Category : science
I admit, I’m not the best person to write about this. I’m not a single male in his twenties. I’m a 40-year-old woman who’s been married for 17 years. But I read a fascinating article in the September 8 Newsweek which compels me to ask the following questions. Is Peter Pan Syndrome as pervasive as it seems and what is the appeal of spending years living like an adolescent?
When I graduated college, I couldn’t wait to get my own place. Apparently, that isn’t the case with many guys. The article quoted Michael Kimmel, a sociologist from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and author of the book, “Guyland”. According to Kimmel, in 1960, almost 70 percent of men had reached adult milestones like leaving home, getting an education, getting married, starting work and becoming a parent, by age 30.
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One of the most influential books of the late '50s and '60s was a book called The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution by British scientist and novelist C. P. Snow.
It basically lamented the lack of communication between the "two cultures" – Science and Humanities.
I see the same split continuing today.
On the one hand we have the Internet and a Communication Revolution more powerful in its global impact than the "Industrial Revolution" of the 19th century.
We are busy like bumblebees configuring our smart phones and wi-fi networks, setting up our web sites, and leaving behind us as many electronic breadcrumbs as we can. (more…)
It was probably like 4 a.m. You could hear a pin drop in our dark bedroom.
Those were the years when I used to meditate a lot, including early morning meditations at 3 a.m. in our living room.
After half an hour of repeating my mantra in the dark while sitting in a half-lotus position, my legs would start to go numb and hurt a little. When the pain started to get real bad, I would get up and return to bed.
I would lie down. After a minute or so, just before I drifted back to sleep…
It would start… (more…)
Thanks to StumbleUpon, the most enjoyable social media/bookmarking site thus far (and the official choice of ADHD users everywhere), I was introduced to TED.com last month. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED began in 1984, bringing together the best and brightest from those three industries and thought groups. Since the '80s, TED has evolved into an annual invitation only conference where the most influential and/or innovative thinkers present the talk of their lives (limited to 18 minutes). TED.com makes the best of these talks available for free online.
Once a year, 50 speakers share with more than 1,000 visitors in Monterey, California. Topics cover business, science, the arts, music, and global issues. The best TEDTalks are provided online via streaming video at TED.com.
Granted, the majority of speakers appear to be atheistic proponents of evolution. This is somewhat disappointing, though not entirely surprising. Past speakers have included the likes of Billy Graham, so it's fair to say that the organization is open to most ideas as long as they are presented in the proper fashion.
The recorded TEDTalks are worth watching. Some are more mentally stimulating than others (check out the talks on memes and, surprisingly, Tony Robbins). 137 presentations are currently available online. Additional talks will be released on an ongoing basis.
TEDGlobal is a conference held every other year at various locations worldwide. The basic format is the same, but these conferences tend to focus more on development.
The TEDPrize is an annual prize awarded to three individuals who receive $100K and the granting of "One Wish to Change the World". The winners unveil their wishes at the annual conference, and the TED community comes together, pooling their resources, to grant each wish. Visit TED.com to learn more about past wishes granted.
For those of you accustomed to the collegiate Pew / Paideia society or other philosophical and sociological communities, these talks will resonate along the lines of cultural examination of what is, what has been, and what could be.
The only question remaining is, how does one get invited to TED? Send me an invitation. I'm in.
Why do we do what we do? That’s one of those questions my peeps hate to ask. Aaron in particular. He wants the white picket fence, three kids, and the leave it to beaver lifestyle. So he’s been saying for the past three or four years. I didn’t buy it then and I don’t buy it now.
He’ll read this a month from now and post some comment about how he pictures me in seclusion, lighting candles and writing poetry. Funny guy. I’m not quite that dramatic (shut it, Nathan – like how I mentioned your name and yet you get no link? Your mom).
Three thousand years ago, Solomon had it right when he said that everything is utterly meaningless and futile. He tried everything, and came up empty. Whether you work hard or not at all, whether you’re rich or poor, starving or overfed, ultimately it doesn’t matter.
There are a lot of underachievers who will read this and think, So what? I’ve always thought life was pointless. That’s why I don’t do anything. That’s not the same thing. Lazy ex-pot smokers aren’t exactly equal to good ol’ Sol.
I am notorious for my insistence upon meaning and purpose. I annoy the hell out of friends, family, and total strangers with my rants about pursuing purpose. I hate seeing people waste potential. I love watching people and guessing their deep purposes and callings. See, everyone has one, even the annoying people who hate hearing that and who feel the need to violently argue against the concept.
So how does a person like me believe in the simultaneously contradictory beliefs that life is utterly meaningless and that each person has a unique calling and purpose to fulfill? That’s an easy one. Logical or not, I’m simply disillusioned by how freakin’ hard life can be. I’m not very patient. I’ve been known to be a bit anxious. Picture someone spending an entire decade anxiously flittering to and fro like a speedfreak in an attempt to achieve his purpose, and you have a fairly accurate understanding of my life a few years ago.
My “meaningless” isn’t the same as Solomon’s. I think I actually know my calling – my God-given purpose for living. I believe that I have things to do before I die. I have ways to mature. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s a ridiculous notion. You’re bored and miserable sometimes as you go to sleep at night because you feel empty. You feel empty because you’ve yet to realize what that thing is that will make your life truly meaningful.
Yeah… It’s late, and I should be asleep. Consider yourself thoroughly scolded or chastised or whatever fits. I’m out.
The Independent reports that Sunita Williams, the woman who will soon hold the record for NASA astronaut for the longest time spent in space, is slated to run the Boston Marathon next week as she orbits the planet Earth. She qualified by running in last year’s Houston Marathon, and she will attempt to make the 26K mile run tethered to a treadmill.
You know that the only reason the picky Boston Marathon approved Commander Williams is because of the unbelievable publicity it would generate. It’s not like she can win when facing completely different terrain than the 24,000 other runners.
We all love a good space story. Whether it’s the woman running in space or water discovered on another planet, we just seem to eat up anything extraterrestrial.
Some people might say that’s pathetic. I consider it a sign of our continued childhood sense of awe and wonder at the universe.
According to a recent article in The Independent, the ideal female body shape can be best represented by Naomi Campbell. Some researchers from Poland studied the body types of beauty contestants and compared them with other women to discern what body part sizes are considered most attractive. They looked at bust to height, thigh to height, and waist to hip ratios to help determine what the ideal attractive person would look like.
A little surprising that they chose Naomi Campbell, since she hasn’t been the most popular fashion model in the last few years. I didn’t know that models were really so different that she would be singled out. Bale’s an obvious choice, though. As long as you can keep images of American Psycho out of your mind, you should be able to see why he’s tops (sorry Brad).
I admit, I’m not the best person to write about this. I’m not a single male in his twenties. I’m a 40-year-old woman who’s been married for 17 years. But I read a fascinating article in the September 8 Newsweek which compels me to ask the following questions. Is Peter Pan Syndrome as pervasive as it seems and what is the appeal of spending years living like an adolescent?
