Earth | Mostly Bright Ideas

Browsing All posts tagged under »Earth«

I Thought I’d Never Ask

July 24, 2014

Whenever I learn something brand new – when I read a book, watch a documentary, or go on a guided tour – I eventually find myself bothered by a nagging question about the subject. It’s never the same question, but it’s usually one that undermines the entire presentation. And I always think of it too […]

More Energy, Less Work (Part 1)

December 6, 2013

I’m a problem-solver. When I read or hear about something people are struggling with, I want to help them fix it. When they’re grappling with a difficult question, I want to help them answer it. A few years ago, I learned that physicists still don’t know how gravity works. I decided that I was up […]

Aboard this Tiny Ship

July 14, 2013

I waste too much of my brain engaged in trivial thoughts. I’m frequently tempted to call the toll-free numbers on the sides of food packages, just to see if anyone is really there. I struggle to remember what ever happened to those poor people stranded on Gilligan’s Island. Mostly, I wonder how extension cords manage […]

All the Rest Have Thirty-One

February 26, 2013

100

February is again racing past, like a self-conscious actor looking to spit out his lines and leave the stage as quickly as possible. Every year I’m intrigued by this oddball of a month, similar to the way I’m drawn to Pluto, the misfit of the solar system, and the winter vest, which is neither coat […]

Too Long Apart

July 18, 2012

103

We like to name things. We name our children, of course, so we can tell them apart. That way we know who’s due for a check-up at the dentist and which one kicked the soccer ball through the neighbor’s window. Also, when teachers tell us what a pleasure it is to have them in their […]

Meetings I’m Sorry I Missed

October 26, 2010

There was a bridge in Connecticut called the Bridge Street Bridge. I was almost certain of it. But sometimes I remember events that never happened, things that never existed, and conversations that never took place. So I did an online search just to make sure. Not only is the bridge really there, but I was […]

Maybe It’s Mars That’s Shrinking?

June 19, 2010

They say the world’s getting smaller. They’ve been saying it for years, but I don’t know. We flew from Rome to New York a few months ago and it took twelve hours. I’ve taken that trip before and don’t remember the flight being that long. I think maybe the world’s getting bigger. I’ll tell you […]