Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

Everything (Eventually) Comes to an End

Stieg Larsson was a Swedish journalist and writer best known for the Millennium Trilogy, published posthumously. Because they have been recently made into films (see original series with subtitles,) we know these books by their individual titles -- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (its marketing campaign in social was a good example of extending the shelf life of attention), The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. After Larsson's passing in 2004, his partner Eva Grabrielsson discovered a letter with a note “to be opened after my death.” It was written in early... Read more →

Perspective and a New Kind of Self-Awareness

British astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle said, “Once a photograph of the Earth, taken from outside, is available... a new idea as powerful as any in history will be let loose.” It was 1948. It took twenty years to get there. But what we saw was much more than the incontrovertible fact that the world is not flat. What we saw was ourselves reflected back to us. Apollo 8 went to the moon in 1968. They didn't land, but they did circle the moon. The astronauts had a camera with them, and at some point one of them said they were... Read more →

Lessons on How to Create Constructively

In the commencement address at Kenyon College in 1990#, Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin & Hobbes, a daily comic strip that was syndicated between 1985-1995, shares a few hard-earned lessons in creativity, finding our voice, and loving the work. Experience is food for the brain. And four years at Kenyon is a rich meal. I suppose it should be no surprise that your brains will probably burp up Kenyon for a long time. And I think the reason I keep having the dream is because its central image is a metaphor for a good part of life: that is,... Read more →

The Story of Life in Images and Words

The LIFE Project is a poetic collection of photographs that tell the story of our planet, from its eruptive beginnings to its present diversity by celebrated nature photographer Frans Lanting. Covering seven continents and 4.5 billions years, Lanting followed a mixed scientific/artistic approach to document selected milestones for the evolution of life evolution through his pictures. He says: Nature's my muse and it's been my passion. As a photographer for National Geographic, I've portrayed it for many. But five years ago, I went on a personal journey. I wanted to visualize the story of life. It's the hardest thing I've... Read more →

The Art of Receiving

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” [Winston Churchill] A paragraph in an old Ode magazine article about the art of receiving is a good reminder of the give and take in relationships. It says, “Receiving isn’t easy. If it were, more of us would do it with grace and gratitude. Is there a way to change that? Can we learn to receive so we can be nourished and empowered? These are crucial questions, not just because the holiday season is a time when giving and receiving are part of... Read more →

John Lewis Ad: Man on the Moon

John Lewis' tradition of Christmas ads that pull at the heartstrings dates back to 2007. Each year, millions of people watch the ad on YouTube. This Christmas John Lewis and Age UK are partnering to help some of the million older people who will go for a month without speaking to anyone. Making a connection between young and old is also a way to create awareness of the multiple benefits to intergenerational connections. Educator and social researcher Susan V. Bosak says (emphasis mine): “In those at either end of the life course – the young and the old – you... Read more →

Imagination's Role in the New Culture of Learning

Learning is an adventure in imagination where context plays a leading role. We have a harder time understanding our world without understanding our worldview. Sometimes we refuse to take in new information because it conflicts with the way we see the world. In Einstein: His Life and Universe Walter Isaacson describes how the scientist came up with some of his theories. He says: Einstein relished what he called Gedankenexperimente, ideas that he twirled around in his head rather than in a lab. That’s what teachers call daydreaming, but if you’re Einstein you get to call them Gedankenexperimente. As these thought... Read more →

The More Things Change, the More we Stay the Same

With all the befits technology affords us, we are increasingly facing a challenge on the human side of the equation -- the rate of change is outpacing our ability to adjust to it. The title of this post may not be entirely accurate, but it does bring to the fore how our challenge grows harder as the force of exponential technological growth puts pressure on organizations to keep pace. The rate of change also puts pressure on independent thought. Before we can change something, we need to understand its nature and impact. Rather than trying to change the game, we... Read more →

How Will we Measure Our Lives?

We make the most important decisions about life every single day. How do we go about deciding? Is there a thought-out reason behind the plan, or do we go for the easiest choice? Say we are not a deeply spiritual person, we live in the secular dimension, what are our guiding principles? If there ever is a perfect time for reflection, the holiday season presents a good opportunity -- cheer in the air, work projects reach a natural culmination, and we turn our attention to family and friends. Yes, I know about the dangers of generalizing. For someone who enjoyed... Read more →

The Power of Emotion and Big Ideas

Louie Schwartzberg's stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on gratitude (Filmed at TEDxSF.) He says: You think that this is just another day in your life. It’s not just another day. It’s the one day that is given to you. Today. It’s given to you. It’s a gift. It’s the only gift that you have right now. And the only appropriate response is gratefulness. If you do nothing else, but to cultivate that response to the great gift this unique day is, if you learn to respond as if... Read more →