'Physics Of The Future': How We'll Live In 2100? : NPR

'Physics Of The Future': How We'll Live In 2100? : NPR

Kaku, a professor of theoretical physics with the City College of New York, also talks about his childhood, his work with Edward Teller, a member of the Manhattan Project, and his work on the development of string field theory. He is the author of several books, including Physics of the Impossible, Parallel Worlds and Beyond Einstein. He has also hosted scientific documentaries for the Discovery Channel, the BBC and the Science Channel.

(p.s.I hope we come up with better ideas than this, but if this functions as a wall to throw stuff on, he's done it.~A.)

"Little Shaver" Pencil Sharpener - Lee Valley Tools

"Little Shaver" Pencil Sharpener - Lee Valley Tools

A century ago, pencil sharpeners held a much more important role in daily life than they do now, since the pencil was then the predominant writing implement. This one, based on a model (click View in the priceline) we discovered at an antique tool auction, presents a particularly elegant method for bringing a pencil to a point. It has a concave support notch that neatly holds any standard wooden pencil, and a hinged lever arm with an integral blade that lets you shave the pencil end at an angle. You simply rotate the pencil after each cut until the tip is tapered to your liking. Shavings simply collect in the tray. The sharpener is cast steel with a black gloss powder-coated finish. The three feet have high-friction pads to grip a desk or other surface, helping avoid shifting in use. A brass thumbscrew holds the sharpened spring-steel blade; when the blade becomes worn, you just slide it to either side to expose a fresh edge. Blades can be resharpened. A fascinating and timeless design, which not only does a quick and superb job of sharpening pencils, but also serves as a unique glimpse into history. Made in Canada.

10 Mega-Construction Projects That Could Save the Environment — and the Economy

10 Mega-Construction Projects That Could Save the Environment — and the Economy

We humans are builders. One of the ways we leave a mark on the universe is by creating massive structures that show that some opposable digits have been here. So when things get tough, like due to an economic meltdown or a cascading environmental crisis, what can we do but build?

Here are 10 massive engineering projects — some pretty real, some quite fanciful — that could help turn our economic and environmental crises around.

Deepak Chopra's Leela

Deepak Chopra's Leela - anyone play this yet?

True Films

True Films

"...the best general interest true films I've found. I define true films as documentaries, educational films, instructional how-to's, and what the British call factuals - a non-fiction visual account."

R&D-I-Y | Research and Develop It Yourself

R&D-I-Y is a web platform for mass collaboration. Together, our community is working to integrate personal scale innovation for environmental stewardship + quality of life into the existing infrastructure of cities.

The Beloved Poet, Rumi.

“Your task is not to seek for love,

but merely to seek & find

all the barriers within yourself

that you have built against it.”

~ Rumi

Pema Chodron on opening your heart:

“The only reason we don’t open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don’t feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else’s eyes. ”

And…

“When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid. You’re able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression. You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently.”

And: