My Best Laid Plans…
For all the best laid plans-it has been more than interesting when I suddenly found myself in limbo on March 13th when my computer completely died! As with our phones, we are so dependent upon the data we collect and store on our devices that it quickly became a matter of urgency for me to try and get a good ‘fix’ for the IT problems!
In this case, alas, the computer was really & truly dead. And fortunately, I have a backup system that has worked to some extent in a timely manner. But as mentioned before: The best laid plans of mice and men… So I’ve been scrambling to play ‘catch up’ for everything that goes out this month!
In March, we are looking at the theme of “Better Living through Happiness’ in The Growing Group circle. And that theme extends, as we understand it now, to include courses that are set up to expand upon and study the subject of what Happiness really is and how we can increase it in our lives. And there is an index to track the happiness of countries-and the Slavic countries always win hands down!
This year, Finland again takes the top spot, and Sweden and Denmark follow right behind. The US has been slipping-we have lost a spot even among the top 20! We are now at 24 and perhaps slipping further still….?
Favorite Reads in March
One of the recent articles that held great interest was the one on critical thinking skills. The reason is that there are some studies showing that, as a culture, we are actually ‘dumbing ourselves down.’ It has been a worry for a while now that we are allowing processes-such as Artificial Intelligence– do the work for us and somehow are not able to think about topics using logic and analysis that were once utilized as routine processing.
What to do about it? Teach students the fundamentals for starters! The basics of critical thinking and analysis would include allowing for ways to evaluate and question information given. And then to form independent judgments. Promoting media literacy is suggested; as well as being able to discern credible sources from misinformation. This makes people better able to judge & identify ‘manipulated content.’ Public Education programs would be helpful for those who are past the school age also!
Blurbs from the Blogs
Science Blurbs Stuff
Two of the things I love to obsess about are Dark Matter & Dark Energy. Not because I have any particular scientific insight, but really I think, because when the scientists talk about it-even THEY don’t know exactly what it is! And for those of us who love to write, it is something that is dark and mysterious that fuels the imagination. How else could George Lucas somehow find the inspiration to create “The Force’ that has launched a generation of Star Wars merchandise and marketing gold!?.
Dark Energy is another ‘matter.’ It is also increasingly revealed to be something other than what scientists had first thought it to be.
From Flipboard: 6 Degrees of Science & Climate Change
- But the question is this: What is Dark Matter? What is this mysterious substance that is said to make up 85 percent of all the mass in the known universe?
- Some much-needed good news: Solar & Wind beat out coal in the US as energy sources for the first time! Renewable energy is here to stay-even after the political football it has become…
- Another astonishing story from science. The search for a cure for Alzheimer’s has revealed that the disease may not actually be defined as a disease of the brain!
Futurist Feed Blurbs
From the Futurist Feed at 6 Degrees into the Future, we find stories that delve into the science of Robotics and some of the ways that we are already beaming into the future:
- A look at 10 inventions that will soon change our world (Remember, Baby Boomers-what it was like to first use computers/Iphones/Ipads…!)\
- 3D Printing and why it may even help astronauts survive on Mars!
- If China is successful, they will create a solar station in orbit capable of generating an endless supply of energy ….
- A warning from the Ocean: The beating heart and pulse of the planet’s oceans is slowing down. Melting ice could weaken the Earth’s strongest ocean current as much as 20% by the year 2050…
Whatever Happened to the Doomsday Clock?
I recently re-watched “Dr Strangelove’ & it renewed an interest in an article I saw that detailed where we stand on “The Doomsday Clock’ If you recall, there was a group of scientists that created this countdown clock to tell us where we stand in regard to the likely event of an atomic war breaking out among the superpowers.
This was a reality even in the 1950’s-the decade I was born in. Hiroshima and atomic testing grounds were realities to those who lived through World War II and the original shock of hearing about an atom bomb that was capable of blowing up the world!
There is a great film about the aftermath of a nuclear war called “On the Beach,’ by Nevil Shute. It was written in the 1950’s, and made into a great movie with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner. Yet it seemed to be something that could never occur and now…
The Doomsday Clock has moved closer than ever to the midnight hour of doom & destruction. Our current era of Global Real Politik doesn’t bode well for long-term solutions that lead to peace breaking out everywhere! More on that next month, but for now-here’s a link to The Doomsday Clock article that talks about how we’re faring on the scale from one to midnight.
The Growing Group Blurbs
Talking about our Generation….The idea of “Better living through Science’ and then on to…better living in general is a theme for our group this year. This month we talked about happiness. Next month it’s on to look at what harmony and peace can do to your overall well-being. We all need to look at things with a positive mindset these days!
Our Growing Group round-up gathers together an array of articles that talk about our monthly themes. This month, the Happiness topics included:
- Some Simple Things to make you Happier!
- The Secrets to Happiness at any age…
- Focus on the things you can control
- Some morning rituals to help you live better!
The Eco Watch Blurbs from 6 Degrees….
We have to begin any environmental talk with the elephant in the room. The new administration has been working to roll back many of the environmental standards that were set up in the previous four years. I don’t know if I’m alone here, but it would be nice if we could get on the same page with the idea that clean air and water and competing for energy independence is not a partisan issue! And perhaps one day we won’t see the ‘tit for tat’ type of political jockeying when it comes to things that keep us safe and healthy-like a healthy environment for our families!
- Here’s a good thing-5 cities that are designated as the “Cleanest Cities’ in the United States!
- They’re finding microplastics in the human brain…but that’s not all! Photosynthesis is being disrupted, which may be an even bigger deal…
- How close are we to tipping over the “Global Warming Threshold’ & why does it matter?
- Some good news to end with: Solar has added more new capacity to the US Grid in 2024 than any energy source in the past 20 years!
6 Degrees of Film Blurbs
- Some recommended reads in film: ”We Tell Ourselves Stories’ is a book that chronicles the career of writer Joan Didion and her time spent in Hollywood. Also, ‘6 Degrees of Film’ is still a pretty good comprehensive read taking you for a short comprehensive tour through the history of the movies!
- Hollywood goes Global! What film just surpassed many of the greatest moneymakers of the past two decades in Hollywood?…A Chinese animated feature – (Ne Zha 2 is the title!)-about a rebellious boy from Chinese Mythology! The Global Multi-Culture is rapidly changing and we have been hearing for years that China would eventually surpass Hollywood in terms of market growth ….
- The Covid Lockdowns: A new study of the 5 year impact gives us insights into how we were affected as a society by the COVID Pandemic. One area that was impacted in huge ways was the movie industry. I can attest personally to the fact that my pre-COVID viewing habits changed to the extent that a trip to the movie theater has now become a ‘once in a blue moon’ type of thing! And I was a fairly ardent movie buff pre-COVID….
History & Fun Mysteries Blurb
The mystery of how they built the pyramids has taken a dramatic turn in recent years. They found a diary of one of the workers who helped move the blocks making up the Great Pyramid. And a scanning of the skeletal remains of those who worked to build the pyramids tells a different story.
Many had believed that slave labor built the pyramids. Until recent discoveries unveiled an astonishing enterprise that was comprised of a type of National Service program where people worked to help build the iconic pyramid.
Finally-Women who made a difference
All month long, the Women’s History Month paid tribute to those women who made a difference and are still making a difference in people’s lives. There’s a story of Dorothy Thompson, a journalist who warned people about Hitler long before he began his rampage through Europe! And the fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg has written about the need for kindness in our lives. We need that now more than ever, she argues, and she is definitely right!…more on 6 Degrees!
Also, there’s a group honored in a field where women have struggled for decades to achieve parity and recognition. Ten Pioneering Women in Science highlights the achievements of what women and girls can do if they are allowed to grow and thrive! They are inspirational stories, and “A Century of Women’ highlights all the achievements that women can bring to the table when we are given the opportunity…
Next Month in Blurb Blogs!
- Ways to “Stay Sharp’ in life to keep your brain active
- How “Moneyball” altered the way we view baseball movies
- How Hollywood has altered dramatically in recent years…
- Of Boys & Men: The Plight of the Male Lost Generation Syndrome
- Looking for a Good Book? The top ten of 2024 are listed here…