On Navigating Stuckness
Jonathan Harris spent much of his life creating small, beautiful things. Going from one project to the next wasn't always so lucid, and in this article, he recounts moments where it felt like he lost his flow -- and what he did about it. "We have these brief lives, and our only real choice is how we will fill them. Your attention is precious. Don't squander it. Don't throw it away. Don't let compa... posted on Mar 08 2014, 35,934 reads

A 25-Year-Old's Stunning Talk On Selfless Service
Nipun Mehta gave his first public talk at a monastery. He was 25 years old and the subject was "The Spirit of Service" At the time Nipun was just a few years into running ServiceSpace, a non-profit whose global projects now touch millions and are designed to spark generosity and inner transformation. In this debut talk Nipun dives into the core of what selfless service is about. With compelling cl... posted on Mar 07 2014, 45,797 reads

La Vida Robot
In a second-floor windowless room on the rundown Carl Hayden Community High School campus, four students huddle around an odd, 3-foot-tall frame constructed of PVC pipe. At the top sits a black, waterproof briefcase containing a nest of hacked processors, minuscule fans, and LEDs. It's a cheap but astoundingly functional underwater robot capable of recording sonar pings and retrieving objects 50 f... posted on Mar 06 2014, 5,848 reads

Wonder: When & Why The World Appears Radiant
In his breathtaking new book author Paul R. Fleischman carries out an in-depth and masterful exploration of a unique and timeless human quality: Wonder. Remarkably researched and elegantly articulated the book is an invitation to come newly alive to the mystery and magnificence of being on this earth. This short excerpt takes an ordinary moment on a winter's morning and deftly opens our eyes to th... posted on Mar 05 2014, 0 reads

The Work of Local Culture
According to Wendell Berry, a human community must exert a sort of centripetal force, holding local soil and local memory in place. It has no work more important than this. This beautiful essay invites you to take a walk with Berry past an old family bucket and into a new view of human culture...... posted on Mar 04 2014, 20,327 reads

How Stories Change the Brain
Why are we so tuned in to stories? They can move us to tears, change our attitudes, opinions and behaviors, inspire us--and even change our brains, often for the better. Dr. Paul Zak's research shows us that we're practically hardwired to listen to emotionally engaging stories in order to transmit values and information between individuals and communities. An effective story -- one that captures a... posted on Mar 03 2014, 49,141 reads

Politics & The Sharing Economy
"Can the sharing economy movement address the root causes of the world’s converging crises? In recent years, the concept and practice of sharing resources is fast becoming a mainstream phenomenon across North America, Western Europe and other world regions. According to most general definitions that are widely available online, the sharing economy leverages information technology to empower... posted on Mar 02 2014, 11,518 reads

Superheroes Lend A Hand In Children's Cancer Ward
"Superheroes are lending a helping hand to a hospital in Brazil that takes care of kids fighting cancer. Batman, Superman, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman are just some of the friendly faces taking on chemotherapy treatment alongside kids at the A.C. Camargo Cancer Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil."... posted on Mar 01 2014, 12,794 reads

Moin Khan: A Man, A Motorcycle & A Mission
Moin Khan was born and raised in Lahore but went to the United States to attend university. Frustrated with the way in which his home country was portrayed in the media, he decided to leave his comfort zone and embark on an epic journey back to Pakistan. For 18 month he lived on boiled rice and ketchup, held 3 jobs and worked 70 hrs a weeks to save up enough money to ride his motorcycle from San F... posted on Feb 28 2014, 3,113 reads

The Power of Hesitation
Whether lingering too long over the menu at a restaurant, or abrupt U-turns by politicians, flip-flopping does not have a good reputation. By contrast, quick, decisive responses are associated with competency. Steve Fleming, a cognitive neuroscientist, wonders whether the allure of decisiveness might be leading us astray. Perhaps, when faced with a novel scenario, there is a benefit from being slo... posted on Feb 27 2014, 7,396 reads