Beauty and Truth in Physics
December 31, 2010
Murray Gell-MannI'm one of those lay people who doesn't know diddly squat about particle physics but who appreciates the tremendous impact this field of knowledge has on human development. Plus, I just plain love hearing the big picture stories. This Ted Talk, Murray Gell-Mann on beauty and truth in physics, fits that bill.
... we have this remarkable experience in this field of fundamental physics that beauty is a very successful criterion for choosing the right theory.
Armed with a sense of humor and laypeople's terms, Nobel winner Murray Gell-Mann drops some knowledge on TEDsters about particle physics, asking questions like, Are elegant equations more likely to be right than inelegant ones?
Murray Gell-Mann brings visibility to a crucial aspect of our existence that we can't actually see: elemental particles. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics for introducing quarks, one of two fundamental ingredients for all matter in the universe.
Watch the full 16-minute video here on Ted.com.
Your Money: The Missing Manual
December 30, 2010
The Holiday Season—religious observances, Winter solstice, the New Year (per the Gregorian calendar, anyway)—brings into sharp focus the energy of spirit, community, reflection, and transformation. Humans really know how to celebrate, so feasting and gifting abound. To one degree or another most of us experience a cycle of giving, receiving, and, of course, spending. This all makes January an opportune time to take stock.
Cool Tools published a beautifully illustrative review of what is considered an excellent, down to earth money management resource, Your Money: The Missing Manual by J.D. Roth.
This is the best user-guide to personal finance I've found, and I've probably read them all.
According to the reviewer, "Basically, Roth has read every book and blog on money managing, investing, saving, and earning and digests and integrates all this hard-won knowledge into an amazing selection of smart, practical ideas for today....a day-to-day operating manual for your money. Specific details, sources, methods, tricks. Dip into it when you are stuck, check it before trying something new, re-read it when you think you know it all. I've done pretty well financially, and if you were to ask me my practical advice -- like what to do tomorrow -- I would simply give you this book."
No time like the present.
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/004728.php" target="_blank">See full source article here.
More photos of the year!
December 28, 2010
Bad Astronomy lists its top fourteen astronomy photos of the year, including this nearly unbelievable spiral pattern caused by a binary star.
The object, called AFGL 3068, is a binary star, two stars in an 800-year orbit around one another. One of them is a red giant, a star near the end of its life. It's blowing off massive amounts of dark dust, which is enveloping the pair and hiding them from view. But the system's spin is spraying the material out like a water sprinkler head, causing this giant and delicate spiral pattern on the sky. And by giant, I mean giant: the entire structure is about 3 trillion kilometers (about 2 trillion miles) across.
Digital Nativity
December 23, 2010
Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, the Nativity story is probably familiar — but not this version. Here is an amazing digital spin on the ancient tale. Thanks to the creators, whoever you are!
To everyone this holiday season, we at The Monroe Institute extend our best wishes for love, wonder, and mutually assured appreciation in 2011. "... and to all, a good night."
Water Sculptures
December 22, 2010
This video captures Shinchi Maruyama as he throws water from his hands or from glasses and catches the temporary sculptures they make with his camera. It's gorgeous to watch and once again highlights the beauty of looking at something that we've always seen through a new lens. For me, that is a wonderful reflection for this time of year! Happy Watching!
Water Sculpture from Shinichi Maruyama on Vimeo.
The Year in Photos
December 20, 2010
2010 has certainly been a remarkable year, and we are now only a few short weeks from the upcoming birth of the new year. The Boston Globe's Big Picture has chosen its best photos of the year for 2010. Part one, part two, part three and we thought that you might like to take a look. A lot of the pictures are of political events that have occurred and are therefore a little intense, just as fair warning. I've chosen a few favorites, but really you can't go wrong checking out the whole gallery. Happy reflecting!
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