MUTATIS MUTANDIS

Ai Weiwei (1995) Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn

An astonishingly irreverent piece of work.  This triptych features the artist dropping a Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) in three photographs.  

When questioned about the work, he suggested that the piece was about industry: “[The urn] was industry then and is industry now.”  His statement, therefore, was that the urn was just a cheap pot two thousand years ago, and the reverence we feel toward it is artificial.  One critic wrote: “In other words, for all the aura of preciousness acquired by the accretion of time (and skillful marketing), this vessel is the Iron Age equivalent of a flower pot from K-Mart and if one were to smash the latter a few millennia from now, would it be an occasion for tears?”

Hey fellow studyblrs! I discovered this beautiful app recently and I feel so genuinely excited about it. I actually stopped using my bullet journal (crazy, I know) because I found I didn’t actually need to anymore. Seriously, this app does it all.

Essentially it works like an RPG game - you get stuff done and you “level up”. Some people, I know, can get stuff done without needing some incentive. Props to you. But for me, having that reward is so satisfying. I feel much more motivated to study when I know that I might win some food to feed my cactus pet (yep).

There are three subsections - 

Habits

You know those masterposts where people post all these great habits and you really want to try them all but you keep forgetting? In this portion of the app, you can write down all those good habits you want to reinforce. Some of mine include complimenting people, cleaning my room, planning my outfit the night before, volunteering, taking a walk, reading the news, reading, sketching, etc. So not only do I have all these good habits in one place, but every time I do them, I get experience! I’ve never been this motivated to take out the trash before, seriously.

Dailies

This is the part that took over the necessity of having a bullet journal. I’m sorry, journal. I liked writing in you, but I don’t need you anymore. Anyway - this part of the app is for the stuff you really need to get done. It doesn’t have to be on a daily basis either; some tasks can only apply to some weekdays if you want (like your Tuesday and Thursday class, for example). If you don’t accomplish a task, it’ll actually hurt your health (and that’s motivating as hell! I don’t want to die!). Some tasks I have on here that repeat daily for me include doing my homework, shuffling through flash cards, writing in my journal, exercising, checking all my emails, doing 20 pushups, etc. I love it.

To-Dos

Have stuff on the horizon? Just put it in the to-do section (you can even put a due date for it) and you won’t forget about it. For example, I have a project in Physics class that’s due soon, so it’s in there. To coincide with that, I have a daily that says “work on Physics project”. When it’s done, I can delete the daily task and check off the to-do. Beautiful. No need to abuse the “reminders” app on your phone anymore.

if you genuinely want to advocate for marginalized communities, tumblr is a great starting point, but please do not rely on tumblr to shape your activism. go and do your own research. talk to your family and friends and people who are willing to share their experiences. lastly, and especially if you’re a minor, please stay safe and be careful about sharing your opinion on here! harassment is a very real problem. 

Popular science books published in 2015

If your New Year’s resolution is to read more, here are some new books I’ve put my eye on:

Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe by Lisa Randall: most highly cited theoretical physicist, Professor Lisa Randall takes us from the mysteries of dark matter and our cosmic environment to the conditions for life on Earth. Her research challenges the usual assumptions about the simple nature of dark matter and demonstrates how scientists formulate and establish new ideas.

Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World by Bill Nye: how to use science to improve the environment and the challenges we face with global warming as well as raising the standard of living.

The Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of Mass Unemployment by Martin Ford: We might imagine that today’s industrial revolution will unfold like the last: even as some jobs are eliminated, more will be created to deal with the new innovations of a new era. In Rise of the Robots, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Martin Ford argues that this is absolutely not the case.

The Brain: The Story of You by David Eagleman: Locked in your skull, your brain fashions the rich narratives of your reality and your identity. Renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman dives into the questions at the mysterious heart of our existence. 

Why String Theory? by Joseph Conlon: During the last 50 years, numerous physicists have tried to unravel the secrets of string theory. Yet why do these scientists work on a theory lacking experimental confirmation? A professor of theoretical physics at the University of Oxford, Joseph Conlon, explains. 

AsapSCIENCE: Answers to the World’s Weirdest Questions, Most Persistent Rumors, and Unexplained Phenomena by Mitchell Moffit and Greg Brown: “questions you had no idea were bugging you all your life”   

I was asked a long while ago to make an “A day in the life of…” post, so here it is! I was waiting for a day that was relatively normal before making one of these so that you guys know what my day-to-day is like.

08:51 • I woke up at 08:30, had 2 Weetabix for breakfast and then I chilled for a little while with a mug of Jasmine green tea and the fourth book in the A Song of Ice And Fire series. Perfect start to the morning!

09:51 • I didn’t mean to take this photo exactly an hour after the first, I swear. I spent an hour at the gym, doing a combination of cardio and muscle workouts and drinking gallons of water.

10:12 • I always run to and from the gym. It only takes 10 minutes or so so it warms me up on the way there and cools me down on the way back. I don’t mind the extra workout because I have views like this to keep me company.

12:49 • After showering and getting ready, I went to work and started ploughing through my to-do list. Sadly. The Red Robin I’ve stuck to my computer screen is as far as I’ve gone with Christmas decorations at work because when I’m there I have no spare time to decorate!

13:51 • Took my lunch break fairly late because I was so busy. I had Vegetable soup, 2 slices of wholemeal bread and a second cup of Jasmine green tea. It’s really beneficial for your mind and body, so I aim to drink 4 cups a day!

18:23 • Finished work at 18:00 then came home to find my mum had prepped dinner: a ham omelette with baked beans and bread. It was delicious!

19:24 • After dinner and a short break, I set about writing my personal statement for the Midwifery course I’m hopefully enrolling on next year. I always light my candle when I’m working at my desk because the scent of vanilla keeps me calm and relaxed.

21:01 • Finished my personal statement, so now all I need to do is wait for my personal tutor to supply a reference for my application before I can submit it! I took a short break when I was done to plan out my day tomorrow with what I need to do and when.