“It can be illuminating to look at the world in different ways.”
Frank Wilczek, theoretical physicist
This quote came to me from Bob in my senior center writers’ group. Bob kindly provided the excerpt below on complementarity:
COMPLEMENTARITY IS MIND- EXPANDING
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“Thus, complementarity is an invitation to consider different perspectives. Unfamiliar questions, unfamiliar facts, or unfamiliar attitudes, in the spirit of complementarity, give us opportunities to try out new points of view and to learn from what they reveal. They foster mind expansion. Why not bring this spirit to supposed conflicts between art and science, or philosophy and science, or religion A and religion B, or religion and science?
It can be illuminating to look at the world in different ways. In my own experience, early exposure to Catholicism inspired me to think cosmically and to look for hidden meanings beneath the appearance of things. The attitudes have proved enduring blessings, even after I abandoned the faith’s strict dogmas. Today, I often go back to Plato, to Saint Augustine, to David Hume, or to “outdated” scientific works- Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Maxwell-to converse with great minds, and to practice thinking differently.
Of course, trying to understand different ways of thinking does not necessarily mean you must agree with them, much less adopt them as your own. In the spirit of complementarity, we should maintain detachment. Ideologies or religions that claim an exclusive right to dictate uniquely “correct” views are contrary to the spirit of complementarity. That said, science has a special status. It has earned enormous credibility, both as a body of understanding and as an approach to analyzing physical reality, through its impressive success in many applications. Scientists who define themselves narrowly fail to enrich their minds, but people who avoid science impoverish theirs.”
Frank Wilczek
For more one-liners, visit out host, Linda Hill
who writes:
“You’re never too old to discover brilliance in the world.”
While climate change is not good news, it is good news that the Nobel Prize was awarded to three scientists who have worked hard to clarify how humans have impacted climate. It’s hoped that these insights will impact our behavior with respect toward planet Earth. Learn more about the work of Sykuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi from The Guardian.
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The Lost Wallet
George, a migrant worker from Jamaica, lost his wallet in New York. Laurie found the wallet but had trouble finding George until someone suggested she ask at “a little store that is known to have many Jamaican migrant workers as clients.” Laurie found George and gave him his wallet, but there’s more. Read the story from the Good News Network.
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When a Slower Line is Better
The Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo is expanding its initiative to decrease loneliness, especially in the elderly. In 2022, they plan to add more “chat checkouts” in 200 stores across the country where people can go, not just for groceries, but also for conversation. Read more about this innovative program here.
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Dog Rescued from Cave after Two Weeks
A dog, named Hawkeye was missing for two weeks before being rescued by cavers and reunited with his family. Here are the details.
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Got Good News?
Feel free to add your good news (it can be personal, local, or global)
First US City to Pay Reparations to Black Residents
The city of Evanston, Illinois has pledged to distribute $10 million over 10 years as reparations to black residents or their descendants who “suffered discrimination in housing because of city ordinances, policies or practices” between 1919 and 1969. Each qualifying household will receive $25,000 for home repairs or down payments on property. Here are additional details from NBC News.
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Blindness from a Rare Genetic Disorder was Reversed with One Injection
A single injection of RNA therapy, sepofarsen, showed significant improvements for a patient living with a rare form of genetic blindness since infancy. The improvements were evident after one month and “remained when tested over 15 months after the first and only injection.” Here’s more from the Good News Network.
High School Student Invents Color-Changing Sutures to Detect Infection
Seventeen-year-old Dasia Taylor has invented a way for sutures to change color to show infection. She tested a variety of different sutures using beet juice in her experiments. Dasia is a finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors in the US. You can read more about Dasia’s project in this article from Smithsonian Magazine. Her natural good spirit and intelligence shine in the following video where she talks about her project and a fun fact about herself.
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Unicorn Stealing Dog Is Adopted
Did you hear about Sisu, the stray dog who kept stealing a toy unicorn from the Dollar General? The animal control officer bought him the unicorn before taking him to the shelter. Now Sisu has a furever home!
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Got good news?
Please share your good news story or link to your GNT post in the comments!
Our prompt for #JusJoJan and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “sky’s the limit.” Write about something that has or seems to have no end. Enjoy!
Doesn’t everything have an end? Or maybe nothing has an end, it’s just transformed. There’s a law in physics that goes like, matter/energy can not be created or destroyed. That has stuck with me ever since I heard it in high school. This law suggests something about life after death. Our spirits have no end, in my belief, they may transform in the type of energy that goes on while our bodies decompose. Isn’t that cheerful?
Possibilities never end. Choices never end. There will always be choices for somebody, some being, even if the choices are made by amoebas or angels. Some organism or entity will exist in some form. But this is a bit esoteric. No, that’s not the word. But I do like how it sounds. Abstract maybe. Let’s move on.
“Infinite possibilities” is something that caught my attention in the following video offered by North Carolina representative Graig Meyer in responding to the attack on the capitol. I watched it Friday morning and was impressed by his sense of hope in how to respond to the craziness. I suppose if I watched it again to comment further, that would cross the line on minimum planning. If you’re interested in the question of how to respond and healing, you could visit my post from yesterday as well.
One of the main things I’m feeling right now is frustration at people who reinforce the divide. I have to look at myself though and notice if I ever do this. The goal is to bridge the divide. Don’t pour fuel on the fire. Put water on the fire. Water seems to have no end when you’re standing at the edge of the ocean, but you know what? Water is finite. Use it wisely. We need to use our words wisely. With all the infinite possibilities of word combinations, we need words of hope, peace, and cooperation.
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PS. Okay, I went back and watched the video again after I finished writing this post, and I recognize he’s addressing North Carolina democrats directly. If you’re not a NC Dem, I hope you can overlook that part and glean something good from his message. I don’t think we need to get everybody to agree, we need to learn to disagree with respect, compromise, and find common ground.
For more streams of consciousness, rules and possibilities, visit our host, Linda Hill at:
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is… “medium.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
When I read the prompt, I remembered something we learned in journalism class in the community college I went to before I decided to major in psychology. This was in the late 70s and I flirted with the idea of being a journalist. We went on a field trip to the newspaper and I was told that they better not hear of any of their journalists having their name on a petition, let alone, starting a petition, which I was known to do in my little community college where I got to be a big fish in a little pond. So I decided not to major in journalism because I might want to start a petition some time.
But back to the message which was, “The medium is the message.” That was a famous quote by Marshal McLuhan, probably in the early 70s or late 60s. When I saw the prompt and remembered the quote, I became curious and looked it up. That was at least an hour ago so I’m writing from memory in SoCS style and not breaking the rules. Not this time, anyway.
I now understand the quote, “The medium is the message,” a little better having read a brief summary that refreshed my memory. The message is made up of content and character. The medium of mainstream TV news, or even on-line news, has a sensationalizing character which affects the choice of words and content. Too much news can make us crazy. But we have a lot more control if we read the news, than if we watch one of the major networks at 6:30 PM. Oh, we can turn it off or change the channel, but reading or browsing gives us more choice about what we focus on. That’s why I try not to scroll on Facebook. Facebook is a medium which is part of media. Social media is plural. My FB page is a social medium.
Medium can refer to what type of substances I use to make art. I usually do acrylics, but have experimented with alcohol ink. Collage can be fun, then there’s mixed media.
Medium can be comfortable, an in between place on the thermostat or a setting on the stove. It’s the safest bet in most cases, unless you’re talking with a psychic medium.
I went to a psychic once. She said I had been imprisoned as a witch in a far ago past life, but that I was not a witch and never had been. I got this image of brick walls. I’d forgotten about that. It was like 15 years ago. There was a time when I thought I might become a Christian psychic. I bought this book about becoming a Christian psychic on my kindle but I seem to have lost it when I got my new phone. Never read it, but I’m still interested. I bet they (as in Christian psychics) recommend lots of preliminary prayers for protection. It’s not something I’d want to jump into without protection.
Maybe psychic ability is something science will be able to explain some day. There’s a reason why I can find a lost item (sometimes) when I shut my brain off and just tell my body to take me to it. We know stuff that we don’t know we know. Science feels safe when it can explain things. But some things do require faith. That reminds me of the movie, Contact, which is one of my very favorite movies.
In Contact, Jodie Foster plays a scientist who is an atheist. She has an experience with extraterrestrials but has no proof. Her friend and love interest is Palmer, a man of faith played by Matthew McConaughey. I love Ellie’s speech at 2 minutes into this clip. The movie (one medium) is based on a novel (another medium) written by Carl Sagan. Early in the story, they get a message from the extraterrestrials in another medium.
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For more takes on medium, and the rules, visit our SoCS host, Linda Hill at:
“…she credits being on the autism spectrum, calling it a gift because it helps her see issues more starkly.” NPR
Science is a crucial component in our decision making. It needs ethics and spirituality for balance. A healthy tree needs branches on multiple sides for good balance.
For more one-liners and guidelines, visit Linda Hill at:
“ad/add/AD (Anno Domini).” Use one, use ’em all–bonus points if you fit them all into your post. Have fun! That’s our prompt for today.
I looked up Anno Domini: In the year of our Lord, abbreviated as AD. I knew that once. There are a lot of things I knew once, like a lot of French words. French was one of my favorite subjects in high school. I used to could speak it well. Not fluently, but I coulda got by in France at the age of 19. Now, I could say please and thank you, and “Where is the library?” Maybe it would come back to me quickly. Spanish would have been more practical to take and maybe some day I’ll learn it. It’s one of those many things I’d like to do, but not on the top of the list.
The more stuff I add to my brain, the more likely it is to get lost. (The stuff I add, not my brain, necessarily. Somebody’s brain got lost on Star Trek once. Probably Spock’s.)
All that French is still in there with algebra and history, but finding it is another matter. But I don’t use algebra except to help my kids with their homework which is not necessary now since they’re grown.
My brain can get addled. I’ve thought I had a little ADD which I believe is on a spectrum like autism. Learning differences. Best thing I can do now is have a sense of humor about it. Plus, get exercise, learn new things, and do crossword puzzles which I am NOT going to get addicted to because there are other things I want to do. Like take a self-defense class. That would be good for my brain. If I can find someone who has experience teaching self-defense to people over 60, that might keep me from hurting myself. Better take my bone medicine for osteoporosis. Don’t want to fall and break a hip.
Don’t know how to work ad into this. I’m not going to start with ads for self-defense classes but might ask around. I’ve heard the sheriff’s department teaches a basic one, so I’ll start there. I have to be careful not to add too much to my plate, literally and figuratively. First I need to get back to my permanent address and finish with my parent’s house. Making progress on the attic. Finding all kinds of stuff up there. Someday I’ll do a post on that.
Do you think the brain can actually get full? Like a file cabinet? I guess it’s more like a computer. There is a limit to what you can add. Which comes back to de-cluttering – not adding more clothes to my closet until I donate some. Not buying any more stuff from thrift stores (my weakness). Not adding. Subtracting. Less is more room, more space, more freedom. But that only works with stuff. It’s okay to add more love and time – quality time, and memories. Can we add memory to our brains?
Yep. It was Spock’s brain that got lost. Here’s the condensed version:
Join us every Saturday for the Stream of Consciousness adventure! You might just end up going where no one has gone before.
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.
Today’s prompt for #JusJoJan and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “television.” Linda said to: Talk about your favorite show, past, present, or future, or about the apparatus itself. Enjoy!
Before computers and the internet, television was the only addictive screen. My dad watched TV a lot, and at certain times of my life, I have depended on TV for company, entertainment, and maybe even to get through big life challenges. Star Trek may have saved my life, or at least kept me off the street during my confusing adolescence. As I’ve shared before, Spock was my first crush. Dependable, rational, competent. I try to remember this when I see these qualities in my husband. But my husband smiles more, and it’s okay that I’m the flower child.
Star Trek drew me to science, up to a point. Maybe it helped me do well in school, though I was already a “good student” except for a few blips and detours….
Since I only have basic cable now, the closest I can get to Star Trek on TV is The Orville, on Fox. It’s like ST but with Fox humor which can sometimes be stupid, though I’m willing to overlook it, and the last episode was more serious. I’ve started reading Star Trek novels which could become addictive. Just finishing up one about the Voyager crew. Voyager and Next Generation were my favorites. I liked the strong female roles. When Next Gen’s first episode came on TV and I heard Patrick Stewart say, “To boldly go where no one has gone before,” instead of Kirk’s “where no man has gone before,” I hooted and cheered, “YES!”
Star Trek offers possibilities of hope. The themes are about overcoming challenges, teamwork, diversity, and hope. I think those are the things that have always drawn me to the show which is more than just a show. We NEED those values in the world. Okay, there is an element of escape – to go boldly, to explore new worlds which I would have trouble doing in real life since I get motion sickness at the drop of a hat.
Television, like the internet, has a lot of crap, but it also has a lot of good that can inspire us to become better than we are, or just enjoy some healthy escape. If we are selective, we can learn cool stuff from television. For example, did you see that big disc of ice in the river in Maine? Maybe it’s a message from our future, or aliens. Or maybe the river is trying to tell us something by making the shape of the earth.
They said the temperature changes create a vortex. Vortex is one of the Star Trek words. Where there’s a vortex, there’s always something important going on. (Except that it would make me nauseous in real life. )
Star Trek has always been mind expanding for me. I like that they deal with ethical dilemmas. My favorite episode, or one of them that made a big impression, was “The Devil in the Dark,” where the so called “monster” turned out to be just protecting her babies. Of course it was Spock who found that out with a mind meld. He was the real hero of the show. “The Devil in the Dark” was also Leonard Nimoy’s “favorite episode,” according to the title on this video.
Thanks for letting me go on about The Trek again. Maybe the future will have better remedies for motion sickness for the vortex travels.
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For more on the Stream of Consciousness Saturday, visit Linda Hill’s blog. Here’s the link:
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.
Take a left turn, and climb up out of concrete walls.
We can walk on the pavement and risk traffic
Or walk on the path beside the road
Leading to narrow ledges
Beside dark pools with lily pads.
That wouldn’t be so hard,
knowing we’re good swimmers
In case we fall off.
So we choose the narrow path
Leading us along mountain overlooks
With steep drop offs – scary but beautiful.
We long for the mountains, my daughter and I.
There’s fence to keep us from falling over the edge.
But what if the fence ends?
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(I’ve been fantasizing about a mountain home. Yet I don’t want to have to drive on twisty, steep roads. Freedom often asks for a certain amount of courage. Adventure calls!)
Fulfilling a promise he made 20 years ago, Dr. Mohammod Jobayer Chisti developed a bubble CPAP device starting with a shampoo bottle. The current device costs $1.25 (£1), compared to $15,000 (£11,000) for ventilators many developing countries cannot afford. A two year study indicated the simpler innovation decreased mortality rates by 75%.
Anything is Possible! 