Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Heterochromia
"Heterochromia is a condition where a person's irises are different colors, caused by variations in melanin. It can affect one eye entirely (complete heterochromia), present as a patch in one iris (segmental), or feature an inner color ring (central). Most cases are harmless and hereditary, though changes in adulthood require medical evaluation."
Scent
From AI Gemini:
Nightly olfactory enrichment — exposing the brain to rotating, pleasant scents while you sleep—can significantly boost memory and cognitive performance, particularly as we get older.
---
The Core Science: A "Superhighway" to the Brain
Unlike your senses of sight, hearing, or touch, which have to stop at a relay station in the brain (the thalamus) before being processed, your sense of smell has a direct, unfiltered connection to the limbic system. This is the area of the brain directly responsible for emotion and memory.
As we age, our olfactory pathways naturally begin to degrade, and scientists have long known that a declining sense of smell is closely linked to cognitive decline. By deliberately stimulating this pathway at night, you are essentially giving the brain's memory centers a passive "workout."
What the Research Found
In the landmark UC Irvine study, researchers looked at healthy older adults (ages 60 to 85) and exposed them to diffused essential oils for two hours every night over a six-month period.
To prevent the brain from getting used to a single smell and tuning it out, they rotated through seven different natural scents, using one unique fragrance each night of the week (such as lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and lemon).
The results were striking:
226% Memory Boost: On standard word-list recall tests, the group exposed to the rotating scents scored more than twice as high as the control group.
Physical Brain Changes: Brain imaging (fMRI) showed improved structural integrity in a specific neural pathway called the left uncinate fasciculus. This pathway connects the memory-making temporal lobe to the decision-making prefrontal cortex, and it typically weakens as we age.
Better Sleep: Participants also reported sleeping more soundly, which is when the brain naturally consolidates and stores memories.
---
How to Try it at Home
You don't need a medical device to experiment with this; you can set up a low-effort version yourself using a standard home diffuser:
1. Get 4 to 7 high-quality essential oils: Choose distinct, pleasant scents (e.g., lavender, eucalyptus, orange, peppermint, rosemary).
2. Use a timer: You don't want the scent blasting all night, as your nose will become desensitized. Set a diffuser with a timer to run for 2 hours right as you go to sleep.
3. Rotate daily: This is the most crucial step. Use only one scent per night, and change it every day to introduce novelty, which is what keeps the brain's neural pathways engaged.
Nightly olfactory enrichment — exposing the brain to rotating, pleasant scents while you sleep—can significantly boost memory and cognitive performance, particularly as we get older.
---
The Core Science: A "Superhighway" to the Brain
Unlike your senses of sight, hearing, or touch, which have to stop at a relay station in the brain (the thalamus) before being processed, your sense of smell has a direct, unfiltered connection to the limbic system. This is the area of the brain directly responsible for emotion and memory.
As we age, our olfactory pathways naturally begin to degrade, and scientists have long known that a declining sense of smell is closely linked to cognitive decline. By deliberately stimulating this pathway at night, you are essentially giving the brain's memory centers a passive "workout."
What the Research Found
In the landmark UC Irvine study, researchers looked at healthy older adults (ages 60 to 85) and exposed them to diffused essential oils for two hours every night over a six-month period.
To prevent the brain from getting used to a single smell and tuning it out, they rotated through seven different natural scents, using one unique fragrance each night of the week (such as lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and lemon).
The results were striking:
226% Memory Boost: On standard word-list recall tests, the group exposed to the rotating scents scored more than twice as high as the control group.
Physical Brain Changes: Brain imaging (fMRI) showed improved structural integrity in a specific neural pathway called the left uncinate fasciculus. This pathway connects the memory-making temporal lobe to the decision-making prefrontal cortex, and it typically weakens as we age.
Better Sleep: Participants also reported sleeping more soundly, which is when the brain naturally consolidates and stores memories.
---
How to Try it at Home
You don't need a medical device to experiment with this; you can set up a low-effort version yourself using a standard home diffuser:
1. Get 4 to 7 high-quality essential oils: Choose distinct, pleasant scents (e.g., lavender, eucalyptus, orange, peppermint, rosemary).
2. Use a timer: You don't want the scent blasting all night, as your nose will become desensitized. Set a diffuser with a timer to run for 2 hours right as you go to sleep.
3. Rotate daily: This is the most crucial step. Use only one scent per night, and change it every day to introduce novelty, which is what keeps the brain's neural pathways engaged.
Monday, June 29, 2026
Fly
From AI Gemini:
It's easy to view house flies, Musca domestica, purely as pests—especially when they're buzzing around the kitchen. But if we step outside our houses and look at the broader ecosystem, they actually play a few vital, behind-the-scenes roles.
Here is what they actually contribute:
- Nature's Garbage Crew (Decomposition): This is their biggest contribution. House fly larvae (maggots) consume decaying organic matter like dung, carrion, and rotting vegetation. By eating it, they break down complex organic materials into simpler nutrients, essentially recycling them back into the soil to fertilize plant life. Without decomposers like flies, the world would get piled high with organic waste pretty quickly.
- The Bottom of the Food Chain: Flies and their larvae are a massive, high-protein food source for a huge variety of wildlife. Birds, frogs, lizards, spiders, bats, and predatory insects rely heavily on them for survival.
- Accidental Pollinators: While bees and butterflies get all the credit, house flies do their fair share of pollination. As adults travel from plant to plant feeding on nectar, pollen grains stick to the tiny hairs on their bodies and legs, transferring to the next flower they visit.
- Scientific and Medical Research: Because they reproduce quickly and have relatively simple genetic structures, flies are incredibly useful in laboratory settings for studying genetics, behavior, and even the effects of new medications.
Friday, June 26, 2026
Weekend!
Have an excellent weekend. Make sure you get outside. See you bright and early Monday morning.
Sponge
From AI Gemini:
The deep sea "harp sponge", Chondrocladia lyra, gained significant attention for its unusual appearance, which resembles a harp or lyre, and its specialized predatory behavior.
Unlike most sponges that feed by filtering bacteria and particles from the water, the harp sponge—along with other members of the Cladorhizidae family—are carnivores. They inhabit the deep ocean floor, where food is often scarce. To survive, they use delicate, branching structures covered in Velcro-like hooks to snare passing prey, such as small crustaceans. Once the prey is ensnared, the sponge envelops it in a thin membrane and slowly digests it.
Three
"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." - Aristotle
"The giving of love is an education in itself." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
"The giving of love is an education in itself." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Keats
To Sleep
John Keats 1795 - 1821
O soft embalmer of the still midnight!
Shutting with careful fingers and benign
Our gloom-pleased eyes, embower’d from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine;
O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close,
In midst of this thine hymn, my willing eyes,
Or wait the amen, ere thy poppy throws
Around my bed its lulling charities;
Then save me, or the passèd day will shine
Upon my pillow, breeding many woes;
Save me from curious conscience, that still lords
Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole;
Turn the key deftly in the oilèd wards,
And seal the hushèd casket of my soul.
John Keats 1795 - 1821
O soft embalmer of the still midnight!
Shutting with careful fingers and benign
Our gloom-pleased eyes, embower’d from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine;
O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close,
In midst of this thine hymn, my willing eyes,
Or wait the amen, ere thy poppy throws
Around my bed its lulling charities;
Then save me, or the passèd day will shine
Upon my pillow, breeding many woes;
Save me from curious conscience, that still lords
Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole;
Turn the key deftly in the oilèd wards,
And seal the hushèd casket of my soul.
Monday, June 22, 2026
Recipe
The Bossy Kitchen: Dal Bhat (Rice And Lentils)
Dal Bhat is the traditional daily meal of Nepal and is considered the country's national dish. The name comes from its two main components: dal, meaning lentil soup, and bhat, meaning steamed ricePollock
Jackson Pollock 1912–1956 - 'Male and Female' C.1942
Oil on Canvas - Philadelphia Museum of Art
Friday, June 19, 2026
Thurman
"Try to imagine everything working. Imagine everybody cheering up. Imagine people seeing the half-full glass. Imagine them finding their source of joy within themselves."
"Visualize. Let the world be a mandala in time of people fulfilling what they really want."
"Can you find something that is a blessing now — a miracle about your now? Be in the moment. Even imagining a good future, it makes you happy in the moment."
Robert Thurman 1941-2026
"Visualize. Let the world be a mandala in time of people fulfilling what they really want."
"Can you find something that is a blessing now — a miracle about your now? Be in the moment. Even imagining a good future, it makes you happy in the moment."
Robert Thurman 1941-2026
Mauro Giuliani - 24 Prime Lezioni Progressive Op. 139 No. 5, Andantino
My new classical guitar release, out today.
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Oliver
Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed
or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed
or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
Bartok
Bartok's 'Mikrokosmos' is an indispensable series of pieces and technical studies for learning to play the piano. There are 153 graduated exercises from beginner to complex. If you want to learn to play the piano, get a copy, start with Volume 1. I use editions from Boosey and Hawkes.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Cindy
"Cindy Blackman Santana is an innovator and virtuoso drummer whose artistry spans the realms of jazz and rock. Cindy has been touring the globe and recording with artists including Lenny Kravitz, Pharoah Sanders, Cassandra Wilson, Bill Laswell, Joss Stone, Joe Henderson, Buckethead, Don Pullen, Hugh Masakela, and Angela Bofill. She tours and performs with her own bands, Cindy Blackman Santana Group and Another Lifetime. From 1992-2007 and 2014-2015 she was the drummer in Lenny Kravitz’s band. In 2011, Cindy, Vernon Reid, Jack Bruce, and John Medeski formed Spectrum Road, dedicated to the music of Tony Williams. In 2016, Cindy joined Santana full-time and has been mesmerizing live audiences around the globe and in the studio ever since. In Fall of 2020, she will deliver a new solo album entitled, “Give The Drummer Some”, with songs that span the realm of jazz, rock, and funk, featuring Cindy’s incredible versatility both behind the kit and in front of the microphone."
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Food
"According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Feeding America, about 13.7% of U.S. households experience food insecurity at some point during the year."
"1 in 7 Americans—amounting to roughly 48 million people (including more than 14 million children) face difficult challenges accessing enough nutritious food."
"1 in 7 Americans—amounting to roughly 48 million people (including more than 14 million children) face difficult challenges accessing enough nutritious food."
F. Scott Fitzgerald
"For what it's worth, it's never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you're proud of and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start over."
"To be kind is more important than to be right. Many times, what people need is not a brilliant mind that speaks but a special heart that listens."
"To be kind is more important than to be right. Many times, what people need is not a brilliant mind that speaks but a special heart that listens."
Monday, June 15, 2026
Walt Whitman
“Resist much, obey little.”
“What is that you express in your eyes? It seems to me more than all the print I have read in my life.”
“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”
“What is that you express in your eyes? It seems to me more than all the print I have read in my life.”
“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”
You
From AI Gemini:
'The absolute core of how life works on Earth'
The short answer is: virtually 100% of the atoms and molecules in your body right now were once part of other living beings, plants, or organisms.
Aside from a tiny fraction of material that might have come from deeply buried primordial rock or a fallen meteorite, you are entirely recycled history. Here is how that breaks down chemically and biologically.
The Ultimate Recycling Program: The Carbon Cycle
To understand why this number is essentially 100%, we have to look at how the core building blocks of life move through our planet.
About 99% of your body is made up of just six elements: Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Calcium, and Phosphorus. None of these elements stay in one place for long.
1. Carbon (The Backbone of Your Molecules)
Every protein, strand of DNA, and fat molecule in your body relies on a carbon skeleton.
- Humans cannot pull carbon out of the air. We get 100% of our carbon from the food we eat.
- If you eat plants, you take in carbon that the plant pulled from the atmosphere via photosynthesis.
- If you eat animals, you take in carbon that the animal got from eating plants.
But where did the plant get that atmospheric carbon dioxide? It was exhaled by another animal, released by decaying fungi, or breathed out by a human centuries ago. Because carbon cycles through the biosphere so rapidly, virtually every single carbon atom in your body has been cycled through thousands of other living things over the last 4 billion years.
2. Hydrogen and Oxygen (Water and Tissue)
Roughly 60% of your body is water (H_2O). The water molecules you drink today have been moving through the global hydrologic cycle for billions of years.
- The water molecule you absorb today might have been part of a prehistoric fern, drunk and excreted by a dinosaur, evaporated into a cloud, absorbed by a tree, and then passed down a river.
- While water molecules can break apart and reform, the raw hydrogen and oxygen atoms are pristine, immortal recyclables.
3. Nitrogen and Soil Minerals
Your DNA and proteins require massive amounts of nitrogen. Humans get nitrogen from eating plants or animals. Plants get it from the soil, where it was broken down by bacteria operating on dead organic matter (past plants and animals). The exact same rule applies to the calcium in your bones and the iron in your blood; it is mined by plants and microbes from soil that is entirely enriched by the biological decomposition of past life.
The Statistical Certainty: The "Julius Caesar" Effect
Because atoms are unimaginably small and there are so many of them, the math of recycling becomes a statistical guarantee.
For example, a single sip of water contains roughly two sextillion atoms of oxygen and hydrogen. Because that number is so vast compared to the total amount of water on Earth, mathematical models show that every single breath of air you take, and every glass of water you drink, contains millions of atoms that were once breathed or consumed by any historical figure you can name—whether it is Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vinci, or the first flowering plant on Earth.
The Timeline of "You"
It helps to think of your body less like a permanent brick monument and more like a busy hotel.
- The Quick Turnaround: Your body is constantly replacing itself. The lining of your stomach replaces itself every few days; your skin replaces itself every few weeks. The atoms you are "borrowing" today to make a skin cell will be shed, washed down the drain, and consumed by microbes or plants to become part of another living thing a few months from now.
- The Cosmic View: If we go back far enough—before life existed—all of these atoms came from space. The hydrogen in your body is nearly 13.8 billion years old, forged in the Big Bang. The carbon, oxygen, and iron were forged inside the bellies of dying stars.
But on the timescale of planet Earth? Every single atom currently keeping you alive is on temporary loan from the massive, ancient reservoir of Earth's past biology. You are, quite literally, woven out of the fabric of everything that came before you.
'The absolute core of how life works on Earth'
The short answer is: virtually 100% of the atoms and molecules in your body right now were once part of other living beings, plants, or organisms.
Aside from a tiny fraction of material that might have come from deeply buried primordial rock or a fallen meteorite, you are entirely recycled history. Here is how that breaks down chemically and biologically.
The Ultimate Recycling Program: The Carbon Cycle
To understand why this number is essentially 100%, we have to look at how the core building blocks of life move through our planet.
About 99% of your body is made up of just six elements: Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Calcium, and Phosphorus. None of these elements stay in one place for long.
1. Carbon (The Backbone of Your Molecules)
Every protein, strand of DNA, and fat molecule in your body relies on a carbon skeleton.
- Humans cannot pull carbon out of the air. We get 100% of our carbon from the food we eat.
- If you eat plants, you take in carbon that the plant pulled from the atmosphere via photosynthesis.
- If you eat animals, you take in carbon that the animal got from eating plants.
But where did the plant get that atmospheric carbon dioxide? It was exhaled by another animal, released by decaying fungi, or breathed out by a human centuries ago. Because carbon cycles through the biosphere so rapidly, virtually every single carbon atom in your body has been cycled through thousands of other living things over the last 4 billion years.
2. Hydrogen and Oxygen (Water and Tissue)
Roughly 60% of your body is water (H_2O). The water molecules you drink today have been moving through the global hydrologic cycle for billions of years.
- The water molecule you absorb today might have been part of a prehistoric fern, drunk and excreted by a dinosaur, evaporated into a cloud, absorbed by a tree, and then passed down a river.
- While water molecules can break apart and reform, the raw hydrogen and oxygen atoms are pristine, immortal recyclables.
3. Nitrogen and Soil Minerals
Your DNA and proteins require massive amounts of nitrogen. Humans get nitrogen from eating plants or animals. Plants get it from the soil, where it was broken down by bacteria operating on dead organic matter (past plants and animals). The exact same rule applies to the calcium in your bones and the iron in your blood; it is mined by plants and microbes from soil that is entirely enriched by the biological decomposition of past life.
The Statistical Certainty: The "Julius Caesar" Effect
Because atoms are unimaginably small and there are so many of them, the math of recycling becomes a statistical guarantee.
For example, a single sip of water contains roughly two sextillion atoms of oxygen and hydrogen. Because that number is so vast compared to the total amount of water on Earth, mathematical models show that every single breath of air you take, and every glass of water you drink, contains millions of atoms that were once breathed or consumed by any historical figure you can name—whether it is Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vinci, or the first flowering plant on Earth.
The Timeline of "You"
It helps to think of your body less like a permanent brick monument and more like a busy hotel.
- The Quick Turnaround: Your body is constantly replacing itself. The lining of your stomach replaces itself every few days; your skin replaces itself every few weeks. The atoms you are "borrowing" today to make a skin cell will be shed, washed down the drain, and consumed by microbes or plants to become part of another living thing a few months from now.
- The Cosmic View: If we go back far enough—before life existed—all of these atoms came from space. The hydrogen in your body is nearly 13.8 billion years old, forged in the Big Bang. The carbon, oxygen, and iron were forged inside the bellies of dying stars.
But on the timescale of planet Earth? Every single atom currently keeping you alive is on temporary loan from the massive, ancient reservoir of Earth's past biology. You are, quite literally, woven out of the fabric of everything that came before you.
Friday, June 12, 2026
Trees And Vines
From AI Gemini:
When a tree is completely covered in climbing vines or woody lianas, the tree dying first is the standard, expected biological outcome.
Climbing plants are structural parasites. Because they do not expend energy building thick, self-supporting trunks, they invest their resources into rapid elongation and massive leaf production instead. They use the host tree purely as a ladder to reach the sunlight, often outliving the very tree they climbed.
Ecologists and arborists document several distinct ways vines actively cause the tree to die first:
1. Photosynthetic Smothering (Competitive Exclusion)
The most common way vines kill a tree is by stealing its light. Once a vine reaches the top of a tree, it deploys a broad canopy of leaves directly over the host tree’s crown.
- This drastically cuts down the tree’s leaf area index and limits its ability to perform photosynthesis.
- Deprived of sunlight, the tree experiences a progressive decline in growth, starves, and eventually dies.
2. Mechanical Girdling (Strangulation)
Certain aggressive twining vines—such as Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) or wisteria—wrap themselves tightly around the trunk and branches of a tree. As the tree attempts to grow outward, the unyielding vine acts like a tight tourniquet. This restricts and eventually cuts off the phloem and cambium layers right beneath the bark. Once this fluid transport is blocked (girdling), nutrients cannot reach the roots, and the tree dies from the top down.
3. Structural Overload and Windthrow
Vines add tremendous physical weight to a tree's canopy. Furthermore, their dense masses act like a giant sail, significantly increasing air resistance during storms. This combination makes the host tree top-heavy and structurally vulnerable, frequently causing branches to snap or the entire tree to uproot and topple over long before the vine itself suffers any damage.
What Happens to the Vine After the Tree Dies?
Once the host tree dies, the vine's strategy shifts depending on the species and the environment:
- The Canopy Collapse: If the dead tree rots and crashes to the ground, the associated vines fall with it. However, many woody vines (especially tropical lianas) are incredibly resilient. Up to 90% of certain lianas can survive the fall of their host tree, rapidly re-rooting in the forest floor and using the newly created canopy gap to climb up neighboring trees.
- The Ghost Tree Effect: Some aggressive, woody vines (like English Ivy or Kudzu) create a self-supporting network of thick, interlocking vines over decades. When the host tree dies and rots away entirely inside the mantle, it leaves behind a hollow "ghost tree" or "arbor"—a structure made entirely of living vines shaped like the tree that used to be there.
When a tree is completely covered in climbing vines or woody lianas, the tree dying first is the standard, expected biological outcome.
Climbing plants are structural parasites. Because they do not expend energy building thick, self-supporting trunks, they invest their resources into rapid elongation and massive leaf production instead. They use the host tree purely as a ladder to reach the sunlight, often outliving the very tree they climbed.
Ecologists and arborists document several distinct ways vines actively cause the tree to die first:
1. Photosynthetic Smothering (Competitive Exclusion)
The most common way vines kill a tree is by stealing its light. Once a vine reaches the top of a tree, it deploys a broad canopy of leaves directly over the host tree’s crown.
- This drastically cuts down the tree’s leaf area index and limits its ability to perform photosynthesis.
- Deprived of sunlight, the tree experiences a progressive decline in growth, starves, and eventually dies.
2. Mechanical Girdling (Strangulation)
Certain aggressive twining vines—such as Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) or wisteria—wrap themselves tightly around the trunk and branches of a tree. As the tree attempts to grow outward, the unyielding vine acts like a tight tourniquet. This restricts and eventually cuts off the phloem and cambium layers right beneath the bark. Once this fluid transport is blocked (girdling), nutrients cannot reach the roots, and the tree dies from the top down.
3. Structural Overload and Windthrow
Vines add tremendous physical weight to a tree's canopy. Furthermore, their dense masses act like a giant sail, significantly increasing air resistance during storms. This combination makes the host tree top-heavy and structurally vulnerable, frequently causing branches to snap or the entire tree to uproot and topple over long before the vine itself suffers any damage.
What Happens to the Vine After the Tree Dies?
Once the host tree dies, the vine's strategy shifts depending on the species and the environment:
- The Canopy Collapse: If the dead tree rots and crashes to the ground, the associated vines fall with it. However, many woody vines (especially tropical lianas) are incredibly resilient. Up to 90% of certain lianas can survive the fall of their host tree, rapidly re-rooting in the forest floor and using the newly created canopy gap to climb up neighboring trees.
- The Ghost Tree Effect: Some aggressive, woody vines (like English Ivy or Kudzu) create a self-supporting network of thick, interlocking vines over decades. When the host tree dies and rots away entirely inside the mantle, it leaves behind a hollow "ghost tree" or "arbor"—a structure made entirely of living vines shaped like the tree that used to be there.
Longfellow
The Arrow and the Song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Eukaryotes
"Eukaryotes are organisms whose cells contain a membrane-bound nucleus and other specialized structures called organelles. This domain of life encompasses all animals, plants, and fungi, as well as many single-celled organisms. They are distinguished from prokaryotes (like bacteria) by their much larger size and internal complexity."
Elliot
T.S. Eliot
We shall not cease from exploration,
and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time.
We shall not cease from exploration,
and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time.
Caring For Elders In Nursing Homes
From AI Gemini:
Supporting someone in their late 80s who is navigating the transition of a nursing home while recovering from health setbacks requires a shift from "keeping them busy" to "making them needed." At that stage of life, purpose often stems from feeling that their wisdom, presence, or small actions still carry weight in the world.
Here are a few ways to help foster that sense of agency and contribution:
1. The Role of the "Family Historian"
Legacy is a powerful motivator. If they are able, ask them to help "archive" family knowledge that only they possess.
Photo Identification: Bring in old, unlabeled family photos and have them identify the people, places, and years.
Oral History: Record short sessions where they describe specific memories—not just their whole life story, which can feel overwhelming, but specific prompts like "Tell me about your first car" or "What was your mother’s favorite meal to cook?"
2. Intellectual Contribution
Feeling like an expert in something prevents the "patient" identity from taking over.
Advice Seeking: Ask for their genuine perspective on a problem you are facing (work, relationships, or a DIY project). Even if they can't physically help, being a consultant restores a sense of authority.
Curated Consumption: If they have a lifelong interest—whether it's history, gardening, or music—bring them specific articles or news updates and ask for their "take" on it later.
3. "Micro-Volunteering" within the Facility
Many facilities have internal ecosystems where residents can help one another.
The Welcoming Committee: If they are social, they might find purpose in being the person who greets new residents or sits with someone who seems lonely during dinner.
Skill Sharing: If they were a teacher, accountant, or gardener, see if the life enrichment director can help them lead a small, informal "interest circle" or discussion group.
4. Cultivating Growth
Having something that depends on you for survival is a fundamental psychological lift.
Indoor Gardening: A small windowsill herb garden or a resilient succulent allows them to provide care rather than just receive it.
Bird Watching: Setting up a feeder outside their window (if permitted) turns them into an observer and "steward" of the local wildlife, giving them a reason to check the window every morning.
5. Bridging the Digital Gap
If they are cognitively able but physically limited, technology can be a lifeline to the outside world.
Digital Correspondence: Helping them send a quick voice-to-text message or a video call to a grandchild can make them feel like an active participant in the family’s daily life rather than a distant observer.
A note on the approach:
The key is to ensure these aren't "make-work" tasks. The person needs to feel that if they didn't do the task, something would actually be lost. Focusing on their specific strengths—whether it’s their sense of humor, their memory, or their calm presence—is usually the best starting point.
Supporting someone in their late 80s who is navigating the transition of a nursing home while recovering from health setbacks requires a shift from "keeping them busy" to "making them needed." At that stage of life, purpose often stems from feeling that their wisdom, presence, or small actions still carry weight in the world.
Here are a few ways to help foster that sense of agency and contribution:
1. The Role of the "Family Historian"
Legacy is a powerful motivator. If they are able, ask them to help "archive" family knowledge that only they possess.
Photo Identification: Bring in old, unlabeled family photos and have them identify the people, places, and years.
Oral History: Record short sessions where they describe specific memories—not just their whole life story, which can feel overwhelming, but specific prompts like "Tell me about your first car" or "What was your mother’s favorite meal to cook?"
2. Intellectual Contribution
Feeling like an expert in something prevents the "patient" identity from taking over.
Advice Seeking: Ask for their genuine perspective on a problem you are facing (work, relationships, or a DIY project). Even if they can't physically help, being a consultant restores a sense of authority.
Curated Consumption: If they have a lifelong interest—whether it's history, gardening, or music—bring them specific articles or news updates and ask for their "take" on it later.
3. "Micro-Volunteering" within the Facility
Many facilities have internal ecosystems where residents can help one another.
The Welcoming Committee: If they are social, they might find purpose in being the person who greets new residents or sits with someone who seems lonely during dinner.
Skill Sharing: If they were a teacher, accountant, or gardener, see if the life enrichment director can help them lead a small, informal "interest circle" or discussion group.
4. Cultivating Growth
Having something that depends on you for survival is a fundamental psychological lift.
Indoor Gardening: A small windowsill herb garden or a resilient succulent allows them to provide care rather than just receive it.
Bird Watching: Setting up a feeder outside their window (if permitted) turns them into an observer and "steward" of the local wildlife, giving them a reason to check the window every morning.
5. Bridging the Digital Gap
If they are cognitively able but physically limited, technology can be a lifeline to the outside world.
Digital Correspondence: Helping them send a quick voice-to-text message or a video call to a grandchild can make them feel like an active participant in the family’s daily life rather than a distant observer.
A note on the approach:
The key is to ensure these aren't "make-work" tasks. The person needs to feel that if they didn't do the task, something would actually be lost. Focusing on their specific strengths—whether it’s their sense of humor, their memory, or their calm presence—is usually the best starting point.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Bucket
The phrase "bucket list" is derived from the idiom "kick the bucket."
Why not "dust list", derived from "bite the dust".
Why not "dust list", derived from "bite the dust".
Air
Live Science - "Long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to an increased risk of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. Research indicates that polluted air can harm not only physical health but also brain function, potentially leading to serious mental health disorders."
National Library of Medicine: Air Pollution, Depressive and Anxiety Disorders, and Brain Effects: A Systematic Review
National Library of Medicine: Air Pollution, Depressive and Anxiety Disorders, and Brain Effects: A Systematic Review
Hydra
From AI Gemini:
Yes, a hydra can not only survive being chopped up, but it can actually grow into multiple new individuals from those pieces.
This process is known as morphallaxis, a specific type of regeneration. Here is how it works and why it is so unique:
1. Incredible Regenerative Power
If you cut a hydra into several small pieces, each fragment—provided it contains a few hundred epithelial cells—can reorganize itself into a complete, smaller version of the original hydra. This includes regrowing the "head" (the hypostome and tentacles) and the "foot" (the basal disc).
2. How Morphallaxis Works
Unlike some animals that regrow limbs by rapidly creating new cells at the site of the injury (like a salamander), the hydra uses morphallaxis:
Reorganization: It primarily reshuffles its *existing* cells to build the new body structure.
Polarity: The cells "know" which end is which. Even a tiny slice of the body column maintains a sense of direction, ensuring the head grows at the top and the foot at the bottom.
Stem Cell Activity: Hydra are packed with interstitial stem cells that constantly divide, allowing them to replace any part of their body indefinitely.
3. "Biological Immortality"
Because their cells are constantly being renewed, hydra do not appear to undergo senescence (biological aging). In a stable environment, a hydra could theoretically live forever. When you chop one up, you aren't just seeing a survival tactic; you are seeing their natural reproductive capability—asexual budding—pushed to an extreme by external force.
4. Limits to the Magic
While they are resilient, they aren't completely invincible:
Size Minimum: If a piece is too small (typically less than a few hundred cells), it lacks the critical mass and signaling molecules needed to organize a new body.
Cell Types: A successful fragment must contain both the inner (endoderm) and outer (ectoderm) layers of cells.
If you were to put a hydra through a blender, it would likely be destroyed. However, if you simply mince it into small chunks, you might find yourself with a dozen new hydra a few days later.
Image from Wikimedia Commons
Tuesday, June 09, 2026
Buddhism - Seniors, Don't Waste Your Last Years On These 4 Meaningless Things
1. Chasing the need for importance (Mana): Many struggle with the desire to be seen, respected, or consulted as they were in their careers (1:46 - 4:45). The practice offered is to pause and ask, "Do I want to be heard or do I want to be right?" and to let go of the need for external validation.
2. Replaying old wounds: Dwelling on past betrayals or losses keeps suffering alive in the present (6:13 - 9:50). Instead of ruminating, he suggests taking three slow breaths and reminding oneself, "That was then, I am here now," as a step toward self-forgiveness.
3. Drowning in worry: Anxiety about things we cannot control—such as the news or the future—is a refusal to accept impermanence (Anicca) (10:23 - 14:36). He recommends the "two circles" practice: focusing energy only on the inner circle of things one can actually influence, rather than the outer circle of uncontrollable events.
4. Waiting for "someday": Postponing spiritual practice for when conditions are "perfect" is a dangerous habit (14:41 - 18:38). He urges viewers to start today with just five minutes of daily silence, emphasizing that this stage of life is the perfect time for wakefulness.
Transformation
From AI Gemini:
Do Narcissists resist transformation?
In short: Yes, profoundly.
In clinical psychology, narcissism is often defined by a "rigid" personality structure. While a meditator looks inward to find truth, a person with high narcissistic traits looks outward to find validation for a manufactured version of themselves.
Why They Resist Transformation
Grandiosity - If you believe you are already at a "ten," there is no reason to grow. Suggesting they change is often perceived as an insult.
Lack of Insight - Transformation requires introspection. Narcissistic defense mechanisms are designed specifically to prevent looking inward, as doing so might reveal underlying insecurity.
Externalization - They tend to see problems as existing in others or the environment. Since they aren't the problem, they don't see themselves as the candidate for the solution.
Do Narcissists resist transformation?
In short: Yes, profoundly.
In clinical psychology, narcissism is often defined by a "rigid" personality structure. While a meditator looks inward to find truth, a person with high narcissistic traits looks outward to find validation for a manufactured version of themselves.
Why They Resist Transformation
Grandiosity - If you believe you are already at a "ten," there is no reason to grow. Suggesting they change is often perceived as an insult.
Lack of Insight - Transformation requires introspection. Narcissistic defense mechanisms are designed specifically to prevent looking inward, as doing so might reveal underlying insecurity.
Externalization - They tend to see problems as existing in others or the environment. Since they aren't the problem, they don't see themselves as the candidate for the solution.
Monday, June 08, 2026
Friday, June 05, 2026
Image
"This image is often used to illustrate the difference between appearance and reality, particularly regarding social media portrayals."
Fernando Sor - 'Variations On A Theme By Mozart, Op. 9 Andantino'
My newest release with G2 Records, a classical guitar track. Fernando Sor 1778-1839 was a guitarist and wrote extensively for the instrument. At some point all classical guitarists play through his work. Sor wrote a set of variations on a theme from 'The Magic Flute' by Mozart, and this is the Andantino from that work.
Oliver
A Meeting by Mary Oliver
She steps into the dark swamp
where the long wait ends.
The secret slippery package
drops to the weeds.
She leans her long neck and tongues it
between breaths slack with exhaustion
and after a while it rises and becomes a creature
like her, but much smaller.
So now there are two. And they walk together
like a dream under the trees.
In early June, at the edge of a field
thick with pink and yellow flowers
I meet them.
I can only stare.
She is the most beautiful woman
I have ever seen.
Her child leaps among the flowers,
the blue of the sky falls over me
like silk, the flowers burn, and I want
to live my life all over again, to begin again,
to be utterly
wild.
She steps into the dark swamp
where the long wait ends.
The secret slippery package
drops to the weeds.
She leans her long neck and tongues it
between breaths slack with exhaustion
and after a while it rises and becomes a creature
like her, but much smaller.
So now there are two. And they walk together
like a dream under the trees.
In early June, at the edge of a field
thick with pink and yellow flowers
I meet them.
I can only stare.
She is the most beautiful woman
I have ever seen.
Her child leaps among the flowers,
the blue of the sky falls over me
like silk, the flowers burn, and I want
to live my life all over again, to begin again,
to be utterly
wild.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
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