Grit: The power of passion and perseverance
Source: TED
It is difficult to predict who will succeed at long-term tasks. In this talk, Angela Duckworth argues that a person’s persistence, or “grit,” is what will help them overcome challenges.
Science & Nature
Social Insects Inspire Design of Autonomous Robots
Source: ASME
Robotics may seem to owe little to nature and everything to technology. But engineers have used the actions of social insects to guide the movements of robots that are not directly controlled by humans. Read this article to discover what robots can learn from ants.
Eureka!
Source: Smithsonian
“One sometimes finds what one is not looking for,” said Alexander Fleming, whose chance observation of a contaminated experiment led to the the world’s first antibiotic. This Smithsonian article discusses inventions and discoveries that centered on a flash of insight in a mind prepared to see what it wasn’t looking for.
Hurricane Katrina
Source: History
What contributed to the devastating power of Hurricane Katrina? History® provides text, videos, and links on the formation and impact of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Agreeing to Disagree
Source: Psychology Today
It may be easier to have a conversation with someone who already agrees with you, but it’s better for your brain to talk with—and listen to—someone who disagrees with you. In this article, Art Markman, Ph.D., a cognitive scientist at the University of Texas, discusses the practical applications of psychological research on disagreement.
Survival of the Friendliest
Source: Duke University
In this short video, Brian Hare explores the importance of friendliness in the animal and human worlds.
Thinking of Home Makes It Harder to Learn a Foreign Language
Source: Wired
Changing from using one language to another can be a challenge, one that is made even more difficult by reminders of one’s home country. This article by Emily Underwood explains why.
Pursuing the Impossible, and Coming Out on Top
Source: The New York Times
Free climbers Kevin Jorgesen and Tommy Caldwell reached the summit of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall in Yosemite after over 18 days of hard work. Many consider it the toughest, most challenging rock climb in the world. Read about it here.
Are Pigs as Smart as Dogs, and Does It Really Matter?
Source: LiveScience
An opinion columnist explores the idea of whether we should think about how smart the kinds of animals we eat might be.
Animation basics: The optical illusion of motion
Source: TEDEd
This video explains how a human characteristic called ‘persistence of vision’ is the key to motion in animation.