Share Spotlight: Quipu

This week's Share spotlight comes from The Brain Scoop:
Quipu

Quipus are an ancient accounting system. Very different from the system we are used to today, they were nonetheless extremely effective for a society without a writing system.

Quipus are a great representation of the ways different cultures, and people, interpret information.

What other record keeping systems have you heard of? How else do people process and store important information?

The Doorkeeper of the Year

 January begins our year, but do you know where it came from?

January was added around 700 BCE (along with February) to bring the Roman calendar to 355 days, closer to a full a solar year of 365 days. Originally, the month was near the end of the year, but Julius Caesar reordered the calendar in 45 BCE, adding 10 days for a true solar year and January was placed at the beginning of the year.

 January (Ianuarius in Latin) is named for Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings.

 Head of Janus, Vatican museum, Rome from Wikipedia Commons 

Janus had two faces, which looked both backward and forward. With such an ambiguous description, Janus oversaw birth and death, war and peace, as well as the past and the future. He was invoked at the beginning of any number of things, including marriage, harvest, and journeys.

Temple of Janus on Coin from the time of Nero, from Wikipedia Commons

A temple to Janus in Rome would keep its doors open during war time, so that the god could intervene if necessary, and would close them during peace time. However, the doors were rarely closed and the ceremony to close them was an important event.

Janus is generally associated with doorkeepers and we derive our word "janitor" from his name.

"There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception." --Aldous Huxley

December Book Roundup

Since yesterday was a Share Spotlight day, I decided to postpone my Book Roundup until today. Here's the list for December.

The Technologists by Matthew Pearl

            This piece of historical fiction reads like a great thriller novel. Set in 1868, Pearl brings the first class of MIT to life as they race to stop a mad genius whose technological attacks on Boston bring the fledgling college under intense scrutiny. I saw the first plot twist coming. I did not see the second, and had completely given up by the third. The characters are interesting and the science is fantastic. A thick book, but well worth the read.

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown

            This is a nonfiction work by the CalTech astronomer whose 2004 discovery would eventually lead to the creation of a new classification of astronomical body and Pluto’s demotion to a dwarf planet. It’s written in a largely autobiographical style, but the story is fascinating and really gives a peek into how scientists work.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

            I had a hard time putting this one down. My roommate startled me several times because I had forgotten she was in the room. It’s absolutely fabulous, with incredibly believable characters (which is impressive, given the subject matter). The end is pretty well telegraphed, but, what with the way the book is written, it would be hard for it to be otherwise. One of the few books I’ve read that was definitely worth the hype. 

Share Spotlight: Ditch the Resolutions: Make SMART Goals Instead

This week's Share Spotlight comes from Verily Magazine:
Ditch the Resolutions: Make SMART Goals Instead

New Year's Resolutions never seem to turn out the way we plan, and, quite frankly, I've given up making them. Instead, I follow something very close to the guidelines outlined by Verily Magazine.

I start a new goal whenever I feel that I have the others I've made down to a habit. I'm learning new languages, doing yoga, and keeping up with the news (via Twitter, but still).

In the next year, I want to keep up with all of that and find a part time job. Which means I need to start making goals to get me there.

What do you want to accomplish this coming year? Do you have any other tips for sticking to those plans?



I also would like to ask for recommendations. Is there a gap in the kinds of posts I share on the Share Spotlight? Recommend a blog for me to follow!

Protests in Ukraine

Protests have gone on in Kiev for the last month, hoping to reverse the government's decision to move away from the EU.

I don't know if you've heard, but there have been massive protests in Ukraine's capital city, Kiev. After moving toward friendlier relations with the European Union, Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovych, announced in late November that Ukraine would not sign the agreement with the EU. Protests began almost immediately.

From Wikipedia

Called Euromaidan, protesters have taken up residence in Independence Square, calling for the resignation of the President and generally decrying the corruption of the government. Riot police made an attempt on November 30 to remove the protesters, but the resulting violence only strengthened national and international support for the protestors.

Protesters in Independence Square, by Nwssa Gnatoush via Wikipedia

The protestors have blockaded Independence Square and two rallies have gathered over 200,000 protesters. The protests have been going strong for over a month now and have garnered support from many of the countries of the EU, the US, and numerous organizations in Ukraine, including some state run museums.

Have you heard about these protests? What do you think should happen next?

For some more information, check out:
Q&A: Stand-off in Ukraine over EU Agreement from BBC News
"Our History Museums will Include the Events of These Days" from The Uncataloged Museum

Share Spotlight: Life Isn't Always Like a Christmas Movie

This week's Share Spotlight comes from the Busted Halo blog:
Life Isn't Always Like a Christmas Movie

The Holiday Season is wonderful, but it can also be bit difficult, particularly if you are far from home or the only single girl left in your family.

Luckily for me, neither of these things are true this year, but this list from Busted Halo is a great reminder that you are in charge of your attitude during the holidays. The holidays often mean an incredible amount of stress, but how we respond to that stress can make the difference for ourselves and those around us. You can make the line at the Post Office fun or miserable, sit at the side of the party or join in.

How do you make sure that you keep an upbeat attitude during the holidays or other sometimes difficult times?

Christmas Time in Scandinavia

So, Tuesday you got a Share Spotlight about Las Posadas. Today, you get post about Christmas in another part of the world!

Ever since reading about it in the American Girl book Kirsten's Surprise (yes, that was a long time ago and yes, I do want to read it again every Christmas) I've loved the celebrations of Saint Lucia that happens in Scandinavia.

Saint Lucia of Syracuse (St. Lucy to most of the rest of the world) was an early Christian martyr. Her name means light and, with her feast day the 13th of December, she came to be associated with midwinter celebrations of the return of longer days.

In many Scandinavian countries, a girl dresses in a white robe with a red sash and wears a wreath of candles on her head (though these days the candles are most likely to be electric, thank goodness). She often distributes "St. Lucia buns" or other baked goods. Usually, a traditional song is sung, with lyrics about how St. Lucia overcame the darkness.

St. Lucia celebration, from Wikipedia Commons.

In Sweden, it is common for the eldest girl in the family to play this role while other Scandinavian countries tend to have a single girl play St. Lucia for the town or region. To be picked to be St. Lucia is considered a great honor.

In Italy, she is celebrated as the patron saint of Syracuse in Sicily, and her day is National Day on the island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Italian and Scandinavian immigrants also brought the tradition to the United States and celebrations can be found particularly in the Midwest.

Wherever her day is celebrated, she stands for the triumph of light over darkness.


"But you know happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light." --Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban