict in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, is now part of the political wrangling in our own Southwestern states. There is no doubt that natural resources are running out at a much faster rate than they can be replaced.
What about nuclear war? Why aren’t citizens clamoring for more treaties like the one proposed with Iran? And why is it so difficult to reach an agreement about weaponry within our own boundaries? According to the Brookings Institute there are approximately 22,600 stockpiled nuclear weapons around the planet (10,600 in the U.S.). Why do we have them? Isn’t it time for an accord to end proliferation of weapons of mass destruction? Aren’t alternative ways available to coexist other than with the threat of military intervention? Why not make efforts to defuse, rather than arm waring factions?
History shows that when societies develop and stockpile weaponry, war is not far behind. In 1961 President Dwight Eisenhower gave the nation a warning that he labeled “a threat to democratic government.” He described the military-industrial complex as a union of defense contracts and the armed forces that had created a large arms industry. These ammunitions providers need war in order to thrive, and congress seems perfectly happy to feed their needs.
When there is no fighting, plenty of politicians are willing to step forward to devise a threat. The war in Iraq presents a clear example of how a cause for war can be invented for economic reasons. It is time to stop poking our noses into foreign conflicts as though we were God, creating enemies where none had previously existed?
Over the past fifty years you might wonder if there were any forecasters giving notice of the consequences of these political and economic actions. The answer is yes, soothsayers exist in every age. The destruction of our planet, and atomic weaponry that were part of yesterday’s predictions, now ring true. As early as 1940, well before we were part of WWII and the Manhattan project, in Solutions Unsatisfactory, Robert Heinlein postulated a world affected by Atomic weaponry would be one assured of destruction. And then came Hiroshima. The same year George Orwell wrote 1984, warning us of the surveillance state. And then came NSA and the Patriot Act. Shortly after, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World predicted genetic engineered human beings. And then came test tube babies and cloned sheep. Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner in 1969 predicted a country plagued with school shootings and terrorist attacks. And then came Colombine and the Twin Towers. William Gibson wrote Newuromacncer, describing what it would be like to live in a scarcity-driven future. Cities like Detroit were depicted as wastelands. And then came Detroit.
Today’s soothsayers are similarly posing questions about where to go from here and how to get there? Will the strain on earth’s resources make people more willing to live in space, and will scientific advancements allow for space-time travel? Scientists and science fiction writers ask us to put aside preconceived notions and embrace a flexible pantheon of ideas to help prepare us for what may eventually become reality. In a book by Philadelphia physicist, Paul Halpern, entitled Cosmic Wormholes, he discusses how to build and use a cosmic wormhole as a interstellar shortcut. Unless astro-physicists come up with ways of traveling to other galaxies at the speed of light, it is going to be difficult to transport a mass population to a livable environment. Yet scientists, such as Harold "Sonny" White of NASA's Johnson Space Center, are claiming that a ring shaped warp drive device that propels a football-shaped starship even faster than light may be more feasible than previously thought.
Science Fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson won a 2012 Nebula for Best Novel in his latest book 2312. In it he solves solar system problems by adapting asteroids for the task of housing people. He creates gravity by hollowing out the orbiting space rocks so that they cam be set on their axis to spin. He fills various asteroids with plants and animals from different parts of Earth, making a variety of pleasant environments. His early publication, Red Mars, was a foreshadowing of NASA’s goal of sending six astronauts to live on the planet. Kathleen Ann Goodman, published This Shared Dream in 2011. In it, Alima, a bio-architect, grows from a nanotech seed an engineered habitat for 250,000 people. Huge rotating space stations like the one shown in 2001: A Space Odyssey might be a solution closer to home. The station even houses a Hilton hotel for those using it as a transfer stop from Earth to deep space.
Given current technology and mindset, the billions of dollars needed to make habitats that hold large populations does not seem plausible to me — even one thousand years in the future. Yet, if life on earth gets too difficult, there are bound to be a small number of futurists who will be able to live out their dreams on a real space habitat. It is too bad that I won’t be able to come back from the dead to find out . . . or maybe I will, through advancements in cryogenics.
More realistically, the solution I wish for is that will change their mindset by acting immediately to limit population growth, halt deforestation, reduce trash, ban construction in watershed areas, and tackle pollution. These topics form the political issues of the day, and solving them can make a difference to the lives of our immediate descendants. We can have an impact, because each of us has the means of making a difference through personal conservation, and by electing environmentally savvy, committed legislators.
I do worry about our planet’s future even though I will be long gone. Life already seems more difficult for my children and grandchildren than it was for my generation. My California children are concerned about not having enough water for agricultural and recreational uses. They worry about how they are going to wash their cars. I was raised to believe that my role on earth was to leave it a better place than it was when I was born, but now, I am not sure that I and my peers have done that. I plan to do better, and I count on you think that way as well. Together we can be powerful agents for change.
If you find this is a subject worthy of discussion please comment below.
Art is always for sale. For information go to eichingerfineart.com or email me at [email protected].
Interested in more information ? References follow:
http://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/consequences_of_depletion_of_natural_resources- About depletion of natural resources.
http://bigthink.com/dangerous-ideas/5-stephen-hawkings-warning-abandon-earth-or-face-extinction - Stephen Hawking’s ideas about expansion into space.
http://www.tested.com/tech/concepts/460223-futurists-were-right-10-predictions-made-sci-fi-writers-came-true/item/antidepressants/ and http://mashable.com/2014/07/23/sci-fi-books-the-future/ For Futurist Predictions that have come true.
http://www.livescience.com/41316-11-billion-people-earth.html- What Life would be like with 11 billion people.
http://www.brookings.edu/about/projects/archive/nucweapons/50 - Nuclear weapons
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132942244/ikes-warning-of-military-expansion-50-years-later- Eisenhower’s warning about the military-industrial complex.
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/12428/title/Cosmic-Wormholes--Where-Science-Meets-Science-Fiction/ - About wormholes and space travel. Book written by Paul Halpern a teacher of mathematics and physics at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-06/dispatches-future- Predictions of the future from contemporary Science Fiction writers.
http://www.space.com/17628-warp-drive-possible-interstellar-spaceflight.html - Present scientific work with the concept of warp drive.
4/11/2015 2:37:48 PM
Nurturing
Our environment does make a difference to the genetic makeup of the next generation.
Epigenetics: Why Care?
When my husband was asked why he found me attractive, his reply always was, “ because she has good genes.” To my ears it was not a very romantic answer, but he sincerely meant what he said. He told me that when he had decided to get married he started looking for a woman with characteristics that he hoped would carry on to the next generation. I suppose something carried on because several months ago my granddaughter circulated a picture of three generations of women in our family. It showed us all sporting big smiles topped with cascading dark curly hair. Of course, as Garrison Keillor would also add, “we’re all above average,” but that does not show in the photo. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind, we looked like family. I was never sure if it was the curly hair or something else that my husband found attractive.
Geneticists have been working for years to determine the relative importance of nurture (environment) and nature (genetics). The first words spoken by those visiting new parents are often, “Who does she look like?” The answer, “Oh, Aunt Bessie or Uncle Gary . . . just look at the resemblance!” In addition to understanding human genetics, genetically modified crops and animal husbandry are the targets of complex genetic research. Since the completion of the sequencing of the human genome we have learned even more about our own condition.
Do you remember Mendel’s peas? When I was in school, genetics was a matter of identifying what would happen to the next generation after cross fertilizing peas. Now students learn of how their cells carry instructions formed on a double helix which hold nucleotide bases. They study that the sequence of these nucleotide bases along with the DNA strands are directions for all development and maintenance of life. If you think this information is a lot to comprehend, just consider that there are 3 billion bases and over 20,000 genes, most making proteins that trigger the biological functions we call life.
So what is epigenetics? According to the Oxford dictionary, “it is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the gene code itself.” Remember the old question of what was more important, your environment or genetic makeup? My friends and I used to spend hours debating the issue, especially when we knew someone who had strange behaviors. “Were they born that way or was it the way they were raised?” we would ask. Well it turns out, the two are both important and certain environmental happenings can cause genes to operate differently than they are genetically directed to do. They can become dormant or active depending on where you live, what you eat, your sleep patterns, exercise regime, and even your friendships. These every day occurrences can, over time, change the way genes operate without changing the sequence of the gene. Complex diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, are thought to be caused, in part, due to genes that have been switched from what was once a healthy state to something with more dire consequences. What is happening is that chemical modifications leave marks on segments of the DNA without changing the DNA sequence or related proteins that control these off/on switches.
Now for the important observation. Scientists now believe that genes modified by environment can be inherited by the next generation. And it is this uniqueness of inherited genes, modified by environment, that scientists now agree can be carried on to the next generation. You might think that mapping every single cause and effect of every possible epigenetic combination could help keep the good and get rid of the bad genes, to slow aging or stop obesity, but it is an impossible task as we know it today. No orchestra leader has stepped forward with a way to conduct this rich genetic music. Methods of control are being tested with plants and animals but in the human condition still remain for science fiction writers to contemplate.
Why do we care? In an article written for Public Health Ethics, Michele Loi writes from Portugal that, “ recent epidemiological reports of associations between socioeconomic status and epigenetic markers that predict vulnerability to diseases are bringing to light substantial biological effects of social inequalities.” She goes on to say that there are moral consequences of these findings due to inequality in health care. In my mind, epigeneticists have issued a challenge to socially minded people and policy makers.
We now know that the epigenome is highly sensitive and responsive to environmental influences, including toxic exposures, dietary factors, and behavioral impacts. For example, stress may not only affect the adult parent who experiences ulcers, but resultant changes in DNA markers can be carried on to the next child conceived. Intellectual disabilities and immune and psychiatric disorders are all potentially affected by epigenetic changes. Epigenetic effects are especially sensitive during fetal development and in newborn infants. Living in poverty without proper nutrition or medical care while pregnant could permanently affect the genetic makeup of the child. Smog, water quality, overpopulation, and crime ridden cities potentially can cause epigenetic scars that are carried into future generations and could have huge consequences for society.
The connection between the social and natural or biological world is important to consider as we work to build the type of society we want. By not paying attention to perinatal health, early childhood development and environmental issues we are accepting great risks to the human population as a whole.
Art work is always for sale. For information go to eichingerfineart.com
I enjoy your comments. Please respond to this blog below.
For a greater understanding of epigenetic and social consequences go to the following sites:
http://www.whatisepigenetics.com/fundamentals/
http://phe.oxfordjournals.org/content/6/2/142.full
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3034450/
3/20/2015 11:26:25 PM
Ancient Rock Formations a 3-D picture by Marilynne
On Earth from Outer Space
When I accepted my job in Portland, moving expenses were part of the package. As I was discussing the process with a board member I remember him jokingly saying, “You are not bringing rocks, are you?” My husband and I gave each other one of those knowing looks that means, “Of course we are bringing our collection.” Wherever we traveled we picked up rocks for our garden that were as large as we could carry in our car. They had to be beautiful, unusual and a reminder of the terrain we were exploring. We have some magnificent specimens both in and out of the house that I never tire of examining. I love my connection to millions of years of our changing planet.
Learning how to “see” is an art form. It is easy to walk in the woods and not realize that the ground is alive with life and history. Insects turn organic rot into soil, rocks underfoot may have split from large boulders deposited during the ice age and sea fossils found 400 miles from the ocean edge tell a history of ever changing climate and land formation.
Examining the earth, both past and present, is like being a forensic scientist on a quest to solve a crime. The study of volcanoes, earthquakes and hurricanes leads contractors to design communities that will not expose people to such disastrous occasions. Using knowledge of rock formations and fossil deposits helps geologists locate and develop energy and mineral resources.
There are four earth sciences, Geology which is the science of the earth, meteorology, of the atmosphere, Oceanography, of the oceans, and Astronomy, of the universe. In the science museum I was exposed to them all.
One interesting experience I had during my presidency at OMSI had to do with the Willamette Meteorite, the largest found in North America. It was discovered in an open field in Oregon before being given to the American Museum of Natural History in New York in 1906. This 10 ft by 6.5 ft hunk of nickel and iron weighs about 32,000 pounds. The Meteorite was know and venerated by Native Americans but when settler Ellis Hughes found it on land owned by the Oregon Iron and Steel Company he realized its value and tried to claim ownership, moving it secretly over a period of 90 days to his own land. What he was doing was discovered, initiating a lawsuit that Hughes lost. The Iron and Steel Company was given the right to sell it to a Mrs. William Dodge for $26,000. She put it on display at the Lewis and Clark centennial before sending to the natural history museum in New York. Scientists now believe that the meteorite originally landed in Canada or Montana and was brought on the flow to the Willamette Valley at the end of the last Ice Age, 13,000 years ago. It has been seen by well over 40 million people and is one of the most famous meteorites known.
Now back to my tale . . . one day in the early 1990’s I received a visit from a school teacher asking me if her class could get the meteorite back to Oregon, would the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry be willing to house it. Thinking that was going to be pretty near impossible I responded, “Of course.” The teacher and her class were on a quest — big time! She was using this challenge as a learning experience for her elementary students. She had her class write letters to the media, to wealthy donors, and to congress. The children also got the public to write letters which flooded the American Museum of Natural History Museum located in New York City with requests to send the meteorite back to Oregon. The class received an invitation to make a presentation before congress and several students did so. Shortly afterwards, I received an angry phone call from the president of the natural history museum. He told me that what I was encouraging was quite unethical.
In the end, the children did not get the meteorite back, but they had an impressive learning experience. I thought that the teacher was brilliant. In defense of the natural history museum, New York does seem to be an appropriate location for the rock. That institution is known for its meteorite collection which attracts public and scientists from around the world.
A few years later another group tried the get the meteorite returned to Oregon. For generations, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde had been using the meteorite, which they call Tommanowos, in ceremonies and in 1999 they demanded that it be returned to their native land. This time the American Museum of Natural History filed a lawsuit against the tribe in 2000. Eventually an agreement with the Museum was reached which gave the meteorite a resting home in the museum with tribal members able to conduct a private ceremony around the meteorite once a year. If the Museum ever has a reason to cease to display it then the meteorite will be given back to the tribe.
In 1997 a 28 pound crown section of the Willamette Meteorite was traded for a Martian meteorite from the private Macovech Collection. The crown piece was scheduled for auction in 2007 which cause another outrage by the Grand Ronde Tribes. An editorial in the Oregonian Newspaper put an end to that sale though a 4.5 ounce piece was eventually sold to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in Oregon.
Once more in 2007 a group of students convinced Representative John Linn to introduce a resolution demanding the meteorite’s return to Oregon. The tribes had not been consulted and they did not support the resolution, saying they were content with the present arrangements so the proposal went nowhere.
My guess is that the museum has not seen the end of requests to return the meteorite to Oregon. It is interesting to see how important a piece of space rock is to the public and how possessive ownership can be. The Willamette Meteorite is amazing to view and I do hope you will make the effort if you are ever in New York. Image a meteorite that size hurling through space and earth’s atmosphere to land in your back yard.
Around the world museums display a great many artifacts that were taken or purchased during private archeological digs. Do you think that these valuables should be returned to their place of origin or do you believe that the artifacts should be shared internationally to be viewed by a maximum number of people? This subject raises complex ethical questions and is worthy of its own discussion. Yes, earth science can certainly be fascinating.
Do let me know your thoughts on the matter by responding below.
Art work is always for sale. For more information go to eichingerfineart.com/works.
2/7/2015 2:17:35 PM
The Barnyard
by Marilynne Eichinger
Think STEAM
Recently I read about a pioneer family that homesteaded in Colorado in the 1800s . The book focused on the life of a ten-year-old who assisted his father erect their prairie home, complete with barn, fences, and sheds. As a youth he watched a dowser use two rods to locate water and then helped dig the family well. The boy had neither time nor need to play with blocks or science apparatus when practical objects had to be assembled and serviced. By living with nature, he became aware of cloud formations and the weathers impact on planting and harvesting. Cycles of bird migration and birthing habits of lambs and other livestock were part of his domain. During the era of western settlement, construction and farm skills were passed down from father to son. Sewing, preserving, medical and cooking accomplishments went from mother to daughter. In both cases innovation was was a result of multi-generational cooperation.
My partner Ray grew up on the edge of a gravel pit that created similar experiences for him. Since his father owned quarry, at a young age he was taught to crush rocks, fix machines, and even drive tractors. Today he can repair most small engines and is a useful man to have around the house. When we hire contractors to do repairs, Ray watches them attentively, making sure that they do not cut corners and that the work is completed as promised. "Build it right the first time," he instructs.
Town-raised children have little contact with farming or, as in Rays case, gravel mining. My father was a physician and had to trust tradesmen, who were not always trustworthy, to complete work around our house. The contractors my parents hired often had several jobs going at the same time, causing them to jump from one location to the next paying customer, trying to keep all of them satisfied. The company owners were often adept at doublespeak and disguised the limitations of their knowledge. In later years, it always surprised me, when faced with a similar situation, that their bill was rarely discounted. It often took me several years to notice imperfections that would not have been there if the contractor had been upfront about the companys abilities.
The current generation of children will most likely face a worse situation. I, at least, studied physics, learned a bit about engines and mechanical advantage and was given some practical experience in household management. Home economics and shop courses were part of the curriculum in my day, and as a
get in there and mess around type of person those subjects appealed to me.
Since parents are not qualified to pass on these skills to their offspring, it is time for schools to step in. Every child needs to receive a modicum of practical training. A rudimentary understanding of carpentry, electricity, plumbing, small engine repair, automotive care, and personal finances will make life smoother. Shop, art, home economics and music classes need to be added back to the curriculums for academic as well as vocational students. These subjects are intrinsically motivating and often serve as pathways to careers in engineering, the trades, or science, and they have a dual benefit of fostering creativity, curiosity, and problem solving.
So what happens if your offspring are not given a chance to learn these subjects in school? Though parents and grandparents may not be able to show their children how to build a home on the prairie, they can provide an area in their home filled with real tools, blocks, wooden planks, cardboard, pipes, glue and tape. They can give their children small engines, radios, and clocks for dismantling. Visits to construction sites and observing tradespeople at work and hands- on museums can go a long way to stimulate curiosity.
As adults we can encourage educators to think in terms of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) for rounding out curriculum options. My high school physics course led me to a career managing science centers. My art class gave me a hobby that has become a profession in retirement. Cooking classes introduced me to measurement and chemistry as I mixed flavors, colors and textures, leaving me with surprising concoctions to sample. I thank my old school and my parents for the opportunities they gave me, and for inspiring my curiosity about everyday objects.
All art is for sale at
www.eichingerfineart.com To comment blog at:
eichingerfineart.com/blog
1/31/2015 3:39:44 PM
Yellow Headed Black Bird
by Marilynne Eichinger
Can You Potty Train Your Bird?
Pet ownership is thriving in our country. Over 84 million have been adopted by Amercian households. According the American Veterinary Medical Association 36.5% of households own dogs, 30% own cats, 3.1% birds and 1.55 horses. The majority of pets are obtained from family and friends with 20-30 % of cats and dogs adopted from shelters and 2-10% purchased from pet shops.
Our cat came from a shelter, but when we got her home we realized that she had been badly abused. It took years to make her coat shiny and to have her relax to the point of letting us rub her head. She now is a most agreeable, though still on edge at times.
Pets are acquired for many reasons such as teaching responsibility to children, companionship for adults, assistance to the handicapped, and therapy for the ill. They are socializing agents helping people overcome their reluctance to start a conversation. Emotional and physical well being is often enhanced with a companion animal. Healthy exercise is part of the routine for those who walk their dog daily. Grooming and petting provide tactile connections that human beings need and often don’t get as they reach old age.
Pet owners in general develop an understanding of what it means to give and receive unconditional love, loyalty, and sympathy. Caring for animals encourages kindness and understanding. Service animals lead the blind across streets, help the deaf hear alarms, provide warning signs for those living alone, and give an overall feeling of safety. In addition companion animals help lessen the feeling of loneliness, lowering blood pressure and even cholesterol levels.
Birds are not are not quite as cuddly but still fall in the fascinating and beautiful category. I enjoy watching them in my backyard feeder or on outings to Malheur national wildlife refuge when migrating in the spring. Last year, Ray and I identified 164 species of birds at Malheur in just five days. The Yellow Headed Blackbird picture above was painted after last year’s excursion. These birds in the wild, however, are not pets.
A friend of mine enthusiastically shared stories about her Double Yellow Head Amazon Parrot. The bird talks and sings whenever anyone is around. It is pretty amazing to observe how appropriate it’s phrases are to teach situation. My friend keeps the cage open and lets her bird fly around the house without being afraid of poop landing on furniture or carpet. She claimed that she was able to “housebreak” her parrot and teach it to relieve himself in the proper spot. Wow! I found that statement hard to believe so I did some investigative research to find out if that was possible.
What I found was an overwhelming affirmation, especially with “hookbill” birds. You can train a bird much as you train a dog, but you do need a lot more patience. Birds are very intelligent, responding to expressions, soft speech, and the punishment of being put back in the cage.
If you give attention to a bird or animal you will start to understand why emotional attachments get formed. Pets can help you learn, grow, and become a more satisfied person! But please remember that if you are purchasing a new feathered friend, make sure that it is legal and not a kidnapped bird on the endangered species list. When I was in Costa Rico with my grandchildren we participated in an early morning bird count and learned that local denizens were capturing Macaws to sell to the U.S. market. The result is diminishing populations and endangering their survival. Macaws are beautiful birds that belong in the wild or purchased from a supplier in the United States that raises them for domestic use.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Artwork is always for sale. Go to www.eichingerfineart.com for email me at [email protected] for more information.
To learn more go to:
http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/July-2012/Feds-Propose-Protecting-Four-Macaw-Species-As-Endangered/ - Illegal capturing of Macaws.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=american+veterinary+medical+association - statistics etc.
http://www.animalfreedom.org/english/opinion/pets/why_do_people_want_pets.html : Why people have pets.
12/27/2014 9:30:29 AM
Cosmos - Birth of a Star
Giving Birth to Knowledge
Studies of the brain are spurring a revolution in education for young and old alike. Using a variety of research techniques, scientists are better able to observe how the brain learns, thinks and remembers. Understanding the brains of babies is the first step to developing a concept for a life of learning for they are masters at absorbing new concepts. Babies are starts filled with energy, and we have a great deal to learn from them.
It used to be that scientists thought of infants as defective adults, egocentric, irrational and unable to understand cause and effect. Research is proving these theories wrong. At the forefront is Dr. Alison Gopnick, professor at UC Berkeley, and a leader in the study of children’s learning. She claims that children “possess a great deal of knowledge, literally from birth and grown ups are designed to unconsciously teach the young the very things they need to know.” She also believes that adults would do well to maintain throughout their lives the flexible exploration methods used by infants.
A July 2010 Scientific American article titled How Babies Think discusses the findings of Dr. Gopnick who lectures that children become acquainted with the world much as scientists do, conducting experiments, analyzing the results and forming intuitive theories or hypotheses. She suggests that brains are a kind of computer designed by evolution and programmed by experience.
I will never forget watching my son learn how to maneuver the stairs of my sunken living room. Over and over he crawled up the five carpeted steps. My husband or I would turn our toddler around at the top so he could back down only to start the process over again. He was relentless until he mastered the task, showing his displeasure by crying when we tried to pull him away. Our son was a young experimenter at work.
Babies are engineered to learn. Harried parents may call the mess they make getting into everything, but to the child all that they do is one big experiment. I watched a video of one of Dr. Gopmick’s test subjects and was impressed with how brilliant the pre-school boy appeared to be. When directed to solve a puzzle that would light up a box he develop hypotheses after hypothesis, testing each one before discarding it and going on to the next. In two minutes, five different pathways were taken in quick succession before successfully completing the challenge.
Infants are able to take in and process a great deal of information all at once from a wide variety of sources. Their consciousness appears to be expansive. They are not as good as adults at narrowing attention to a single detail which is also needed to develop careers and master concepts. However, we do have a lot to learn from the wide-ranging approach of infants. As grown ups we often cut off information lines too early and make problem solving more difficult than need be.
An example close to home comes from watching my grandchildren try to correct a computer bug. Even when they do not know what is wrong they feel confident in their poke and try repair method. It always surprises me that their trial and error technique usually works. I, on the other hand, approach computer issues with purpose and timidity. My single minded approach is much less playful and filled with frustration. I recently resolved to change and decided to copy their bravado. Much to my amazement I have been rewarded with occasional successes. Yea! I pat myself on the back.
This brings me to my New Years resolution for 2015 . . . Don’t be afraid of failure. Take in as much information as possible and try . . .try . . . try. I am reminded that babies are the fast learners, so I plan to follow their example and keep on plugging away.
Happy New Year! May your dreams and wishes come playfully true.
For more information go to:
The Scientist in the Crib: What early Learning Tells Us About the Mind by Alison Gopmick, Andrew N. Meltzoff, Patricia K. Kuhl.
The Philosophical Baby: What Children’s minds Tell Us About Truth, Love, and the Meaning of Life by Alison Gopnik
http://www.ted.com/talks/alison_gopnik_what_do_babies_think?language=en - Video about What do Babies Think ; Filmed July 2011
11/23/2014 1:59:05 AM
Mao
What type of control do you have over the electrical pathways inside your brain?
It’s a Case of NervesThe autonomic nervous system (ANS) has fascinated me ever since I watched a psychology movie of a person controlling an HO electric train with his brain. Without conscious effort, the ANS sends impulses to organs of the body, and controls such things as heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, body temperature and other instinctive activities that maintain equilibrium. In the train experiment the subject had probes placed on two fingers and was told to make each digit a different temperature. Most participants were eventually able to make the toy train move. What the researcher had designed was a vivid use of bio-feedback as a way to teach the brain to move blood.
The film made such an impression on me that I decided to turn the experiment into an exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. A sound booth was built and placed adjacent to a circular HO train course. Visitors were directed to place two fingers on the temperature probes that were inside the glass booth that overlooked the course. Unfortunately, I was never successful in making the train move, perhaps because I did not spend enough time practicing. But I did observe others who were actually able to make one finger warmer than the other by directing different amounts of blood from their brain to each finger. Spectators were as amazed as I when the train started its slow journey around the track.
Commercial devices are now available that can translate the brain’s electrical patterns to make objects move, as well as alter sound waves. NeuroSky, a San Jose-based company, developed a toy that enables the player to the turn blades of an eight inch helicopter and make it soar. The participant experiences success by concentrating on a single thought, turning on electrical patterns inside his brain. The outcome not only makes the helicopter fly but changes his emotional state to produce a sense of calm and relaxation.
A number of years ago I observed a medical application of mind-body control being conducted in a Portland bio-feedback lab that helped those suffering from severe migraines. A patient was hooked up to electrical sensors and told to pay attention to the line on a monitor that responded to change in blood flow. The idea was to send the blood away from the head to body extremities such as hands or feet. With practice hot hands, as it is often called, can be a quick and effective way to reduce headaches.
The Mayo clinic is one among many health centers active in training people to control such things as heartbeat, asthma, anxiety and muscle tension to reduce pain. Bio-feedback gives the patient power to control thoughts in mind and body in order to improve health and physical conditioning. Use of a bio-feedback machine does take time, however, and practice sessions may be costly. Relaxation techniques and meditation are a less expensive alternative.
Chemicals are more widely used than bio-feedback to control parts of the brain. Everything from pain killers to sleeping aids are found in medicine cabinets throughout the country. In the 1960s and 70s my Boston friends were playing around with LSD. I remember one neighbor telling me that the idea behind acid was to gain insight into the brain’s possibilities so you could then work to achieve that state without drugs. The woman who spoke to me had experienced brilliant colors and sharp images while on an acid trip. She spent months afterwards meditating in order to relive the experience at will.
As an aside, I do not recommend that you try this chemically induced state.When I worked in a mental health center I observed patients who took LSD and could not come out of the experience. According to a 2013 Popular Science article, there is renewed interest among scientists in studying the use of pharmaceutical grade hallucinogenic drugs in psychiatry. Clinicians believe that it could help cure some of our most debilitating problems such as alcoholism, depression and PTSD. It will be interesting to see if their experiments turn out to be successful.
I have been meditating on and off for forty years and have found it to be most beneficial. Several years ago I had to undergo a series of operations and wanted to make sure that I would be a stress-free patient. Meditation did help me enter the hospital with a calmness of mind. Yogis say that once your realize that your body/mind is within you but you are not your body/mind everything changes.
Scientists have studied that change by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on meditators while they practiced two forms of meditation, one non-directive and the other concentrative. In an article published this year in the journal
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience researchers under the direction of Svend Davanger at the University of Oslo in Norway found “that when participants practiced non-directive meditation, they had higher brain activity in areas associated with processing self-related thoughts and feelings than when they were resting. But when subjects practiced concentrative meditation, their brain activity was nearly the same as when they were resting.”
Dr. Davanger suggests that non-directive meditation “allows for more room to process memories and emotions than during concentrated meditation.” He was also surprised to learn that “a mental task like non-directive meditation results in even higher activity in this network than regular rest."
Many people ask me how I can carve out time to meditate in a busy schedule and my answer surprises them. For every minute I spend mediating I reduce my need for sleep an equal amount or more. Meditation puts my brain waves into a relaxed state, and it has a creepy-crawly effect that expands to fill my mind throughout the day.
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For more information about the autonomic nervous system:http://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/nervous/organization/pns.html-about the peripheral nervous system.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/01/21/263078049/brain-games-move-objects-with-your-mind-to-find-inner-calm - move objects with your brain.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/biofeedback/basics/definition/prc-20020004- Bio-feedback and control of body functions.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19935987 - research on bio-feedback and migraines.
http://thelazyyogi.com/post/34377765370/meditation-why-what-and-how- about meditation.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/276959.php- article in Medical News about how the brain works during meditation, May 19, 2014
11/2/2014 1:49:11 AM
The Studio
A young girl innocently practices dancing while elders observe. Will her life embrace the grace and happiness she imagines? With age will her body remain supple? Her brain alert?
Its a no-brainer
Since my retirement I have been engaged in new exercise classes and am enthralled. At the top of my list is Nia, a program that combines Martha Graham type modern dance with Tai Chi, Tai Kwan Do and mindfulness. Nia’s website claims that “it is a movement and well being program that connects body, mind, emotions and spirit by paying attention to sensation.” To get a better idea of this eclectic study, imagine yourself as a child, twirling gracefully with head thrown back to the falling leaves when a danger suddenly approaches. You stop, look around, tightening your body and prepare to run. Nia alternates a graceful flow that feels like you are moving in a bowl of jello with precision, balance, and speed. There is no room for a wandering mind as you move in preparation for the unexpected. As Mark Morris of the Mark Morris Dance Group says,“ movement is like having a sixth sense, one that helps you understand your position in space.”
As a child I was clumsy and my mother was concerned because I tripped while walking so she enrolled me in dance classes. However, falling at a young age was not a worrisome condition since my body was close to the ground. Now that I am older, a fall could be quite serious, so coordination and balance are skills that I am inviting back into my life. But best of all, with this exercise regime I feel more spirited.
I started to wonder why I have the sensation of being more alert, and decided to do a bit of research about the influence of movement on the brain. What I discovered is that as I practice, signals are being sent from my motor cortex through 20 million nerve fibers in my spinal cord to my legs and arms, enabling me to go through my day with greater ease. A constant internal conversation is taking place between my muscles and my brain. Every small step or blink of the eyelid gives proof that the highway between between these two parts of my body are actively engaged. The brain directs our bodies much like an orchestra leader, telling it where and how to turn, tap, or flow through space. Resulting movement has the effect of improving mood and concentration.
The Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) refutes the popular view of aging as one of decline and decay. They say that “the brain remains flexible and adaptable across the lifespan.” Since most neuroscientists now claim that the brain can continue to expand its neural network, rather than sit lazily at home, we are advised to take on new challenges throughout life. “Change your job, try a new hobby, vary your exercise routine and socialize with others,” is the advice given for building new synapses.
My daily program also focuses on mindfulness, which according to Harvard neuroscientists can change brain structures after only eight weeks of practice. Their research suggest integrating mindful intention into all daily activities including walking, eating, sitting, making the bed, etc. The Harvard study revolved around 45 minutes of exercises that included yoga, sitting mediation and some sort of mindful movement. As a result, practitioners gained a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation along with cognition and psychological benefits that lasted throughout the day. MRI scans confirmed that mindfulness increased gray matter in the areas of the brain involved in learning, memory, emotion regulation, sense of self, and perspective-taking (the ability to take the perspectives of others).
I had been fearful of retirement, imagining that without work I would start to wither. Instead, the opposite is happening and I have a sense that my mind and body are burgeoning. My participation in movement and mindfulness classes has led me to feel, energetic and happy to engage in new ventures.
It would be fun the hear what you are doing to keep your brain developing.
References:
http://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinking-behaving/movement/- discussion of movement and dancing and the brain.
Society for Neoroscience- reviewed May 2014 - Dancing and the Brain.
http://www.ascd.org/about-ascd.aspx - Curriculum development for mind-body links
https://nianow.com/practice - Information about Nia.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12793/how-meditation-changes-your-brain-a-neuroscientist-explains.html - Harvard study about mindful meditation.
http://www.cam-can.org - Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience - Recent research on aging.
http://learn.fi.edu/learn/brain/exercise.html - Information about the brain from an exhibit at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute.
10/5/2014 3:03:44 PM
Secrets of a Museum Junkie - The Drone Aviary
Aloft Before Drones by Marilynne & Ray
Imagine what it would be like to walk in center city and suddenly have your space invaded by a swarm of buzzing machines flying within feet of your head. How do you think you would react? Would you be fearful?… swat at them?… want to shoot them down?… or simply stare in awe? A few weeks ago, Superflux, a London design company, planned to introduce the Drone Aviary, ten flying robots, at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Their goal……to emotionally engage the public by getting them to interact with drone technology. Their hope ..… that people will start paying attention to rapid developments in drone engineering presently in use in commercial and military installations. Their desire… to take the flying machines on a world wide tour.
Unfortunately, at the last minute the Drone Aviary had its’ venue cancelled due to safety concerns. This temporary halt in exhibiting, however, does not alter the fact that drones are currently a part of every day life. Over the next few years according to an article published by the American Alliance of Museums, U.S. airspace is expected to have 30,000 civilian and commercial drones flying overhead and the UK and Europe are not far behind.
Celebrities such as Martha Stuart and Jeff Bezos are seeing drones as welcome advances to their retail operations, delivering packages efficiently, thus bypassing mail systems. As drones roam the sky collecting data or delivering items for companies like Amazon, with their proposed Prime Air delivery service, and Google with Project Wing, you and I are going to be faced with an army of flying robots invading our personal space. When I imagine packages flying up and down my quiet neighborhood street, it is not an appealing thought. I would love to know your opinion.
I realize that some of this technology may be good. Robobird drones from Clear Flight Solutions are employed to chase birds away from airport danger. I was fascinated at a trade show when I watched these radio controlled birds of prey fly so realistically through the air. Flapping their wings they move like a Peregrine Falcon and are able to chase undesirable flocks away from airplane engines. Robobird is also used to disperse nuisance flocks from areas such as landfills and from vineyards when grapes are heavy on the vine and birds come to feast.
This robotic revolution is happening now and is not some future science fiction occurrence. Drone kits can be purchased for under $100 in local electronic shops was well as from on-line retailers, putting them within reach of ordinary people. A series of Parrot Mini Drones, are a new line of flying toys. Jumping Sumo can pop up to table height or back to the floor, moving light objects out of its way with ease. Rolling Spider is an ultra-compact flyer that can take to the air or return to earth to travel on its large wheels and Bebop, a flying drone, follows large complex designs drawn on land.
The smallest commercial RC drone, a Nano quad Copter only 45 mm square, rivals the army’s Spy Cam Drone resembling a tiny flying insect. Weighing only 15 grams, Spy Cam costs tens of thousands of dollars and is used much like binoculars to scope out potential threats in military situations. The air force has introduced Bugbot Nano Drone Technology, and to my unsophisticated eye, it seems even more dangerous. Looking like a flying bug with wings, it can provide biological and chemical information to its handler and is being promoted by the military as a future lethal war fighter.
Controversy and fear surrounding military and spy drones is just starting to become intense among civilians who in the past have not given much consideration to this technological phenomenon. Few people think about the computer gaming kids who as young adults are hired to manipulate tiny devices from distant locations. These youth control weapons that go undetected yet cause incredible damage to innocent people near their military targets. According to ABC news on September 29th, though not in harms way, drone operators are subject to sone of the same emotional strain that ground forces face.
I was pleased to learn that museums are taking a leadership position by bringing the drone controversy before the public. I happen to be very curious about this robotic technology and wonder how it will affect my family’s future. In the meantime, while we wait for the exhibit, if you want to see beer being delivered by a drone go to YouTube and type in Lakemaid Beer Drone Delivery. The Air Force Bugbot Nano Drone, also on YouTube, gives an idea of how these aerial devices work for the military.
Robodrone - photo by Clear Flight Solutions.
A 2013 FAA report from the National Wildlife Strike. Database says the number of bird strikes by planes has gone from 1,851 incidents in 1990 to 11,315 in 2013. Globally more than 255 people have died and 243 aircraft destroyed . 66% percent occur during daylight hours.
For more information about the drones mentioned go to:
http://www.parrot.com . Parrot Mini Drones
http://www.clearflightsolutions.com - About Robo Drones
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http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/aam/AAM092514.php - American Alliance of Museums - About Superflux
http://www.rferl.org/content/drones_who_makes_them_and_who_has_them/24469168.html- about Military drones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z78mgfKprdg : Bugbot military drone
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=lakemaid+beer+drone : Lakemaid Beer Drone
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Amazon-Prime-Air-drone : Amazon’s Drone
9/27/2014 9:30:22 PM
Curious Cat Emerging
by Marilynne
In looking through my childhood scrapbook there is a photo of me at the age of eight with a large bandage over my nose. Apparently I had been looking over a log at a few chipmunks when I fell forward head first and landed on my nose.....an instance when curiosity got the best of me. Not being stopped by my nosey doings, I continued my quest to understand the natural world. Another time when I was eleven I wondered if the sun was hot enough to cook an egg. On a hot July day I was determined to find out. I cracked an egg in a frying pan and placed the pot on the front porch. It took many hours with bugs flying about but sure enough the egg fried from the top down. It wasn’t so appetizing but our dog certainly had a satisfying treat that afternoon. No parent helped me, or told me what to do. I just did it.
A friend tells the tale of trying to make gunpowder from a variety of household chemicals. He and his buddy waited until his comrade’s parents were away for the afternoon. The two young scientists made a bottle bomb and set it off in the back yard. Ba Da Boom! Their experiment worked, leaving a large crater in the yard and thankfully all 40 toes and fingers accounted for. His parents were not pleased.
Yes, childhood curiosity can be dangerous and I am not recommending letting kids make bottle bombs, but experimenting without an adult supervisor is an important part of childhood. I am concerned that today's parents are so concerned about safety that they are killing curiosity. Their fears, absorbed from reading news articles sensationalizing horror stories, are so paralyzing that instead of giving their children freedom to explore parents sign them up for structured classes and activities. The statistical chances of someone being kidnapped or a child hurt or lost while walking in the neighborhood are extremely low. It is more likely that a drive to the grocery store will cause an injury. Even so….my observation is that parents worry excessively.
Constant entertainment with busy schedules arranged by parents can stunt the desire of the child to become self-directed. Learning to deal with boredom and laziness is not always a bad thing. It takes quiet time to become an observer of nature and it takes alone time to understand yourself. At the age of seven while walking a mile (yes walking) alone to school I observed many large worms on the sidewalk. I spit on a worm and discovered that it split in two. The two parts then wiggled off in opposite directions. Since children today are either bused or walked briskly to school accompanied by an adult, they have limited chance to “see” their environment.
Peter Gray, a research professor at Boston College, wrote in Psychology Today about what we can learn from Hunter Gatherers. Those primitive people believed in values of personal autonomy and equality. They thought it wrong to try to control another person’s life, even a child’s. The way they taught children was by providing them with ample time to play, explore and learn by trial and error. Only when the child was motivated would the adult teach by demonstrating and presenting information. At that point small versions of tools that were in common use were given so the child could practice. Children were commonly invited to observe adult activities and their interruptions were tolerated. Games were played by both children and adults to foster a sense of community sharing.
