Random Stuff
Category archives for Random Stuff
Weekend Diversion: A Second Language
Posted by Ethan on March 10, 2013 
“When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts as with creating images.” -Niels Bohr Although I may write to you exclusively in English, I am fully aware that around half of my readership comes from outside the United States, and…
Weekend Diversion: What they never tell you about Teaching
Posted by Ethan on March 3, 2013 
“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” -John Steinbeck One of the great joys I’ve gotten to experience…
Weekend Diversion: Down the Ant Hole
Posted by Ethan on February 24, 2013 
“When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all.” -E.O. Wilson Sure, there are entire worlds within our world that we never even give a second thought to. There’s an entire subterranean Universe to explore, and you might get the feeling to do it if you listen to…
Weekend Diversion: Chess is Almost Solved!
Posted by Ethan on February 17, 2013 
“There are some things we do much better than computers, but since most of chess is tactically based they do many things better than humans. And this imbalance remains. I no longer have any issues. It’s a bit like asking an astronomer, does he mind that a telescope does all the work?” -Vishy Anand It…
Weekend Digression: When My Best Friend Committed Suicide
Posted by Ethan on February 10, 2013 
“To run away from trouble is a form of cowardice and, while it is true that the suicide braves death, he does it not for some noble object but to escape some ill.” -Aristotle “I think suicide is sort of like cancer was 50 years ago. People don’t want to talk about it, they don’t…
Weekend Diversion: The Methuselah of Mars
Posted by Ethan on January 27, 2013 
“In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it.” -John Archibald Wheeler Sometimes, things get difficult. Sometimes, there are challenges you have to face that you never even expected, much less were prepared for. And sometimes, it seems like there’s no point in even holding on to hope that things will get better.…
Weekend Diversion: Our years of shared songs
Posted by Ethan on January 20, 2013 
“Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe I don’t always have all the answers, but every weekend I strive to bring you something interesting — in some form or other — to…
Weekend Diversion: Combatting Alzheimer’s with Art
Posted by Ethan on January 12, 2013 
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” -Thomas Merton Whatever your creative outlets are — music, painting, photography, drawing, or even writing, to name a few — I hope you get to enjoy them frequently. There’s nothing like engaging your imagination and creativity, although I have to admit that…
Weekend Diversion: Unlikely Friendships
Posted by Ethan on January 6, 2013 
“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.” -Alice Walker This weekend — perhaps inspired by the growing friendship between our new dog and our old one — I’ve got a surprising find…
Weekend Diversion: My Love Letter to Winnie Cooper
Posted by Ethan on December 30, 2012 
“When you’re a little kid you’re a bit of everything; scientist, philosopher, artist. Sometimes it seems like growing up is giving these things up one at a time.” -Kevin Arnold, The Wonder Years Like many who grew up around the same time I did, The Wonder Years was one of my favorite shows, putting on…
