How Time Crystals Could Rewrite The Rules Of Physics If you overheard someone talking about time crystals in a bar, you’d think they were mad, or drunk. Or both. These things, theoretically, oscillate for eternity without any energy input whatsoever — and if that sounds like a perpetual motion machine, it’s because it is. Impossible, right? But what if it was a Nobel prize-winning physicists making the suggestion? Because that’s exactly the situation we find ourselves in. When matter crystallizes, its atoms spontaneously organise themselves into the rows, columns and stacks of a three-dimensional lattice. In other words, he’s saying it must be possible to create a crystal that has regular, time-varying motion going on inside — without any energy being dumped into the system. Fortunately, he has at least one team of researchers on his side. The only problem is that progress is slow: the Berkeley researchers have admitted that the project could take “anywhere between three and infinity years” to complete. Picture: Kostov/Shutterstock
zen habits 17 Tips to Mastering Conversation With New People That kind of self-doubt can be paralyzing. But you’re not alone. Each week I get dozens of questions like, “Nick, can you please just tell me exactly what to say? That would really help me get started.” I wish I could provide you guys with a miracle fix but then I’d just be another scammy marketer. Conversations are dynamic and unique. Let go of the idea that a discussion is a mathematical formula. The answer is to become socially confident through real-world experience. What I can provide you with are proven guidelines to make those experiences easier and more successful. Here are my 17 tips towards mastering conversation with new people. Be genuinely interested in them. 30 Challenges for 30 Days Did you know that it takes 30 days to form a new habit? The first few days are similar as to how you would imagine the birth of a new river. Full of enthusiasm it gushes forth, only to be met by strong obstacles. The path is not clear yet, and your surroundings don’t agree. Old habits urge you to stay the same. So, take a moment to reflect on the question ‘Who do I want to be in 5 years?’ Check out this short TED talk first to get inspired: Now pick one or more challenges and stick with them! However, be cautioned, picking too many challenges at the same time can easily result in a failure of all of them. #1 Write a I-Like-This-About-You note/text/email each day for someone (Easy) This is the perfect way to let someone else know you care. #2 Talk to one stranger each day (Hard) This is a great one to cure approaching anxiety. #3 Take one picture each day (Hard) This one gets harder nearing the end of the challenge because at one point you will run out of the easy shots. We recommend:
Hyperbole and a Half At around midnight last night, it started snowing. A lot. I got absurdly excited about it. I was like "Ohmigoditssnowingletsgoforawalkrightnow!!!!" And Boyfriend was like "It's 12:30 AM..." and I was like "So? My point is that after staring at me in silence for a few long moments in which I am sure he questioned some of his life decisions, Boyfriend was like "Fine." So Boyfriend got all bundled up while I checked to make sure everything was unplugged because I didn't want the house to catch on fire while we were gone and then I got dressed while Boyfriend sat on the couch in his snow-clothes looking like he was on some sort of detonation timer and if the timer went off we would no longer be allowed to go for a walk, so I put my hat and gloves on really fast and then I was like "I'm ready!" Boyfriend wanted to stop and take pictures of the snow and the pretty lights, but I was so excited that I took off running: And then I stopped because I had a really good idea and I yelled "Hey! Okay.
Find The Thing You're Most Passionate About, Then Do It On Nights And Weekends For The Rest Of Your Life I have always been a big proponent of following your heart and doing exactly what you want to do. It sounds so simple, right? But there are people who spend years—decades, even—trying to find a true sense of purpose for themselves. My advice? It could be anything—music, writing, drawing, acting, teaching—it really doesn’t matter. Is there any other way to live? I can’t stress this enough: Do what you love…in between work commitments, and family commitments, and commitments that tend to pop up and take immediate precedence over doing the thing you love. Before you get started, though, you need to find the one interest or activity that truly fulfills you in ways nothing else can. Because when you get right down to it, everyone has dreams, and you deserve the chance—hell, you owe it to yourself—to pursue those dreams when you only have enough energy to change out of your work clothes and make yourself a half-assed dinner before passing out. Say, for example, that your passion is painting.
7 Reasons Why You Will Never Do Anything Amazing With Your Life — Life Learning 1 :: Because You Have Not Failed Enough Because you are comfortable in your mediocrity; because you choose not to try. Because it is easier to talk about learning that new (programming?) language as opposed to actually learning it. Because you think everything is too hard or too complicated so you will just “sit this one out”, or maybe you’ll, “do-it-tomorrow”! Because you hate your job but won’t get a new one; because it is easy to reject rejection. Because while you’re sitting around failing to try, I am out there trying to fail, challenging myself, learning new things and failing as fast as possible. Because as I fail, I learn, and then adjust my course to make sure my path is always forward. 2 :: Because You Care What Others Think About You Because you have to fit in. Because you believe that being different is only cool if you’re different in the same way that other people are different. Because you are afraid to embrace your true self for fear of how the world will see you.
6 Reasons to Focus on Liking Yourself, and How to Do It Image: / CC BY-ND 2.0 “Nobody will think you’re somebody if you don’t think so yourself.”African-American proverb “Self-love is not opposed to the love of others.”Dr. “Happiness is: Looking in a mirror and like what you see .”Author Unknown People have a need for affection and being liked. It is to focus on liking yourself more rather than trying to get people to like you. Here are six reasons why I put my focus in that place. 1. If you go for trying to get people to like you you’ll most likely come off as needy and desperate a lot of the time. If you bend to other people all the time then they may like what you do for them. 2. What is attractive to a friend, an employer or a potential partner? 3. Getting compliments and being liked is wonderful. Because if you really need the positive validation from people then it’s hard to avoid listening to their negative input. 4. 5. 6. How to like yourself more So, the benefits sound pretty good.
10 Websites To Make You Think Supposedly browsing the internet requires more brain power than watching television. Although judging from some of the websites we’ve come across that assumption is cast into doubt. Here’s some of the sites we like that might get your brain to sit up and listen. Ted A conference that started in 1984 bringing together experts in technology, entertainment and design quickly grew into so much more. The conference itself is invitation only, but the website features all the talks at the conference in high res video format. New Scientist The New Scientist website carries new articles from the magazine as well as the NS archive of over 76,000 pieces. Big Think The Big Think website is a collection of ‘global thought leaders’ who offer their thoughts and analysis on world events and other important developments. Café Scientifque ‘for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology’ Breathing Earth Arts & Letters Daily How Stuff Works
10 Inspirational TED Talks for People Having a Bad Day You know those days when your boss blames you for something that wasn’t your fault, or your co-workers are passive-aggressive, or you get some horrible news, or you weren’t picked for the job? Yeah, those days suck. And to be honest, there’s not much you can do besides ride the suckiness out. I usually curl up in bed and watch four-plus episodes of The Office , but sometimes even Jim and Pam’s adorable romance isn’t enough to get me out of a funk. Luckily, I’ve found a new cure: TED talks. An inspiring or poignant speech never fails to reaffirm my faith in humanity—and yes, get me out of bed. 1. Performance artist and storyteller Tom Rives is obsessed with 4 AM. As you watch this talk, you’ll probably be intrigued but a little confused (at least I was). 2. Amy Purdy loved to skateboard and travel. Purdy’s story of her life post-amputation is so impactful, I yelled, “That’s amazing!” My favorite line: “Because my legs haven’t disabled me. 3. 4. 5. Well, Ron Finley definitely qualifies.
How Clothes Should Fit 40 Ways to Feel More Alive “I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.” ~Joseph Campbell As I write this, I am two hours away from my first weekly acting class in Los Angeles. I’ve been here for almost two years now, and though I loved Community Theater as a kid, I never so much as researched acting classes until a couple weeks back. I frequently said I wanted to do it, along with painting classes, which I’m starting next week, but I always made excuses not to start either. I was too busy. The list went on and on, but I realized the last two were the big ones for me. Also, I hesitate to give large amounts of time to hobbies I have no intention of pursuing professionally. I realized last month, however, that I want to prioritize more of the things that make me feel passionate and excited—and not just occasionally, but regularly. I don’t know if these classes are “leading” anywhere. Say Something You’ve Been Meaning to Say 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Rhythm and Meter in English Poetry Rhythm and Meter in English Poetry English poetry employs five basic rhythms of varying stressed (/) and unstressed (x) syllables. The meters are iambs, trochees, spondees, anapests and dactyls. In this document the stressed syllables are marked in boldface type rather than the tradition al "/" and "x." Each unit of rhythm is called a "foot" of poetry. The meters with two-syllable feet are IAMBIC (x /) : That time of year thou mayst in me behold TROCHAIC (/ x): Tell me not in mournful numbersSPONDAIC (/ /): Break, break, break/ On thy cold gray stones, O Sea! Adam Had'em. Here are some more serious examples of the various meters. iambic pentameter (5 iambs, 10 syllables) That time | of year | thou mayst | in me | behold trochaic tetrameter (4 trochees, 8 syllables) Tell me | not in | mournful | numbers anapestic trimeter (3 anapests, 9 syllables) And the sound | of a voice | that is still dactylic hexameter (6 dactyls, 17 syllables; a trochee replaces the last dactyl) A note on the source.