Our latest data project was to analyze how self-described Mac and PC people are different. The infographic below, designed by the talented folks at Column Five Media, breaks it down. Keep reading after the Infographic for more background and analysis, including some comparisons to findings from 18 months ago when we first looked at this issue.
Have you ever experienced a moment that made you wonder if everything happens for a reason? That your actions and inspirations fit into some greater purpose? It’s a tricky question to answer for a number of reasons – for one, it requires us to change our understanding of the concept of free will. Rather than believing the history of the planet is solely the product of individual autonomy (of all life), what if all our actions are part of a cosmic story? One interpretation of the Mayan calendar, by Dr. Johan Calleman, states the Maya believed periodic fluctuations in cosmic energy influenced life and fueled the evolution of consciousness. This doesn’t provide an excuse to sit back and do nothing, but rather an understanding of our purpose as carriers of change.
In recent years, a wave of studies has documented some incredible emotional and physical health benefits that come from touch. This research is suggesting that touch is truly fundamental to human communication, bonding, and health.
The patterns, or maps, of the mind represent things or events outside the brain, either in the body or in the external world. Ultimately, consciousness allows us to experience maps as images, to manipulate those images, and to apply reasoning to them. Maps are constructed when we interact with objects, such as a person, a machine, or a place, from the outside of the brain toward its interior. Maps are also constructed when we recall objects from inside our brain’s memory banks. The construction of maps never stops, even in our sleep. The human brain maps whatever object sits outside it, whatever action occurs outside it, and all the relationships that objects and actions assume in time and space, relative to each other and to the mother ship known as the organism.
A couple of weeks ago, I [Alex Glustrom] showed some pictures of the destruction in Japan to some of the kids at my youth center and we then created this video.
Backed by stunning illustrations, David Christian narrates a complete history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the Internet, in a riveting 18 minutes. This is “Big History”: an enlightening, wide-angle look at complexity, life and humanity, set against our slim share of the cosmic timeline.
Engage University is an alternative summer study program that immerses college students in a variety of community development initiatives across the U.S. I’m excited to create the curriculum for a program that will provide students with the opportunity to learn about structures of power and marginalization in a domestic context.
The civilization that built the Sphinx, raised the pyramids and built the world’s first library also produced the world’s first physician, created geometry and astronomy and were among the first to explore the nature of our existence. And they passed their knowledge along to the Greeks. Modern people, in turn, have benefited greatly from this early education.
Time-lapse photography uncovers an unseen world, showing us scenes we’d never be able to perceive in real time. These 10 terrific time-lapse creations from the wonderful world of nature will amaze and inspire you. From the lifecycle of a simple weed to the majestic splendour of the Northern Lights, we think you’ll find something awe-inspiring in our collection.
Medical ethicist Harvey Fineberg shows us three paths forward for the ever-evolving human species: to stop evolving completely, to evolve naturally — or to control the next steps of human evolution, using genetic modification, to make ourselves smarter, faster, better. Neo-evolution is within our grasp. What will we do with it?
