The First Snowfall

Eagerly anticipating the first winter snowfall

Watching the clouds cover the sky

Smell of winter in the air

And then the first snowflake flutters by

Then another, then two, then twenty

Then thousands as far as the eye can see

Dancing and frolicking in the air

Out of the millions and millions of sprites

Wonder if any two are a perfect match

Perhaps the beauty is there are no two the same

Mesmerized by the sparkling display

Out of the billions of scintillations

See one beautiful snowflake circle by

And yet another draw in from beyond

Although not perfect matches

They are perfect mirror images

Drawing closer and closer

And adjoining arm to arm

The pair even more beautiful together

Sailing among the other snowflakes

Finding completion

 

Photo credit: morguefile.com

Writer's Block

After an incredibly busy week, I finally found some time to relax.  One of my ways of relaxing is to write, so I start up my laptop…..and my mind goes completely blank.  Nothing.  No words.  No ideas.  No strong feelings to invoke writing ideas.  Mind you, I felt at peace and my surroundings were calm.  I was relaxed, well, at least as relaxed as I ever am.  But when trying to write, nothing means no words.  After staring at the screen for a few minutes, I realize I must be suffering from writer’s block, and attempting to write something would be a waste of time.

For a writer, writer’s block is a serious problem, especially for someone who makes a living writing.  Fortunately, my day job is as a research scientist.  Even so, it is disconcerting not to come up with an idea for a piece, an article, or a poem.  When thinking about the reasons why I might have writer’s block, I realize that I have been intensely focused on work.  I have put a lot of pressure on myself to help further our research and develop new products to counter a competitive threat.  Although exhilarating, it has been stressful.  A high degree of creativity is required to be successful in research.  And I have focused my mind on attempting to come up with new ideas, yet mining ideas is not something you can force your mind to do.  In fact, the best thing to do is to relax, keep your mind clear and open, and often the very idea you need pops into your head.  So how is this different from writing?  Well, it isn’t any different.  So could the fact that I am focusing my creative self on work be keeping me from coming up with writing ideas?  Or are the long hours and intensity at work requiring me to find different forms of relaxation?  I imagine both are true.  So besides potentially not having an original piece for my blog this week, my writer’s block is merely a minor annoyance, not a catastrophe.

Sometimes writing ideas can be really subtle.  Perhaps if I divert my mind off of work and the other demands on my life for just a short time and attempt to still my mind, those elusive writing ideas will come flooding through.  And my writer’s block will be cured.  Until then, I will attempt not to worry about it and enjoy some of the other things I enjoy doing.

 

photo credit: HurwiczRocks (Wikimedia Commons)

Man's Best Friend

Tens of thousands of years ago, the species Homo sapiens crossed paths with the species Canis lupus.  Man’s life would never the same again; in fact, it was to become much better, for man had made a lasting friend.  Dogs have great attributes.  They are loyal, playful, hard-working, and they love unconditionally.  They are happy just for us to be in their presence.  When we need a friend, they are there.  They will follow us wherever we go.  They join us in work, recreation, and relaxation.  There are countless stories of heroism where a dog through their intelligence and actions saved the life of a person or kept a person out of harm’s way.

Dogs provide a great role model for humanity.  Imagine if everyone adopted the behavior and emotional mindset of dogs what a force humanity could become.

 

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A Deer in the Headlights - Epilogue

And the dear jumped out of the headlights of the oncoming car just in time…only to be surrounded by darkness.  Momentarily blinded, he stumbled around and became lost.  After wandering around aimlessly, he finally realized that he must regain his senses before trying to go anywhere or do anything.  He sought calm and slowly regained his composure.  That allowed him to use his keen nocturnal senses to find his direction and ultimately his way home.  As he walked home, he realized how thankful he was for the blessing of life.  When he arrived home, he realized how closely he came to losing that gift.  In gratitude, he promised to live his life fully, give of his talents unconditionally, and make a positive impact.  For life is a fragile, but amazing thing, and there is only one chance to live it.

The Calm Before the Storm

Tonight it is a beautiful clear moonlit night.  Yet there is a bit of an edge in the air everyone can feel.

Tonight our family and, I’m sure, many others up and down the East Coast are watching weather news and anxiously awaiting the coming of a monster hurricane.  There will likely be extensive damage and inconvenience from the storm.  People and business may not have power for weeks.  In these types of events, we are reminded that everything around us is transient.  Let’s look out for each other and help each other get through this storm.  Everything else can be rebuilt; what really matters is the people around us and making sure that everyone is safe and sound.

 

Photo credit: Johnson Space Center

We are Human; We Help Each Other

“‘Up in our country we are human!' said the hunter.” “‘And since we are human we help each other.  We don't like to hear anybody say thanks for that.  What I get today you may get tomorrow.  Up here we say that by gifts one makes slaves and by whips one makes dogs.’” ~Peter Freuchen

As we approach a critical national election, every time I turn on a media device and every time I empty the mailbox, I am bombarded with political advertisements.  Some tell me what the prospective candidate is going to do, but most tell me what the other candidate did or what they will do in the most negative light.  It has gotten to the point where I just blank it all out and hope that it does not bias my decision-making.  It seems to get worse every election cycle – the hatred, anger, scorn, and ridicule; the polarization that marks this country.  It seems over the last 30 years that we have lost our way, that we have forgotten that we are one people.

In past years, when faced with crisis, people would set aside their differences and band together to overcome it.  Today, we face a financial crisis in the United States.  The United States is adding enormous amounts of debt that will have profound effects on the livelihoods of our future generations.  We are printing currency at rates never seen before to keep the interest rates on government debt near 0%, threatening inflation as well as the means of those living on a fixed income.  As the country goes more deeply into debt and the dollar loses value, we run the risk of a large country like China calling in our debt, potentially damaging our economy or even our freedom.  Today, jobs are scarce and millions of people are out of work.  This squeezes the middle class - those who used to have professional or skilled manufacturing jobs that were lost in the latest recession have joined the ranks of the new poor.  They as a result are forced to compete with numerous others for low-paying jobs in the service industry, and often become chronically unemployed.

In response to this crisis, the average person in this country has entrenched in their polarized camps.  In one view, the Republican Party represents the top 1% who want to hoard what is theirs whereas the Democratic Party wants the rich to pay their fair share to continue to fund the necessary social programs to ensure our old, poor, sick, and young disadvantaged have food, clothing, shelter, a good education, and a chance for gainful employment.  In the other view, the Democrats squander money on pork-barrel projects and support deadbeats who feel entitled to have what others have without working for it, whereas the Republicans support low taxes and job growth by keeping government out of the way of growing businesses and allowing hard work to pave the way to The American Dream.  And that is just the economic question.  There are many other questions on social issues that add to the polarization.  What scares me the most is the fact that both parties and most of the candidates running for office have forgotten that in order to successfully face a crisis, everyone must make the sacrifices necessary and work together to face the crisis head-on.

Some cultures, for instance the Innuits and Eskimos, have not forgotten the essence of our humanity, which is to help each other unconditionally, raise each other up, and become collectively something much more powerful than a group of individuals.  Quoting David Graeber:

“Rather than seeing himself as human because he could make economic calculations, the hunter insisted that being truly human meant refusing to make such calculations, refusing to measure or remember who had given what to whom, for the precise reason that doing so would inevitably create a world where we began comparing power with power, measuring, calculating and reducing each other to slaves or dogs through debt.” [1]

I hope that as a people, we can all remember our basic humanity and when we enter the voting booth, we make our decision based on humanitarian reasons, not power, greed, and hate.  And once our decision is made, those whom we elect make their decisions in the same fashion.  More importantly, we need to remember our humanity on a daily basis, give without expectation of receiving, uplift those around us, and make the world a little better.  This will be one little step in the direction to dealing with the current crisis of confidence in this country.

[1]        David Graeber, Debt: The First 5,000 Years,  Melville House Publishing (2011)

Thoughts at a Funeral

Recently, my Mother-in-Law died and on a sunny morning with a feel of autumn in the air, we attended a beautiful funeral service.  Prior to the service, a committal service was held where a portion of her cremated ashes were sprinkled in the memorial garden.  She was 88 when she died and by all accounts she had a full life, but suffered from dementia and painful arthritis the last few years of her life.  The thing that struck me most during our last several visits with her was how depressed she was, and I have to imagine that death was a welcome release for her.  Still, when I saw her ashes and the container that held them, it struck me how little of her being remained on the earth when just a few weeks ago, she was a living person.

A whole series of thoughts went through my mind during the services.  Where did she go?  Did she go to a good place?  I have to admit that death scares me a bit.  Now to frame this, most people, me included, believe that death leads to something amazing, whether we define it as paradise, heaven, the spirit dimension, as one with God, as one with the universe.  Accounts of near-death experiences validate this.  So why would it be scary?  I suppose it is fear of the unknown.  Was mom scared when she knew it was her time?  Did she see God, did God tell her it was ok, and did God help her cross the threshold?

The universe, certainly in mortal terms, is essentially infinite and eternal.  Given this fact, what is the purpose of mortal life?  Perhaps life, not death is the greater mystery.  Life is truly a miracle.  Are we here to somehow expand the universe?  To improve it in some way?  Mortality no doubt is a great motivator.  If we lived forever, would we be motivated to do anything?  Mortality drives us to greatness.  To take risks.  To love.  To do amazing things.  The purpose of life is to do all of this.  And when our souls return to the spirit dimension and we leave our ashes behind, the best legacy we can leave is a better world filled with more love.

 

Photo courtesy morguefile.com

The Gentle Call of Your Heart

“Trust the process of the subtle push toward art and creative expression from inside you – it is the gentle call of your heart and renewed search for soul. It is an opening to expansion of your expressive abilities and the discovery of hidden limitations ready to be challenged. Be open to what it means, it has many possibilities for action in every part of your life. Ultimately it will lead to significant personal changes – to living life in a new way with new tools of creative expression.” ~Donald William Mathews

A Lesson Learned?

 

In the fall of 2010, things looked great with respect to my career.  I was running a project that would lead to a major new product line for our company.  Although there was a momentary curtailment of external marketing efforts while a regulatory issue was being checked into, I was riding the wave of two technical breakthroughs that would make the new product a huge success.  I thought everything was ok and as a result, became complacent.  Somewhere along the way, I lost the drive.  I did not embrace some other tasks that were given to me that would have allowed me to broaden my experience.  When I look back at that fall, there were numerous warning signs that should have motivated me to action, but I was blind to them.  I allowed myself to be deluded into thinking everything was fine.

That winter, I had a project review meeting go terribly wrong.  I was under the impression that the meeting went well until I started receiving negative feedback from others that attended the meeting.  After the shock wore off, I snapped fully awake.  I realized I was “a deer in the headlights” - at minimum in trouble if not in danger of losing my job.  Based on an assessment of the career risks as well as the project risks, I made the decision to look aggressively for a new job, drew up a plan of action, and executed it.  Fortunately for me, I found several opportunities.  It was not a minute too soon, for I learned toward the end that two internal opportunities I thought I had a good chance at did not materialize.  Seven weeks later senior management deemphasized the project and, on the eve of the second interview for the job I now hold, I was laid off.

Although the story had a happy ending, I wonder what would have happened if I had maintained my drive and embraced what was given to me.  Instead, I easily could have joined the ranks of the chronically unemployed given my age and narrow skill-set.  Today, facing a change in business conditions and a challenging reassignment, I reflect on this lesson and use it to reenergize myself.

 

Photo courtesy morguefile.com

Scientific Knowledge and the Nature of God

This week I read an article on Livescience.com [1] that suggests that scientists would eventually understand everything and, by that fact, there would be no room for God.  To put this into a historical perspective, supernatural powers have been invoked as the cause for anything that could not be answered.  Two thousand years ago, God was responsible for just about everything: for the weather, the quality of the harvests, for plagues, good health, and for winning or losing battles.  Even into modern times, a common perception was that God was a grandfatherly figure living in Heaven who meted out rewards and punishment.  As human knowledge increased and science proceeded to explain many of the mysteries of existence, God’s role in everyday life diminished.

Today, scientists are making new discoveries that continue to diminish the mystery.  Astronomers with the power of the Hubbell Telescope and other modern tools probe to within a few hundred million years of the Big Bang and continue to add to the understanding of the workings of the universe.  Physicists recently discovered the Higgs Boson, the final missing particle in the Standard Model, the model which describes the building blocks for matter and the fabric of the universe.  Yet, as Natalie Wolchover reports in the referenced article, physicists can describe the universe going all the way back to an infinitesimal fraction of a second after the Big Bang, but can’t describe the state of the Universe at the zero point or, for that matter, what existed before the zero point.  Physicists are attempting to create models in the hopes of answering that very question, and current physical theories already allow for an infinite number of universes, together which comprise the multiverse.

The phenomenon of life continues to be a great mystery.  Despite their modern understanding, no one has been able to create life in a test tube from inanimate matter.  Likewise, there is no universally accepted theory for the emergence of the very first life forms from non-living matter.  That by no means suggests that biologists won’t unlock that mystery in the future.  Even if biologists determine how life emerged and, for that matter, learn how to create life in the laboratory, there will still be deeper mysteries to investigate.  Even if physicists come up with a universally accepted theory for how the Big Bang happened and what the state of affairs was before the birthing event of the Universe, there will still be unanswerable questions, two major ones being “where did the multiverse come from?” and “why are we here?”

I have no doubt that scientists will continue to unravel these mysteries.  And every time a major discovery is made in science, new mysteries are encountered.  I do not believe that their journey of discovery will rule out the existence of God.  To put this into perspective: before Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton, the world was believed to be flat, the Sun, Moon, and Stars revolved around the earth, and God in Heaven was “up there” in the sky.  Learning that the world was round and was no longer the center of the Universe did not disprove the existence of a Higher Power.  As scientists continue to learn how amazing the Universe is and how amazing the phenomenon of life is, it speaks of how immense reality is.  It makes the answers to the existential questions grander.  Even one who doubts the existence of a Higher Power can look at the Universe, the order of natural law, our remarkable planet, and the spark of life on that planet, grasping the true miracle of our existence.

Reference: http://news.yahoo.com/science-someday-rule-possibility-god-115945479.html

 

Photo credit: Hershel Observatory via Wikimedia Commons

The Value of Mentoring

“Mentoring brings us together – across generation, class, and often race – in a manner that forces us to acknowledge our interdependence, to appreciate, in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words, that ‘we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny.’ In this way, mentoring enables us to participate in the essential but unfinished drama of reinventing community, while reaffirming that there is an important role for each of us in it. ~Marc Freedman

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The Right Place at the Right Time

Every once in a while, I receive a vivid reminder that I am exactly where I need to be.  To hear the messages I need to hear.  To experience what I need to experience.  To see what I need to see.  To face the challenges I am currently facing.  To be in a position to do what needs to be done.  The most important thing is the awareness to recognize these moments and to be open to the surrounding signs no matter how subtle.

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Just Understanding

“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Photo credit: morguefile.com (lkdotcom)

 

Searching for the Truth

What is the right belief

The truth that is the Truth

How do I teach my children

About matters beyond my grasp

The churchman says he knows the truth

Accept their rhetoric on faith

God is there if I follow their way

Why doesn’t this make sense

A different place a different truth

Not quite the same as the first

Who is right and who is wrong

Perhaps each knows a little of the whole

A little voice within begs stillness

Open my heart to the Spirit beyond

Feeling rightness to the repose

The message of unconditional love

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The Fall of the Mayans – a Lesson for Today

The Mayan civilization thrived for over six centuries before collapsing in the Tenth Century.  There were several factors in the collapse; however, most experts agreed that a drought was the key factor in their demise.  As it turns out, recent studies indicate that the actions of the Mayans themselves may have helped matters.  According to LiveScience, they believe the drought was aggravated by the fact that the Mayans cut down the surrounding forests in order to make room for growing crops and building their settlements.   [1]

This story is especially relevant given the rapid rate that we are deforesting our planet.    According to National Geographic, forest covers about 30% of the earth’s land area, yet annually, forestland the size of Panama is lost to clear-cutting.  At that rate, in 100 years all the rain forests will be gone.  The loss of forest land comes at a high price.  Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and their loss may have an impact on global warming.  Without the shade that trees provide, direct sunlight would quickly dry the moist forest soil and potentially turn it into desert land.  Trees moderate temperature swings by not only blocking sunlight but holding in the heat at night.  The temperature extremes resulting from deforestation would have a negative effect on the resident plants and animals.  Millions of plant and animal species depend on the forests for habitat and would be threatened by the loss of forestland.  [2]  Profound and catastrophic changes to the climate would occur, both locally and globally.

The logical solution to this problem is to stop deforestation entirely and attempt to replenish the lost trees wherever possible.  Where trees are harvested for wood and paper products, companies need to replace felled trees with new plantings.  Land development needs to take into account the loss of forestland.  Encouraging the recycling of paper and wood products will help reduce the need for cut trees.  [3,4]  Although this all sounds easy, the likelihood that a global forest management policy being implemented is slim given the fact that only the weak United Nations looks at global interests and the fact that each nation generally looks only at national interests.  Countries are pressured to fill the needs of their citizens for higher affluence, which requires more resources.  The world population continues to grow, requiring more food and habitat.  These factors increase the strain on forests as well as other resources.  Yet, acting according to “think globally, act locally” will make a measurable impact if enough people recycle wherever possible and plant new trees wherever they can.  Also, putting pressure on governments to act in the long-term interests of the planet and future generations by protecting forestland will make a difference.

900 years ago, the Mayans showed us what can happen as the result of deforestation, paying the ultimate price of their extinction.  Today we are following in their footsteps, except on a global rather than regional level.  Can we learn from the Mayans and prevent further deforestation before we risk the extinction of millions of species of life, including Homo sapiens?   

References:

 

1.      http://www.livescience.com/22581-mayan-empire-collapse-explained.html

2.      http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview/

3.      Ibid.

4.      http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/

Photo credit: Morguefile.com (puravida)

A Haiku

Wider horizons

Mysteries beyond the mind

Therein lies the truth

Photo courtesy of morguefile.com

Reward, not Punish Good Deeds

Every once in a while, a news story comes along that causes me to just shake my head.  This summer a woman associated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia was distributing free lunches to disadvantaged children in her neighborhood.  This got the attention of the local government, which decided to leave her alone this summer, but told her that next summer she would need to apply for a variance to a zoning regulation prohibiting distribution of food in a residential area.  She has the choice of paying up to $1000 for the variance or will risk being fined $600 per day.

Our governments should be encouraging, not discouraging these types of humanitarian deeds.  One must ask why they would spend time on something like this when there are far more serious issues to focus on.  It is easy to become cynical – “no good deed goes unpunished” – shrug my shoulders, and just accept the status quo.  Yet, in today’s electronic age, we have tools available to expose these types of regulations that inhibit charitable acts in our communities.  Let’s confront the ridiculous and direct our legislators make the necessary changes to reward, not punish good deeds.

Reference:  http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/woman-could-fined-600-giving-children-free-lunches-192644564.html?_esi=1

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons (Bidgee)

Remember the Living

One characteristic of civilization is the fact that we honor and remember those who have died.  This weekend, my family and I visited a family member who was just admitted to a nursing home.  It was a very moving and emotional experience – in residence were many elderly people in their late autumn years, many of whom seemed to be suffering with varying degrees of dementia.  The first day we were there, there were no other visitors and I could feel the intense sense of loneliness in the home.  I can only imagine that many of the residents have no close family or, worse, have been forgotten by their families.  One thing that I will never forget: when I shared a simple smile and “hello” with the residents, their whole being would light up and they would return a smile.

We remember our dead.  What about those who are waiting to die?  No one wants to die lonely and forgotten.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons (4028mdk09)

The Power of the Mind

Our minds and the thoughts within them are powerful.  Often that energy is focused on the old, negative patterns in our lives – trying to fix them, manipulate them, perhaps being caught up in vicious cycles.  That same energy may be spent instead on creating something new, refreshing, and healing for our lives.  It is on the surface an easy choice, but understandably difficult when caught up in the stress and drama that often swirls through life.  Try taking one day and choosing that day to focus on the inspiring, creative, and positive.  A “one day at a time” approach will help turn the mind into a powerful tool for a better life.

Thoughts on the Sikh Temple Shooting

On the morning of August 5, 2012, a lone gunman stormed into a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, killing six and critically injuring three before being killed by police.  It is a heartbreaking to tragedy, especially so close in timing to the Colorado Massacre.  That being said, I would like to bring to light some interesting observations.  Although major newspapers did have the story on their front pages, our local newspaper’s web site had the story subordinated to the landing of the rover Curiosity on Mars.  When discussing the incident with a friend, we noticed how little it was being mentioned on Facebook.  In contrast to the hundreds of posts I observed on the Colorado shooting, when scanning through my various Facebook news feeds, I found only two comments made in the three days following the incident.  Admittedly the tragedy was not of the same magnitude as the Colorado massacre, where there were over 80 casualties.  Still, given the fact that such a tragedy befell a group of people in their sacred place of worship and whose core values are peace and harmony, I would have expected more public outrage.

Although we will never know his motives, the gunman, identified as Wade Michael Page, was alleged to be a white supremist and the tragedy is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism. Sikhism is a monotheistic faith based in south Asia which has about 27,000,000 followers, 500,000 of whom are in the United States.  The males are often mistaken for Muslems as they wear turbans and do not cut or shave their hair.  Although the vast majority of Muslems are also peaceful, loving individuals, they are often branded as terrorists due to the actions of a very few highly visible extremists who profess that faith.  I find it a shame to see a whole major religion held in contempt based on a few extremists.  What this incident reiterates is that there are extremists right here in this country, and U.S. citizens at that.

I would like to leave us with one question: if a bearded, turban wearing man barged into a small-town Christian church here in the U.S., killing six people, would we have reacted with more outrage?  I hope we can all open our hearts to recognize that everyone on our planet is our equal, a member of Humanity and part of a Greater Whole despite their outward appearances and professed creeds.

The Amazing Talents of Plants

Recently, I wrote an article on the amazing level of intelligence and advanced organization exhibited by other life forms.  [1]  In thinking about this, I realized that the article concentrated on the animal kingdom, which represents only a fraction of the life on earth.  So what about plants?  We assume that plants are insentient, yet, in perusing the question more deeply, it turns out plants have their own amazing abilities.  In fact, these abilities include sensing, communications, memory, and perhaps even thought.  This article explores these abilities, especially the ones typically thought only to be enjoyed by the more advanced animal species.

By virtue of the fact that plants use light for manufacturing food, they have a well-developed sense of light detection, including the ability to sense color and quality.  This ability, not dissimilar from sight, is used for a variety of functions.  There are photoreceptors in plants sensitive toward blue light that are used to guide the plant to bending its leaves, harvesting the maximum amount of light.  They are also responsible for controlling flowering and growth.  The same receptors happen to be found in animals and are responsible for the circadian rhythm.  Red light stimulates the germination of seeds and the synthesis of chlorophyll.  Darker red light, found predominantly under dense plant cover, encourages stems to grow longer to find brighter light.  [2, 3]

Plants are able to detect chemicals in the air and the ground, analogous to our senses of smell and taste.  Plants synchronize the ripening of their own fruit as well as fruit on neighboring plants by having the ripe fruit emit ethylene.  The dodder, a parasitic plant, finds food by detecting chemicals released into the air by nearby plants and then selects the plants that it finds tastiest.  When plants sense nitrates in the soil, they develop lateral roots to capture this nutrient.  They also sense chemicals from life forms attacking the plant, allowing them to defend against the threat.  For instance, when corn is attacked by Spodoptera caterpillars, it detects a chemical in their saliva.  In response, the corn releases chemicals that attract the caterpillars’ predator wasps.  [4, 5]

Plants also have a sense of touch, the most obvious example being the Venus Flytrap, where its sensing hairs trigger the quick closing of the trap.  There are about 1000 species of other plants which have instant reaction to slight touch; however, all species of plants have some reaction to touch.  For example, when certain types of cucumber plants are rubbed, they reduce their stem length, widen the diameter, and stiffen within a two day period.  Plants in fact can be more sensitive to touch than humans; a Sicyos tendril responds to a weight 1/8 that of what a human can detect.  [6, 7]  Unlike animals, plants are rooted and therefore can’t flee when they hear a threatening sound.  So it does not seem necessary for plants to hear.  Yet, stories abound of plants growing faster in response to music and Scientific American reports that recent research indicates that plants may respond to vibration, which is the essence of sound.  [8] 

Plants are also capable of communicating with one another.  Plants are able to signal to each other via their root systems when there is a water shortage.  A maple tree under attack by bugs releases a pheromone which, when received by nearby trees, triggers them to produce chemicals to fight off the invaders.  As previously mentioned, the corn attacked by caterpillars attracts the wasps that eat these caterpillars.  Finally, besides coordinating the ripening of fruit, trees also are able to coordinate amongst themselves the blooming of their flowers, possibly as a defense mechanism against pests.  Trees, according to Brian Ford, space themselves to prevent competition for food, light, and water.  [9, 10, 11]

These types of behaviors seem quite advanced for plants, which do not have complex nervous systems as do animals.  Yet, plants have other ways of communicating within the organism.  Plants have “bundled sheath cells, which, like nerves, send electricity from cell to cell and enable communication with other parts of the plant.  Plants use hormones to transmit messages to other parts of the plant.  For instance, leaves send a message to the tip of a shoot in order to initiate flowering.  Glutamate receptors, found in the human brain and which are responsible for memory formation and learning, are also found in plants and are believed to mediate cell-to-cell communications.  Stomata in plants, besides regulating water evaporation, air, and carbon dioxide absorption in leaves, sense and react to light and the chemical nature of the atmosphere.  They also sense and respond to touch and chemicals released by organisms on the leaf surface.  They respond to chemical messages from the root to assist the plant in conserving water when the roots experience dry conditions.  In the Parthenocissus, a creeper, stimulating a single touch cell transmits to all other cells in the tendril to initiate coiling.  Plants, like animals, can be immobilized by anesthesia.  [12, 13, 14]

Despite not having an obvious brain, plants still exhibit memory with the Venus Fly Trap providing a dramatic example.  In order to close, the plant needs to have two of the hairs on its leaves touched by a bug.  When one is touched, it remembers that contact for about 20 seconds.  If a second hair is touched in that time frame, it snaps shut.  There are certain plants that when stressed will pass stress resistance to the next generation.  This is not accomplished by mutation but by changes in gene activity, a form of transgenerational memory.  Some flowers that are unpollinated by insects will spring their own anthers, which infers that the plant remembers this is necessary for pollination.  Plants seem to remember trauma and will compensate for it – a dandelion in a mown lawn will often flower close to the ground, apparently to avoid being cut by the lawnmower.   The tendrils of pea plants will curl when physically stimulated while under the effects of light.  This will not occur, however, when the plant is in the dark, but it will remember the stimulation for up to 1 ½ hours.  If within this time the plant senses light, it will curl.  [15, 16] 

When looking at these capabilities of plants, is it possible that they can think, too?  Shoot growth in plants partially depends on a hormone generated in the roots.  Darwin proposed that the tip of the root acted like the brain in plants; his proposal is the subject of current research into plant thought.  Daniel Chamovitz writes: “…the entire plant is analogous to the brain.” [17]  A recent study showed that plants differentiate between types of light in order to make seasonal adjustments to their disease immunity and against environmental factors such as drought and cold.  Quoting Professor Christine Foyer of the University of Leeds in an interview with BBC News “Plants have to survive stresses, such as drought or cold, and live through it and keep growing…this requires an appraisal of the situation and an appropriate response - that's a form of intelligence.”  [18]  Given the complex set of senses, communications, and memory that plants exhibit, despite their lack of an obvious brain it is not hard to come to the realization that plants may well think, albeit in a very different way from animals.

Plants have their own array of complex talents that in many cases mimic more sophisticated animals.  Daniel Chamovitz: “People have to realize that plants are complex organisms that live rich, sensual lives.”  [19]  Because plants have evolved in a very different fashion from animals, their array of skills are not obvious to us, yet they contribute to the amazing hardiness of plants in our ecosystem.  In many regards, plants are our close cousins, not distant relatives.  Therefore, the mechanisms plants use for their existence and survival can teach us a lot about the sustainability of our ecosystem as well as what it takes to thrive and perpetuate our own species.

References:

1.   http://exploringtheamazing.blogspot.com/2012/02/intelligence-and-organization-in-lower.html

2.   http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Sense-of-the-Plants-84523.shtml

3.   http://www.brianjford.com/soulsa.htm

4.   http://news.yahoo.com/plants-think-110000318.html

5.   See 2.

6.   See 2.

7.   See 3.

8.   See 4.

9.   See 4.

10. See 2.

11. See 3.

12. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10598926

13. See 4.

14. See 3.

15. See 4.

16. See 3.

17. See 4.

18. See 12.

19. See 4.

Photo credit: Cousin Dawn

At One With Nature

Walk along the tranquil river

Feel the energy from the sun

Seeking out the forest coolness

Watch the water from the shore

Scintillating sparkles catch the eye

Peaceful love comes flooding in

At one with nature

Sensationalize the Good

Early July 20, James Egan Holmes allegedly barged into a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” and proceeded to kill 12 moviegoers while injuring 70 others in one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.  When an event of this magnitude happens, it is no wonder that it receives substantial coverage in the media, with countless hours of time spent covering the tragedy.  In the coverage, we heard about the victims and the extensive equipment the assailant used in the attack.  We learned of the elaborate planning that Holmes allegedly undertook in the attack, and how he booby-trapped his apartment in an attempt to create a second catastrophe.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the news coverage was the time the media spent trying to analyze why Holmes would perform such a despicable act.  The fact that the media spends so much time on a terrible tragedy like this and more so on bringing attention to Holmes in my opinion only encourages like-minded individuals to follow his lead.  Ultimately, it is up to us to help steer our media in the right direction by letting them know that sensationalizing these terrible acts only perpetuates this form of tragedy.  In its place, let’s sensationalize the good and heroic.

Turtle Crossings and Assumptions

One day while my daughter and I were running in the park, we came across a turtle in the middle of the trail.  It was a hot day and the trail was in full sunlight, with water on the left side of the trail and a meadow on the right side.  The turtle was just resting in the middle of the path, facing toward the meadow.  I was afraid that the turtle was going to be run over by a bicycle, so I picked it up and moved it to the river side, hoping it would find a spot to rest by the cool water.  We continued our run, then turned around and headed back.  Much to my surprise, we reencountered the turtle – back in the middle of the trail slowly walking toward the meadow.

I assumed I knew what the turtle wanted; however it knew exactly where it wanted to go.  The turtle had to expend extra energy to recover from my imposition.  Nature in its subtle way provided a learning moment.  When facing the need for action, it is always a good exercise to question the assumptions to avoid making the wrong choice.

Photo courtesy of Morguefile.com

Make the World Worthy of its Children

“Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.” ~Pablo Casals

Personal photo

Enlightenment

“According to Vedanta, there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications that a transformation is taking place within you toward a higher consciousness. The first symptom is that you stop worrying. Things don’t bother you anymore. You become light hearted and full of joy. The second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities. And this accelerates to the point where you actually experience the miraculous.” ~Deepak Chopra

Photo credit: Cousin Dawn

The God Particle, Physics, and the Fabric of the Universe

On July 4, physicists at the Hadron Collider in Switzerland announced that there is better than a 99% chance that they found the Higgs Boson, which has also been nicknamed the “God Particle.”  The Higgs Boson is the particle that explains why matter has mass and is the final missing piece in the Standard Model, which describes the tiny particles that are the building blocks of all matter in the universe.  [1]  The implications of the discovery are far-reaching.  The Higgs Boson is seen to unify two key forces in physics, the electromagnetic force that governs the interaction between two charged particles, and the weak force, which is responsible for radioactive decay.  Also, with all the particles predicted by the Standard Model now accounted for, physicists now can speculate on the next, potentially larger theory that may follow from the Standard Model as well as focus on other mysteries of the universe, for instance, dark matter, dark energy, and the fate of the universe.  [2]

Although the media has freely called the Higgs Boson “The God Particle,” Physicists do not embrace the nickname, emphasizing that the long search for the particle was a scientific endeavor, not a religious one.  Ironically, the nickname came from the title of a book written in 1994 by Nobel winning physicist Leon Lederman and has a far from religious origin – he wanted to name his book “The Goddamn Particle” given how difficult it had been to find the elusive boson.  Much to the chagrin of physicists, the nickname was adopted by the media.  [3]

Physicists, much like any other group of people, are at all different parts of the spectrum when it comes to religious and spiritual matters.  There are atheists, agnostics, devout practitioners of a religion, and those that are deeply spiritual.  Max Planck, the father of Quantum Theory was a practicing Christian and often wrote about spiritual matters: “All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force…We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind.  This Mind is the matrix of all matter.” [4]  Albert Einstein, a self-professed agnostic, was in fact quite spiritual: "A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which are only accessible to our reason in their most elementary forms—it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute the truly religious attitude; in this sense, and in this alone, I am a deeply religious man." [5]  Physicist Stephen Hawking, considered atheistic, believes that science is the only truth, but wrote in A Brief History of Time: "However, if we discover a complete theory, it should in time be understandable by everyone, not just by a few scientists. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists and just ordinary people, be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we should know the mind of God." [6]

Physics is the branch of science that attempts to understand the workings of nature and the very fabric of the universe.   Physicist Vivek Sharma: “Physicists are generally driven to understand how nature works — as 'natural philosophers' we appreciate the beauty of its order and its chaos, perhaps more than most.”  [4]  Physicists are charged with answering these types of questions “Why does our universe behave as it does?...Where did our universe come from?...What is the fate of our universe?...Are there other parallel universes?”  These questions dance around the philosopher’s existential question “Why are we here?”  And all of these questions interest the spiritual person, who would answer “Why are we here?” with “We have a purpose – we are connected to a Greater Reality, something much grander than we can understand or imagine.”

Now that the Higgs Boson has finally been found, physicists will continue to explore the fabric of our existence and increase our understanding of reality.  In their search will we eventually come to understand, as Hawking puts it, “the mind of God?”

References:

[1]          http://www.livescience.com/21380-higgs-boson-particle-lhc-findings.html

[2]          http://www.livescience.com/17433-implications-higgs-boson-discovery-lhc.html

[3]          http://www.livescience.com/17489-god-particle-higgs-boson.html

[4]          http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/107032.Max_Planck

[5]          Einstein, The World as I See It, (New York, Philosophical Library, 1949), ISBN 0-8065-2790-0.

[6]          Hawking, A Brief History of Time (New York: Bantam, 1988)

Photo credit: CERN

The Best Life Has to Offer

Sometimes when we least expect it, something happens that may improve our lives or potentially may be life-changing.  Oftentimes it is a small or subtle thing that is easy to miss in the daily chaos.  Even in the busiest times, it is important to stay observant for the amazing and beautiful things that surround all of us, smile at those that cross our paths, and be alert for those meaningful coincidences.  An open mind, heart, and soul will ensure that the best life has to offer will not pass us by.

Photo courtesy of NASA

Righting a Wrong

Everyone has done something that they wish they had not done.  As a result, something goes wrong, someone gets offended, or someone’s feelings get hurt.  It is easy to obsess on what happened and feel badly about it.  Yet, we are all human and make regrettable mistakes.  It is much better to try to do what you can to repair the wrong or help heal the wound caused by the mistake.  A simple apology goes a lot further than self-justification or self-punishment.  It will not only take a step to making the situation better but also will lighten your own burden and open up the mind to accept what happened as a learning experience.

Life Energy

Life energy is as important to us as life-blood.  Our energy consists of three different types: physical, intellectual, and emotional.  Physical energy provides stamina, allows for feeling fully rested, and fuels alertness.  Intellectual energy powers the mind – thought processes, information processing, and creativity.  Emotional energy manages stress, brings patience, and helps navigate through difficult situations.  It is so important to avoid things that drain energy, especially self-induced things like worrying about the future or things that have happened in the past.  It is also draining to be overly hard in self-judgment or in judging others.  When low in energy, think of things that bring happiness and calmness into your life.  This may differ from person to person.  Some examples: talking to a friend, going for a walk outside, listing to a favorite song, treating oneself to lunch, yoga, exercise, meditation.  No matter how busy the day looks, the short break will pay dividends in providing renewed energy to face the day’s challenges.

Photo courtesy of Morguefile