Pursuit of Wonders

A short speculative fiction story about a woman who thought she changed the world for the better. This story is not intended to be factually accurate or informative on the science of genetic engineering.

Alan Watts’s impact on the world continues to reverberate. His teachings remind us about our potential connection to everything we love, hate, and don't care about, as well as our foolishness in thinking we know enough to take anything, including his ideas, too seriously.

A brief list of some things that are often considered weird, but maybe shouldn't be.

Aunt Minnie is in the hospital. In this 1983 interview with Richard Feynman, we find out why... or not.

Did you click?

Memento mori: (Latin) remember you must die. Regularly confronting the thought of our mortality is not a morbid act that we should run from. It is something we should embrace, fore it has the power to bring us to life.

Decades ago, David Foster Wallace foresaw the problems that technology, media, and entertainment would cause for this generation with. We now live in the internet/information age, where technology and media are inescapable. During Wallace's later life, he pointed out the problems that we should consider and be aware of when existing in such a society. We may have not listened then, but we should now.

I hope you see it this time.

There is so much known about humanity and the life we inhabit, but there is so, so much more unknown. It is humbling and sometimes a little scary to recognize how much we still don't understand about ourselves. Everyday we do and experience things without a clue as to what is happening or why it's happening. We are still embryonic on the journey towards understanding, and perhaps this is an unending journey, like we are on a treadmill with unlimited power. And perhaps that's a good thing. What do you think?

In a 2017 interview, Neil deGrasse Tyson provides an incredible visual illustration to the concept of multidimensional phenomena. In which, he compares our inability to comprehend beyond the third dimension to that of an ant being incapable of understanding that something is placed above it. Truly fascinating to consider the limits of consciousness and what might lie beyond it. We found this so compelling, we decided to make a short film to help further visually demonstrate his beautiful explanation. This video is transformative in nature and is intended for educational purposes. Therefore, it falls under fair use.

A short animation with a timely message. We never know when the ending moment might come, only to realize what we already knew, but never did anything about.

It's important not to assume that the way things are or have been are the way things need to be. The way our family, friends, or society as a whole lives life on earth is not the only way. We must not limit ourselves. We must not blindly conform if the price to pay is our happiness and sense of self. We must instead look inward and decide what route we personally want to follow in life... and if it doesn't exist, we must attempt to create our own.

Dr. Gabor Maté gives a beautiful speech on human nature and the implications culture has on our ability to maintain it. In this segment of the speech, he discusses four different categories of self-alienation, and provides a sentiment of hope to stay in touch with our true nature as we move forward through the challenging times of modern culture. This video is transformative in nature and is intended for educational purposes. Therefore, it falls under fair use.

If one wishes to be taken seriously in their artistic and performative endeavors, they must do it with good style. For some, good style is easy. For others, not so much. Fortunately, through understanding and applying the concept of Sprezzatura, (almost) anyone can attain good style. This video is transformative in nature and is intended for educational purposes. Therefore, all use of sampled footage falls under fair use.

Philosopher Bertrand Russell's warning for the future during an interview in 1959. As Bertrand Russell suggests, "If we wish to live together and not die together," perhaps we must work to heed this advice more effectively...sooner than later. This video is transformative in nature and is intended for educational purposes. Therefore, it falls under fair use.

For some reason, you are here. And perhaps that is enough of a reason.

In this Bukowski poem entitled, "The Shoelace Poem," Bukowski invites the listener/reader to feel less alone in the insanity created by the simple, mundane string of ordinary life events. Sometimes it isn’t massive life tragedies that push someone over the edge. Sometimes it's just one too many broken shoelaces. And we should give everyone the benefit of the doubt, assuming we have likely all broken that last shoelace. This video is transformative in nature and is intended for educational purposes. Therefore, it falls under fair use.

The best and worst pizza you'll ever taste.

A beautiful and articulate take from film director David Lynch on the powerful effects mediation can have on creativity, happiness, and wellbeing.

One frame for the rest of your life.

This video is a short story about a hyper-intelligent boy named Simon and his journey through the most volatile time in human history. Compelled by traumatic childhood events, Simon decides he will be the one who finds the edge of universe and the source of everything.

A provoking exert from a Terence McKenna lecture. In which, McKenna discusses the potential dangers of ideology and the pitfalls to humanity's conception that there is an ultimate reality to be uncovered. Perhaps the ultimate truth we are in such desperate pursuit for is not even the point at all. This video is transformative in nature and is intended for educational purposes. Therefore, it falls under fair use.

What's it all for? Sometimes we get so caught up in it all that we forget to stop and think about this and decide for ourself.

A profound excerpt from an interview with Carl Sagan where he discusses humanity's ignorance to the universe. He states how we must continue to open our minds and consider new ideas, moving through outdated ones of the past. At first, realizing that we are so ignorant and insignificant to the universe might feel dismal, but it can actually be quite liberating. When we recognize this, life becomes a little more light-hearted and the things that don't matter, matter a little less. The need for love, compassion, happiness, and fun matter a little more. And the thrilling pursuit for knowledge and understanding continues to keep us moving forward. This video is transformative in nature and is intended for educational purposes. Therefore, it falls under fair use.

If what you do for work during the week makes you feel like you're wasting time, it's probably because you are. In hating your job and deriving your life's enjoyment from the weekend, you are give up a terrifying amount of your life. Sources: https://returntonow.net/2017/09/22/85-people-hate-jobs-gallup-poll-says/ https://news.gallup.com/opinion/chairman/212045/world-broken-workplace.aspx?g_source=position1&g_medium=related&g_campaign=tiles https://www.inc.com/jt-odonnell/how-this-1-question-can-make-you-choose-wrong-career.html https://fortune.com/2017/09/01/job-satisfaction-highest-since-2005/ https://www.caregiver.org/resource/selected-long-term-care-statistics/ https://www.thebalancemoney.com/average-retirement-age-in-the-united-states-2388864