The Power of Whimsy

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January 9, 2013 a project of ServiceSpace Wonder is the heaviest element on the periodic table. Even a tiny fleck of it stops time - Diane Ackerman - The Power of Whimsy Public spaces serve multiple functions for society and, more and more, they are being utilized in ever-creative ways. In many of these cases, whimsy seems to be at the heart of the matter, even if it is not the main driver. For instance, in a bid to improve public health by encouraging more people to use the stairs instead of the escalator, The Fun Theory (a Volkswagen initiative) transformed a set of Stockholm subway stairs into piano keys -- each step a person took played a note. As a result, 66 percent more people took the stairs than the escalator. In another example, a Dutch railway company had a slide installed atop one of the stairways leading down to a station in Utrecht and dubbed it a 'transfer accelerator.' This delightful piece shares more. { read more } Be The Change Do something differently today that invites the power of whimsy into your life. COMMENT | RATE               Related Good News 10 Worst Listening Habits -- and Their Cure Man Builds Fairy Tale Home -- For $4700 11 Amazing Thank You Notes Life is 'Baeutiful' Over Ten Thousand People Attend His Funeral 5 Classic Commencement Speeches The Power of Self-Compassion Barbara Kingsolver On How to Be Hopeful DailyGood is a volunteer-run initiative that delivers "good news" to 124,167 subscribers. There are many ways to help. To unsubscribe, click here. Other ServiceSpace projects include: HelpOthers  //  CF Sites  //  KarmaTube  //  Conversations  //  More

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14 Year-Old Gets Photos of Space

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January 8, 2013 a project of ServiceSpace Two things awe me most, the starry sky above me and the moral law within me. - Immanuel Kant - 14 Year-Old Gets Photos of Space A Lego man encased in a homemade weather balloon ended his journey to the edge of space on a New Hampshire driveway, bringing with him a trove of atmospheric data as well as stunning images of the curvature of the Earth. The balloon, which landed on August 25, is the brainchild of a 14-year-old student named Jack Miron from Bedford, New Hampshire. He didn't know that NASA is using this technology for telescope research and studying the atmospheres of Mars, Venus and beyond. His sights were set instead on an eighth-grade science project. { read more } Be The Change Tonight, take time to look up at the wonder that is the sky. COMMENT | RATE               Related Good News The Beauty in Each Grain of Sand The Blind Man Who Taught Himself To See The Neuropsychology of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" Connecting for Good: Social Networks in 2015 Profit vs. Principle: The Neurobiology of Integrity 10 Points on the Science of Spreading Good Mother of All Languages A Brief History of Timekeeping DailyGood is a volunteer-run initiative that delivers "good news" to 124,156 subscribers. There are many ways to help. To unsubscribe, click here. Other ServiceSpace projects include: HelpOthers  //  CF Sites  //  KarmaTube  //  Conversations  //  More

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Bill Gates vs. Mother Teresa

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January 7, 2013 a project of ServiceSpace It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving. - Mother Teresa - Bill Gates vs. Mother Teresa "Two days ago, I was in China, speaking to a bunch of influential business leaders. One of them posed a challenge: "You speak about Vinoba Bhave, the spiritual heir of Gandhi, and how he walked 80K kilometers across India and inspired people to donate 5 million acres to their neighbors. Yes, it might've been an unprecedented feat in the history of mankind, but really, how many people remember Vinoba today? Instead, think of how many people remember Steve Jobs and the legacy he left behind." From a short-term impact point of view, it's a thoughtful dilemma. In fact, Forbes magazine did a piece which reflected similarly, asking the question: "Who has changed the world more: Bill Gates or Mother Teresa?" And they concluded Bill Gates. My response to this industrialist, though, was a true story that happened a few weeks ago at a school near Pune." Nipun Mehta reflects further. { read more } Be The Change Infuse a simple act of giving today with a deep wish for well-being. COMMENT | RATE               Related Good News 10 Worst Listening Habits -- and Their Cure The 3 A's of Awesome 10 Keys to Happier Living Man Builds Fairy Tale Home -- For $4700 11 Amazing Thank You Notes Life is 'Baeutiful' Inside Tim Tebow's World of Kindness How One Teenager Used Her Life Savings DailyGood is a volunteer-run initiative that delivers "good news" to 124,115 subscribers. There are many ways to help. To unsubscribe, click here. Other ServiceSpace projects include: HelpOthers  //  CF Sites  //  KarmaTube  //  Conversations  //  More

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A Man Who Gave Away His Home To a Family in Need

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January 6, 2013 a project of ServiceSpace I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. - C.S. Lewis - A Man Who Gave Away His Home To a Family in Need A 51-year-old man is moving back in with his parents so a homeless family can live in his house instead. Tony Tolbert's offer is good for one full year. According to CBS, the spare bedroom in his childhood home in Los Angeles frequently went to people in need, which inspired his own version of the act. "You don't have to be Bill Gates or Warren Buffet or Oprah," Tolbert, a Harvard-educated attorney said, "We can do it wherever we are, with whatever we have, and for me, I have a home that I can make available." Tolbert had never met the recipients. He found them through Alexandria House, a shelter for women and children. Felicia Dukes, a mother of four, couldn't believe the deal when she heard it. { read more } Be The Change "Give more than you can spare" today, whether that is in time, energy, space, or benefit of doubt. COMMENT | RATE               Related Good News Secrets of the 100-yr-old Marathoner Homeless Man Bails out Banker Mystery Knitter's Olympic Masterpiece Human Spirit Rises to Meet Japan's Tsunami Change Your Life with a Thank-You Note The Man Who Left Hollywood For His True Calling The 29-Year-Old Stockbroker Who Saved 699 Lives From 'Dummy' to Celebrated Brain Surgeon DailyGood is a volunteer-run initiative that delivers "good news" to 124,107 subscribers. There are many ways to help. To unsubscribe, click here. Other ServiceSpace projects include: HelpOthers  //  CF Sites  //  KarmaTube  //  Conversations  //  More

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