Thinks

“…Oh, the thinks you can think.”  Dr. Seuss

Can you volitionally rhyme words?
Does curiosity prompt you to look under that rock along the pathway to see what’s underneath?
Are you able to learn a word in a foreign language each week, and use it in a simple sentence?
Does geometry make sense to you? (Have you been teaching your high school student, and finding you remember some of this stuff?)
What would be involved in discovering 5 different routes to take to get to work? (if that is a thing anymore)
Visit an ethnic grocery store (or the aisle with ethnic cuisine items), and pick out something you’ve never seen before; use it.
This week, invite a new colleague to take a walk or have coffee; discover something wonderful about that person. Tell something wonderful about yourself.
Who is the furthest back in time friend you can remember? See if you can find them. Reach out to say they still live in your memory, and tell a funny story about them.
Learn the name of a bird (or a plant) in your neighborhood that catches your eye. Is it migratory? Native?  

Each of these thinking tasks takes less than 15 minutes (some much less).  What a refreshing investment of time.

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and now for something completely different….

Podcast: Hydrogen from water and light

…scientists have managed to separate hydrogen from water with near perfect efficiency using a light-activated catalyst. Chemist Kazunari Domen and his colleagues fine-tuned the prototype system so that almost no energy from the absorbed photons is wasted — throwing open the door to producing clean, green hydrogen fuel from renewable solar energy. “I myself was actually surprised,” laughs Domen in the Nature Podcast.

Nature Podcast | 20 min listen

Mike Berens

Arizona’s “can do” culture resonates well with me, and has for over 60 years. The citizens’ accommodating attitudes towards creativity, entrepreneurship, and courageous-yet-respectful explorations foster communities of compassionate growth populated by agents of change. The various ecosystems and landscapes of the Southwest are beautiful and inspiring. Greatly bolstered by the companionship of my bride of over 4 decades and the wonder of my extended family, I live a charmed life. My professional work as a translational cancer scientist brings deep fulfillment as I apply leading edge genomic technology to understand human disease, mentor junior scientists, and engage with interdisciplinary teams. My days are filled with work and wonder.