I liked learning about the 9 types of intelligence based on a theory by Psychologist Howard Gardner. They are: Visual-spatial, Linguistic-verbal, Logical-mathematical, Body-kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic, and recently added Existential. Here’s an info-graphic and another chart I found helpful. I know what comes easily to me, but this makes me want to develop the intelligences I struggle with: spatial, logical-mathematical and bodily-kinesthetic. My plan in 2024 is to draw more, build puzzles, and maybe try sculpting. — CD
Every year, Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress, posts a photo of the things he carries in his travel bag, along with detailed descriptions. His 2023 photo includes 53 items plus a backpack that holds everything. The thing I want the most from his list is the Rolling Square inCharge XL 6-in-1 Multi Charging Cable. — MF
Morgan Housel compiled a list of ideas “that help explain how the world works.” Here are some examples:
Compassion Fade — People have more compassion for small groups of victims than larger groups because the smaller the group, the easier it is to identify individual victims.
Ringelmann Effect — Members of a group become lazier as the size of their group increases. Based on the assumption that “someone else is probably taking care of that.”
Cobra Effect — Attempting to solve a problem makes that problem worse. Comes from an Indian story about a city infested with snakes offering a bounty for every dead cobra, which caused entrepreneurs to start breeding cobras for slaughter.
—MF
The next time you have a big mess to clean up try “the pile method”. The pile method is when you collect all the stuff that needs to be put away in one giant pile, and then sort those things — like with like — into smaller piles, and put those piles away one by one. At first it felt counterintuitive to make one giant mess, but it really does speed up the process and it’s so satisfying to be efficient and tidy. — CD
This simple trick by Coach Mike Nitro shows you how to use your pants as a life preserver. It could save your life if you fall overboard into deep water with your clothes on. — KK
Camille Hartsell, my colleague and research librarian, put together this helpful guide titled "Tech stuff for Ten-yr-olds". Her detailed write-up includes the specific devices her kid uses, how they are used, apps allowed and settings put in place. It’s both thoughtful and thorough, and a useful resource for any parent seeking strategies for regulating their child's screen time. — CD
I bought these gloves for a relative who lives in New England. The forefinger and thumb have touchscreen-sensitive pads on them, so you can use your phone or tablet without removing the gloves. They look nice and are inexpensive. — MF
The US National Park Service offers various passes to all its parks, including a $80 lifetime pass for seniors over 62, and a $10 lifetime military/veteran pass. They also will issue a FREE pass for any current 4th grader and/or anyone with permanent disabilities. Subtle reminder that national parks are one of America’s best ideas. — KK
This website uses simple interactive animations to explain how a wind-up watch works. It begins with the power source—a spring—and illustrates how the power is transferred through gears to keep the watch running for up to 40 hours. The site then moves to the escapement mechanism and other key components found in modern mechanical wristwatches. — MF
Many books would do better as an article, and many films should be a short. I’ve really been enjoying Short of the Week, a stream of short videos that carry the punch of a long movie. These shorts can deliver drama, new worlds, innovation, illumination, surprises, and are rarely boring. Wonderfully diverse in form and topic, they are also widely international. The home site has background info on each, but you can also subscribe to its YouTube channel. There’s great stuff here, from Oscar winners to the most ultra indie. — KK
Managing creative people is a whole ‘nother skill than just being creative yourself. The best practices for managing a group that is persistently creative and innovative is described in Ed Catmull’s bestselling book on Pixar. Catmull co-founded Pixar when it was a computer hardware company, and ran it through its glorious run of producing one hit movie after another. His book Creativity, Inc., recounts the many lessons he learned. I found it a page-turner because throughout the book he focuses on his mistakes, failings, and what he got wrong. Almost no one does that, and yet I found it irresistibly the most powerful way to teach. Get the newly released updated edition, where, true to his spirit, Catmull expands on what he got wrong in the original book! — KK
I think wisdom can be given by a person of any age or gender, but as a woman turning 40 I was really grateful to hear these experienced lessons from a 44-year-old woman. Below are a few of them. — CD
Start or end every day with writing about your life. There’s always something buried underneath the to do list in your head, something you didn’t realise you felt, that when written down, will make everything clearer.
Allow friendships to come and go. Don’t cling onto friendships because they are old. Cling on to them because they bring you joy and comfort and laughter.
The small details of your day matter. Be it your first cup of coffee in the morning, or the way you make your bed, or a walk through the park on the way to work, life is year upon year of stacked up small joys like these. Take pleasure and pride in them.
Put your phone down.
Put your phone down.
Put your phone down.
The Voyager Golden Record, included on the 1977 Voyager space missions, is a collection of Earth's sounds, music, and images intended as a message for extraterrestrial intelligence. My friend David Pescovitz won a Grammy for the Voyager Golden Record 3xLP Box Set he co-produced, which includes the original content and an illustrated book. Normally priced at $110, it is currently on sale for $88. — MF
I watch sad movies when I'm feeling hormonal, low in spirits, or when the source of my sadness is unknown. Inducing tears has always helped me release stagnant energy in my body, and the website Cry Once a Week seems to expedite that emotional process. I'm not embarrassed to admit that a short 5-minute scene from Pixar's 'Inside Out' was enough to make me weep. If you provide them with your email, they'll send you a free PDF detailing the benefits of crying.— CD
Jane Friedman of Electric Speed recently asked her readers to share their favorite meditation apps and reasons why, and here is the complete list. Calm, Insight Timer and Headspace seem to be most popular. — CD
Since I have little people in my life again (grandchildren) I am always on the lookout for cool toys. I find construction toys keep kids interested the longest. A clever design that works great for toddlers are bristle tiles which resemble giant velcro. Long combs on every surface stick together enough yet pull apart easily for tiny hands. Like Magnatiles, a little bit of helpful stickiness assists in making things. There are lots of knockoff brands. I don’t even know which one was the original, but Picasso Bristle Tiles work fine. — KK
Every December, Tom Whitwell, a managing consultant at Magnetic, compiles a list of 52 interesting facts and stories from the year. Here are a few examples from his 2023 list:
The US Defense Department earns $100m/year operating slot machines used by soldiers on their bases.
Psychedelic cryptography is a way of concealing messages (normally in videos) so that only people who’ve taken LSD can receive the messages.
Scotland’s forest cover is nearly back to where it was 1,000 years ago, while England has risen to levels last seen in 1350.
— MF
This article in Fast Company discusses the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) in the workplace and gives advice on how to cultivate it. Three key signs that you might be lacking EQ are: 1. You often provoke unexpected reactions. 2. You don’t get the help you need from colleagues, and 3. You get passed over for promotions or other opportunities. Cultivating EQ requires developing self-awareness, active listening skills, curiosity, emotional regulation, as well as an ability to accept constructive feedback and show genuine empathy. An introspection practice I like to do at night is to replay the day backwards in my head and relive the day’s interactions through the other person’s eyes. This was advice I picked up for lucid dreaming, but it’s definitely helped me cultivate more emotional intelligence. — CD
Reddit is often a more reliable source of information than Google, especially for product reviews, restaurant recommendations, and how-to instructions. Unfortunately, Reddit’s native search engine is clunky and leaves a lot to be desired. I started using Giga, a site that returns relevant Reddit posts and summarizes them. I used it to find out how to cook chicken breasts so they don’t become tough and dry. — MF
For wrapping presents, I have found this simple gadget helpful. The Elf Gift Wrap Cutter is a short plastic tube that slides onto a standard roll of wrapping paper. I slide it up and it cuts the paper precisely square. Trivial, but simple, cheap, and forever. It lives with the wrapping paper. — KK