Are all new things a mash-up of what came before? A Q&A with Kirby Ferguson In today’s TEDTalk, director Kirby Ferguson outlines a bold vision of creativity — that it’s not about dreaming up a new song, a new piece of art or a new form of technology in a vacuum, but instead about remixing what has come before. In his fast-paced talk, Kirby reveals that many of our most iconic thinkers — from Henry Ford to Bob Dylan — embraced this idea of what it means to create. As we watched Kirby’s talk, a slew of questions popped to mind. What does this mean for creative people? Can we reach a point where ideas become too self-referential? Is every song a cover song? We have this intuitive notion of creativity, of this brilliant genius who creates something totally new and wows everybody. It’s copying, then transforming and combining. It’s sort of like building a platform and then building a platform on top of that and then building a platform on top of that and getting higher and higher that way. You’re suggesting that creativity happens on a spectrum. It’s interesting.
Draw It To Know It - Neuroanatomy Tutorials Neuroanatomy is a nightmare for most medical students. The complex array of nuclei, ganglia, tracts, lobes, Brodmann areas and cortical layers seem to the uninitiated as the height of useless trivia. My own memory of my neuroanatomy class in medical school is vivid. Our professor ordered each member of the class to buy a set of colored pencils; the kind you had in third grade. Each color was coded for particular structures (red for the caudate, green for the putamen, yellow for the claustrum and burnt sienna of for the globus pallidus). At our senior play, which poked fun at our professors, a beleaguered medical student was asked to name the components of the basal ganglia. And yet, no one can practice even rudimentary neurology without some basic understanding of the neuroanatomy. In his wonderful book, Neuroanatomy: Draw It to Know It, neurologist Adam Fisch applies my old neuroanatomy professor's colored pencil idea in a manner that actually works, and it's fun!
You Could Soon Read An Entire Harry Potter Book In Under 90 Minutes With This App Soon you could read all 309 pages of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in under 77 minutes. Yes, you. To get through it that quickly (a pace of 1,000 words a minute) you'll have to use an about-to-be released app and forgo the idea of reading page by page. With Spritz, which is coming to the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Gear 2 watch, words appear one at a time in rapid succession. This allows you to read at speeds of between 250 and 1,000 words per minute. Try reading this at 250 wpm: Pretty easy, right? After you have 350 wpm mastered, try 500 wpm below: Spritz goes all the way up to 1,000 wpm, but there isn't a visual for that yet. Spritz isn't the first to suggest reading one word at a time. The one-word-at-a-time technology is particularly good for smaller devices like smartphones and smartwatches. Boston-based Spritz, which says its been in "Stealth Mode" for nearly three years, is working on licensing its technology to software developers, ebook makers and even wearables.
Some Body: How Yoga Taught Me To Finally Respect My Physical Self For the first time, I saw my body as something actual rather than as an abstraction. I realized it was just as important as my mind. It was my vessel, the only mode of transport I have. If I was going to make any sense at all of the small corner of reality that I’ve been given, I was going to have to use my body, and become as fully aware of its processes as possible. All my practice was leading up to this: The desire to have greater physical self-knowledge. The body, rather than an impediment to happiness, is in fact a source of endless wonder. YD SXSW Giveaway: ‘Yoga for Computer Users’ By Sandy Blaine Attention Austinites and those descending on the Texas capital this week, YD will be at South by Southwest (aka SXSW)! Head y’dork’ll be co-presenting a panel AND teaching a morning yoga class to the sleepy nerds. Cue the geek meditation: There will be no MIT-designed disco yoga mat or high-tech posture-correcting gadget, BUT we will surely be having the best ‘ol time we can have in gray-scaled and carpeted convention center. As part of our inspiration for the panel which is all about how to use yoga and meditation to help you do your job (aka life) better, we will be referencing this handy book (A LOT): Yoga for Computer Users by Sandy Blaine. In honor of all the console-curved desk dwellers and our jaunt to the annual tech-filled wonderfest, we are super pleased to be giving away three copies of the book! WIN: Many of us sit down for long periods of time – you might even be doing it RIGHT. TO ENTER: There’s yoga.com and there’s yogadotcalm. Earlier…
This is Your Brain on Yoga We all know that yoga does wonders for the mind. Even novices of asana, pranayama, and meditation report feeling increased mental stability and clarity during and after practice. Now, thanks to sophisticated brain imaging technologies, neuroscience is proving what teachers and practitioners have known for ages—that yoga and meditation can literally change your brain. The frontal lobe is the hub of higher cognitive functions—including planning, discriminating, abstract thinking, personality, and behavior. Known as the seat of conscious functioning, the cerebrum is the largest part of your brain. The pituitary gland is related to the sixth, or ajna, chakra. The anterior part of the frontal lobe, the prefrontal cortex, is the most evolved part of the brain and is responsible for positive capacities like concentration, happiness, creativity, and rational thinking. Neurotransmitters serve as the brain’s chemical messengers, relaying information between nerve cells.
Bienvenue | Time 4 SchoolTime 4 School | Une école bienveillante pour les enfants précoces 5 Things Most People Don't Know About Negotiating 5 Things Most People Don't Know About Negotiating By Victoria Pynchon 1. The negotiation doesn't start until someone says "no." One of the greatest inhibitions our women clients have is risking rejection. Negotiation is a conversation whose goal is to reach an agreement with someone whose interests are not perfectly aligned with yours. So if you want what you want, need, prefer, prioritize and value, you're either going to have to negotiate past "no" or spend the rest of your work life being victimized by people who are happy to place themselves and their needs first. 1. Then you do what "rich people" do to return a favor. 1. The remainder of the conversation is simply problem solving. 2. This is actually true in the same way that "the earth is round" or "the universe is expanding" or "high heels hurt your feet" are true. Why? The other reason to ask for more than you want is our proven susceptibility to the first number put on the table. 3. 4. Not necessarily. 5. You're puffing.
Breaking: BKS Iyengar Has Died We are awaiting official reports, but it has been confirmed by sources close to the Iyengar family: It is with heavy hearts we report that world-renowned yoga guru BKS Iyengar has passed from his earthly body. He was 96*. Iyengar was admitted to the hospital a week ago and was treated for breathlessness and low blood pressure. Reports of kidney failure and that he was in critical condition were released earlier today (Tuesday). We are saddened by this profound loss, but we are lifted up by all the lessons and teachings he has bestowed upon us throughout his long life that will live on forever. UPDATE #1: BKS Iyengar’s official website has been updated with this simple and elegant image and message: UPDATE #2: The India Times has confirmed the passing of BKS Iyengar. “Iyengar died at 3.15 am on Wednesday,” said a treating doctor.Iyengar was ill for three weeks prior to hospitalization but refused to get himself admitted and was treated at home by his family physician. Namaste. Earlier…
Note and vote: how to avoid groupthink in meetings You know when a meeting turns into a complete waste of time? Maybe you’re trying to come up with ideas, or make a decision. Before anyone realizes it, the meeting starts to suck. Meetings want to suck. On the Google Ventures design team, we dislike sucky meetings as much as anyone. The next time you need to make a decision or come up with a new idea in a group, call timeout and give the note-and-vote a try. How it works 1. Distribute paper and pens to each person. 2. Set the timer for two minutes. 3. One at a time, each person shares his or her top idea(s). 4. Set the timer for five minutes. 5. One at a time, each person says their vote. 6. Who is the decider? 7. The note-and-vote isn’t perfect, but it is fast. You might want to adapt the specifics to suit the problem and your team. Why it works Quiet time to think Meetings rarely offer individuals time to focus and think. Parallel is better than serial Normal meetings are serial. Voting commitment
Our Beloved Teacher in Hospital | Plum Village Official Announcement Re: Thay’s present health condition and how to support Thay’s recovery Plum Village, November 12, 2014 To all Plum Village Practice Centers, To all Practice Centers and Sanghas World Wide, To our Dear Beloved Friends, With a deep mindful breath we announce to the world the news that yesterday, the 11th of November 2014 Thay, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, experienced a severe brain hemorrhage. At present, Thay is still very responsive and shows every indication of being aware of the presence of those around him. For the last two months, Thay’s health had already been fragile due to his advance age. All the monasteries in the tradition of Plum Village are organizing practice sessions to generate the energy of mindfulness and to send Thay this healing and loving energy. Our practice of stability and peace in this very moment is the best support we can offer to Thay. On behalf of the Monastic Dharma Teacher Council of Plum Village,