Category: Culture

Stephen Hawking died yesterday at the age of 76. The award-winning physicist made a huge impact not only in physics but in humanity as well. The bestselling author was known to be a huge Star Trek fan and was the only person in history to appear on the fan-beloved series as himself.

Hawking was not one to rest on his own laurels and was known to be outspoken. The brilliant thinker shared his wisdom on the nature of life itself. The universe expanded when Stephen Hawking was born, and today it is continuing to do so thanks to his contributions to the world at large.

To celebrate such an amazing life, here are 15 of what we feel are the best quotes from this genius humanitarian:

1. “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”
2. “In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.”
3. “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.”
4. “I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.”
5. “Science is not only a disciple of reason but, also, one of romance and passion.”
6. “I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.”
7. “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.”
8. “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”
9. “Science can lift people out of poverty and cure disease. That, in turn, will reduce civil unrest.”
10. “There is no unique picture of reality.”
11. “When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.”
12. “God is the name people give to the reason we are here.”
13. “Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it.”
14. “Scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge.”
15. “The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities.”

Let’s face it – nerds get hungry too. Now, sometimes a real nerd may have a slightly different sustenance requirement than a typical person. For example, heavy gaming or a busy project may require a quickly consumable energy source that doesn’t require a lot of prep work or that can be prepared beforehand. This is why we present our first NerdsCook video, High Energy Trail Mix.

High Energy Trail Mix

The high energy trail mix is easy enough to prepare, and it gives you a wonderfully indulgent taste along with enough complex carbs to keep you focused on the task (or play) at hand.

The high energy trail mix comes in at around 140 calories per 3 tablespoons. I’ve found the best way to manage this type of consumable is to have it pre-measured into handy snack bags. This way you can easily plan ahead, or at least keep a quick count of the damage when midday or project hunger pangs hit.

Fill a Snack Bag

In the video, we used a snack bag holder to make it easy to fill. I’m surprised at just how handy this little stand is, and you can get your own snack bag holder, if so inclined. You can also use a cup or other such holder, but I’ve been unlucky with these in the past. Your mileage may vary.

Mix It Up

The dried fruit used in the video consisted of white grapes and cranberries. Now, you could easily use whatever fruits you like, but I do think that dried pineapples deserve an h0norable mention here.

We used three types of chips in the trail mix, white chocolate, regular chocolate, and peanut butter. I think this gives a great flavor profile. But feel free to mix and match as you see fit.

You can even cut down on the number of chips in the mix since this is the largest source of refined sugar. But it does taste lovely and serves to give a quick energy boost.  The key here is moderation, of course.

We hope you like the high energy trail mix and find that it can help stretch out those performance levels when it comes to any number of activities. I’ve used it on hikes, bike rides, and even at work. Just remember to keep track of the calories, because it can disappear fast.

With all of the fantastic movie productions going on in the world today (including those fun superhero movies), it would be a crime to limit yourself to media productions only in your native language. Since you don’t have the time to learn a foreign language just to appreciate a given work, the alternative is to use either dubbing or subtitles to let you follow along with the plot. But which is better dubbing or subtitles? I’m here to tell you that dubbing is better for the majority of titles you would like to experience. Why? Let’s a look.

Dubbing Allows Multitasking

If I had to pick one and only one reason why dubbing is better than subtitles, this would be it. You can simply get more done if your eyes aren’t glued to the set, literally reading every word. I don’t know how you spend your movie watching time, but I am usually doing something else during the show, from working on the computer or tablet to fooling around with a hobby or building something. I do try to give the media my undivided attention, but there are only so many hours in a day for each of us, and I need every one of mine.

Dubbing Is Better For Following Along

I think I have accomplished a lot while multitasking during TV shows and movies, and for the bulk of my watching I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I have tried watching subtitled movies during such times, and I lose the plot rather quickly.  I mean, everything is going well with watching and doing, then suddenly everybody’s dead on the show and I have no clue as to what happened. With dubbing, I can follow along and get a warning when something is about to happen. Strangely, the backgr0und music doesn’t always work for this.

Dubbing Has Its Weaknesses

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to be said for viewing a movie or show in its original format. In many cases dubbing replaces the actor’s voice with a native speaker, and the results can be a mixed bag. Sometimes even the music gets changed, making the overall experience different in the new language than it was originally.

These are great points, but now you have to ask yourself one simple question – under what conditions are you going to be watching the title. If there is even a hint of normal multitasking while watching, go for the dubbed version.

Save The Subtitled Version For Those Really Special Titles

If there are any movies or shows that have special meaning to you, you’ll probably want to experience these in the original language with subtitles.  It would seem that the distinction could be made with a simple question – would you like to own a copy of this for yourself? If the answer is yes, you may want to go for the subtitles. But consider again how you will view familiar material – is there a greater chance that you will be multi-tasking while enjoying it? You might find that to be the case, once again swinging the pendulum into the dubbed side of the decision tree. This is a question everyone has to answer for themselves, whether it is Kagemusha or Grand Hotel.

It will, of course, depend on the individual and as to what degree they hope to enjoy the producer’s vision, but in many cases, a practical approach is needed when planning to watch a foreign work. It could be the greatest epic ever recorded, but if you spend the last half of the movie just trying to guess what the plot is, you end up pretty much missing it. My final word – if in doubt, go for the dubbed version.