Rudy Francisco's "Sons"

Rudy Francisco constantly blows my mind. He is my favorite poet by a long shot. Rudy is an incredibly talented spoken-word poet who has been active since 2009. He won the National Underground Poetry Slam in 2009 and the Individual World Poetry Slam in 2010. After being born and raised in San Diego, Rudy completed a B.A. in Psychology and went on to get his M.A. in Organizational Studies. Many of his poems challenge the status quo and stimulate conversation about social justice topics, such as race, gender, and class.

One of my favorite poems is called “Sons.” Rudy Francisco teamed up with Terisa Siagatonu to create a narrative critiquing rape culture and how it is affecting the future generations to come. I ask that you now watch the performance of “Sons” before I discuss it further.

Wow, right? It’s a pretty powerful and eloquent poem. At every line that rises to a crescendo I get goose bumps. This spoken word by Francisco and Siagatonu criticizes the fact that children at this day in age are being taught fallacies about rape, gender, and responsibility when we are not looking.

“Rape culture is the worst kind of teacher our kids are learning the most from.”

This is one of the most important lines of the poem because it is spelling it out in plain English what is going on in our society. We wonder “where do they get that from?” but we need to look at ourselves and the environment. This poem has been presented to make us think about how and why rape culture is still present today. It is presented to think about why the media portrays cases about rape, as illustrated at the beginning of the poem, are projected the way that they are.

“They said nothing of the cemetery growing inside the body of the girl. Nothing of the graveyard where she would bury her trust in men.”

Why are we mourning the futures of the men that have raped, when we should be thinking about the women who have been raped? I know that a lot of us at this university don’t agree with the tabloids, but many people find that to be their only source for such cases and information. When information is shown this way in the media, many people do not think twice of it. They agree a woman is “asking for it” or “must have led them on.”

“It’s moments like these verdicts that make me numb to my own anger, Afraid to even talk about this out loud.”

This poem is important because it stimulates a hard conversation. A conversation that people don’t often want to have, or stir in their seat when brought up. If we don’t talk about these topics, nothing is ever going to change. Rudy Francisco wants to make his listener uncomfortable because it helps one think outside of the box. He uses his words to create new words, and thoughts, and feelings in his listener.

In my opinion, Rudy Francisco is one of the most intelligent Creatives of this time. Gardner states that Creatives exude 4 characteristics: (1) creative in a domain, (2) regularly exhibit creativity, (3) devising of new questions, and (4) accepted in a particular culture (p. 32-36). Francisco is creative in his domain of poetry, not only in his words, but also in his passion and delivery. He is also regularly creative, having published three books of poetry over the past three years and frequently producing and posting new content on his Tumblr. Additionally, this poem alone shows how Rudy Francisco devises new questions and challenges old ones. He does not settle for the status quo; he settles for what is right. Finally, he is one of the most popular and widely recognized slam poets of the time. His works resonate with a large population and is praised for it.

I encourage you all to think hard about this poem. To see points he and Siagatonu are making and take them to heart. Do not fear hard topics; push them, challenge them, and recognize them for what they are. I’ve attached the transcript if you’re interested in reading it verbatim. Please, start conversations. This is why the poem is present. Rudy Francisco is my favorite poet. I hope that he becomes one of yours too.

Transcript of “Sons”: http://genius.com/Rudy-francisco-sons-annotated

Works Cited:

http://genius.com/Rudy-francisco-sons-annotated

http://www.iamrudyfrancisco.com/#!bio/cgc4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vHqYkzu5Ok

http://rudyfrancisco.tumblr.com/

Gardner, H. Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity Seen through the Lives of Freud,

Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Gandhi. New York: Basic, 2011. Print.

Apple's Other Famous Steve

Most of you are probably reading through these blog posts on some form of a laptop or a computer. Moreover, you are all using some deviation of either a Mac or a PC. Regardless of how much you knew about computers, in the early 2000’s, it was a hot debate topic to argue which computer was better. Some of you may even remember an ad campaign that Apple ran, dedicated to this very question.

However, this ad campaign, and the entire debate over the two computers, would have never occurred without the work of the man behind the original Apple Computer, Steve Wozniak.

On two separate occasions in class, we have watched a clip of Steve Jobs delivering a speech at a college graduation, and it makes sense. Up until his death, Jobs was the face of the Apple brand, and the man behind the wonderful little computers most of us carry around in our pockets today. And while it is true that he was one of the driving forces behind the iPhone, his early partner, Steve Wozniak is arguably a major contributor to the computes that we have today. Woz was introduced to Jobs during his time at the University of California at Berkeley. The two went on to develop the early computer prototypes, form Apple Computer, and market and sell a robust personal computer to the general public. An impressive list of accomplishments from two men who had the tendency to work out of a garage.

Wozniak is an excellent example of a creative personality, and he exhibits a number of dichotomies though his work. From an early age, Woz was fascinated with electronics, and constantly questioned how they functioned. He would often try to construct a number of small electronic projects growing up, completely from scratch. That childlike manor, constantly questioning the world around him, was carried into his career as an adult. He was able to push the boundaries of current knowledge on computing by questioning the limits of his work. For example, he helped to design the circuit board for the Atari game Breakout. Woz questioned if he could reproduce that same basic animation using software. This led to the design of the Apple II, including a built in programming language, BASIC, which was revolutionary at the time. And contrasting his childlike questioning was his incredible wisdom. His work speaks for itself; he singlehandedly designed and then built the Apple I Computer. His intelligence was once in a lifetime.

Woz could also have a wild imagination, but with his profession, he was forced to constantly stay grounded in reality. His work was constantly constrained by the realities of the technology. He pushed the boundaries to their absolute limits, but could only stretch them so far as the electronics would allow him 30 years ago. But it was his wildly creative imagination that led him to those boundaries in the first place. And even after the success of the first computer, it was his imagination that led to even more innovations in the second generation of Apple Computers, including the first computer with the ability to display color graphics.

With all the technological advancements that frequently occur in our time, it can be easy to take all of this for granted, and lose track of the humble beginnings of these powerful machines. We often think of Steve Jobs in relation to the Apple machines that we use today. But the origins of Apple are really due to the efforts of both men working as a team to revolutionize the computer industry. And we should all take the time to thank the lesser remembered but still equally vital, Steve Wozniak. 

And if you're interested in seeing how the original Apple computer ran, check out this video! It's amazing to see how technology has evolved.

References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpOvzGiheOM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Original_1976_Apple_1_Computer_In_A_Briefcase.JPG

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Apple_II_tranparent_800.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysMfjU--h8U

http://www.biography.com/people/steve-wozniak-9537334#founding-apple-computer

http://gizmodo.com/5926688/how-steve-wozniak-became-the-genius-who-invented-the-personal-computer

Tobacco Plants are Actually Saving Lives

With Zica virus being the new talk, thoughts are fading about the Ebola outbreak that the US experienced a little over a year ago. However, a huge innovation came about when Ebola spread around the world, in the form of Charles Arntzen. This molecular biologist was working with tobacco plants in order to form various vaccines and drugs, known as "pharming."

When the Ebola outbreak began, Dr. Arntzen was using these tobacco plants to attempt to amplify antibodies that had come from mice, in order to use a form of this as a vaccine for humans that had become infected. He found that inserting the antibodies into the tobacco plants, as it had always been done to form a vaccine, was a slow-going process. He revolutionized the field by using viruses to infect the tobacco plants instead. By hiding the antibodies within the virus, the tobacco plants began to produce an exponential amount of antibodies as the infection spread throughout the plant. These antibodies went on to form the vaccine ZMapp, which is an extremely promising drug against Ebola. Although not yet FDA approved, this alternative way of producing the vaccine could save many lives all over the world as Ebola continues to infect others.

As a project that had begun after the 9/11 attacks with the thoughts of the nation on terrorism, Dr. Arntzen and his team were able to quickly produce antibodies in tobacco plants in the event that there was an attack via bioterrorism. Conveniently, they had produced antibodies for Ebola in the years following 9/11 that were used to treat a handful of patients in the 2014 outbreak.

Dr. Arntzen is creative through his discovery of this extremely useful innovation and this creativity appears to stem from his personality and how he approached the problem. In watching videos of how he accomplishes his work, I am able to identify a handful of Sternberg's personality characteristics. Dr. Arntzen falls under the integration and intellectuality category as he listens to multiple approaches to the problem and then discovers the best solution through a combination of these thoughts. He also falls under the decisional skill and flexibility category. When he speaks about his research team and how the discovery occurred, he indicated that the research went back and forth quite a few times, in slightly different directions before they discovered the right path to quickly reproduce this antibody for Ebola. However, he continued to follow his gut instinct in order to make the correct discovery of the insertion of the virus into the tobacco plant.

When thinking of a creative person, many people will not have a scientist come to mind. However, if we did not have people like Dr. Arntzen creatively discovering new ways to quickly and effectively produce vaccines, many more people could be at risk for certain diseases. Remember that scientists can be creative too, just not in what most would define as "conventional."

https://vimeo.com/127319051 (video on development of vaccine)

https://vimeo.com/127319986 (video on working with others)

http://image.slidesharecdn.com/molecularpharming-140221195629-phpapp01/95/molecular-pharming-7-638.jpg?cb=1393012656

http://visual-science.com/feature-img/ebola-virus/ebola-virus.png

https://40.media.tumblr.com/0911b56259c40375debd926bd1cad56d/tumblr_mskvqvHVmZ1ss6ffzo1_500.jpg

http://www.fastcompany.com/3045741/most-creative-people-2015/meet-ebolas-soft-spoken-plant-loving-arch-nemesis

"Born to be kings, princes of the universe..."

            Freddie Mercury. I’m sure it’s fair to say that almost everyone has heard his song Bohemian Rhapsody at least once. Whether people love the song or hate it, most don’t know just how extraordinary and groundbreaking the production of Bo Rhap really was. In 1975, the most musically difficult song had a 24 track overdub. Bo Rhap blew this number out of the water, requiring 180 separate overdubs in order to create the song’s operatic feel. By the time it was finished, the tape was nearly transparent! If you haven’t heard it, I’m ashamed of you, and you should pause to listen:

            Now, back to Freddie Mercury. He was born as Farrokh Bulsara on September 5, 1946 in Zanzibar. He moved to London in the 1960s where he attended the Ealing College of Art. Believe it or not, a few of his paintings are rare collector’s items. He also created the design for Queen’s logo, incorporating the astrological signs of the four members.

Fun fact: the shirt that Freddie wears in the Days of Our Lives music video was hand painted by Freddie himself, using his cats as the models. Using this as an example, it’s easy to see why people thought Freddie was a bit eccentric. His stage costumes were often very androgynous and over-the-top (Queen is credited with the beginnings of Glam Rock). One of his goals was to bring ballet to the masses, something that is a theme throughout Queen’s early music videos. Yeah, Freddie Mercury was pretty out there, even for the 1970s (which is really saying something).

            Despite his flamboyant and friendly personality, Freddie was actually pretty shy and kept to himself about his creative process. However, it is known that he kept a keyboard next to his bed in case inspiration would strike while he was sleeping. It seems like Freddie just kind of went for it and threw down whatever came to mind. Then, of course, the other three band members would use their own creative genius to form the ideas into songs.

            And now, the questions everyone has been waiting for since 1975: What inspired Bohemian Rhapsody? And what the heck is it about? Freddie has been reported saying that even he doesn’t know. This begs the question, is he telling the truth? If Freddie doesn’t have a creative process, can he really be considered a creative genius? Absolutely. Here are the four requirements of being creative, as told by Gardner (35-36):

1.      Creative in a domain.

a.       That’s an easy one. Freddie is very musically gifted, as well as the artistic talents on the side.

2.      Regularly exhibit creativity.

a.       Freddie never stopped making music, even up until the day he died. One famous story is that he was very sick from AIDS when he had to shoot the Who Wants to Live Forever music video. When asked if he was too sick to perform, he supposedly downed a shot of whisky, said “I’ll f*****g do it, darling!,” and completed the video in one take.

3.      Devising of new questions.

a.       Especially with their album A Night At the Opera, Queen raised all kinds of questions about music. Most of their music was non-traditional Rock and Roll. Not to mention that Freddie’s stage performances were some of the most electric that people had seen at the time.

4.      Accepted in a particular culture.

a.       People were so divided over Queen’s music that it was laughable. Elton John personally hated Bo Rhap, but the DJ who aired it for the first time was in love with it. Want to see how amazingly widespread Queen’s influence became? Watch this clip from their performance at Live Aid where the entire audience knows the hand motions to Radio Gaga. 

So, was Freddie Mercury a creative genius? Me and every other die-hard Queen fan will argue that he absolutely was, but looking at Gardner’s definitions, it seems like we have the evidence to back it up. So if you’ve never heard of Queen, or only know Bo Rhap, go check out some of their awesome music! In my opinion, I Want to Break Free has the greatest music video (Queen smashing the patriarchy while dressed in drag) and Somebody to Love is the best song.

P.S. While Freddie is a creative genius, there is no doubt that the other three members of Queen (John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and Brian May) are also geniuses and crazy awesome as well.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/70634/10-operatic-facts-about-bohemian-rhapsody

http://www.biography.com/people/freddie-mercury-9406228#memorable-performances

http://goodlogo.com/extended.info/queen-logo-3009
(And my embarrassingly extensive Queen knowledge)

For Our Children's Children

As Leonardo DiCaprio so rightly put it at the Oscars, climate change is “the most urgent threat facing our species.” This has caused many in the science community to look for more energy which is less toxic to our environment and more sustainable than the fossil fuels we are currently using. Some problems that occur when looking for these ‘green’ alternatives are that they are usually less energy dense, meaning it takes more of the technology to produce the same amount of energy, and they are expensive to build and maintain. A professor at MIT, Vladimir Bulović, is looking to address these problems with his team.

            Professor Bulović is the Chair in Emerging Technology and the MIT School of Engineering’s Associate Dean for Innovation. His job description essentially boils down to being as creative as possible to solve today’s scientific problems. One of his most recent innovations came in the form of the thinnest and lightest solar cells ever made. While light and flexible cells have been made before, these cells are capable of producing 6 watts of power per gram, which is about 400 times the energy density of standard glass-covered solar cells. That is a substantial difference. They can also be placed on the surface of a bubble without it bursting, which is pretty cool. Gardner defines divergent thinking as solving a puzzle in a manner in which the person creates many different, possibly unique, associations (p. 20). This is exactly what Bulović and his team, whom he credits for helping him through consistent bouncing of ideas, have done in the field of alternative energy.

.

            Bulović and his team at MIT took a new approach in creating their power cell which they give credit for this remarkable result. They produced the substrate (the supporting layer) and the protective top layer at the same time, all but eliminating the time in which the cell can be contaminated or damaged (both of which would result in a decrease in energy density). This is a completely new method as most power cells have the substrate and the device created at separate times, then handled separately (increasing the likelihood of damage or contamination).

            This study could have enormous implications in sustainable energy production. It can be used in a range of technology, from solar powered cell phones to extremely lightweight wearables. However, Bulović and his team have yet to use materials used in consumer goods yet to test these theories so it is somewhat unsure that the results will be exactly the same. Professor Bulović is confident that the results will carry over regardless of the material used and we should all be hoping he is correct.

Works Cited:

http://onelab.mit.edu/people.htm

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/leonardo-dicaprio-climate-change-oscar-speech-alberta-reaction-1.3469010

http://www.gizmag.com/lightest-thinnest-solar-cells-mit/42092/
Creating Minds by Howard Gardner

Kailash Satyarthi - The man who made a true difference

Although we are aware of Malala Yousafzai winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, most people, including me, did not know another person also won it with her. His name is Kailash Satyarthi. Born in India, he was raised up as an average child. He went on to becoming an electrical engineer. However, this average man was the one who later led a major movement against child labor. In the process, he has saved more than 84,000 children from the harsh world of child labor and given them all a hopeful future.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a professor of psychology at Claremont Graduate University and former chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago, wrote a book encompassing 30 years of research and interviews with internationally recognized creative individuals, on the complexities and characteristics of creative minds. His research resulted in ten pairs of dialectic traits present in creative individuals. As I was reading through his work, I was struck by how Satyarthi fits into each category, making him an extremely dedicated and creative individual. I would like to share Satyarthi’s story and life accomplishments while associating them with these ten creative traits of Csikszentmihalyi.

1)    Creative people have an immense physical energy, but they are frequently still, relaxed, and at peace.

Satyarthi has a great deal of physical energy as he has spent 34 years physically rescuing the children. He has requested and arranged for the Indian police to accompany him in weekly raids around factories and abandoned buildings. Most of the factories have gangs illegally conducted child labor, and those people will retaliate to cause physical harm to Satyarthi. On the contrary, Satyarthi is also known among his family and acquaintance for his humble and peaceful nature. He has found Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement), in which he has built 350 whole villages and schools for the children he has saved. This is where they can learn and grow into adults with a hopeful future. In those villages, he has banned all forms of child labor and all children will get free education. Satyarthi also loves to spend time at the schools with the children, which is where he finds peace.

 

2)    Creative people tend to be smart and naïve at the same time

Since Satyrathi was an engineer, he is extremely smart at using his education to provide support to the school. He teaches the kids about the engineering concepts as well. He also used his education and knowledge to figure out unique ways to conduct the raids and to rescue more children. Satyrathi is also naïve because he used his education and knowledge to figure out unique ways to conduct the raids and to rescue more children. He is flexible and original when it comes to forming internationally recognized organizations, such as RugMark, Global Campaign for Education, and UNESCO High-Level Group on Education for All, to spread awareness of child labor around the world.

3)    Creative people combine playfulness and discipline

Satyarthi’s passion of protecting children’s human rights started when he formed a soccer club to raise money for the underprivileged students. He used the money he made for the club to also buy textbooks for those kids in need. In this way, he used playfulness to provide for a higher cause, which required discipline. He also plays with the kids in the villages to create a friendly environment for the children. At the same time, he makes sure the children are grown to have discipline so that they too can be strong citizens.

4)    Creative people alternate between imagination/fantasy and reality

Although he was leading a typical life of an engineer, he imagined a safe world for humans, especially where children can get their basic human rights. He saw how the children where getting sold when the parents could not pay off borrowed money for richer individuals. He recognized that child labor primarily had to do with poverty within the families. Instead of continuing his work, he decided to create a new reality for those children working all day. He created a world for them with free education and allowed them to be children for the first time. Although he is shooting for the ideal fantasy of a world with no child labor, he realizes that not all the children could be saved due to the human nature and condescending poverty.

5)    Creative people tend to be both extroverted and introverted

As mentioned before, he is extroverted by forming organizations to spread awareness of child labor. At the same time, he is introverted around family members. He is also does not crave for all media attention.

6)    Creative people are humble and proud at the same time

Although he is extremely proud for his achievements, including the Nobel Peace Prize, he makes sure that he is humble. He has kept a low profile and does not want to take credit for saving the children. He mentions at interviews that his goal is to only spread the awareness and create a positive life for the children, rather than taking the credit for the entire work. He also recognizes other members in the society also fighting for children’s rights. Satyarthi has not only saved the children from physical work, but he has also provided them with everything they need to become successful in life.

7)    Creative people escape rigid gender role stereotyping

Satyarthi has the strength of his own gender but also of the other gender. He has a strong manly side by physically saving the children and delegating their rights. He spent 34 years fighting companies, such as the carpet industry, to make sure that child labor diminishes fast. At the same time, he has a “feminine” side to him when he is nurturing and developing the children into wonderful human beings. For many of the children, he displays both the father’s protection and mother’s compassion.

    8)    Creative people are both rebellious and conservative

Satyarthi is rebellious in leaving this job and fighting the world against child labor. He has broken several parts of this body during attempts to rescues the children. He is conservative in that he embodies the values of Indian culture and teaches the children to be healthy individuals.

    9)    Creative people are both passionate and extremely objective about their work

While his passion is clear from the explanations above, it is also important to consider his objective life. He has detached from earning money and from having a normal Indian life. He wears simple clothes and has left all forms of leading an extravagant life.

10) Creative people’s openness and sensitivity often causes them pain but also enjoyment

It takes a great deal of energy and strength to continue building villages, provide education, manage all the organizations, teach the children, and manage his own family.  He has broke several bones in the process due to attacks by the enemies. He has spent years seeing some of his missions unsuccessful. He has seen the children die in front of his eyes. However, he has found the passion to proceed with the same energy and momentum. He has saved over 84,000 children so far. The list will continue to grow.

Here is a TED talk video by Kailash Satyarthi. Enjoy!

Works Cited:

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Kailash-Satyarthi

http://www.compassion.com/poverty/child-labor-quick-facts.htm

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/10/nobel-peace-prize-winner-kailash-satyarthi

http://blog.plushrugs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/L-kailash-and-kids.jpg

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/10/nobel-peace-prize-winner-kailash-satyarthi

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2014/satyarthi-facts.html

http://satyarthi.org/

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. "The Creative Personality." <i>Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention</i>. N.p.: Harper/Collins, 1996. 51-76. Print.

3D Clothes Printing

Danit Peleg, an Israeli fashion designer, has used 3D printing to redesign the way that people think about fashion. She is the first ever designer to have 3D printed her entire graduate collection. She has taken a concept, i.e. making clothes with physical labor, and completely revolutionized it in a very creative way. She used this idea as a solution to a problem that many people face, wanting a new outfit, yet not having the time, or space when traveling, to go and get it or pack it. She was at a conference and she had been traveling for a while. She needed new clothes and her solution to this problem was to go to the 3D printer and print herself a new skirt. She started it the night before and in the morning all the pieces of the skirt were ready to be assembled.

The first ever garment she made, she felt so free an empowered because she could print and design whatever she wanted, from skirts, to tops, to shoes. In this moment we can see that intrinsic motivation that Gardner talks about on page 25. This feeling liberty and empowerment drives her need to have “creative solutions to problems…when [she] engages in an activity for its sheer pleasure,” meaning 3D printing clothes (25). This explains why she continues “to engage in the area of [her] expertise despite its frustrations” and problems.

One of the problems that she ran into was that she was very dependent on big and expensive 3D printers. Each garment took a lot of time to print, for example, some of her garments took about 300 hours to make. Lastly, the fabrics she was working with were very fragile and sharp, sometimes cutting the models wearing her clothes. She took her creativity and ran with it, however, and was very flexible in creating solutions to her problems. She called an architect who helped her design better fabrics, and solved the issue of the fragile and sharp fabric she was working with before. Nonetheless, she still have the issue to time management and the inconvenience of 3D printers.

With the technological advances being made every day, she is really positive that 3D printing will become more readily available, making it cheaper and faster. She hopes to be able to use materials such as cotton and silk and make it so that people can just print and design a custom fit to their bodies right from their home.

I think that this is a really creative idea, because it’s one that really shows that she thought outside of the box. She is the first one to ever 3D print her entire collection, while 3D printing has been around for about 30 years, she is the first one to really go the extra mile and do something extraordinary that revolutionizes the world of fashion. 

Here is the video if you'd like to learn more!

https://www.ted.com/talks/danit_peleg_forget_shopping_soon_you_ll_download_your_new_clothes#t-126292

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-31/israeli-designer-danit-peleg-s-3d-printed-fashion-collection

http://www.designboom.com/technology/danit-peleg-3d-prints-fashion-collection07-27-2015/