Today on the app formerly known as Twitter, I got this interesting question: “Why do some people feel exhausted and depleted after social interactions and others feel energized by them?” And thatR… (keep reading)
Perhaps one of the most important abilities we can develop is saying 'no'. But if you're like me, you might have some trouble with that every now and then. The crazy thing is that the answer has something to do with the way babies try to eat with a spoon for the first time: You can imagine. Half of the food will end on their bib, half on their faces, and the rest in their tummies (if they're lucky!) It would be an understatement to say that their hands are all over the place, trying to land as close as possible ... [keep reading...]
33 years ago, Top Gun made us fans of dogfights, the ‘healthy’ rivalry between Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, and one of the most famous ballads of all time. But the most important thing we can learn from this movie is how the missile system works. It’s the classic electronic sight ‘looking for’ the enemy plane on the screen… and when it ‘locks on’ it, you fire and [ Hasta la vista, baby ]. In theory, once the missile “smells” the heat trace of the other ship, it is responsible for targeting the target itself. Can you imagine that it ... [keep reading...]
Yes, you read that right. Books are dangerous, and can make your life miserable. What, you disagree? then let me make my point with the help of Juana Galán, which was like a nineteenth century Spanish Sarah Connor: It was 1807 and Napoleon was really bored, so he started the Peninsular war against Spain and Portugal. Throughout that conflict, the French troops had to pass through the town of Valdepeñas. Most, if not all of Valdepeñas' men were fighting their asses off elsewhere. Juana Galán was a 22-year-old barmaid in the main tavern of the city. A la "Molly's Game", ... [keep reading...]
Sometimes it’s necessary to take desperate actions so the world takes you seriously. A good example is Barry Marshall, who made a… let’s say, “sacrifice” in order to force the medical community to turn their heads: From the first industrial revolution until the early 1980s, everyone “knew” that stress was the cause of stomach ulcers. (It’s logical, don’t you think?… more stress -> more acid -> ulcers) Dr. Marshall disagreed, and set to work. Marshall partnered with the conveniently named Robin Warren to show that stomach ulcers were caused by bacteria. Hundreds of biopsies, cultures and experiments later, his hypothesis was practically ... [keep reading...]
If you haven’t seen ‘Two Moon Junction’ it is something like the first cousin of ‘Nine and 1/2 Weeks’. B-Movies that used to air (or are still aired…?) at midnight. Well, there’s something we can take from the[SPOILER] ending: In the movie, April (Sherilyn Fenn) is about to marry Chad (Martin Hewitt). But while walking through a Carnival, April sets her sights on Perry (Richard Tyson), a guy who looks like Fher on steroids. Anyway, the fact is that April ends up getting tangled up with Perry. That’s it, I just told you 95% of the movie. Until the very ... [keep reading...]
In 1960, Harper Lee debuted as a writer with “To Kill a Mockingbird,” becoming instantly famous. (Just like Guns ‘n Roses did with Appetite for Destruction) A dialogue of this novel is important in persuasion: Atticus Finch (Performed in the novel’s movie adaptation by the impeccable Gregory Peck), is the father of Jem and Scout. They both like the temper of their uncle Jack, who is always joking (and smelling a bit of alcohol). Atticus beckons Jack to tell him something in private. He approaches him and says: — Jack, when a child asks you something, answer him without a [show]… children ... [keep reading...]
It's hard to forget Liam Neeson's legendary words in the movie "Taken": "I don't have money. But what I do have is a very particular set of skills". Cartoonist Scott Adams shares that description... and guess what? you too: Adams started cartooning while working at what we would assume a very boring job. After being repeatedly passed over for promotion, his frustration piled up. “The day you realize that your efforts and rewards are not related, it really frees up your calendar”, he'd say. But 'free up your calendar' is an euphemism, as he had to draw his cartoons at ... [keep reading...]
Education is empowering, but grades and titles foster a silly competition over whose resumé is bigger. That reminds me of Williamina Fleming, who became immortal in a very odd way: Williamina was a Scottish woman in her early 20s when she found herself in quite a predicament. She had moved to the United States with her husband, whom she had just married. He left her as soon as they got there. Oh, and she was pregnant. Returning to Scotland was not an option, so she started to work as a maid for Edward Pickering, an astrophysicist and director of the Harvard ... [keep reading...]
Arrogance is usually frowned upon, as everyone says that you should always be humble and modest. But a couple sentences from Albert Einstein in 1919 are a great example of the only attitude that will get you far: In 1919, a solar eclipse had special significance for the scientific community. It was an opportunity to prove Einstein's general theory of relativity; he predicted that the curvature of space would distort the light of stars . They would bend like "Wanted" movie bullets. An expedition was organized and they finally confirmed that Einstein was right. One of his pupils asked him, ... [keep reading...]