Aerosols →

Published September 23, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 23

The annotated version of the visualization (shown above) highlights the GEOS FP model’s output for aerosols on August 23rd, 2018. On that day, wildfires caused huge plumes of smoke to drift over North America and Africa, three tropical cyclones took place in the Pacific Ocean, and high winds over the Sahara caused wind-borne dust particles to fill the sky. All of these produced aerosols which are represented in the visual by different colors.

~ Matt Williams from, Look at all the Aerosols Pushed into the Atmosphere, from Fires, Volcanoes and Pollution. Even Sea Salt Thrown into the Air from Hurricanes – Universe Today

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I’m not sure if I’m more impressed by the beautiful composite photo and the science that went into it, or if I now just want to never inhale again.

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Courage, part 1 →

Published September 22, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 22

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.

~ Anais Nin

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Constant optimization →

Published September 21, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 21  ·  

An unexpected benefit of all this self-imposed change is that it helps protect you from forming bad habits, which are hard to change once you get them. In fact, change itself becomes the habit, which is a good one to carry with you through your life. The willingness to experience change brings opportunity, wealth, learning, and happiness for most of us who embrace it.

~ Peter Adeney from, The Principle of Constant Optimization

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Wait. Is he saying there are people who don’t optimize?

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How bad are things? →

Published September 20, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 20  ·  

I think about all of the miserable people in my psychiatric clinic. Then I multiply by ten psychiatrists in my clinic. Then I multiply by ten similarly-sized clinics in my city. Then I multiply by a thousand such cities in the United States. Then I multiply by hundreds of countries in the world, and by that time my brain has mercifully stopped being able to visualize what that signifies.

~ Scott Alexander from, How Bad Are Things? | Slate Star Codex

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The really interesting part of the article is where he whipped up a random “person” generator and fed it the best-estimate percentages of various problems. (Chance of drug addiction, chance of certain psychosis, etc.) He then generated a bunch of random people and, as is to be expected when the percentage chance for problems is low, he got a significant number of people who are “no problems.”

…and then he sketches (from his own direct experience) several types—not specific examples, but a type of person whom he sees many examples of—who fit into the “no problems” bucket of the “random person generator.” The take-away is that, yes, things are VERY bad.

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Steve is not an aurora →

Published September 19, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 19

This means that STEVE is not likely to be caused by the same mechanism as an aurora, and is therefore an entirely new type of optical phenomenon – which the team refer to as “skyglow”.

~ Matt Williams from, That New Kind of Aurora Called “Steve”? Turns Out, it Isn’t an Aurora at All – Universe Today

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Aside: “Steve” started as in-joke reference by some dedicated Aurora photographers. It was later backronymed.

I particular love this type of discovery. Looking at the shape of the visual phenomenon—it’s a straight-ish thin streak—I bet this is realated to certain types of mythologies and stories…

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An open door policy →

Published September 18, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 18  ·  

Aware of this research, my housemates tested their air quality and got levels between 1000 and 3000 ppm, around the level of the worst high-CO2 conditions in the studies. They started leaving their windows open and buying industrial quantities of succulent plants, and the problems mostly disappeared. Since then they’ve spread the word to other people we know afflicted with mysterious fatigue, some of whom have also noticed positive results.

~ Scott Alexander from, Carbon Dioxide: An Open Door Policy | Slate Star Codex

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I thought this was going to be an article about fossil fuels and global warming. No it’s much worse. It’s about how some people have measured levels of CO2 in their bedroom that exceed the OSHA workplace safe-exposure limits.

Now i’m wondering if one of the reasons I sleep better in the winter, is the difference in ventilation. Our A/C is a closed system—it only circulates the air in the house. But the wood stove lowers the air pressure slightly and that draws outside air in from the peripheral areas of the house. Tiny cool drafts come out of all the wall outlets and light switches in the winter providing fresh air ventiliation.

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Discipline →

Published September 17, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 17  ·  ,

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception it is a prevailing attitude.

~ Colin Powell

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Sebastien Foucan (Part 2 of 3): Training, coaching, and preparation →

Published September 17, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 17  ·  

Sebastien Foucan (Part 2 of 3): Training, coaching, and preparation

What strategies and principles underpin effective training, mental resilience, and personal growth?

Sebastien Foucan and Craig continue their conversation in the second part of Sebastien’s three part interview. In this episode, Sebastien discusses how he trains, how he coaches, and how he prepares for his roles in various movies and films. Craig and Sebastien also discuss the influence genetics and natural skill has on the success of a person in their sport.

Being always in motion keeps you fit and healthy. And if you don’t push too much that’s good, it’s good for you.

~ Sebastien Foucan (1:38)

The conversation explores the philosophy and practice of training, emphasizing the importance of specificity and alignment with individual goals. The discussion digs into distinctions between training and practice, the role of adaptability, and how unique circumstances dictate specific training regimens. Examples range from parkour to acting, illustrating how preparation varies across disciplines.

Mental resilience and personal growth also feature prominently, particularly through the lens of overcoming setbacks. The dialogue covers how life challenges, such as health issues and personal losses, can redefine perspectives on discipline and motivation. Additional topics include the interplay of genetics, environment, and personal choices in shaping potential, and how these elements influence broader life decisions.

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Meadows as endless as the desert →

Published September 16, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 16  ·  

You know the landscape there, superb trees full of majesty and serenity beside green, dreadful, toy-box summer-houses, and every absurdity the lumbering imagination of Hollanders with private incomes can come up with in the way of flower-beds, arbours, verandas. Most of the houses very ugly, but some old and elegant. Well, at that moment, high above the meadows as endless as the desert, came one driven mass of cloud after the other, and the wind first struck the row of country houses with their trees on the opposite side of the waterway, where the black cinder road runs. Those trees, they were superb, there was a drama in each figure I’m tempted to say, but I mean in each tree.

~ Vincent van Gogh from, Van Gogh on the Beauty of Sorrow and the Enchantment of Storms, in Nature and in Life – The Marginalian

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Sometimes, a bit of writing simply must be shared.

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How to be mindful →

Published September 15, 2018  ·  All posts on Sep 15

Slowly add mindfulness bells. A mindfulness bell can be anything in your environment. Thich Nhat Hanh suggested using traffic lights as a mindfulness bell — when you see one, instead of getting caught up in the stress of driving, allow yourself to become present. You can slowly find other mindfulness bells — your daughter’s face, opening your computer, having your first cup of coffee, hearing a train going by.

~ Leo Babauta from, How to Be Mindful All the Time – Zen Habits Website

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Finding ways to trigger making conscious decisions is the key to increasing the amount of time you are mindful. The possibilities are endless!

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