It's a cold, early spring Sunday in Boston, and I'm on my way to breakfast with an old friend who's in town for a conference. Passing the central branch of the Boston Public Library, I notice names of great scientists carved into the stone facing on its east side. I recognize all but one, and I think, "Cuvier…who is that?"
Apparently I have some things to learn about the history of science. I make a mental note, and continue my walk.

Artist's drawing of a pterosaur, among the flying reptiles that existed from 228 to 65 million years ago, shown beside a modern automobile for comparison. The fossil discovered in Big Bend National Park in Texas had a wingspan estimated at 12 meters (39 feet). They were first identified by Georges Cuvier in 1800 and named by him in 1809. At the time, the concept of extinction of species, invented by Cuvier, was controversial in European scientific circles. Much of his work predated by almost 40 years the publication of Journal and Remarks, 1832-1835, by Charles Darwin, commonly referred to as The Voyage of the Beagle. Ironically, Cuvier was critical of evolution theories. Image courtesy U.S. National Park Service.
But now I'm thinking about how much there is to learn, and how little time most of us have to dedicate to learning. I'm not thinking here about the latest news, or job-related technology; rather, learning about how things came to be, or where things are, or where we're headed, or any of the big questions we struggle with as a species.
Only the fortunate few have the time or energy to read voraciously, or to take courses for enjoyment. If you've been missing the thrill of learning something new, here are some suggestions for finding it once again.
First, you'll want resources. Here are three:
- People
- If you encounter a term, name, or concept you don't understand, ask the people around you what they know. You'll get some blank stares and misinformation, but you'll also get leads to paths that will resolve the puzzle.
- The Web
- The World Wide Web is a little more authoritative than most people are, and I can usually find the answers to my questions with a few searches. Use your favorite search engine or Wikipedia.
- Dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas, globe, and star charts
- How much there is to learn,
and how little time most of us
have to dedicate to learning! - A good dictionary is great for brief explanations. Encyclopedias are the next step. You'll want an atlas for graphical geography, and a globe (or a good two-dimensional representation) because the earth isn't flat. And don't forget the sky. The Web can provide all of these.
Next, you need sources of questions — practices that stir your brain. Here are three.
- Randomly peruse your resources
- Spend five minutes a day just looking at random entries in your dictionary or encyclopedia, or at parts of the atlas, globe, or star charts. Questions will pop like popcorn.
- Notice what's around you
- I noticed the name "Cuvier" for the first time, even though I've walked past the library hundreds of times. Noticing stirs your brain.
- Notice what isn't
- Ask yourself, 'Why isn't X here?' For instance, some plants tend not to thrive in sunny spots. Why not?
Perhaps you're wondering where you'll find the energy for these things. Probably more of us think we're maxed out than are actually maxed out, but if you really do feel a thrill when you learn something new, the learning might actually give you energy. And when that happens, you can ask yourself, 'Why is that?' Top
Next Issue
Love the work but not the job? Bad boss, long commute, troubling ethical questions, hateful colleague? This ebook looks at what we can do to get more out of life at work. It helps you get moving again! Read Go For It! Sometimes It's Easier If You Run, filled with tips and techniques for putting zing into your work life. Order Now!
Your comments are welcome
Would you like to see your comments posted here? rbrenogMhuqCxAnbfLvzbner@ChacigAthhhYwzZDgxshoCanyon.comSend me your comments by email, or by Web form.About Point Lookout
Thank you for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and
found it useful, and that you'll consider recommending it to a friend.
This article in its entirety was written by a human being. No machine intelligence was involved in any way.
Point Lookout is a free weekly email newsletter. Browse the archive of past issues. Subscribe for free.
Support Point Lookout by joining the Friends of Point Lookout, as an individual or as an organization.
Do you face a complex interpersonal situation? Send it in, anonymously if you like, and I'll give you my two cents.
Related articles
More articles on Personal, Team, and Organizational Effectiveness:
When Meetings Boil Over
- At any time, without warning, you can find yourself in a meeting that boils over. Sometimes tempers
rise, then voices rise, and then people yell and scream. What can a team do when meetings threaten to
boil over — and when they do?
Selling Uphill: The Pitch
- Whether you're a CEO or a project champion, you occasionally have to persuade decision makers who have
some kind of power over you. What do they look for? What are the key elements of an effective pitch?
What does it take to Persuade Power?
Virtual Communications: II
- Participating in or managing a virtual team presents special communications challenges. Here's Part
II of some guidelines for communicating with members of virtual teams.
Red Flags: III
- Early signs of troubles in collaborations include toxic conflict, elevated turnover, and anti-patterns
in communication. But among the very earliest red flags are abuses of power. They're more significant
than other red flags because abuses of power can convert any collaboration into a morass of destructive
politics.
Flexible Queue Management
- In meetings of 5-30 participants, managing the queue of contributors can be challenging. A strict first-in-first-out
order can cause confusion and waste time if important contributions are delayed. Some meetings need
more flexible queue management.
See also Personal, Team, and Organizational Effectiveness, Problem Solving and Creativity and Critical Thinking at Work for more related articles.
Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout
Coming September 27: On Working Breaks in Meetings
- When we convene a meeting to work a problem, we sometimes find that progress is stalled. Taking a break to allow a subgroup to work part of the problem can be key to finding simple, elegant solutions rapidly. Choosing the subgroup is only the first step. Available here and by RSS on September 27.
And on October 4: Self-Importance and Conversational Narcissism at Work: I
- Conversational narcissism is a set of behaviors that participants use to focus the exchange on their own self-interest rather than the shared objective. This post emphasizes the role of these behaviors in advancing a narcissist's sense of self-importance. Available here and by RSS on October 4.
Coaching services
I offer email and telephone coaching at both corporate and individual rates. Contact Rick for details at rbrenogMhuqCxAnbfLvzbner@ChacigAthhhYwzZDgxshoCanyon.com or (650) 787-6475, or toll-free in the continental US at (866) 378-5470.
Get the ebook!
Past issues of Point Lookout are available in six ebooks:
- Get 2001-2 in Geese Don't Land on Twigs (PDF, )
- Get 2003-4 in Why Dogs Wag (PDF, )
- Get 2005-6 in Loopy Things We Do (PDF, )
- Get 2007-8 in Things We Believe That Maybe Aren't So True (PDF, )
- Get 2009-10 in The Questions Not Asked (PDF, )
- Get all of the first twelve years (2001-2012) in The Collected Issues of Point Lookout (PDF, )
Are you a writer, editor or publisher on deadline? Are you looking for an article that will get people talking and get compliments flying your way? You can have 500-1000 words in your inbox in one hour. License any article from this Web site. More info
Follow Rick





Recommend this issue to a friend
Send an email message to a friend
rbrenogMhuqCxAnbfLvzbner@ChacigAthhhYwzZDgxshoCanyon.comSend a message to Rick
A Tip A Day feed
Point Lookout weekly feed
