(Download and use it as wall paper if you like!)
Monday, July 18, 2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Invention - Innovation
What drives invention? Sometimes, it’s back pain. Here’s how to prime your own creativity to make something new.
When Pagan Kennedy was writing her Innovation column for The New York Time Magazine, she and her editor would come up with intriguing discoveries or objects, and then she would look backward to figure out how they were created — and by whom. “I started noticing that a lot of the ideas didn’t come from professional inventors or engineering classes,” Kennedy says. “They came from people who were in a position to see a problem that needed fixing in a very personal way.” Kennedy collects some of those remarkable stories in her bookInventology: How We Dream Up Things That Change the World. We asked Kennedy to cull some of the fundamental traits and conditions that lead to brilliant creativity.
Your aching back, or that pinch in your neck, could push you to greatness.Jake Stap was having a heck of a time getting the kids to pick up tennis balls when he ran camps in Wisconsin in the 1960s. The onus fell on him, causing severe backaches. He was feeling desperate. He needed to solve the problem. “A key to Stap’s invention is that the frustration had to be of long duration,” Kennedy says. “If it’s short, then a half solution would do fine. But the dread of the next summer forced him to think past half-solutions.” Stap put a tennis ball on the passenger seat of his car and spent the winter looking at it, playing with it, and considering solutions to the problem, including a retractable arm, until he came up with the now-ubiquitous metal-basket tennis ball hopper. Similarly,Bernard Sadow, a luggage company executive, was toiling through an airport in the early ‘70s lugging two suitcases. He noticed airport workers pushing a machine on a dolly, giving him the idea that he could ease his load by putting wheels on his suitcases. But his solution — a sort of leash that pulled a bag — was still clunky, especially if you had to go around a sharp corner. About a decade later, pilot Robert Plath, who also spent much time huffing through airports, came up with a better solution — wheels on one edge of a bag, with a rigid handle that could be extended.
Keep an open mind, and you just might stumble on to something. In her book, Kennedy cites a study that found that more than 50% of patent owners credited a serendipitous event for their invention. In other words, inventors were not aiming to create what they ended up creating. But because they were open to what was around them, they made great discoveries. In the early ‘80s, NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson was tinkering to see if a heat pump could use water instead of freon when he tested a nozzle and noticed that it projected water in a “cartoonish” way, which reminded him of a child’s water gun. The Super Soakerwas born.
Love conquers all. Kennedy noticed that passion was a key component in the discoveries made by Stap, Johnson and other inventors. “They fall in love with it. And the love is what keeps them going,” she says. Often, a discovery becomes a “favorite party trick,” which the inventor shows off to friends. They think about it day and night. “It doesn’t feel like work. They see the possibility and they are motivated,” which drives them all the way through the arduous process of development and, eventually, certifying a discovery.
No inventor is an island. Kennedy found that an essential ingredient to many inventions was that they were forged through communication with a community. Serial inventor Dick Belanger kept a book he called, “Dick’s book of dumb ideas,” which included a fogless bathroom mirror, a tennis ball inflater and a hot dog-shaped hamburger. He bounced the ideas off friends and family. Eventually, they helped guide him toward pursuing his idea for a no-spill sippy cup that used an air vacuum to trap water inside. Fellow parents helped fine-tune his cleverly designed cup. “For Belanger, feedback was most important in helping him avoid ideas that were likely to fail or fizzle,” Kennedy says.
It’s easier than ever to get your new product made. We are living in an era when the barriers to innovation are disappearing. “You have more inventive tools on your phone than what the top engineers at Bell Labs had in the 1960s,” Kennedy says. China’s manufacturing city of Shenzhen has become an accessible hub where inventors can find factories primed to produce new electronics and objects — like those myriad variations on the selfie stick. 3D printers make prototypes affordable and accessible. And, like never before, manufacturers and pop-up factories around the world are motivated to work with individuals and small companies that can get financing through crowdfunding and venture capital. “My job used to be so hard,” independent inventor Chris Hawker told Kennedy. In the 1990s, when Hawker was working on an algae scraper for fish tanks, he spent days on research, writing down phone numbers and then calling factories. Now, he said, “I can just get on Alibaba,” and look up articles on Wikipedia and talk to people in minutes to research and source component parts. “Invention is being reinvented,” Kennedy says.
Shadow - Folk Story
Rabbit lived alone in his tipi—alone except for his grandmother. Every morning Rabbit went out to hunt with his bow and arrows and always someone long and black followed his footstep. Whenever Rabbit looked back, the long black one was there. Rabbit could not shake him. It seemed as if he were stuck to Rabbit’s heels.
Rabbit was scared of whoever was following. He said to himself: “I will get up very early, before that long, black fellow.” But it was no use. The stranger kept dogging his trail. This went on day after day. Rabbit was angry. One evening, after he came home, he made himself a snare out of his bowstring.
“Why are you doing this?” his grandmother asked.
“Because someone is always following me,” Rabbit answered. “I am fed up with this. I will trap him.” He put the snare along his footprints.
In the morning, when Rabbit checked his snare, he saw that he had caught something. It was blindingly bright and very hot. He ran back to his tipi. “Grandmother,” he said, “I have caught something terribly bright and scorching. I am afraid of it. But I want to get my bowstring back.” He took his knife and went to where his snare was.
The thing he had caught in his trap was very angry. It shouted: “You no-good fellow, how dare you set a snare for me? Cut me loose at once or I’ll burn you to ashes!”
Rabbit wanted to obey but was afraid to come too near. The thing was so hot that already the grass around it was smoldering. “Who are you?” Rabbit asked.
“They call me Sun,” the glowing thing answered. “Why do you keep standing there with your mouth open? Miserable oaf, use your knife to cut me loose. Hurry!”
Rabbit crept near to the thing on his belly, stretching his arm, holding the knife as far out as he could. Quickly he cut the bowstring. At once Sun rose into the sky and lit up the world. Of course, the somebody who had followed his footsteps had been his own shadow. Coming so near to Sun, Rabbit had been burned between his shoulder blades. Ever since then he has a dark, reddish spot there.
Rabbit was scared of whoever was following. He said to himself: “I will get up very early, before that long, black fellow.” But it was no use. The stranger kept dogging his trail. This went on day after day. Rabbit was angry. One evening, after he came home, he made himself a snare out of his bowstring.
“Why are you doing this?” his grandmother asked.
“Because someone is always following me,” Rabbit answered. “I am fed up with this. I will trap him.” He put the snare along his footprints.
The thing he had caught in his trap was very angry. It shouted: “You no-good fellow, how dare you set a snare for me? Cut me loose at once or I’ll burn you to ashes!”
Rabbit wanted to obey but was afraid to come too near. The thing was so hot that already the grass around it was smoldering. “Who are you?” Rabbit asked.
“They call me Sun,” the glowing thing answered. “Why do you keep standing there with your mouth open? Miserable oaf, use your knife to cut me loose. Hurry!”
Rabbit crept near to the thing on his belly, stretching his arm, holding the knife as far out as he could. Quickly he cut the bowstring. At once Sun rose into the sky and lit up the world. Of course, the somebody who had followed his footsteps had been his own shadow. Coming so near to Sun, Rabbit had been burned between his shoulder blades. Ever since then he has a dark, reddish spot there.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Hazrat Inayat Khan - Sufi - Word was God
The Power of The Word
We find in the Bible the words:‘In the beginning was the word, and the word was God,’ and we also find that the word is light, and that when that light dawned the whole creation manifested.
These are not only religious verses; to the mystic or seer the deepest revelation is contained in them.
Here is a thought, which may be pondered over for years, each time with fresh inspiration. It teaches that the first sign of life that manifested was the audible expression or sound: that is the word. When we compare this interpretation with the Vedanta philosophy, we find that the two are identical. All down the ages the Yogis and seers of India have worshipped the WordGod, or Sound-God, and around that idea is centered all the mysticism of sound or utterance. Not alone among Hindus, but among the seers of the Semitic, the Hebraic races the great importance of the word was recognized. The sacred name, the sacred word, were always esteemed in the Jewish religion. Also in Islam, that great religion whose mysticism the West is only beginning to discover, one finds the doctrine of Ismahism which,translated,isthe‘doctrineofthemysticalword’.TheZoroastrians,whohadtheir religion given to them long before the time of Buddha or Christ, and who have lost many of their teachings through the changes of time and conditions, have yet always preserved the sacred words. Sanskrit is now considered a dead language –but in the Indian meditations called Yoga, Sanskrit words are still used because of the power of sound and vibration that is contained in them The deeper we dive into the mystery of life the more we find that its whole secret is hidden in what we call words.
All occult science, all mystical practices are based upon the science of word or sound. Man is a mystery in all aspects of his being, not only in mind and soul, but also in that organism which he calls his body. It is his body, of which the Sufis say that it is the temple of God. This is not a mere saying or belief, for if man studies his body from the mystical point of view, he will find it to be much more subtle and for-reaching, and much more capable of doing, understanding and feeling, than he believes it to be. There are faculties of the soul which express themselves through certain centers in the body of man. As there are parts of lands to which water never reaches –and therefore they never become fertile soil –so it is with these centers when the breath never reaches them. They are intuitive, they are full of peace and balance, they are the centers illumination, yet never have they been awakened, for man has breathed only in those parts of his body by which he can eat, and live, and perform action. He is only half alive, if his existence is compared with the fullness of life that can be obtained by spiritual development. It may be compared to living in a great town and not knowing that there are many beautiful things that one has never seen.
As there are many people who travel to distant hands and do not know their own country, so it is with man. He is interested in all that brings beauty and joy, and yet does not know the source of all such things in himself. Man breathes, but he does not breathe rightly. As the rain falls on the ground and matures little plants and makes the soil fertile, so the breath, the essence of all energy, falls as a rain on all parts of the body. This also happen in the case of the mind, but man cannot even perceive that part of the breath that quickens the mind; only that felt in the body is perceptible, and to the average man it is not even perceptible in the body. He knows nothing of it, except what appears in the form of inhalation and exhalation through the nostrils. It is this, alone which is generally meant when man speaks of breath. When we study the science of breath, the first thing we notice is that breath is audible; it is a word in itself, for what we cal a word is only a more pronounced utterance of breath fashioned by the mouth and tongue. In the capacity of the mouth breath becomes voice, andthereforetheoriginalconditionofawordisbreath.Thereforeifwesaid:‘First was the breath’,it would be the same as saying;‘In the beginning was the word'
We find in the Bible the words:‘In the beginning was the word, and the word was God,’ and we also find that the word is light, and that when that light dawned the whole creation manifested.
These are not only religious verses; to the mystic or seer the deepest revelation is contained in them.
Here is a thought, which may be pondered over for years, each time with fresh inspiration. It teaches that the first sign of life that manifested was the audible expression or sound: that is the word. When we compare this interpretation with the Vedanta philosophy, we find that the two are identical. All down the ages the Yogis and seers of India have worshipped the WordGod, or Sound-God, and around that idea is centered all the mysticism of sound or utterance. Not alone among Hindus, but among the seers of the Semitic, the Hebraic races the great importance of the word was recognized. The sacred name, the sacred word, were always esteemed in the Jewish religion. Also in Islam, that great religion whose mysticism the West is only beginning to discover, one finds the doctrine of Ismahism which,translated,isthe‘doctrineofthemysticalword’.TheZoroastrians,whohadtheir religion given to them long before the time of Buddha or Christ, and who have lost many of their teachings through the changes of time and conditions, have yet always preserved the sacred words. Sanskrit is now considered a dead language –but in the Indian meditations called Yoga, Sanskrit words are still used because of the power of sound and vibration that is contained in them The deeper we dive into the mystery of life the more we find that its whole secret is hidden in what we call words.
All occult science, all mystical practices are based upon the science of word or sound. Man is a mystery in all aspects of his being, not only in mind and soul, but also in that organism which he calls his body. It is his body, of which the Sufis say that it is the temple of God. This is not a mere saying or belief, for if man studies his body from the mystical point of view, he will find it to be much more subtle and for-reaching, and much more capable of doing, understanding and feeling, than he believes it to be. There are faculties of the soul which express themselves through certain centers in the body of man. As there are parts of lands to which water never reaches –and therefore they never become fertile soil –so it is with these centers when the breath never reaches them. They are intuitive, they are full of peace and balance, they are the centers illumination, yet never have they been awakened, for man has breathed only in those parts of his body by which he can eat, and live, and perform action. He is only half alive, if his existence is compared with the fullness of life that can be obtained by spiritual development. It may be compared to living in a great town and not knowing that there are many beautiful things that one has never seen.
As there are many people who travel to distant hands and do not know their own country, so it is with man. He is interested in all that brings beauty and joy, and yet does not know the source of all such things in himself. Man breathes, but he does not breathe rightly. As the rain falls on the ground and matures little plants and makes the soil fertile, so the breath, the essence of all energy, falls as a rain on all parts of the body. This also happen in the case of the mind, but man cannot even perceive that part of the breath that quickens the mind; only that felt in the body is perceptible, and to the average man it is not even perceptible in the body. He knows nothing of it, except what appears in the form of inhalation and exhalation through the nostrils. It is this, alone which is generally meant when man speaks of breath. When we study the science of breath, the first thing we notice is that breath is audible; it is a word in itself, for what we cal a word is only a more pronounced utterance of breath fashioned by the mouth and tongue. In the capacity of the mouth breath becomes voice, andthereforetheoriginalconditionofawordisbreath.Thereforeifwesaid:‘First was the breath’,it would be the same as saying;‘In the beginning was the word'
Water - Some facts
నీరు - విశేషాలు
* ఈ భూమి మీద నీరున్నందుకే జీవం ఉంది. మనం ఉన్నాము. నీటి లక్షణాలు చిత్రమయినవి.
* మానవ శరీరంలో ఎక్కువ శాతం నీరే ఉంటుంది. యుక్తవయసుగల స్ర్తి, పురుషుల శరీరంలో శరీరం బరువులో 55 శాతం, 60 శాతం నీరు ఉంటుంది. అమ్మాయిల శరీరంలో కొవ్వు పదార్థం ఎక్కువ గనుక కొంత నీరు తక్కువగా ఉంటుంది.
* నీటి శాతం: స్ర్తిలు 55 శాతం పురుషులు 60 శాతం, శిశువులు 78 శాతం, క్రీడాకారులు 60-65 శాతం.
* ఒక్క టెన్నిస్ క్రీడాకారుని శరీరం నుంచి గంటకు 10 నుంచి 11 కప్పులు చెమట రావడంలో వింత లేదు!
* నీరు తాగకుండా ఒక మనిషి 7రోజులవరకు బతకవచ్చునంటున్నారు.
* తిండి లేకుండా నెల రోజులు కూడా మనం ఉండగలుగుతాము.
* మనిషి మెదడు 70 శాతం నీటితోనే నిండి ఉంటుంది. అంటే నీరు వేరుగా మాత్రం ఉండదు మరి!
* ఎండ బాగా ఉండే రోజున ఒంటె 53 గాలన్ల నీరు తాగగలుగుతుంది.
* ఒంటె తాగిన నీరు దాని రక్తంలో ఉంటుంది. మూపురంలో మాత్రం కాదు.
* వాన నీటి చుక్కలు 2-3 మి.మీ దాకా ఉంటాయి. గాలి తాకిడి ఎక్కువయితే అవి చిన్న చుక్కలుగా విడిపోతాయి.
* ఈ ప్రపంచంలో 88.4 కోట్లమందికి తాగడానికి మంచినీరు అందడంలేదు!
* వ్యర్థం: మీ ఇంట్లోగానీ, మరోచోటగానీ కుళాయి నుంచి సెకండుకు ఒక చుక్క ప్రకారం నీరు లీక్ అవుతున్నదనుకోండి. ఒక సంవత్సరంలో 2,642 గాలన్ల నీరు వ్యర్థంగా పోతుంది!
Monday, July 11, 2016
A Story Samaramu-Shanti
సమరము – శాంతి
పక్కింట్లోకి కిరాయకు వచ్చిన వాండ్లు మంచి మనుషుల
వోలెనే ఉన్నరు.
పలుకరించుకున్నము. ఆడివాండ్లు నిలవడి గోడ
మీదినుంచి మాట్లాడుకున్నరు.
మూడు నెలలయింతర్వాత ఆమె తాళంచేతులు ఇచ్చింది.
మేము గూడ ఇచ్చినము.
అప్పుడామె ఒక కుక్కను దెచ్చింది. సింహమంత
ఉన్నదది.
దాన్ని సంభాళించాలంటె శేరు దినాలె.
ఆమె మాత్రం దానికి పేరుబెట్టి
కుక్కబిస్కట్లుబెట్టి పెంచుతున్నది.
దానికి పుట్టినదినం గూడ చేసింది.
ఆ కుక్క సంగతి మాత్రం పట్టరాకుండ ఉన్నది.
అది దయ్యం మాదిరి ఇల్లిల్లు దిరుగుతుంది. గుంతలు
దోడుతుంది.
పిల్లులను దరుముతుంది.
చెట్లను జూచిగూడ మొరుగుతుంది.
ఎంతయినా పక్కింటి వాండ్లయిరి. మేము
ఓర్చుకుంటున్నము.
కుక్క రెచ్చిపొయ్యింది. మా తలవాకిట్లో
పెంటజేసింది.
నేను దాన్ని ప్లాస్టిక్ సంచిలోకి ఎత్తి వాండ్లింటి
ముందర పడేసిన.
మల్తనాడు మా తాళంచేతులు తలుపు కిందినించి మా
ఇంట్లోకి వచ్చేసినయి.
తర్వాత వాండ్లింటి చెత్త మా చెట్ల నిండ వడింది.
ఎండలొచ్చినయి. అందరికి తిక్క లేచినట్టుగ ఉన్నది.
కుక్క గుంతలు దవ్వుతనే ఉల్లది.
పక్కింట్లో సందడి బాగ ఎక్కువయింది.
కుక్క మురికిలో దొర్లి, మా యింట్లోకి వచ్చి,
మొత్తమంత గత్తర జేసింది.
ఆమెనేమో కన్న చెత్తంత మా యింటి ముందర
పారేస్తున్నది.
***
ఒకనాడు ఇంటి ముందర లారీ వచ్చి నిలవడింది.
పక్కింట్లోకి కొత్తవాండ్లు వచ్చినరు.
వాండ్ల దగ్గర కూడ కుక్క ఉన్నది.
కాని, మొరుగదు.
రెండు వారాలు గడిచినయి.
నేను ఒకనాడు తిరుగుతుంటే కుక్క కనవడ్డది.
అది ఇంటి ముందర కాళ్లు బారజాపి పడి ఉన్నది.
నేను కొంచం దగ్గరికి వొయ్యిన.
‘మియ్యావ్’ అన్న.
కుక్క ఒక్కసారి మొరుగుకుంట లేచి నిలవడింది.
***
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