Earth Has Water Older than the Sun
They estimate that somewhere between 30% and 50% of the water in Earth’s oceans must be older than the Sun.
via Earth Has Water Older than the Sun – Scientific American.
Smells Like Teen Spirit
The album Nevermind was released by Nirvana / Geffen 23 years ago in 1991 (I was 13).
I remember this intensely because the day the album was released I was riding with my mom to the local discount superstore (Roses in Marion, SC) and I was intent on buying an Eric Clapton tape.
On the way, mom switched on the radio and I’ll never forget hearing the first few riffs of Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana on her Honda Accord speakers.
It changed my life. I was 13 and I finally heard music. I’ve preached sermons about this moment. Seriously.
“For this gift, I feel blessed.”
I bought the Nevermind tape instead of Clapton’s. It has made all the difference.
Thanks, Kurt.
Taking Flight
Excited to see Blair getting recognition for his initiative to get our flight simulator program going (not to mention all the other things he does for Hammond from our athletic program to hammondschool.tv to keeping me full of ideas for ways for us to be innovative):
Through the generosity of Columbia native Austin Meyer, Hammond is the fortunate recipient of state-of-the-art flight simulation equipment used in the aeronautics industry. On a recent Friday afternoon, Senior Blair Epting successfully took flight. Along with guidance from physics instructor Hazel Mohammed, Blair has successfully navigated the X-Plane software and tried his hand at everything from helicopter to futuristic plane launches and landings. Keeping him grounded is going to be a difficult task!
Home Screen on My iPhone 2014
I like to post these every so often (this one from 2010 is historic) for my own archive uses…
By the way, someone asked me yesterday why I had Lastpass on the front page and what it did as an app. I don’t know any of my passwords as they are all generated by Lastpass. Between that and using 2 factor authentication for everything I can (the Google Authenticator app beside Lastpass on the top row), I feel pretty confident about my security online. Those are two of myost used apps as a result.
Additionally, I’m glad to see services like Mint (my personal accounting app) and Evernote integrate their apps with TouchID on the iPhone so that I have to supply my thumbprint to open them up (Bank of America is releasing their updated app with that integration as well).
Security is my app theme for the end of 2014, evidently.
Iterative Learning
Using our @makerbot Replicator 5th Generation to study design process involved with making movable parts in a single print here at Hammond…
U2’s New Album
I was a huge fan of U2’s Achtung Baby, Zooropoa and Pop albums. They are still three of my “desert island” albums that I go to when I need a good listen while grinding out some work.
I own a number of b-sides, collectibles, and even vinyl versions of U2 albums that I’ve collected over the the years because of what their music in the 90’s meant to me. However, I was pretty disappointed in the new album (you know, the one that Apple put on your iPhone and iTunes without asking) on first listening.
After my third listen tonight, the album is warming up to me with a couple of standouts, but I’m still trying to get to the point where I actually like it.
Fricke knows his stuff, though. Here’s a good review…
“We can hear you,” Bono swears. “Your voices will be heard.”
Innovation Tools
Have our 3D Printer, drone, and a class set of Sphero’s in my office @hammondschool. Fun afternoon of applied learning with our 5th graders!
What is Creativity Without a Keyboard (or Why I Want My Kids to Play Minecraft)?
Last night, my six year old daughter started playing Minecraft on my Windows desktop. She was clumsy with the keyboard / mouse combination that a desktop Minecraft experience requires. Telling her that “W” moves your character forward, and “S” backwards while you use your mouse to pan and active click (oh, and spacebar to hop) was interesting to process.
But she did it. And within a few minutes, she was flipping into her inventory (by pressing “E”) and back out with the right door or fence or block that she needed to build her underground home.
I tried to stand back and let her do her thing without acting like I wanted to build for her. But I knew I had to. I want her to learn how to use a keyboard.
Pro-Tip: I learned how to use a keyboard and type in the early 90’s working on my IBM clones and playing classic games like 1993’s Star Wars X-Wing and 94’s Tie Fighter.
These games did more for my keyboarding (and eventual programming) skills than any typing class in school that I had to take.
I want the same for my children, and I hope they realize the inherit power of a keyboard over an onboard software keyboard experience via iPhone, iPad etc.
Of course, I may be wrong. But I don’t think so.
In my mind, Seth Godin nails it…
Many people are quietly giving away one of the most powerful tools ever created—the ability to craft and spread revolutionary ideas. Coding, writing, persuading, calculating—they still matter. Yes, of course the media that’s being created on the spot, the live, the intuitive, this matters. But that doesn’t mean we don’t desperately need people like you to dig in and type.
The trendy thing to do is say that whatever technology and the masses want must be a good thing. But sometimes, what technology wants isn’t what’s going to change our lives for the better.
MH Learning Minecraft
MH learning Minecraft and keyboarding skills…
