Monthly Archives: March 2013

The Ontology of Potent Proteins

It is a basic disposition of the human mind to assume that entities are form or structure through and through. On this assumption, only what is definite enough to be measured and stable enough to retain that measure is a … Continue reading

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You Wish You Had A Bird’s Brain!

Consider the spatial memory of Clark’s nutcrackers, which live at high altitudes in the western United States (our neck of the woods).  During the summer, a bird will hide upwards of one hundred thousand seeds throughout its territory. Did you … Continue reading

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All There Is to Thinking

“All there is to thinking,” he said, “is seeing something noticeable which makes you see something you weren’t noticing which makes you see something that isn’t even visible.” From “A River Runs Through It” by Norman Maclean. What a fresh, … Continue reading

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Spring Equinox 2013

Happy first day of spring. How welcome this season of birth and renewal! Today the sun travels—as it appears to the eye—past the equator on its way 23.5 degrees north to the tropic of cancer, where it celebrates the summer solstice … Continue reading

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On the Body

Though I don’t follow basketball, I have preceded it. The athletic director at the college where I teach has a long tradition of inviting a faculty member to deliver an annual lecture on this, the opening day of March Madness. … Continue reading

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Poseurs, Imitators, Fakers, and Thieves: A Hindu Teaching Story

I love the story that theoretical physicist Dr. Amit Goswami told during his conversation with Joe Rogan. Rogan was ranting about the poseurs who get into spiritual practices like yoga and meditation to impress others (the guys do it to … Continue reading

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George Bernard Shaw Compares You to a Tree

We live in the mountains, and each day we feel grateful for the sturdy, silent, noble fellowship of the surrounding trees. Take it away, George Bernard Shaw! Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath, no man … Continue reading

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A Great Game for Dogs (and Their Masters)

Human beings and dogs have been playing games for a very long time. Besides being fun, games offer practice in the art of friendship by fostering the spirit of cooperation. Even the bitterest competition is underwritten by this spirit. When … Continue reading

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In Lieu of Sunday School

I came across this sage advice from Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622) in Joseph Goldstein’s book, The Experience of Insight.  What if we could really internalize the truth of the last two sentences? Be patient with everyone, but above all … Continue reading

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The Virtue of Skepticism (It’s Not What Skeptics Imagine It Is)

We’re all skeptical from time to time, but some of us make a profession of it. In particular, many scientists, philosophers, and intellectuals proudly embrace skepticism as though it were an end in itself. It is not. Here is a … Continue reading

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