Have you heard about the ancient fish called Qikiqtania wakei? According to scientists, millions of years ago the 30-inch eel-like Qikiqtania wakei developed physical characteristics necessary to survive out of water. Biologists found fossils showing that the fish had adapted from life in the water to life on...
It was the longest queue in history. Hundreds of thousands of people came to pay their last respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose coffin was lying in state in Westminster Hall. The queue snaked for miles and miles through London. People joined the line...
Ella ran toward the grass and reached down to pluck a dandelion from the ground. She went this way and that, gathering a little bouquet of bright yellow flowers and white dandelion puffs, carrying the bouquet carefully to keep the fragile puffs from falling off. “I...
Kaiden Shelton watched, stunned, as Isaiah Jarvis dropped to the ground. It was the first inning of the Southwest Region Playoff final in the Little League World Series. As 12-year-old Jarvis stood at the plate, a stray pitch slammed into his head, knocking his helmet off....
Last weekend, I went on an afternoon movie date with Ella. We saw a sweet little movie about a tiny shell who wears a pair of pink shoes. It was a beautiful and poignant story about connection, grief, hope and change. I didn't expect it to be...
Some cities are walking cities. Unlike Phoenix, where we drive with the air conditioner on full blast even for the shortest jaunt (and assume someone must be in distress and in immediate need of help if they are strolling down a busy street), there are...
Maurice Sendak’s illustrated story “Kenny’s Window” is a beautifully poetic tale about a young boy deciding what he really wants in life and putting his confidence in working toward those wishes and hopes. In the story, Kenny meets a rooster who asks Kenny what he wishes...
If I asked you to name the defining feature of a frog, you might say its ability to jump. Most frogs hop spectacularly, landing their jumps deftly on their forelimbs with precision. But not all frogs. The pumpkin toadlet, a tiny, Tic-Tac sized, orange-colored frog with scrawny...
Early in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, readers are introduced to a character named Queequeg. A native of the fictional island of Rokovoko – a land described as remote from civilization – Queequeg made the choice to leave the comfort of his island home and explore the...
I spent a long time before a conference call yesterday thinking about the things I would say. I reminded myself to mention some recent relevant research, thought about some questions I wanted to ask and considered the position I thought we should take. I was...