by Denise Croote '16 This three-minute clip tells the timeless tale of predator and prey, of a bright-eyed and bushy tailed young squirrel eager to take on the world and a particularly malicious hawk hungry for lunch. In a way, we were all bright-eyed, bushy tailed squirrels simply trying to enjoy the Brown experience, until all of these midterms just before Spring Break tried to eat us. Nevertheless, survive we must and prevail we shall. If you've ever wondered about the facial expressions of a squirrel as a hawk is shaking it from a tree, this video has your answer. If you could care less about a hawk-squirrel hunt, this video will still astound you with its HD 1080p resolution. How this was caught on film is a complete mystery. Good luck, fellow squirrels! (If you're a hawk, well, good luck to you too, but please don't eat me.)
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by Noah Schlottman '16 It is something that has, most likely, perplexed humanity for thousands of years (1). It is something that has probably confused recreational users, the shamans who were its prescribers, and maybe even Shakespeare (2). Certainly there are Brown students who have pondered time and again, perhaps at various times throughout this university’s 250 years: Why does marijuana give you the munchies? Though we haven’t figured out the full answer yet, a group of researchers at the University of Bordeaux conducted a study that gives us some insight into why, indeed, marijuana makes people hungry (3). Tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly known as THC) is the “active ingredient” in cannabis. It mimics the activity of chemicals called cannabinoids that are naturally produced by our brains. These chemicals fit into receptors in the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in controlling mood, memory, pain, and—most importantly in this case—appetite. An ingenious experimental design allowed them to focus on certain cannabinoid receptors in mice’s olfactory bulbs, a part of the brain involved in odor perception. by Matthew Lee '15 He knew what was up. [image via] From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of each other - above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received. This semester is coming to an end. Fittingly, Providence is steeped in snow. For some, it is already over. The rest of us have exams to take and papers to write.
Yet we will all wonder where three and a half months went. I hope that you can say it was spent laughing with friends. I hope you can say you that you climbed mountains and reached new plateaus with the people you care about. I hope you can say that you made a smile happen everywhere you went. At the top of this post, Einstein reminds us that we are all interconnected and that our lives are only as meaningful as they are to the people we touch. I am humbled. Far too often have I staked out on my own, inconsiderate and inconsiderate of the notion that I am the sum of my interpersonal interactions. I have wasted so much time this semester because I have not shared myself. When all is said and done, thoughts that were neither shared nor realized into actions will not have impacted another individual. They will not have mattered. I hope you can say that you were not like me. In the midst of studying, of paper writing, do not forget that we are all in this -- finals period, Brown, winter in Providence -- together. Make a smile happen. Support others in their struggles and show your gratitude to those who support you. Make time to say goodbye to friends. By the end of the week, it'll be over. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more." by Noah Schlottman '16 Sometimes, there seems to be an endless supply of readings, homework, lab reports, and projects. If you’re ever in a slump because of the demands of school and those sixteen student groups you’re involved in, at least there’s one thing you’ll never have to worry about: being eaten. Eating and being eaten are the two biggest problems for pretty much every other organism on the planet. What’s worse is when whatever is eating you is also eating your food. Welcome to the life of a caterpillar. |