Thoughts | J.R. Johnson

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
— Marie Curie

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A Bold Mission

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, 25% Canadian, Artemis, free fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, NASA, science, space exploration, Thoughts, Writers on April 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »

NASA recently released the Artemis II roster for the next crewed lunar mission. As one article put it, “this is not your grandfather’s moon mission” and that’s a good thing. The crew is 25% female, 25% African American, and even (gasp!) 25% Canadian! (Think you too have what it takes? Here’s a link to get started: Astronaut Selection Program | NASA. Good luck!)

Why go to space? There are a lot of potential answers. Given the complex, diverse and fascinating future of exploration, here’s a collection of stories and essays that address this very question.

Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures from ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination

Stories by: Madeline Ashby, Steven Barnes, Eileen Gunn, Ramez Naam, Carter Scholz, Karl Schroeder, Vandana Singh

Essays by: Jim Bell, Lawrence Dritsas, Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Emma Frow, Roland Lehoucq, Andrew D. Maynard, Clark A. Miller, Deji Bryce Olukotun, Steve Ruff, William K. Storey, Sara Imari Walker, G. Pascal Zachary

Interview with: Kim Stanley Robinson

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Short on Books

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, Fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing on April 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I’m short on good books at the moment, and while I find that an uncomfortable place to be, maybe it’s a good thing?

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
― Toni Morrison

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*Photo by Girl with red hat on Unsplash*

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Winding Down

Posted in Entertainment, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, chilling, Thoughts on April 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Perhaps you recently watched the F1 Australian Grand Prix, had to trim your cat’s nails, or experienced a similarly stressful moment. You may enjoy a few calming minutes spent with these birds of the world:

I know I will.

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Our Ancestors’ Dreams

Posted in Favorites, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, innovation, inspiration, technology, Thoughts on April 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

A century ago gasoline-powered cars really came into their own. (In 1920, if memory serves, Ford sold a million Model Ts for the first time.) Now, a hundred or so years after that milestone, we’re living in the midst of another significant change.

Mr Man and I were discussing electric vehicles today. As an example, in the space of a block we spotted half a dozen Teslas. Regardless of what one thinks about the company (or its owner’s shenanigans), it has been a pioneer and visible symbol of the shift from fossil fuels to electrification. Despite decades of resistance from established interests, that change is now happening at a rapid pace.

That also got me thinking about the speed of technological change over humanity’s history, which brings me to this article.

Technology over the long run: See how dramatically the world can change within a lifetime

…we live in a time of extraordinarily fast technological change. For recent generations, it was common for technologies that were unimaginable in their youth to become common later in life.

The graphic captures this well.

*Click for more detail. Used under CC-BY, credit to author Max Roser*

It makes me think of my grandparents, born around the time of that Model T milestone. They lived to see the moon missions, internet and cell phones.

It’s been said before but it bears repeating. We’re living our ancestors’ dreams. Let’s make them good ones.

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Oh, Good

Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts on March 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

My day so far:

The good news is that it’s Friday and things are looking up!

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You’re a Rockstar

Posted in Likes, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, innovation, inspiration, problem solving, Thoughts on March 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Most mornings I stop by the MIT homepage to see what new projects are in the works. Today I was particularly struck by the sense that these folks are freaking rockstars.

Designing a flexible graphene supercapacitor for solar energy storage?

Rockstars.

Researching cell-based treatment for Type 1 diabetes?

Rockstar.

Advising the White House on space policy?

Rockstar.

Reducing concrete emissions, making affordable air quality sensors, supporting collaborative action, and addressing disparities in health care?

Rockstars all.

As someone who imagines the future, I love to see it being built.

And it’s not just MIT, of course. The world is full of creative innovators at all levels, from cutting-edge research to finding solutions to everyday issues. Scientists or not, that’s kind of humanity’s thing.

Take a moment to remember a time when you identified a problem and worked to fix it. Have you ever soaped a sticky drawer, had a stoplight installed at a dangerous intersection, added pollinator-friendly plants to your garden, or tackled any of the many (many) problems we face every day?

Then you’re a rockstar too.

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