Hi. My name is Mike, and I write a sort of science newsletter, I guess?
Here's my amazing thing I wish I could teach everyone:
The shortest commercial flight in the world is in Scotland, it's between the islands of Westray (where I used to work as an archaeologist) and Papa Westray, and it lasts around 2 minutes. You've barely left the ground before you're angling for descent.
It's hilarious and adorable - and on one *extremely* windy day, a pilot and maybe a few presumably terrified passengers did the whole thing in 53 seconds.
That animals are as invested in and aware of the places they live as we are (probably more so) and are deserving of a place at the table in any and all decisions regarding the use of land, air, water, and the night sky.
Yes, this is great. And hugely important. I was struck by this when writing about the Arctic Tern, which has been doing its epic migrations for at least all of human history, possibly all of its prehistory and maybe even before Homo Sapiens arrived on the scene and for millions of years beforehand. In a sense we should be able to recognise, this world is "theirs", and they could teach us a lot about it because of the depth of their knowledge of it, instinctual or otherwise. But - here we are with our stupid ideas of ownership, as excuses to take whatever we desire. It's a problem.
Have you read Robert Macfarlane's "Is A River Alive?" I haven't read it yet, but I know that book introduces the extra-thorny idea of investing geography with agency, life and rights, and the ability to have a place at the table as well...
I's like to teach everyone how to have a civil conversation with a person who holds a view that is the opposite of theirs. This would include how to recognize their own biases and privileges, how to listen actively, and, among many other things, patience.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. My version of this is that it is not only possible but also important to learn that two opinions can be held, examined, discussed and finally prioritised for oneself without acrimony or meltdown. That listening to the other pov may subtly adjust your own position without abandoning it, but that sometimes you may actually change your mind and that's OK too.
Yes, exactly - and it requires a willingness to go into such a conversation with your opinion open to being shifted, which is a surprisingly hard mindset to adopt...
Not that this is my field of expertise, but I wish I could teach everyone design and iteration. It's wonderful to have the ability to think about a problem, come up with a solution, design it, create a prototype, test it, redesign, iterate, and on and on. I think a lot of people just think they're not capable of coming up with ideas and making them in real life, but when you teach them that there's a step by step process that breaks it all down, they would realize that they could literally turn their dreams into reality.
I love this. You say it's not your field of expertise, but - I'm feeling like you so have some experience of being taught it here? Could you point somewhere (a book?) to get someone started in learning about this from scratch?
I have a couple degrees in engineering (and then became an artist!). There are probably tons of technical books on the subject, but I remember reading this book soon after I graduated and it helping me figure out what I wanted to do. It's more geared towards life in general rather than technical problem solving/design, but good for the general public.
Now, with the advent of AI, and vibe coding (using AI to write programs), more and more of us are learning all about the software engineering design process.
Something to teach? How to "see" wildlife and at least know that those two Blackbirds are different species even if you can't put an accurate name to each one. To name is to know and to know is to care.
Yes! "To name is to know and care" is powerful stuff (and a recurring theme in the fiction work of Ursula Le Guin). I recently encountered it again when writing about the guy sleeping in the woods for 4 years, a few newsletters back - he learned the names of trees because it made him feel more at home when he was sleeping outdoors, instead of just treating "outdoors" as this big, scary and easily threatening-feeling pile of unknowns...
It depends what people want to know! I really enjoy both learning and sharing that learning with others.
Here's my current favourite factoid: researchers scanned elephants' brains, and found that when elephants look at humans analogous parts of their brains light up as when is humans look at puppies. In short, elephants think we're cute.
I wish I could teach everyone to stop and look, really look at nature. To see the Fibonacci sequences in flowers, pinecones and cauilflowers. To see fractals in the branches of trees, ferns and in snowflakes... but then people already think I'm a bit of nerd! 😅
I love this! Since you're a self-describing nerd on the topic, where would you suggest other people start learning about it? Is there a book or article or teacher that heavily influenced you here?
I believe there is design in creation, although I understand others may not agree with me! I find the maths of nature fascinating, and I see fractals everywhere... in the twigs on the tree outside my house, numbers in flowers and patterns in seashells. I told you I was a nerd!! 😅
Here are 2 articles which may interest some people... or may not!
One thing I learned from a graduate professor that has really helped me as I coach teachers (but it applies to so many aspects of life) is to not think of decisions in terms of binaries. Don't be afraid to do the "wrong" thing or to make a "bad" decision. Every decision you make allows some things to happen and shuts down others. Exploring what these are can help you make rational, balanced decisions and not feel guilty about them afterwards.
Oh, this is such a great thing to learn, yes. Dichotomy bias causes a lot of havoc and unhelpful decision-making, but when it creates decision paralysis ("what if I make the wrong choice?!??!") it's particularly destructive.
How do you teach people to get over this, to overcome that fear in their heads?
I have found that simply being presented with this allows/shuts down awareness is immensely freeing to people. Particularly with decisions that are job-related. A huge aha happens and it generally comes with a lot of relief. It’s nice to examine nuances rather than what at first seemed like a huge dichotomous decision.
Well I write about interesting facts so I want to teach people…anything?
I managed to choose just a few that I think anyone should know but I have to admit that it was really hard lol:
- The color orange comes from the fruit and not the other way around.
- We don’t have wetness receptors, we just have temperature receptors that we also use to detect wetness. This is why we sometimes struggle with understanding whether something is wet or just cold.
- A group of wild rabbits is called a fluffle.
-Back in 1584 the calendar jumped from October 4th to October 15th because the Gregorian calendar was reintroduced after they tried with the Julian one.
-The first webcam was invented back in 1991 because a group of researches were tired of walking all the way to the coffee machine to check if the coffee pot was full.
Unsolicited tip: remember to get lost in Wikipedia every once in a while, even if nothing “practical” comes from that.
The bit about no wetness receptors- I guess that is why a friend taught me to put cloth to my lips to tell if it was dry or just cold. Handy when bringing in laundry from the line. Now why lips can tell is another question!
+1 on Wikipedia browsing! If you haven't seen it, this is a description of the various social media accounts of one of the best guides to the most interestingly bizarre stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depths_of_Wikipedia (written by a Wikipedia editor, no less!)
To be suspicious of answers (Cartesian skepticism if you prefer), to understand how important it is to ask good questions and the power of discernment...
A key skill, agreed. And also sitting with those questions for a while. I think about this in relation to Rebecca Solnit's analogy of the blue of distance, the kind between us and faraway mountains:
"We treat desire as a problem to be solved, address what desire is for and focus on that something and how to acquire it rather than on the nature and the sensation of desire, though often it is the distance between us and the object of desire that fills the space in between with the blue of longing. I wonder sometimes whether with a slight adjustment of perspective it could be cherished as a sensation on its own terms, since it is as inherent to the human condition as blue is to distance?"
I agree that teaching a capacity to pause (or sit with, as you put it) is also very important. I would add that questions are what drive intelligence, especially when we add the recursive element: asking questions about our questions. This is how we become aware of our assumptions and can step outside the box...
I am a librarian and would teach people how to research properly. AI is not your friend. Even Google no longer helps much. But people researched before the Internet and can do it again. They have to learn how, that’s all.
If you are looking for a fact, pick your sources carefully. Who is saying it? Why? Once you have ascertained any bias, including your own, find 3 good sources that agree on that fact. Then you can be fairly sure it is accurate.
I honestly think this is such an important thing to teach at the moment. It's also highly relevant to amateur science communicators like me. And it's going to become an even more valuable skill as more journalists go independent in the wake of the bigger newspapers collapsing from within. Have you thought of a way to put something together, and offer it as a thing people would pay for? I really think it's needed.
I just edited a book by a neuroscientist (it will be released next year -- right up the alley of EIA!) and cannot stop thinking about the little fact that oxytocin evolved 500 million years ago, its earliest iterations controlled rhythmic movement and still does, and it is both a hormone and a neurotransmitter and is *fascinating.*
The book will be published next year, but her research is widely around (I'm not sure where the oxytocin information is, but am sure it's somewhere online). Here's one of her talks, though! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaX02XQV09I
Have you read Annie Murphy Paul's "The Extended Mind"? Part of the thesis of the book is that our body (gestures + physical activity) is a tool for thinking better:
Hi Mike! My one thought for today is this. The more work you do up front, the less work and cost at the end. The less work and cost you do up front, the more cost and work as the project or program moves ahead. That's true for research, writing, and now.... AI. There's no human substitute for this kind of thinking and creativity.
Hi Georgia! YES, I hear you on this. Considered alongside Hofstadter's Law ("tasks always take longer than expected, even when accounting for the law itself") it's a recipe for actually ending up where you want to be.
The it-seems-sometimes-lost art of integrity. What is it? Why does it matter? How do you do it as an imperfect person in a complex world (without becoming a rigid, self-righteous, judgmental pain in the ass)?
I was thinking about this the other day in relation to tax evasion: where some rich folk seem to see avoiding paying their taxes as a game to be won using offshore accounts and tax avoidance schemes, a business challenge where ethics don't factor into it, rather than a morally repugnant dodging of social responsibility. How do you rewire that mindset? This is such a hard topic to tackle...
Who or what would you point towards, if someone wanted to start their journey into learning about this stuff properly?
If the interest is more personal, Martha Beck's recent book is worth checking out. It's a little more self-help than I generally care for, but the use of Dante's Inferno is compelling:
Hi. My name is Mike, and I write a sort of science newsletter, I guess?
Here's my amazing thing I wish I could teach everyone:
The shortest commercial flight in the world is in Scotland, it's between the islands of Westray (where I used to work as an archaeologist) and Papa Westray, and it lasts around 2 minutes. You've barely left the ground before you're angling for descent.
It's hilarious and adorable - and on one *extremely* windy day, a pilot and maybe a few presumably terrified passengers did the whole thing in 53 seconds.
This is all true: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westray_to_Papa_Westray_flight
I’m surprised this flight even exists but I’m also surprised by the fact that now I really feel like I need to take it.
If you want the next best thing to actually taking it, it's on Microsoft Flight Simulator. 🙂
I actually know someone who has piloted this flight! :)
That animals are as invested in and aware of the places they live as we are (probably more so) and are deserving of a place at the table in any and all decisions regarding the use of land, air, water, and the night sky.
Yes, this is great. And hugely important. I was struck by this when writing about the Arctic Tern, which has been doing its epic migrations for at least all of human history, possibly all of its prehistory and maybe even before Homo Sapiens arrived on the scene and for millions of years beforehand. In a sense we should be able to recognise, this world is "theirs", and they could teach us a lot about it because of the depth of their knowledge of it, instinctual or otherwise. But - here we are with our stupid ideas of ownership, as excuses to take whatever we desire. It's a problem.
Have you read Robert Macfarlane's "Is A River Alive?" I haven't read it yet, but I know that book introduces the extra-thorny idea of investing geography with agency, life and rights, and the ability to have a place at the table as well...
It's on my "to read" list. I'll have to bump it up to the top.
I's like to teach everyone how to have a civil conversation with a person who holds a view that is the opposite of theirs. This would include how to recognize their own biases and privileges, how to listen actively, and, among many other things, patience.
Yes! So important, this skill. It's why I'll be writing about this book shortly: https://everythingisamazing.substack.com/p/i-never-thought-of-it-that-way-lets Especially the knack of turning such a conversation away from something to "win", because that's the death of curiosity right there,
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. My version of this is that it is not only possible but also important to learn that two opinions can be held, examined, discussed and finally prioritised for oneself without acrimony or meltdown. That listening to the other pov may subtly adjust your own position without abandoning it, but that sometimes you may actually change your mind and that's OK too.
Yes, exactly - and it requires a willingness to go into such a conversation with your opinion open to being shifted, which is a surprisingly hard mindset to adopt...
Not that this is my field of expertise, but I wish I could teach everyone design and iteration. It's wonderful to have the ability to think about a problem, come up with a solution, design it, create a prototype, test it, redesign, iterate, and on and on. I think a lot of people just think they're not capable of coming up with ideas and making them in real life, but when you teach them that there's a step by step process that breaks it all down, they would realize that they could literally turn their dreams into reality.
Iterative design taught me that being wrong is how you learn to do something right.
exactly. and that it’s ok to get things “wrong” because it is literally part of the process.
I love this. You say it's not your field of expertise, but - I'm feeling like you so have some experience of being taught it here? Could you point somewhere (a book?) to get someone started in learning about this from scratch?
I have a couple degrees in engineering (and then became an artist!). There are probably tons of technical books on the subject, but I remember reading this book soon after I graduated and it helping me figure out what I wanted to do. It's more geared towards life in general rather than technical problem solving/design, but good for the general public.
https://bookshop.org/a/99448/9781101875322
Now, with the advent of AI, and vibe coding (using AI to write programs), more and more of us are learning all about the software engineering design process.
that’s great!
Something to teach? How to "see" wildlife and at least know that those two Blackbirds are different species even if you can't put an accurate name to each one. To name is to know and to know is to care.
Yes! "To name is to know and care" is powerful stuff (and a recurring theme in the fiction work of Ursula Le Guin). I recently encountered it again when writing about the guy sleeping in the woods for 4 years, a few newsletters back - he learned the names of trees because it made him feel more at home when he was sleeping outdoors, instead of just treating "outdoors" as this big, scary and easily threatening-feeling pile of unknowns...
I would like to learn this, actually.
It depends what people want to know! I really enjoy both learning and sharing that learning with others.
Here's my current favourite factoid: researchers scanned elephants' brains, and found that when elephants look at humans analogous parts of their brains light up as when is humans look at puppies. In short, elephants think we're cute.
...or that we'd make great pets.
Not sure whether to volunteer or stay far, far away.
I wish I could teach everyone to stop and look, really look at nature. To see the Fibonacci sequences in flowers, pinecones and cauilflowers. To see fractals in the branches of trees, ferns and in snowflakes... but then people already think I'm a bit of nerd! 😅
I love this! Since you're a self-describing nerd on the topic, where would you suggest other people start learning about it? Is there a book or article or teacher that heavily influenced you here?
I believe there is design in creation, although I understand others may not agree with me! I find the maths of nature fascinating, and I see fractals everywhere... in the twigs on the tree outside my house, numbers in flowers and patterns in seashells. I told you I was a nerd!! 😅
Here are 2 articles which may interest some people... or may not!
https://answersingenesis.org/mathematics/fractals/
https://answersingenesis.org/mathematics/golden-ratio-curious-connections-creation/
I would love to join you. I had no idea that there were Fibonacci sequences in cauliflowers. I will never look at one the same way again.
Thank you. Yes, if you count the spirals on a head of cauliflower or broccoli they will be Fibonacci numbers. There are so many in nature!
PATTERNS IN NATURE: Why the Natural World Looks the Way it Does - Philip Ball | Science Writer https://share.google/lh589mDw9VQ2LG1aU
The most beautiful and interesting book!
That looks really interesting! Thanks for the information.
I also like things like this, although I haven't a clue what it is or why it works!!
https://www.youtube.com/live/taKaFUNJ6Ec?si=pl-fvNV96OXrnUQf
One thing I learned from a graduate professor that has really helped me as I coach teachers (but it applies to so many aspects of life) is to not think of decisions in terms of binaries. Don't be afraid to do the "wrong" thing or to make a "bad" decision. Every decision you make allows some things to happen and shuts down others. Exploring what these are can help you make rational, balanced decisions and not feel guilty about them afterwards.
Oh, this is such a great thing to learn, yes. Dichotomy bias causes a lot of havoc and unhelpful decision-making, but when it creates decision paralysis ("what if I make the wrong choice?!??!") it's particularly destructive.
How do you teach people to get over this, to overcome that fear in their heads?
I have found that simply being presented with this allows/shuts down awareness is immensely freeing to people. Particularly with decisions that are job-related. A huge aha happens and it generally comes with a lot of relief. It’s nice to examine nuances rather than what at first seemed like a huge dichotomous decision.
Well I write about interesting facts so I want to teach people…anything?
I managed to choose just a few that I think anyone should know but I have to admit that it was really hard lol:
- The color orange comes from the fruit and not the other way around.
- We don’t have wetness receptors, we just have temperature receptors that we also use to detect wetness. This is why we sometimes struggle with understanding whether something is wet or just cold.
- A group of wild rabbits is called a fluffle.
-Back in 1584 the calendar jumped from October 4th to October 15th because the Gregorian calendar was reintroduced after they tried with the Julian one.
-The first webcam was invented back in 1991 because a group of researches were tired of walking all the way to the coffee machine to check if the coffee pot was full.
Unsolicited tip: remember to get lost in Wikipedia every once in a while, even if nothing “practical” comes from that.
The bit about no wetness receptors- I guess that is why a friend taught me to put cloth to my lips to tell if it was dry or just cold. Handy when bringing in laundry from the line. Now why lips can tell is another question!
+1 on Wikipedia browsing! If you haven't seen it, this is a description of the various social media accounts of one of the best guides to the most interestingly bizarre stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depths_of_Wikipedia (written by a Wikipedia editor, no less!)
To be suspicious of answers (Cartesian skepticism if you prefer), to understand how important it is to ask good questions and the power of discernment...
A key skill, agreed. And also sitting with those questions for a while. I think about this in relation to Rebecca Solnit's analogy of the blue of distance, the kind between us and faraway mountains:
"We treat desire as a problem to be solved, address what desire is for and focus on that something and how to acquire it rather than on the nature and the sensation of desire, though often it is the distance between us and the object of desire that fills the space in between with the blue of longing. I wonder sometimes whether with a slight adjustment of perspective it could be cherished as a sensation on its own terms, since it is as inherent to the human condition as blue is to distance?"
- https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/08/20/rebecca-solnit-blue/
Maybe questions deserve similar treatment?
I agree that teaching a capacity to pause (or sit with, as you put it) is also very important. I would add that questions are what drive intelligence, especially when we add the recursive element: asking questions about our questions. This is how we become aware of our assumptions and can step outside the box...
Asking questions is such an important skill.
I am a librarian and would teach people how to research properly. AI is not your friend. Even Google no longer helps much. But people researched before the Internet and can do it again. They have to learn how, that’s all.
If you are looking for a fact, pick your sources carefully. Who is saying it? Why? Once you have ascertained any bias, including your own, find 3 good sources that agree on that fact. Then you can be fairly sure it is accurate.
I honestly think this is such an important thing to teach at the moment. It's also highly relevant to amateur science communicators like me. And it's going to become an even more valuable skill as more journalists go independent in the wake of the bigger newspapers collapsing from within. Have you thought of a way to put something together, and offer it as a thing people would pay for? I really think it's needed.
I've never given it any thought! Will think about it, thanks.
Aand, I don’t know that I am the one to write it. This is a very good start https://substack.com/home/post/p-188856309
I just edited a book by a neuroscientist (it will be released next year -- right up the alley of EIA!) and cannot stop thinking about the little fact that oxytocin evolved 500 million years ago, its earliest iterations controlled rhythmic movement and still does, and it is both a hormone and a neurotransmitter and is *fascinating.*
I am interested and wondering, where and how can I find out more when the time is ripe?
The book will be published next year, but her research is widely around (I'm not sure where the oxytocin information is, but am sure it's somewhere online). Here's one of her talks, though! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaX02XQV09I
I wonder if that connection is why music and dancing bring so much pleasure?
Thanks!
About how body language works, and about how you can use various postures and gestures for different purposes.
Have you read Annie Murphy Paul's "The Extended Mind"? Part of the thesis of the book is that our body (gestures + physical activity) is a tool for thinking better:
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Extended-Mind-by-Annie-Murphy-Paul/9780358695271
That’s one I have not read! Very cool, thanks!
Hi Mike! My one thought for today is this. The more work you do up front, the less work and cost at the end. The less work and cost you do up front, the more cost and work as the project or program moves ahead. That's true for research, writing, and now.... AI. There's no human substitute for this kind of thinking and creativity.
Hi Georgia! YES, I hear you on this. Considered alongside Hofstadter's Law ("tasks always take longer than expected, even when accounting for the law itself") it's a recipe for actually ending up where you want to be.
This is known as Technical Debt :)
Like all other forms of debt, the longer you wait to sort something out, the higher the (interest) cost to do so
The it-seems-sometimes-lost art of integrity. What is it? Why does it matter? How do you do it as an imperfect person in a complex world (without becoming a rigid, self-righteous, judgmental pain in the ass)?
I was thinking about this the other day in relation to tax evasion: where some rich folk seem to see avoiding paying their taxes as a game to be won using offshore accounts and tax avoidance schemes, a business challenge where ethics don't factor into it, rather than a morally repugnant dodging of social responsibility. How do you rewire that mindset? This is such a hard topic to tackle...
Who or what would you point towards, if someone wanted to start their journey into learning about this stuff properly?
If you're talking about corporate integrity, or integrity in a work context, then I've gotten good things out of both of these books:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/integrity-stephen-l-carter/eee51b41ccb9d892?ean=9780060928070&next=t
https://bookshop.org/p/books/integrity-the-courage-to-meet-the-demands-of-reality-henry-cloud/1c05036344d8c481?ean=9780060849696&next=t
If the interest is more personal, Martha Beck's recent book is worth checking out. It's a little more self-help than I generally care for, but the use of Dante's Inferno is compelling:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-way-of-integrity-finding-the-path-to-your-true-self-martha-beck/24668e75f641d958?ean=9781984881502&next=t
To avoid doing yoga & to try Tai Chi ! I've looked for a regular tai chi class out here. Found exactly ZILCH.
I've done Tai Chi and found it incredibly relaxing, so I agree! But echoing Emily GreenPurpleFireDragon: why avoid yoga? What's wrong with doing both?
Yoga made me wish that I could get my joints replaced. One class was even held in a repurposed COFFIN FACTORY. I could not make that up ! 🕉️🪷🛕
Why?