E.O. Wilson

Last night I attended a lecture by renowned naturalist and author E.O. Wilson. The subject was the immense biodiversity of our planet. His thesis: what he terms "Wilson's Law"...If we only seek to preserve the physical world (the air, water, resources, etc.) and lose sight of the living world (animals, insects, plants, etc.) we will ultimately lose both. However, if we preserve the living world, we will also preserve the physical world in the process.

Needless to say, the lecture was fascinating. The content explored all kingdoms of life on Earth, ranging from distant cosmic perspectives to the details of electron microscopy. His reports and predictions of destruction and extinction were frightening. His admonitions and hopes were inspiring. He concluded the speech with a quote by John Sawhill, the late president of the Nature Conservatory:

A society is defined, not only by what it creates, but by what it chooses not to destroy.

Today is a good day

Today I received the following email, and for the first time in 8 yrs I could simply delete it...

The Carver College of Medicine Financial Services Department is providing you with this important email about the financial aid application process for the 2009-2010 academic year. We hope many of you have already filed or are in the midst of preparing to file your FAFSA for the 09-10 academic year and to complete your 2008 federal income taxes. On the attached scan, you will find the following information:

The Steps to Apply for Financial Aid (including the FAFSA web link & UI's Title IV code)
A Loan Comparison Worksheet
A Tentative Cost of Attendance sheet for the 2009-2010 academic year