It’s not unusual to regret one’s actions; in my life, it’s a semi-regular occurrence. But how many people actually come to regret their inventions? You might be surprised. One invention we’d all be better off without is the atomic bomb. Two of the principal figures in its creation were Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer.
One part of our language we all take for granted is numbers, beginning with Sesame Street’s Count von Count. Numbers play a critical role in virtually every aspect of our civilization. But what if there were no words for numbers in English? Believe it or not, some languages do lack words for numbers. When you
There is a term for everything. For example, that little plastic sleeve on the end of your shoelace is an aglet, probably invented by Harvey Kennedy in 1790 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aglet). So yesterday when I was reading about astronomy, I found a word that piqued my interest — gnomon. According to Miriam-Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnomon), it’s “an object that
I realize this is not a good topic for the middle of a quarantine, but is it possible to show too much love? Apparently so. Our bodies are very complex and anything can go wrong. For example, the current PBS show “The Gene: An Intimate History” by documentarian Ken Burns (https://www.pbs.org/show/gene/) is exploring some genetic
It’s April Fool’s Day as I write this, and for the first time in memory I didn’t find any celebrations of this day of pranks until 10 pm tonight (although the main reason is quarantine). This is more proof that the coronavirus is having a profound impact on our society. We shouldn’t let an opportunity
I have been following the recent storyline about an unplanned pregnancy in the clever comic strip For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston (https://www.fborfw.com/) through our local newspaper. Of course, I have no idea what it’s like to be “with child.” All I know is the process ranges from sickness to discomfort to very
I’m certainly not an expert on relationships, so I’m always open to new ideas. But I was surprised to read “When living apart keeps you together” by Julia Sklar (https://www.curbed.com/2020/2/12/21133847/couples-living-apart-together-lat-benefits). Is this the secret to a healthy union? I have heard of couples separated because of work; a promising career sometimes comes before being together
Sometimes you have to read a headline twice to fully comprehend it. “‘Living Funerals’ Offer Wake-up Call Without Trauma” by Danae King (https://www.pressreader.com/usa/dayton-daily-news/20200206/281943134876311) is the most recent to catch my attention. Occasionally a funeral for someone believed deceased is a plot device in fiction; I recall the service the town gave Tom Sawyer and his
If you like to solve puzzles, go to the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, VA. In the courtyard sits Kryptos, a sculpture with a copper scroll containing an encoded message of punched letters in four parts. In its almost 30-year history, three parts have been decoded. But the fourth part is still
If you’re wanting to eat healthier, but are having trouble resisting the allure of junk food, there is good news. A new study in the Journal of Marketing Research says that being exposed to the scent of junk food for at least two minutes can help you make healthier choices. It seems counter-intuitive, but this research suggests