I have a friend who started using the term DIT (“do it together”) instead of DIY, and I love the notion. It’s a rare project that’s completely DIY, and certainly the projects that are the most fun involve collaboration — even if it’s just with the cranky old guy at the hardware store who ties […]
Continue ReadingThere are innumerable things to make one depressed these days. Oil spills, a dysfunctional economy, worsening political extremism, and an awful long-term environmental outlook. Fortunately for me, I have an antidote that keeps me upbeat, something special and beautiful that keeps me optimistic about the human condition, the human mind, and the power of thinking. […]
Continue ReadingThis past summer I had two great interns in my lab. As usual, they taught me more than I taught them. One in particular helped me refine my thoughts on the theme that pervades my every day. When Geoff first arrived in my office, I described his summer project to him. I had written 2,000 […]
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About four times a year I seem to be able to concentrate well for eight hours in a row — in fact, about 48 hours in a row — and I just let it happen. I don’t know when it will occur or why, but it’s typically when some manic inspiration strikes. The rest of […]
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