I was trying to settle Carmen down a little bit this afternoon.  She didn’t sleep well last night and by lunch she was picking at her sandwich and wailing at the slightest misfortunes.  We rocked and snuggled downstairs while she tossed and turned, searching for sleep.  I checked the clock and wondered how to best spend my time.  The room was too dark to read a book, and I was too tired myself to listen to a story with my headphones.  I considered the television but didn’t want to subject myself to Let’s Make a Deal.  So, reminscient of those days when Carmen was much tinier and I spent much more time in a rocking chair, I carefully reached over to the laptop and led the cursor onto my e-mail window. 

I could check this month’s TED talks.  Click.

Two videos caught my interest and I think they’re worth sharing.  The first (from Dan Meyer) discusses math education, and how the current education model in most schools does not stress the kind of problem-solving we can encounter on a daily basis.  Take a look, the video is only 11 or 12 minutes and there’s nothing good on TV, anyway.  Highlights are the “baiting the hook” bit and the grocery store problem described in more detail here.

In twenty minutes the second video tells a story that starts with 60,000 miles of blood vessels, moves to cancer and expands to dietary synergism, new approaches to chemo, managing obesity, and more.  We’ve learned to break down a healthy diet into Omega fats, antioxidants, and vitamins, but after this video you might consider the foods in your fridge in a whole new light.  And you never know; your life just might depend on it.

Carmen never managed to fall asleep.  She felt recharged, though, and soldiered on well past dinner.