Ramblings
• The number 0, in all its glory, wasn’t fully conceptualized until the seventh century — in India.
• A million-seconds ago was 12 days ago; a billion-seconds ago was 31 years ago; a trillion-seconds ago was 31,688 years ago.
• I’ve noticed that younger people don’t hustle or thank you when you stop your car for them to use the crosswalk; whereas older people generally do one or both (major cities with dozens crossing at the same time notwithstanding).
• All of the atoms in your body heavier than helium were produced in an exploding star.
• The sun is not a unique ball of fire. It is a yellow dwarf star, like 20 billion others in our galaxy alone.
• Birds don’t generally “feel the heat” from hot peppers. Capsaicin, the substance that causes the heat doesn’t affect them. The plant evolved to encourage birds to spread the seeds and discourage those pesky mammals.
• You can’t change other people; at best, you can control how much they affect you.
• Does anyone else find that food cooked in the microwave cools down faster than food cooked on the stovetop or in the oven?
• It’s possible that a billion years from now, on a planet a billion light years from here, an alien with a good enough telescope will be watching you go about your life.
• Reserve time every day to put down the phone and live in the real world.
• Does our depiction of Jesus resemble a man born in Iowa more than it does a man born in Palestine?
• I cannot bring myself to say his elected position followed by the name Trump.
• Everything takes longer than you think it will.
• If you want to eat better, start by adding more vegetables and fruit, not by cutting out the bad stuff. There’ll be less room for junk and you won’t feel you’re depriving yourself.
• I once read that organic food isn’t expensive; the alternative is just cheap.
• I listen to NPR a lot. During interviews, many educated young adults use “so” to begin answering a question.
• I’ve heard that the difference between American and Japanese education is that in America, the teacher is expected to teach, whereas in Japan, the student is expected to learn.
• Sandwiches are always better when someone else makes them.
• A million-seconds ago was 12 days ago; a billion-seconds ago was 31 years ago; a trillion-seconds ago was 31,688 years ago.
• I’ve noticed that younger people don’t hustle or thank you when you stop your car for them to use the crosswalk; whereas older people generally do one or both (major cities with dozens crossing at the same time notwithstanding).
• All of the atoms in your body heavier than helium were produced in an exploding star.
• The sun is not a unique ball of fire. It is a yellow dwarf star, like 20 billion others in our galaxy alone.
• Birds don’t generally “feel the heat” from hot peppers. Capsaicin, the substance that causes the heat doesn’t affect them. The plant evolved to encourage birds to spread the seeds and discourage those pesky mammals.
• You can’t change other people; at best, you can control how much they affect you.
• Does anyone else find that food cooked in the microwave cools down faster than food cooked on the stovetop or in the oven?
• It’s possible that a billion years from now, on a planet a billion light years from here, an alien with a good enough telescope will be watching you go about your life.
• Reserve time every day to put down the phone and live in the real world.
• Does our depiction of Jesus resemble a man born in Iowa more than it does a man born in Palestine?
• I cannot bring myself to say his elected position followed by the name Trump.
• Everything takes longer than you think it will.
• If you want to eat better, start by adding more vegetables and fruit, not by cutting out the bad stuff. There’ll be less room for junk and you won’t feel you’re depriving yourself.
• I once read that organic food isn’t expensive; the alternative is just cheap.
• I listen to NPR a lot. During interviews, many educated young adults use “so” to begin answering a question.
• I’ve heard that the difference between American and Japanese education is that in America, the teacher is expected to teach, whereas in Japan, the student is expected to learn.
• Sandwiches are always better when someone else makes them.
