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Hugo Simberg (1873-1917) was a Finnish symbolist painter and graphic artist. "He would never explain his works. When asked to do so he simply said, that each person could see whatever he wished to see in them. He hoped, that they would touch Peoples innermost feelings, that they would make people cry in their heart of hearts. When Simberg first exhibited The Wounded Angel (1903) he put a stroke in place of a title in the catalogue. Even the slightest hint as to the works content would have seemed to openly Suggestive. Simberg painted The Wounded Angel after a difficult and long illness lasting a whole winter. The work has been seen as the artists allegorical story of victory through hardship. Then again, the earliest sketches for the painting were made before the illness. In any case, the painting had great significance for Simberg himself." More details: http://www.fng.fi/fng... - Amira from Bookmarklet

"Everyone has some kind of place that makes them feel transported to a magical realm. For some people it’s castles with their noble history and crumbling towers. For others it’s abandoned factories, ivy choked, a sense of foreboding around every corner. For us here at Curious Expeditions, there has always been something about libraries. Row after row, shelf after shelf, there is nothing more magical than a beautiful old library." - Amira from Bookmarklet

I couldn't agree more. I swear, heaven is a library. :) - T. Brent, technopeasant

“The gadgets are curiously self-powered, each with a distinguished look and kinetic function. We specifically designed them to engage and encourage the audience to use their own imagination to explain how the gadgets work." http://www.watchthetitles.com/article... - Amira from Bookmarklet

“Our lives are part of a unique adventure… Nevertheless, most of us think the world is ‘normal’ and are constantly hunting for something abnormal - like angels or Martians. But that is just because we don’t realize the world is a mystery. As for myself, I felt completely different. I saw the world as an amazing dream. I was hunting for some kind of explanation of how everything fit together.” — Jostein Gaarder - The Solitaire Mystery - Amira

"(...) Insofar as genomics is having an impact on our sense of identity, then, it would appear that it is being used far more for the purpose of assigning us to particular social categories – be they familial, racial or pathological – than for bolstering our sense that we are unique individuals. Such processes are often unpredictable and even contradictory; genomic redefinitions of ethnic identity, for instance, may problematise as well as reinforce existing categories, as we have seen in the case of Jewishness. (...)But on the whole, the tendency is towards finding new ways of categorising humanity into distinct genomic sub-groups. (...) But the advent of genomics does raise some novel issues. New genomic technologies provide more robust, discriminating and reproducible methods of assigning biological identity than anything that has previously been available; while the adoption of such technologies by a growing variety of social agencies – including government and industry, social... more... - Amira from Bookmarklet

"The eventual outcome of this process of genomicisation remains difficult to predict; as we have seen, the dynamics of genomic identification are complex and often contradictory. At present, however, it seems that the overwhelming tendency is towards ever more fine-grained definitions of kinship, ethnicity and health status. Perhaps most importantly, the material character of these new... more... - Amira

identity .. lol .. we are the awareness, not what we are aware of - Gregory Lent

Writing About Death Can Increase Happiness: Revisited Awareness we could die is intricately bound to happiness. Recent research suggests that thinking about death is like rigorous exercise; it hurts at first, but has long term benefits. In a past entry, I reported on a study finding that repeatedly thinking about death for one week reduced people's depression. This was because it also increased their interest in intrinsic motivations (relationships, self-growth, helping others), which stand in contrast to extrinsic motivations (fame, wealth, physical appearance). - Amira from Bookmarklet

From the brains behind Iran's Green Revolution to the economic Cassandra who actually did have a crystal ball, they had the big ideas that shaped our world in 2009. Read on to see the 100 minds that mattered most in the year that was. - Amira from Bookmarklet

"Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft). The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th century accounts, is Bolabolla or Bollabolla." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... - Amira from Bookmarklet

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." - Dalai Lama XIV - Amira

One presumes The Dalai Lama said it first! - Gordon Herd

:-) - Amira

Video Tour for the San Jose Museum of Art's exhibition Goya's Caprichos: Dreams of Reason and Madness on view at SJMA January 26 - April 20, 2008. Utilizing satire and a dark imagination, Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco Goya published Los Caprichos, a series of 80 etchings in 1799. Goya was stone deaf; therefore he relied on his keen observation to represent Spain during a period of social and economic hardship. - Amira from Bookmarklet

I love Caprichos... - modasanattir

The works of Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix, French romantic painter and the music of Frédéric Chopin. - Amira from Bookmarklet

A short film on the life and artistic style of Spanish artist Francisco Goya. - Amira from Bookmarklet

spanish way - Laniez

"Since time immemorial humans have complained that life is becoming more complex, but it is only now that we have a hope to analyze formally and verify this lament. This article analyzes the human social environment using the "complexity profile," a mathematical tool for characterizing the collective behavior of a system. The analysis is used to justify the qualitative observation that complexity of existence has increased and is increasing. The increase in complexity is directly related to sweeping changes in the structure and dynamics of human civilizationthe increasing interdependence of the global economic and social system and the instabilities of dictatorships, communism and corporate hierarchies. Our complex social environment is consistent with identifying global human civilization as an organism capable of complex behavior that protects its components (us) and which should be capable of responding effectively to complex environmental demands." - Amira from Bookmarklet

“Collective unconscious, a pool of shared experiences among our species, is a term of analytical psychology coined by Jung. Princeton’s Global Consciousness Project (GCP) is an international collaboration of scientists and engineers recording data from over 65 sites around the world since August 1998 in an attempt to measure subtle correlations that reflect the presence and activity of consciousness in the world.” Source: globalbrainpaint.com - Amira from Bookmarklet

Henry Markram says the mysteries of the mind can be solved -- soon. Mental illness, memory, perception: they're made of neurons and electric signals, and he plans to find them with a supercomputer that models all the brain's 100,000,000,000,000 synapses. Henry Markram is director of Blue Brain, a supercomputing project that can model components of the mammalian brain to precise cellular detail -- and simulate their activity in 3D. Source: http://www.ted.com/talks... - Amira from Bookmarklet

PersonalBrain helps you organize all your Web pages, contacts, documents, emails and files in one place so that you can always find them - just like you think of them. This saves you time and makes your life easier! With PersonalBrain you can even find related items that you worked on, but forgot existed. Source: http://blog.thebrain.com/jerry... - Amira from Bookmarklet

"I love spending time outside. From wild places like the backcountry of the Sierra Nevada mountains, to the mundane nature in my back yard, I find comfort in my natural experiences. These places are restful. Peaceful. They restore my batteries, and help me to focus. And I am not alone in these experiences. People around the world seek out natural experiences. Even when confined to built spaces, we add pets, plants, pictures, and momentos from nature. It is part of who we are, and these experiences in nature help us reflect on what is important in life. The benefits of spending time in nature have been well-documented. Psychological research has shown that natural experiences help to reduce stress, improve mood, and promote an overall increase in physical and psychological well-being. There is even evidence that hospital patients with a view of nature recover faster than do hospital patients without such a view. This line of research provides clear evidence that people are drawn to nature with good reason. It has restorative properties." - Wildcat from Bookmarklet

Related article: "Memory Improved 20% by Nature Walk" http://www.spring.org.uk/2009... - Amira

"In this lecture, Professor Bloom reviews the basic psychological research on memory. Specific topics covered include the different memory types, memory limitations, strategies that improve memory, and memory disorders. This lecture also includes a discussion of several important social implications for memory research, such as recovered memories, and the influence of suggestibility on eyewitness testimony. Source: http://academicearth.org/lecture... Transcript: http://oyc.yale.edu/yale..." - Amira from Bookmarklet

Welcome to the Mind and Brain Portal. This is an interdisciplinary point of entry to such related fields as cognitive psychology, philosophy of mind, neuroscience, and linguistics. - Amira from Bookmarklet

Information designer Tom Wujec talks through three areas of the brain that help us understand words, images, feelings, connections. In this short talk from TEDU, he asks: How can we best engage our brains to help us better understand big ideas? Tom Wujec studies how we share and absorb information. He's an innovative practitioner of business visualization -- using design and technology to help groups solve problems and understand. Source: http://www.ted.com/talks... - Amira from Bookmarklet

Few events in popular music were as momentous as the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. Paul McCartney recently revisited the Ed Sullivan Theater to appear on the Late Show with David Letterman, and he recounted a story about his early appearances as a young man. As he waited to go onstage, a stage manager asked McCartney, "Are you nervous? "No, not really." "You should be, there are over 70 million people watching." - Amira

“Languages of the World” provides language-by-language information. This section steps back from the detail to offer a summary view of the world language situation. Specifically, it offers numerical tabulations of languages and number of speakers. Tables by world area, by language size, by language family, by country. - Amira from Bookmarklet

What's the criteria to be listed as an "Indigenous language"? - Eivind

Britain's academy of the sciences marks anniversary with online archive including letters from Newton and Captain Cook. Welcome to Trailblazing, an interactive timeline for everybody with an interest in science. Compiled by scientists, science communicators and historians – and co-ordinated by Professor Michael Thompson FRS – it celebrates three and a half centuries of scientific endeavour and has been launched to commemorate the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary in 2010. Trailblazing is a user-friendly, ‘explore-at-your-own-pace’, virtual journey through science. It showcases sixty fascinating and inspiring articles selected from an archive of more than 60,000 published by the Royal Society between 1665 and 2010. Review by Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture... - Amira from Bookmarklet

To see enlarged images click "View/print this commentary" on the right of each description. - Amira

Michael Cheval is the world's leading contemporary artist, specializing in Absurdist paintings, drawings and portraits. In his definition, "absurdity" is an inverted side or reality, a reverse side of logic. It does not emerge from the dreams of surrealists, or the work of subconsciousness. It is a game of imagination, where all ties are carefully chosen to construct a literary plot. Any one of Cheval's paintings is a map of his journey into illusion. His work is often metaphorical and requires a sharp eye to decipher the often hidden allusions. Other category: Eternity - http://chevalfineart.com/gallery... Reality - http://chevalfineart.com/gallery... Sense - http://chevalfineart.com/gallery... - Amira from Bookmarklet

Michael Cheval is the world's leading contemporary artist, specializing in Absurdist paintings, drawings and portraits. In his definition, "absurdity" is an inverted side or reality, a reverse side of logic. It does not emerge from the dreams of surrealists, or the work of subconsciousness. It is a game of imagination, where all ties are carefully chosen to construct a literary plot. Any one of Cheval's paintings is a map of his journey into illusion. His work is often metaphorical and requires a sharp eye to decipher the often hidden allusions. Website: http://chevalfineart.com/ - Amira from Bookmarklet

Professor Courtenay Raia lectures on science and religion as historical phenomena that have evolved over time. She examines the earlier mind-set before 1700 when into science fitted elements that came eventually to be seen as magical. The course also question how Western cosmologies became "disenchanted." Magical tradition transformed into modern mysticisms is also examined as well as the political implications of these movements. Includes discussion concerning science in totalitarian settings as well as "big science" during the Cold War. - Amira from Bookmarklet

Too long to read that to day bookmark in the "to-read" folder ! - bellegarde-webb

An introduction to the science of nonviolence, mainly as seen through the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi. Historical overview of nonviolence East and the West up to the American Civil Rights movement and Martin Luther King, Jr., with emphasis on the ideal of principled nonviolence and the reality of mixed or strategic nonviolence in practice, especially as applied to problems of social justice and defense. - Amira from Bookmarklet

This is a high quality antique lithograph by Friedrich Wilhelm Kuhnert and was made in Italy about 1895. Kuhnert (1865-1926) was a German artist who specialised in wildlife. He was especially good at portraying animals in natural settings. - Amira from Bookmarklet

"Spending hours on the net isn't only changing the way we work, shop and socialise. A leading neurologist says it is subtly re-wiring the way we think and behave – often for the better. Dr Small, one of America's leading neurologists, has written a book, iBrain – Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind, that describes what he believes is the profound impact of new technology on our brains and behaviour. His research indicates that internet use and web-browsing has a marked effect on our brains, which, he argues, are much more changeable than most of us think, especially in the case of young people. Repeated daily actions such as web research and browsing direct the growth of neurons and connections within the brain, affecting thinking and behaviour. (...) Research at UCLA has revealed that just one hour of internet use per day can measurably boost brain function. "As our brain is plastic and remoulds itself in accordance to our daily activities, prolonged computer... more... - Amira from Bookmarklet

"Boosts the ability to integrate and process information as well as enhancing decision-making skills. Using rapid spurts of directed concentration for internet research enhances our ability to focus our attention, analyse information and make instant decisions. Assessing these skills, Professor Pam Briggs at Northumbria University found web surfers spent two seconds or less on any... more... - Amira

The collection includes 34 of the original 36 draft leaves of the book, according to editor David Kohn. “I’ve sat in the Cambridge University Library since 1974, touching these documents, but this is the first time that anyone can do this — online in this quantity and with this quality,” Kohn said [MSNBC]. The project leaders intend to digitize more manuscripts down the road, and also reconstruct Darwin’s library. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats... - Amira from Bookmarklet

“If the cells in our bodies had a little memory, think what we could do,” Endy said the next time we talked. I wasn’t quite sure what he meant. “You have memory in your phone,” he explained. “Think of all the information it allows you to store. The phone and the technology on which it is based do not function inside cells. But if we could count to two hundred, using a system that was based on proteins and DNA and RNA—well, now, all of a sudden we would have a tool that gives us access to computing and memory that we just don’t have." - Amira from Bookmarklet