toast to the idiots (us!)

The science of Idiotism was introduced to the Western world more than 90 years ago, in 1922, by the famous philosopher G. I. Gurdjieff. At first, according to his students, it seemed to be simply an amusing mealtime entertainment, resulting in a cosmic degree of drunkenness. But soon it became “perhaps his strangest and most innovative method of…

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glimpse the daily possible: help us give you more!

Five days a week ‘improvised life’ publishes examples of ‘the daily possible’, from home design and cooking to productivity and self-expression, that we’ve scouted from….EVERYWHERE. We’re at a turning point and want to know what you think about what we do, what you like, dislike, want… If you haven’t already, please fill out our quick…

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exercise averse? outdoors (even a park) is your gym

I used to know a brilliant Reichian therapist who disdained exercise machines. “They make the body stupid”, she said. She believed that physical exercise should take the form of conscious, pleasurable movement that had a reason, not something done mindlessly while watching tv or reading. I’ve thought of this often as I’ve wondered at my…

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House Tour: Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion House

(Video link here.) Buckminster Fuller is on our list of people we would have loved to have met and talked to.  The one-of-a-kind American architect, engineer, systems theorist, designer, inventor, and futurist was most famous for his invention of the geodesic dome. We love his Dymaxion house, above, designed in 1946. Dymaxion was a Fuller design principle: designs…

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e.o. wilson: make short imperfect experiments + try things out

Our friend Maureen Rolla alerted us to Ira Flatow’s compelling NPR interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist E.O. Wilson, about his book Letters to a Young Scientist. Wilson is the rare scientist who is deeply aware of the creative process. His words are powerful and true no matter what your field or medium. At the website, you can listen and/or…

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amazing lego prosthesis + boston’s continuing recovery

Occupational therapist Christina Stephens, who had her foot amputated after a crash injury, created a prosthetic entirely out of Legos. She rose to the challenge when a co-worker in her research lab jokingly suggested she make a prosthetic leg out of the toy construction blocks. Awesome creative spirit there!  This video at DesignBoom shows the…

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mastery of anything is about practice + overcoming ‘can’t’

David Saltman over at The Houdini File spotted this image on The Art of Kung Fu’ facebook with the comment: Whenever you say “I can’t do it”, think of this photo. All martial arts, including tai chi, are about practice…a lifetime of practice to gain mastery… …And mastery of ANYTHING is about practice, perservering in the…

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