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Posts Tagged ‘Writers’

I have a folder of interesting articles, quotes, and ideas. When the cicadas are buzzing and the temperature is too hot to think of anything particularly timely, I search that folder for stories that might interest you.

Today, this treasure trove of ideas wants you to know about a critical space station issue: water.

Water recycling is paramount for space stations and long-duration missions − an environmental engineer explains how the ISS does it

When you’re on a camping trip, you might have to pack your own food and maybe something to filter or treat water that you find. But imagine your campsite is in space, where there’s no water, and packing jugs of water would take up room when every inch of cargo space counts. That’s a key challenge engineers faced when designing the International Space Station.

Real life Dune! Ok, not really, but kind of! And this is exactly the sort of technology that can benefit the Earth-bound among us too.

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“You shall, I question not, find a way to the top if you diligently seek for it; for nature hath placed nothing so high that it is out of the reach of industry and valor.”

— Alexander the Great

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A random guide that may or may not be related to the last scene I wrote: A Naturalist’s Guide to the World’s Most Lethal Plants

Not every threat in nature has fangs. Some sit quietly, rooted in soil, dressed in flowers, laced with poison.

And since we’re on the topic, what about the (mostly but not entirely historical) trend of poison gardens, and how are they related to the history of medicine?

Welcome To The Poison Garden: Medicine’s Medieval Roots

Visitors to the Poison Garden are allowed to look but not touch, says head gardener Trevor Jones. “They’re not allowed to stand too close to the plants. They’re not allowed to smell them or touch them or taste any of them, because they do all have the ability to kill you.”

In this as in so many other cases, knowledge is power!

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“Instead of looking at things, look between things.”

— John Baldessari

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I had the interesting experience of trying to explain my latest writing project to someone at a party last night. In French.

Do I speak French? I do not!

It was a hilarious experience (what exactly is “ethical thief” in French?) and I learned a lot. The best part was just diving in and figuring it out.

Did I get everything right? 100% no.

Did I get enough right to make it work? Yes.

And that’s what mattered. It also helped me think through what was important about the story and what could fall by the wayside.

So if anyone out there is aiming for perfection ? (And I include myself in this.) Maybe just don’t. Instead, focus on the important bits.

And having a good time is right at the top of that list.

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True strength lies in admitting weakness, and then working to fix it.

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Let’s call this post the latest in my “actually, some things are very definitely better, thankfully!” series.

What was food like before the FDA? | Popular Science

Short answer? Not good! 

Read the article for more on formaldehyde, brick dust, lead and other things you never thought would be mentioned in a story about food. (There’s also a shout-out to Upton Sinclair’s classic novel The Jungle, which, among other things, helped publicize the unsavory conditions inside Chicago’s meatpacking plants.)

Now I’m off to have a Plaster of Paris-free sandwich, yum!

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Not getting everything done you’d hoped? Life intruding into your carefully made plans? It happens. Some days are weird.

And some days you just need to give yourself a break.

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Why Tolkien thought “sub-creation” was the secret to great fantasy and science fiction

There is something about great fantasy that emboldens the spirit and gives fire to the fight. It is found not only in the words and plot but in its atemporality. It tells us that there is something universal to the human condition that ought to be celebrated. It is something as true for Anglo-Saxons in their snowy mead halls as it is for office drones changing their login passwords.

It says that no matter what monsters we face, we shall overcome and live on. We shall not be defeated.

That’s a pretty good secret.

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“Dare to be strong and courageous. That is the road. Venture anything.”

— Sherwood Anderson

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