Carolina Avendano
Carolina is a Canada-based writer and journalist who enjoys learning and sharing information about how to lead a meaningful life. She is passionate about traditional culture, handmade crafts, the connection between humans and nature, and human rights.
The Wabi Sabi of Artisan Bread
Wabi sabi (侘寂) is a world view rooted in Zen Buddhism that believes that life is made of three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. Thus, this philosophy proposes that...
The Polemic History of Crossword Puzzles
To many newspaper readers, solving the crossword puzzles inhabiting the back pages of the bundle has been an essential part of their Sunday routine. The seemingly simple layout of black and white squares has the...
Galaxy Gazing: A Mesmerizing Experience
The Milky Way is the galaxy, out of more than 100 billion galaxies in the Universe, that contains our solar system. With an estimated visible diameter of 100,000–200,000 light-years, this system of stars, planets and...
Exploring Consciousness – How Deep Does It Go?
While being conscious can seem to be our most fundamental trait as humans, it is also the most mysterious part of our lives. Exploring consciousness and its non-material nature has posed a challenge to philosophers...
How and Why to Learn a Foreign Language
Spreekt u Nederlands? Parles-tu Français? ¿Hablas Español? 你會說中文嗎？If you understood any of these questions and you are reading this article in English, it means that you are part of the growing global multilingual community. If...
The Explosive Risk of Leaving Untapped Maple Trees
The thunderous sound of a maple tree exploding is eerily similar to that of a gunshot. The spectacular yet dangerous phenomenon was known to the Native People of the northern regions, who made allusions to...
Canadian Maple Syrup: Is This Iconic Natural Sweetener Running Low?
Native American oral tradition has it that maple syrup was an accidental discovery. While hunting, an Iroquois Indian Chief stuck his axe on a maple tree, causing a clear liquid flow out. Since he needed...
Can We Rebuild Our Modern-Technology Shattered Focus?
Scrolling down on our social media may feel like swimming in a pond full of fish hooks. No matter where you click, there is a high probability that your content is preceded by some type...
Kitchen Phobias – Does Fear Affect Your Food?
While for some people the kitchen can be a place of delight and enjoyment, for others it can be the most frightening corner of the house. In the face of ready-to-use ingredients, sharp knives and...
How Does It Feel To Never Forget a Face? Meet Yenny Seo, the Super-Recognizer
As a little girl, super-recognizer Yenny Seo thought that remembering the faces of people she saw on the streets two weeks ago was something everyone could do. When watching movies, she often recognised the “extras”...
Plants Can Count and Communicate
Do plants have brains? Well, not in the way we think of a brain, but they do seem to be capable of thought; in fact, some plants can count! Do plants move? Anyone who has...
Plants Can Sing and Communicate – Damanhur Studies
One hundred twenty years ago, the botanist, physicist and biologist Jagadish Chandra Bose proved that plants have life. Through a series of experiments, he showed that these organisms have a definite life cycle, a reproductive...