“we are so both and onefulnight cannot be so skysky cannot be so sunfuli am through you so I” e.e. cummings (100 Selected Poems) Some of e.e. cummings fans regard this untitled poem as his finest work. However, with nearly 3,000 poems published, it might be a fool’s errand to judge. However, what may not … [Read more…]
“Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.” St. Augustine One year, after discussing “The Big Bang Theory” in … [Read more…]
Cautiously emerging from Covid protocol practices, I was recently blessed to reconnect with a former teacher/colleague Gordon Anderson aka, Mr. A.—Gordy—Sir Gordo, who belongs to a pantheon of gifted math teachers. He fully understands that math can be a daunting discipline, especially for right-brain dominant students. He has an uncanny ability to help students make … [Read more…]
It turned out that fire was one of the most important elements in the Biodesign experience. Typically, every day of our studies at Yosemite and Mendocino ended with a circular celebration around a campfire. Often the combination of heat, light and the transformation of solid wood into gaseous flames served as a metaphor for mental … [Read more…]
( Easter Messages from Peter Roget and Sir Isaak Newton) “Measured on the vast scale of the universe, the globe we inhabit appears but as an atom; and yet within the compass of this atom, what an inexhaustible variety of objects is contained; what and endless diversity of phenomena is presented; what wonderful changes are … [Read more…]
One year, after discussing “The Big Bang Theory” in the Biodesign Class, unbeknown to me, a quiet, thoughtful Latina girl went to church the following Sunday. After the service, she approached her priest and asked, “Father, if God made the universe, who made God?” The priest’s face turned red, he stooped down and whispered sharply … [Read more…]
People who know that Yogi Berra was a catcher for many years on the New York Yankees baseball team might wonder if he had sustained one too many foul balls caroming off his helmet. However, after further contemplation, perhaps he was playfully alluding to one of the greatest mysteries in human evolution and conjured up … [Read more…]
“The Canyon is even more wonderful in color and atmosphere than in rock strata and countersunk River. It is not the eighth wonder of the world, but the first.” – John Van Dyke: Author, The Grand Canyon Of The Colorado Thirty St. Helena High School Biodesign students shivered on a brisk February morning outside the … [Read more…]
“Heaven knows that John the Baptist was not more eager to get all his fellow sinners into the Jordan than I to baptize all of mine in the beauty of God’s mountains.” – John Muir No other naturalist, before or after John Muir has reached his lofty status of being able to decipher and communicate … [Read more…]
“The more I know, the more I know I don’t know.” Socrates I suspect that this is one of Socrates’ most commonly misunderstood quotes. When I posted it in the bio lab, it usually sparked lively discussions. It was not uncommon for a student to quip, “If this is so, then why bother?” The answer … [Read more…]