Cheryl’s Corner
The improbable story of OK
It can be said with a check mark or a thumbs up. It’s written with two letters or four. What began as a joke nearly 200 years ago, OK has become the most recognized word in the world. Okay, let’s start with…
It definitely took a village
The project cost nearly $500 million in federal funding. It spanned over 10 years and across three continents. More than 250 researchers contributed to the results. The results of what? The dazzling details of a brain atlas—a 3-D map of the brain and its 170 billion...
Do ‘sounds of silence’ even exist?
Shhh! Can you hear the sounds of silence? Unless you’re wearing noise-cancelling headphones or canoeing on Ecuador's Zabalo River where silence is protected, chances are you are living in noise pollution. When the city-life sounds such as traffic, construction and...
A well-known October treat
Need I even mention the name of this month’s major holiday? Not hardly when 70% of Americans are expected to spend an estimated $12 billion this year on Halloween costumes, decorations and candy—big business for the U.S. economy. Yet this spooky-fun event had...
Is this future of food?
There is something fishy about today’s feature, but first a little background. Like way back to when Eli Whitney developed the cotton gin machine that mechanically separated cotton fibers from the seeds—the first of several automated iterations that revolutionized the...
Cooling off vicariously
Weather wise, August can be a very hot month which makes this story a perfect way to vicariously cool off. Visualize what it would be like to board a plane or boat from the UK and land at Port Lockroy scientific base on Goudier Island that is still buried in four meters of snow from last December.
Humming your way to relaxation
Yoga instructors are teaching it. Healthcare practitioners are encouraging it and Mayo Clinic even touts its benefits. What’s the buzz all about? Humming bee breathing. Breath is essential for our physical, emotional, and mental health. What makes bee breathing...
Going without a phone?
It was a perfect morning to enjoy a trail walk to Barbara Lake, the only natural lake in Orange County. Soon after I headed out, I realized I’d left my phone in the car. Did I really need it?
Live more with less stuff
In 1981, I had just come home from traveling around the world with me, myself and I. My one and only backpack for the journey weighed 23 pounds at the onset.
Board games anything but boring
Board games are great for get togethers with family and friends, especially here in our community. My favorite is Jenga although it isn’t exactly played on a board. I love how the tower constructed with 54 blocks captures everyone’s attention when a player carefully...
