• Do Commodities Reproduce themselves through human beings?
• Bins and the history of waste relations
• What do we need a freezer for? - The social construction of the freezer use(r) in Finland from the 1950s to the 1980s

...attempts to find a quantum theory-style description of the entire universe have shown that the equations spit out an infinite variety of possible universes - an embarrassment of riches, given that most people think there can be only one cosmos.

The usual gung-ho physicist's approach to such problems is to find an excuse to kill off all but one of the infinitude of universes and hope that the one left standing coincides with what we see. More philosophically-inclined physicists, however, have pointed out that there is another way of looking at things.

Perhaps the equations are not giving us what we expect, that is, objective descriptions of an infinite variety of universes. Perhaps they are actually giving us the infinity of subjective views open to observers in one universe. That is, the equations are simply telling us that what we mean by "the universe" depends on our place in it, and even on what questions we ask of it.

More than the other Artisans, Composers are in tune with their senses, and so have a sure grasp of what belongs, and what doesn't belong, in all kinds of works of art. While the other Artisans are skilled with people, tools, and entertainment, Composers have an exceptional ability-seemingly inborn-to work with subtle differences in color, tone, texture, aroma, and flavor.

Although Composers often put long, lonely hours into their artistry, they are just as impulsive as the other Artisans. They do not wait to consider their moves; rather, they act in the here and now, with little or no planning or preparation. Composers are seized by the act of artistic composition, as if caught up in a whirlwind. The act is their master, not the reverse. Composers paint or sculpt, they dance or skate, they write melodies or make recipes-or whatever-simply because they must. They climb the mountain because it is there.

This ability to lose themselves in action accounts for the spectacular individual accomplishments of some Composers, and yet on their social side they show a kindness unmatched by all the other types. Composers are especially sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, and they sympathize freely with the sufferer. Some have a remarkable way with young children, almost as if there were a natural bond of sympathy and trust between them. A similar bond may be seen between some Composers and animals, even wild animals. Many Composers have an instinctive longing for the wilds, and nature seems to welcome them.

Composers are just as plentiful as the other Artisans, say nine or ten per cent of the population, but in general they are very difficult to observe and thus greatly misunderstood. Very likely the difficulty comes from their tendency not to express themselves verbally, but through their works of art. Composers are usually not interested in developing ability in public speaking, or even in the art of conversation; they prefer to feel the pulse of life by touch, in the muscles, in the eyes, in the ears, on the tongue. Make no mistake, Composers are just as interested as other types in sharing their view of the world, and if they find a medium of non-verbal communication-some art form-then they will express their character quite eloquently. If not, they simply remain unknown, their quietness leaving their character all but invisible.

A study of college students in the February issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published today by the American Psychological Association, concludes that money is at the bottom of a list of would-be psychological needs that bring happiness and fulfillment.

In order to be happy, the study subjects most needed to believe they were autonomous and competent, to have self-esteem and to feel a sense of closeness with others.

Why go along with the hero-worship, so universal in our history textbooks, of Andrew Jackson, the slave-owner, the killer of Indians? Jackson was the architect of the Trail of Tears, which resulted in the deaths of 4,000 of 16,000 Cherokees who were kicked off their land in Georgia and sent into exile in Oklahoma.

The nationwide online survey by Ohio-based Progressive Insurance found that 45 percent of married Americans ranked their cars as the thing they considered most important to them.

In answer to separate questions regarding their preferences, only 6 percent rated their children as important and just 10 percent said their spouse or significant other was important to them, the survey said.

Hundreds of long-lost works of ancient Greek and Latin philosophy, science and literature – possibly including works by Aristotle, Archimedes and Seneca – are about to be rediscovered in what promises to be the most important re-emergence of classical literature and thought since the Renaissance.

Waking Life, originally shot on digital video with live actors, stars Wiley Wiggins (Dazed and Confused) along with numerous other Linklater film alumni and presents a revolutionary approach to animation by transforming a cast of dozens of live actors into unique characters, each interpreted and animated by a different artist. The animation phase of the film will be done entirely in Austin, under the supervision of LineResearch--the new digital animation studio founded by Bob Sabiston, Tommy Pallotta and Richard Linklater.

After editing was complete, the animation process began using software invented by Sabiston. The software allows artists to paint over the digital footage using a technique of interpolated rotoscoping. Individual brushstrokes can be stretched smoothly across a range of frames, giving the animation a unique look, which Filmmaker Magazine describes as "shimmering impressionism with a pop cartoon flair."

Inside a defunct department store in the heart of London's shopping district, dozens of yellow bins move slowly along conveyor belts toward the mouth a gigantic blue machine. Workers in jumpsuits systematically catalogue and weigh the contents of each one.

This is British artist Michael Landy's newest work: The items in the bins - coats, photographs, paintings, furniture - are all of his belongings. Over the next two weeks, everything he owns - including a red Saab - will be destroyed.

The Bonobos are being killed for their meat in the chaos of the country. A makeshift orphanage struggles to save them...

Unlike other apes--and humans--where the males usually rule, bonobos are governed by females. Cooperation often overrides conflict in bonobo society. The reason, as one researcher coyly put it, is "an unorthodox repertoire of behavior": almost constant sex.

I have been thinking a lot recently about adaptation. Adaptation is the tendency for the mind to become accustomed to its situation over time. Our minds only really register change, contrast. To take an example that Alan Watts likes to use, imagine that someone puts their hand on your leg. You notice that because it is a change. But, if they leave their hand there, and do not move it at all, you will eventually stop noticing it. Because, it is not changing. But if the person strokes your leg repeatedly, you will continue to notice it, because change is taking place. Touch, no touch, touch, no touch. On, off, on, off. Vibration.

Our brains are attuned to pick up things that are different, things that are changing. They are wired to pick up contrast. And this is true down to the level of neurons.

And it makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. If we spent too much time appreciating the grass or the nearby mountain instead of the lion that just appeared (a change!), we probably wouldn’t last very long. Things that stay the same in our environment are usually not dangerous (the landscape, etc.).

It is contrast that keeps our attention. Change. Imagine eating chocolate cake for every meal. You would eventually get sick of it. You would no longer enjoy it. There is no contrast. In order to appreciate, to enjoy something, there must first be the LACK of that thing. Who appreciates (and enjoys) a tall glass of water more than the extremely thirsty man? Who enjoys a warm house, a nice meal, and a comfortable bed more than the construction worker who has been laboring outside in the cold all day? Who enjoys music more than he who has not heard music for days, weeks, or months?

But, in our culture, we are afraid of the lack, the negative. We constantly seek the positive. We try to fill up every moment with some sort of stimulation, some sort of entertainment. We are afraid of silence. We eat the richest foods whenever we want. We loathe any kind of work or physical labor. But, without work, it is impossible to appreciate leisure! You cannot have up without down! You cannot have foreground without background! You cannot have sound without silence! By always chasing after the positive and not allowing room for the negative, we are making our lives dull.