Dr. Ronald Mallett's Theories on Time Travel
Drawing on Albert Einstein and mathematician Kurt Friedrich Gödel's theories, Dr. Ronald Mallett analyzes the possibility of time travel in our future. With time affected by both speed and altitude (the latter because gravity decreases with height), Dr. Mallett describes how these elements merge through real-life examples that help ground the abstract science. So, if you were intrigued by Bradbury's account of time travel, check out this video for the science behind it and why it might be unlocked from the realm of fiction one day. THINKR (2012). Einstein inspires Dr. Mallett’s dream of time travel [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01fRxIl-Stw
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SCI 2 Videos With future technology potentially enabling man to enter and pass through black holes, we may be able to time travel. Mathematically founded, many scientists believe that black holes are portals and shortcuts through space. For the full explanation, check out the bottom video to the right! Similar to Dr. Ronald Mallett's video above, the other SCI 2 video talks about how Einstein may have inadvertantly given us information about the possibility of time travel. See the top right video for the several minute segment! Through the Wormhole (n.d.). Albert Einstein and the keys to time travel [Video file]. Retrieved from http://sci2.tv/#!/videos/227
How the Universe Works (n.d.). Do black holes make time travel possible? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://sci2.tv/#!/videos/535
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1950s "A Sound of Thunder" Graphic Adaptation
With Ray Bradbury's short story, "A Sound of Thunder," published in 1952, EC Comics quickly published a graphic version (without even giving credit to Bradbury). Extremely dense and wordy, compare this original illustrated take with the 2003 graphic adaptation provided beneath!
EC Comics (1950s). A sound of thunder. EC Comics: Weird Science Fantasy, 3. Retrieved from http://marswillsendnomore.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/all-ive-got-to-worry-about-is-shooting-my-dinosaur/
2003 "A Sound of Thunder" Graphic Adaptation
Following the 1950s graphic adaptation, this 2003 version embraces more of the modern elements of the graphic novel format. With more variety and creativity in picture layout, read the text below to compare and contrast it to the original! In addition to the movie trailer we watched in class, this may help you visualize the futuristic inventions of Time Safari, Inc. and the prehistoric jungle in which Eckles hunt.
Bradbury, R. & Corben, R. (2003). A sound of thunder. In The Best of Ray Bradbury (pp. 8-19). IBooks.
"WE MATTERED" MOVIE CLIP
Freedom Writers Since the theme of individual worth cropped up in both the English and biology unit through the animal kingdom - the squashed butterfly in "A Sound of Thunder" and the elephant mourning, snake attacks, and persuasive shrimp in the NY Times article and Shark Tale clip - this excerpt from the movie, Freedom Writers humanizes individual worth. In the video, a high school student voiceover explains that - after a year of journaling in their freshamn English classroom - they "weren't just kids in a classroom anymore" because the assignment made them realize they were "writers with [their] own voices" who "had something to say to people," who "mattered, even if it was just to each other." The book of their compiled journal entries symbolizes those student's belief in their individual worth. MOVIECLIPS (2011). Freedom writers (9/9) movie clip - We mattered (2007) HD [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0rXUr-msX0
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"Do YOU FEEL USEFUL?" Paulo Coelho Deemed a 10-second read on Paulo Coelho’s personal website, this short blog post reflects upon what makes something “useful,” and by extension, necessary in this life. In a metaphoric passage, when a flower and river’s purpose is questioned, both reply with more spiritual – rather than physical - definitions of “usefulness.” Therefore, beauty and being one’s self (or individuality) are qualities that grant these two natural objects purpose and importance. Although it tends towards a religious perspective of individual worth (which is the tendency of Paulo Coelho's philosophical and spiritual writing), this blog post captures a huge moral of this cross-curricular unit. With its focus on the natural world, read Coelho’s post, try reading it in light of the science component of this unit (i.e. if a shark didn’t act like a shark, it wouldn’t eat seals, so seals would overpopulate). You can read the full post to the right, or click on the link below to be directed to the original website page. Coelho, P. (2013). 10 sec reading: Do you feel useful? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2013/01/25/do-you-feel-useful/
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Do You Feel Useful?
_Ask a flower in the field: ‘Do you feel useful? After all, you do nothing but produce the same flowers over and over?’
And the flower will answer: ‘I am beautiful, and beauty is my reason for living.’ Ask the river: ‘Do you feel useful, given that all you do is to keep flowing in the same direction?’ And the river will answer: ‘I’m not trying to be useful, I’m trying to be a river.’ Nothing in this world is useless in the eyes of God. Not a leaf from a tree falls, not a hair from your head, not even an insect dies because it was of no use. Everything has a reason to exist. Even you, the person asking the question. ‘I’m useless’ is the answer you give yourself. Soon that answer will poison you and you will die while still alive, even though you still walk, eat, sleep and try to have a little fun whenever possible. Don’t try to be useful. Try to be yourself: that is enough, and that makes all the difference. |
"PEOPLE NEED OTHER PEOPLE" Jamie Tworkowski While The Artist at Work's Jonas wrestles with whether the secret to life is independence (he paints best in isolation) or interdependence (his wife gives all of herself to meet the needs of her husband and children), Jamie Tworkowski - founder of the non-profit organization, To Write Love On Her Arms - believes not only that the latter is true, but that it is a "game-changer": "People need other people." Why are interrelationships so important? How would Jonas respond to this optimistic message? What would be his rebuttal? In what ways would he agree? Who does Jonas admit he needs? "You are not alone, and you will not have to go alone. You will go with others. They will carry you, and you will carry them, and that's how this dance is done. That's how's this life is meant to be lived, leaning on that magic of love, and trust, and friendship."
Tworkowski, J. (2013). People need other people [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://twloha.com/blog/people-need-other-people
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THE RED WHEELBARROW William Carlos Williams By commenting on the significance of a common, ordinary - and thus often overlooked - red wheelbarrow, this poem's simplicity is thought-provoking. Williams Carlos Williams was an Imagist poet, so his poems should not be read for symbolic meaning, but with literalism. Williams, W. C. (1909-1939). The red wheelbarrow. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/guide/178804#poem |
The Red Wheelbarrow
Williams Carlos Williams so much depends
upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens |
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MEDITATION XVII John Donne Although originally published in prose in Meditation XVII, Donne's ideas on the interconnectedness of mankind is now more common in poetry form. Dispelling the idea that man - by himself - is a self-sufficient island, the poem suggests that we are all necessary parts of a whole. Using metaphor, symbolism, and first-person narration, Donne eloquently and concisely expresses this realization. This poem has even inspired a song and a webcomic. Click here to read the prose form of this poem (read this excerpt's context or skip to the third paragraph). The poem is available to your right.
Donne, J. (1572-1631). For whom the bell tolls. Retrieved from http://www.famousliteraryworks.com/donne_for_whom_the_bell_tolls.htm
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For Whom the Bell Tolls
John Donne No man is an island, Entire of itself. Each is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thine own Or of thine friend's were. Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee. |
PUDD'NHEAD WILSON Mark Twain The author's note at the end of Puddn'head Wilson presents the question of individual worth in a highly unique way. Mark Twain comments on his difficulty writing a short story, indicating that as the story developed, his original cast of characters were overshadowed by new figures and their affairs. To eradicate this problem, Twain introduced a backyard well in which his extraneous, stalled characters fell one by one. Opting to drown his characters so he could tie up the loose ends, Twain's decision begs a question: are fictional characters dispensable? At one point in his note, Twain mentioned the unfortunate possibility of reader's feeling "sympathy" for his drowned characters. And he mentioned it as potential flaw in his decision to give his characters the "grand bounce." Therefore, he tried not to call attention to the deaths by not dwelling on them in his writing of the scenes. Throughout this unit, we have evaluated individual worth, but does real-life human value translate to the world of fiction? Were Twain's characters as dispensable as he made them out to be? Did Twain underestimate reader "sympathy"? Twain, M. (1964). Author’s note to Those Extraordinary Twins. In Pudd’nhead Wilson, (p. 169-172). New York, NY: The Penguin Group.
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AN INVASIVE FLATWORM HUNTS AN EARTHWORM
The Shape of Life: Video Although it may not be an ideal video for the squeamish, the footage is an example of how invasive species is often a detrimental predator to the indigenous animal life, threatening it and thereby disrupting the entire ecosystem. Flatworms currently threaten earthworm populations in areas they have been deposited. By clicking on the picture, check out the link to the right of a flatworm attack on an earthworm. The Shape of Life: The Story of the Animal Kingdom (2002-2013). Flatworms: An invasive flatworm hunts earthworms [Video file]. Retrieved from http://shapeoflife.org/video/behavior/flatworms-invasive-flatworm-hunts-earthworms
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STONE SOUP: INVASIVE CRAWDAD SERIES
July 31, 2013 - August 3, 2014, September 4, 2014 - September 14, 2014
July 31, 2013 - August 3, 2014, September 4, 2014 - September 14, 2014
Jan Eliot devoted 16 episodes of her syndicated newspaper comic strip, "Stone Soup," to an educational topic: invasive species. Collaborating with an expert, Oregon Sea Grant's Sam Chan, Eliot developed a 16-episode comic series about a pregnant crayfish brought home from a child's lake vacation and released into a river. Therefore, the strip illuminates how releasing "pets" is often not the best alternative. Chan, a watershed health and aquatic invasive species specialist, provided information about Procambarus clarkii, the red swamp crayfish. Its invasive potential is high in areas without harsh, cold winters and "crawdad" is a regional term for "crayfish." The 9-year-old budding scientist in the cartoon and her grandmother are enlightened by the granddaughter's science teacher after a field trip. Check out the full series below! Remember that invasive species can upset an ecosystem in two ways: predation on native species or niche competition with a native species - and both endanger the native species.
Eliot, J. (2013). Invasive crayfish species: July 31, 2013-August 3, 2014; September 4, 2013-September 14, 2013. In Stone Soup [Comic]. Retrieved from http://www.gocomics.com/stonesoup/2013/07/31#.U9Z3TqPiT40
MARY HAD A... Jon Sciezka's Science Verse As a fun spin on the classic nursery rhyme, "Marry Had a Little Lamb," this poem describes the young girl with a stomach parasite! Read the poem to the right to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and enjoy the silly verse. However, even in its parody of the nursery rhyme, it still hits upon the main premise of parasites: they hurt their hosts to the detriment of that host. This poem is taken from a picture book by Jon Scieska, Science Verse, that is filled with other science-related poems. Check them all out! Scieska, J., & Smith, L. (2004). Mary had a… In Science verse. New York, NY: Viking Juvenile.
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PICASSO Gertrude Stein In a highly repetitive, semi-contradictory, and stream-of-consciousness writing style, Gertrude Stein explains the painting process of famous painter, Pablo Picasso. Characterizing him as "charming," Stein presents Picasso as one who is "working," but at the same time, "not completely working." Such comments on how work - when is is something that one loves - should feel like play. Additionally, according to Stein, Picasso always has "something coming out of him, something having meaning." Thus, Stein asserts the belief that every draft or discarded, unfinished painting on which Picasso worked on and every idea that came from his mind had meaning in the sense that it brought him to his masterpieces. They were all stepping stones. Therefore, in fluid, but complex prose, Stein not only declares that Picasso has value, but she claims that everything he did - every minor brush stoke, every crumpled canvas - held value. Is this idea of "individual worth" too extreme? Is it acceptable to see value in every man? But is it too far-fetched to see meaning in every action and inaction? If so, why? Didn't Eckels's footstep - in Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" - matter immensely? Stein, G. (1945). Picasso. In Selected writings of Gertrude Stein. New York, NY: Random House, Inc. |
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EACH AND ALL Ralph Waldo Emerson Although a more lengthy poem, Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Each and All" revolves around the narrator's interaction with nature, as he lists his observations. Take special note of these lists and the way in which they conclude. How does Emerson connect all the items in those lists? For example, the narrator notes how the sparrow's sons needs the river and the sky for its song to sound its best. With a theme of interdependence and interconnectedness in mind, read the poem to the right. Due to its length, click either the citation below or the link at the end of the right-hand excerpt to read "Each and All" in its entirety. Emerson, R. W. (1803-1882). Each and all. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175147
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Each and All
Ralph Waldo Emerson Little thinks, in the field, yon red-cloaked clown, Of thee from the hill-top looking down; The heifer that lows in the upland farm, Far-heard, lows not thine ear to charm; The sexton, tolling his bell at noon, Deems not that great Napoleon Stops his horse, and lists with delight, Whilst his files sweep round yon Alpine height; Nor knowest thou what argument Thy life to thy neighbor's creed has lent. All are needed by each one; Nothing is fair or good alone. To read the rest of the poem, please click here. |
Gold
Britt Nicole In this video, singer-songwriter Britt Nicole belts an anthem to remind everyone that they are "worth more than gold," despite what the bullies and critics have said. With pastel balloons and gold crowns in the music video, Britt Nicole puts on a fun, optimistic performance that pairs well with the message of her song. Unfortunately, VEVO-endorsed videos cannot be viewed directly on this site. So to watch the music video, click the link in the citation below. And for an opposite viewpoint, check out Beyonce's 2009 hit, "Irreplaceable."
BrittNicoleVEVO
(2012). Britt Nicole - Gold [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9PjrtcHJPo
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"DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS" Jiddu Krishnamurti & Gavin Aung Than Similar to President Theodore Rooselevelt's famous quote, "Comparison is the thief of joy," this webcomic describes the way in which social comparisons lead to hierarchical titles of superiority and inferiority that deteriorate our sense of self-worth. With Than's self-esteem meters and boxy illustrations that resemble the antiquated world of video games, the webcomic gives Krishnamurti's words a greater poignancy. Click on the picture to the right to be linked to the webpage to see the comic in its entirety.
Than, G. A. (2013). 132. JIDDU KRISHNAMURTI: Don’t compare yourself to others [Webcomic]. Retrieved from http://zenpencils.com/comic/132-jiddu-krishnamurti-dont-compare-yourself-to-others/
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We Are All Connected
World Wildlife Fund In this World Wildlife Fund video, human behaviors and activities are captured and presented in relation to animal actions that mimic and resemble them. Pairing a skyscraper with a mountain top and the nighttime traffic of an illuminated city with the fishes in a bright coral reef, the video juxtaposes images to remind us that we - and our man-made structures - aren't that different from the natural world and its animal inhabitants.
World Wildlife Fund (2012). We are all connected WWF PSA (60 second) [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNisq75AGbY
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CIRCLE OF LIFE
The Lion King In Disney's animated classic, The Lion KIng, Mufasa explains the interrelationships among all Earth's species to his son, Simba. Outlining a specific food chain - one involving lions, grass, and antelope - Mufasa reveals how everything in life comes full circle. We give back what we take. Can you guess how the food chain is setup? Which is the secondary consumer? Watch the video to check your answer! Walt Disney Studios UK (2011). The Lion King 3D - 'Morning lesson from Mufasa' - Official Disney movie clip [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7PlTaawfQ
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COLORS OF THE WIND
Pocohontas Hitting upon both individual worth and global interconnectedness, this song in Disney's Pocahontas urges for man's appreciation and awareness of nature. In terms of individual worth, Pocahontas sings, "You think the Earth is just a dead thing you can claim. But I know every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name. You think the only people who are people are the people who look and think like you." And for global interconnectedness, she notes "The rainstorm and the river are my brothers. The heron and the otter are my friends. And we are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends." . Disney Princess Fans ( 2007). Colors of the wind – Disney’s Pocahontas sing along [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek_HkLXlU6I
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UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings Douglas Florian As a children's anthology of poetry in a picture book format, Douglas Florian's UnBEElievvables pairs fourteen poems with bumblebee paintings to depict the insect's lifestyle structure and community system. Funny, but fact-filled, the poems are entertaining and accurate glimpses inside the life of a bee. Not only revealing the interworking of a bee hive, Florian highlights how bees are a vital part of its ecosystem. Therefore, this picture book pairs well with the unit's theme on global interconnectedness and the worth of individual species. Florian, D. (2012). UnBEElievables: Honeybee poems and paintings. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books |
YOU ARE STARDUST Elin Kelsey & Soyeon Kim In simple and sparse poetic language, this picture book describes how people are similar to the universe. From water recycling to tree growth, Kelsey highlights aspects of science and connects them to the maturation and activities of humans. The book's connections all tie back to an idea we discussed in class: our body mass is 90% stardust. Read this short story to see how Kelsey interprets that and what she cites as the implications of our celestial origins. The delicate illustrations are beautiful snapshots of dioramas that infuse the words with life. You can read the picture book below.
Kelsey, E. (2012). You are stardust. Canada: Owlkids Books.
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HOW ROLAND ROLLS Jim Carrey Famous comedian, director, and actor Jim Carrey self-published this picture book about an ocean wave. Roland and his friends fear crashing onto the shoreline, told that it is the end. However, when they find themselves still alive after they topple into the shore, they learn something great about their existence. Proclaiming that "you are not just a wave; you're the whole big wide ocean," the book touches upon the interconnectedness of life in a funny, action-packed, and vibrant way. In light of this story's message, consider spoken-word poet Anis Mojgani's "Shake the Dust" when he says, "Do not let one moment go by that doesn't remind you that your heart beats a 100,000 times day, that there are enough gallons of blood to make every one of you oceans." You can read the picture book below. Carrey, J., & Nason, R. (2013). How Roland rolls. Los Angeles, CA: Some Kind of Garden Media.
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