When I substitute teach, I like to tell the kids that during their lifetimes they will probably have more than one career, and at least one of those careers will be a job that hasn’t been invented yet (solar-collector repair on Mars?). The converse of this is the professions that do not have much of
Every so often, I read something that really makes me think. Like the headline “The 3 Things Experts Wish Everyone Would Wash Their Hands After Touching” by Monica Torres. If you had a childhood like mine, I’m sure you heard the “Wash your hands” command many times. But what do the experts think are the
It’s interesting how our cultural practices change over time. For example, our weddings. It’s customary for the bride and groom to have attendants: bridesmaids, groomsmen, and a best man. But how did these customs originate? I recently found an eye-opening article on the Mental Floss website regarding the idea of having groomsmen and a best
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” — Winston Churchill It’s important to remember that the accuracy of historical accounts always depends upon the historian. For example, have you ever heard of the Matilda Effect? It publicizes when men receive credit for women’s accomplishments. The term was introduced in 1993
A question to ponder after we’ve just finished adjusting our clocks to accommodate Daylight Savings Time: Have you wondered why we always say O’clock with the time? I found an interesting explanation in “Why Do We Use ‘O’Clock’ When Telling Time?” by Caroline Bologna on the Huffpost website. According to the article, “O’clock” is a
Do you suffer from Triskaidekaphobia? If so, this is going to be a difficult year for you. Triskaidekaphobia is basically fear of the number 13, including fear of Friday the 13th. And this year’s calendar features three of these dates: February 13, March 13, and November 13 are all Fridays. What are the odds? This
If you are looking for a feel-good story, The New York Times recently found one. It seems the tooth fairy is real. Her name is Dr. Purva Merchant and she’s a pediatric dentist in Seattle, Washington. Which brings up the question, how did she get the job? It started with her boyfriend-now-husband who in 2004
What is the world’s most difficult job? I would vote for police officer. That’s especially true in this country, when there are so many complex situations that can arise, and most of them require split-second judgment — mental illness, drug addiction, spouse abuse, hostage situations. And the underlying assumption is that anyone, anywhere could be
Back in Colonial America, agriculture was the primary occupation for about 90% of the population (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_agriculture_in_the_United_States). But today, due to increased efficiency and other opportunities, less than two percent of the population is directly involved in farming. (https://www.google.com/search?q=percentage+of+people+in+agriculture+in+usa&sca_esv). And yet, despite the historic ‘loss’ of all those jobs, today’s unemployment rate has been consistently below five percent. I thought
It’s summertime! Are you happy? According to the World Happiness Report, you probably are if you live in Finland. On the Report’s 0-10 Happiness scale, Finland’s three-year average in 2024 was 7.736. In fact, all the Scandinavian countries score well — Denmark is second at 7.521. The USA? We don’t score as well; we’re 24th