David Whyte: On Seeking Language Large Enough
"It has ever and always been true, David Whyte reminds us, that so much of human experience is a conversation between loss and celebration. This conversational nature of reality -- indeed, this drama of vitality -- is something we have all been shown, willing or unwilling, in these years. Many have turned to David Whyte for his gorgeous, life-giving poetry and his wisdom at the interplay of theolo... posted on Jun 18 2023, 4,169 reads

The Practice of Tsundoku & Why You May Want to Adopt It
"Many readers buy books with every intention of reading them only to let them linger on the shelf. Statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb believes surrounding ourselves with unread books enriches our lives as they remind us of all we don't know. The Japanese call this practice tsundoku, and it may provide lasting benefits..." Read on for more on the intriguing concept of the 'antilibrary, the benefits... posted on Jun 17 2023, 2,885 reads

Lion Heart
Luzuko Madonci wanted to be a lion when he was a child. His friends laughed at him. And yet as an adult he has indeed developed the heart of a lion, exhibited by his joyous wholehearted laughter, his confidence, and his courage in the face of trials. Having overcome childhood trauma, he has learned to embrace his emotions and to see pain as a helper, a teacher, a residue of something good that is ... posted on Jun 16 2023, 2,311 reads

Curiosity: A Sponge for Terror
"And so I moved from hoping every morning to find myself waking up from a bad dream to realizing that this room and its contents were the only life I had. And this was the body I had to live it with. I started waking up ready to fully live this specific life and get acquainted with what was in many respects a new body every day. I started the day asking, what part of my body works today? What can ... posted on Jun 15 2023, 3,381 reads

A Dialogue on Consciousness
Bernardo Kastrup is a scientist and philosopher, Swami Sarvapriyananda is a Hindu monk. In this wide-ranging conversation they dialog on Eastern and Western concepts of self and mind, a conversation, "worth watching simply for the extraordinary clarity with which both men articulate a deeply complex concept. But perhaps the most profound point is made by their evident mutual respect for one anothe... posted on Jun 14 2023, 1,909 reads

The Deep Cultural Work of Chatter
"The horror of the oral, of stories that lack the luster of the literary, stems in part from the link between old wives' tales and gossip, or idle chatter. How could these trifles possibly be dignified with print? But gossip has value precisely because it creates opportunities for talking through the emotional entanglements of our social lives. Its participants jointly construct narratives from th... posted on Jun 13 2023, 1,100 reads

Advice from Teens on Social Media Use
"'What advice would you give to young people who are new to social media?' 'Have you ever felt like you need to change your social media use...?'Teens and young adults from across the country answered these questions in a text survey in 2020. Their answers are eye-opening. 'I would tell young people ... the internet is far off from reality and the more time you spend on it, the more you forget wha... posted on Jun 12 2023, 2,045 reads

Notes on Complexity
Neil Theise is a diagnostic liver pathologist, adult stem cell researcher, complexity theorist, and practicing Zen Buddhist. His book, Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being is,"an electrifying introduction to complexity theory, the science of how complex systems behave, that explains the interconnectedness of all things." Read on for five key insights fro... posted on Jun 11 2023, 3,145 reads

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Ice
"1. Despite more than 150 years worth of study and experimentation, no one really knows why ice is slippery." Amy Brady is Orion magazine's executive director and the author of 'Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating RinksA cool history of a hot commodity.' She shares more in this engaging ten-point piece about a facet of modern life many of us take entirely for granted.... posted on Jun 10 2023, 1,821 reads

Saving Sea Turtles in the Solomon Islands
The Arnavons, a group of four of the Solomon Islands, are home to the largest nesting site of hawksbill turtles in the South Pacific. Around 1200 hawksbill turtles, named for their narrow heads and sharp beaks, lay eggs here every year. Unfortunately, despite their international protected status, people still hunt them for their flesh and beautiful shells, as well as harvesting their eggs for food... posted on Jun 09 2023, 890 reads