I was reading A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni when my son asked me how chameleons change colour. Great question! I have no idea! So on to YouTube we went and located this very in-depth and interesting explanation by the SciShow. We all learned something that evening!

Chemistry was just a brutal subject for me. It decimated my GPA in college as did my addiction to attending Oakland A’s baseball games but that’s a whole other story. For those teaching high school or college chemistry, you might enjoy this recent collaboration between Periodic Videos and TED-Ed. TED-Ed Periodic Videos is a lesson on every single element on the periodic table. How cool is that! If only Californium featured some legendary surfer like Tom Curren breakin’ it down. That would be icing on the cake…

When you have 20 minutes to spare, check out J.K. Rowling’s Harvard’s Commencement speech above. It’s about the fear of failure, what constitutes it, and the benefits that we experience in going through the process.

To learn more about this initiative, click here!

I’m taking on the Delft Design Approach and the instructors have asked us to illustrate our design thinking process. Love this doodle by Newman but would argue that the design phase is not as smooth and linear as it appears to be. It sort of reminds me of an EKG flatline and that conjures up images of EMT responders smacking on a defibrillator to the chests of each design team member to revive the group. Maybe the flatline is reflective of a death in the creative and chaotic process because now you are committed to one concept and one manifestation of that idea in the physical form. And maybe I’m reading too much into it?! My depiction would at least indicate one hiccup registered along the way and possibly a loop or two back to research and concept. Something more along these lines (no pun intended ;o):

How would you best illustrate your thought process when it comes to design?

 

BBC’s Top Gear episode on Rolling a Reliant immediately reminded me of a Mr. Bean episode. If only Rowan Atkinson had been test driving! This video raises so many questions though about the sacrifices we make in design to meet certain needs and not others such as “sudden directional changes and high speed cornering.” In design, you have the user, the context, and the product. The product may alter the user’s behaviour (remember to take it slow around the corners) but the context, particularly in driving, frequently changes. So when your neighbour’s cat darts across the road…what do you do? Read more the Reliant Robin.

Voices From Venice: Conversations at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale with Women who Practice Architecture from Voices from Venice on Vimeo.

“Meaning is not something out there waiting to be discovered but something that we create in our own lives.” Why am I here? What’s my purpose in life? Will I find happiness? Is the golden ticket wrapped around this chocolate bar? The British Humanist Association has created a series of animated shorts on Truth, Death, and Happiness that attempt to address these questions (well, not the golden ticket one…that’s mine!) or at least provide a framework for further exploration. In light of our recent global events, I posted the video above on Right or Wrong. I also like this snippet on Happiness:

Théo de Blic’s acrobatics are absolutely amazing. I’ve watched paragliders over the years but have yet to view anything as radical Théo’s stunts. Innovation is sort of a funny thing. It’s usually driven out of a desire to solve a problem and in this case it seems like boredom was the issue. However, the consequences he faces during his testing phase can include injury and death. Pretty drastic if you ask me but incredibly entertaining nonetheless! Keep tabs on this high flyer here and here.

I have a few guilty pleasures in life. One of them is sitting back munching on a massive handful of buttered popcorn while watching a surf flick. For years, I loved lounging to Endless Summer (1966) and daydreaming about the break off Cape St. Francis in South Africa. Then I became addicted to Riding Giants (2004) featuring Laird Hamilton. My whole body experiences chicken skin as he drops in on Teahupoo. Everything about the moment is just perfect. Watch for yourself!
But Tom Carroll and Ross Clark-Jones from Storm Surfers have captured both my heart and soul. On film (and I suspect off) they share this amazing corky chemistry and camaraderie. I distinctly recall Tom and Ross in the 80s when they were on the ASP World Tour. Fast forward 30 years and these 40-something larger-than-life men are still carving it up at some of the world’s toughest breaks.

Released in 2012, Storm Surfers was also broken down into 4 television episodes allowing surfing enthusiasts the opportunity to learn more in detail about Ross and Tom’s hunt for the biggest wave. The amazing Mark Mathews (this guy slices Cape Solander like it’s butter!) and big wave surfer Paul Morgan also make several appearances. The movie and the tele episodes are available via Netflix. It’s so worth the watch!