Research Shows Plants Are Sentient. Will We Act Accordingly? Research continues to verify the intelligence of plants. If we begin to regard them as sentient beings, will our treatment of them improve? ©John T. Andrews Animal advocates and wildlife enthusiasts like you and me are always excited when new research comes out demonstrating the intelligence of the “others” among us; for example, how crows solve problems or whales have complex cultures. But when we cross over into the area of plant intelligence, well, it often sounds a bit too New Agey for most of us. A recent spate of studies, however, is proving that plants have volition, show altruism and understand kinship much like many animal species. Moving and mental ability Forests provide the oxygen we breathe and the majority of medicines in use today. Four years ago, in 2011, I wrote an article about the intelligent behavior of trees. In the years since, however, a number of new studies are continuing to show that plants are smarter than we think. Doing the math Candy
Humble Pie Black Coffee 7 Things We Can All Learn from the Music and Life of John Lennon by Lori Chandler On December 8, 1980, John Winston Lennon was gunned down outside his apartment building, the Dakota, in New York City. His assailant, whose name does not bear repeating, shot Lennon five times with a .38 caliber revolver. Since Lennon’s death, 1.15 million people have died from gun violence in the United States. But the ending isn't the story. 1967 “With A Little Help From My Friends”/Sgt. While this song was sung by Ringo Starr, it was written by Lennon. 1969 Bed-In For Peace Lennon and wife Yoko Ono famously spent their honeymoon protesting the Vietnam War from their bed at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel. 1970 “God”/Plastic Ono Band “I don’t believe in Beatles; I just believe in me/Yoko and Me/And that’s reality.” In this song, Lennon talks about all of the concepts he doesn’t believe in (religious and otherwise). 1971 “Imagine” and “Gimme Some Truth”/Imagine The title track on this album is the most well-known (and for good reason). 1970 “Instant Karma!”
Free Music Archive When Donald Trump's words scared this Muslim girl, these Army vets responded perfectly. When Melissa Chance Yassini came home from work on Dec. 8, she found her daughter Sofia in tears. Melissa Chance Yassini and her daughter Sofia. Photo by Melissa Chance Yassini/Facebook. Used with permission. Sofia had been watching the news with her grandmother, when she heard about Donald Trump's call to deport refugees and ban Muslims from entering America. "She ran to me with a look of absolute fear on her face," Melissa told Upworthy. Sofia, who is 8 years old, was convinced that Trump wanted to kick her and her family, who are Muslim — and American citizens — out of the country. "It was the first time that it really drove home to me that we’re in a dangerous place right now," Melissa said. Melissa stayed up most of the night comforting and reassuring her daughter. The post caught the eye of Kerri Peek, an Army veteran from Colorado, who responded to Melissa a few days later. "Salamalakum Melissa!" Photo by Kerri Peek/Facebook. "It bothered me all night. "Calling all vets.
Tabletop Audio - Ambiences and Music for Tabletop Role Playing Games There's a Word for That: 25 Expressions You Should Have in Your Vocabulary Recently I came across this amazing little Tumblr named ‘OtherWordly‘ – itself a play on words. It consists of a collection of strange and lovely words from different languages through different times. What I like most about this selection of consonants and vowels – little meaning-carrying packages of vibration – is that they all try to point to the unspeakable, the transient or the neglected. That which we forget in the busyness of our daily grind. Words have the power to remind us – and therefore we should choose our words carefully so we are reminded of the things that nourish our souls. You can find my favourite words below – pick five that resonate most, write them down, yes seriously – go grab a pen -, make sure to learn them by heart, teach them to your inner voice and share them with others to guide our collective attention to what truly matters. 1 – Sophrosyne 2 – Vorfreude pronunciation | ‘for-froi-duh 3 – Numinous 4 – Nemophilist pronunciation | ne-‘mo-fe-list 5 – Sillage
My Father, the Philosopher If the bed was here, if I touched it, lay down in it, walked away and came back, then it existed. If it existed, then when I left for school and came back, it would still be there. If it was there today, then it would be there tomorrow. I touched the objects in the house. My father smiled, pleased. Descartes's bad dream. “Think about your first premise.” “My first what?” “Your first premise. If your father is a philosopher, then you should expect to lose many arguments. For my friends and me, the best seats in my family’s station wagon were in the way-back. But Adrianne and Christy widened their eyes when they asked him. I hated those faces. "Of course," my father said when they asked. "NO Way!" "Who's going to sit back there if they don't?" "Nobody." "And where are you going to sit no matter where they sit?" "In the front." "So how is it not fair? But my situation would be worsened. "Adrianne. And so I learned utilitarianism. My father's philosopher friend Paul came over. No, he explained.
Earth - Rats will save their friends from drowning Saving another person from a life-or-death situation is something many of us do instinctively. But it's not unique to humans. Many primates will also help each other out. They are our closest relatives, so it's likely that our ape-like ancestors behaved in similar ways. In other words, our willingness to save others is an ancient trait, which modern humans have inherited. This trait may go back a surprisingly long way. When one was soaked in water, another rat quickly learned how to operate a lever that would allow it to escape to a safe and dry area. They did so even in the presence of a tempting chocolate treat, foregoing the lever that would release the food in favour of the one that would save the drowning rat. The rats therefore engage in helpful "prosocial behaviour" even if there was no apparent reward. Past experience played a role too. But when there was nobody to save, or the distressed rat was replaced with an inanimate object, the rats no longer pressed the lever.
The Compassionate Instinct Humans are selfish. It’s so easy to say. The same goes for so many assertions that follow. Greed is good. These kinds of claims reflect age-old assumptions about emotion. Jonathan Payne Even compassion, the concern we feel for another being’s welfare, has been treated with downright derision. Recent studies of compassion argue persuasively for a different take on human nature, one that rejects the preeminence of self-interest. First consider the recent study of the biological basis of compassion. But this compassionate instinct isn’t limited to parents’ brains. In other research by Emory University neuroscientists James Rilling and Gregory Berns, participants were given the chance to help someone else while their brain activity was recorded. The brain, then, seems wired up to respond to others’ suffering—indeed, it makes us feel good when we can alleviate that suffering. It seems so. Then there’s oxytocin, a hormone that floats through the bloodstream. Signs of compassion
strange like me -zenpencil Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a Mexican painter. Unlike the figure from my previous comic, the stoic Marcus Aurelius, Frida was the exact opposite. Her life was ruled by emotion, passion, love and suffering. Frida painted mostly self-portraits. Frida’s life was filled with physical suffering. Frida’s second “grave accident” was meeting her husband Diego Rivera, who was a famous painter and nicknamed the ‘Michaelango of Mexico’. Frida’s later years were hindered by more physical problems. Despite a lifetime of pain and turmoil, Frida still led an exciting life, mingling with famous revolutionaries and artists. The paintings I used in the comic are Self Portrait with Monkeys, Self Portrait (1941) and her most famous work The Two Fridas. Related comics featuring the words of Vincent Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou and Timothy Leary.
School Choir Surprises Cancer-Stricken Teacher With Epic Rendition Of “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” Adriana Lopez of Public School 22 in Staten Island, New York, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. This year, the school's choir decided to dedicate their final performance to Mrs. Lopez. On Facebook, the choir wrote that the performance was "for a dear friend and teacher at PS22 whose bravery and dedication to her students amidst a difficult fight with breast cancer has inspired us all… We love you, Mrs. Lopez!!" After the performance, Mrs. We wish you all the best, Mrs.