Cool the World

Time out for an important message…

Cool the World.

The New York Times reported a high of 72 degrees F in NYC today. The Coney Island Polar Bear Swimming Club is on the verge of declaring “no season” this year. It’s just too warm.

Student happiness index

Another way to understand happiness is with a smaller statistical pool. The Princeton Review claims to have a handle on the top 10 Universities in the US measured by student happiness. They are:

1. Brown University, an Ivy.
2. Princeton University, an Ivy as well. Natch.
3. Whitman College, not Ivy. Walla Walla in fact.
4. Clemson University, not Ivy. Who cares?
5. Stanford University, not Ivy. But again, who cares?
6. The College of New Jersey. Huh?
7. Tufts University, not Ivy at all.
8. University of Tulsa, not Ivy. Not at all.
9. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, not Ivy. Let the games begin!
10. Yale University, an Ivy. Home of blue bloods, Skull ‘n Bones, and other nefarious plots.

There’s precious little information on the Princeton Review’s happiness criteria or even how their survey was conducted. If anyone wants to venture a guess, leave a comment.

They fail to mention the most important thing. Happiness is an intensely individual thing that waxes and wanes over time. A statistical snapshot is virtually meaningless.

On the road – sustainably

Interest in sustainable living has been around for decades. Only recently has it been taken seriously by big business. It is one of Erik Straser’s “large immutable trends.” Maintaining our mobility with technologies that are not petrolium based is a key challenge for the 21st century. To that end, The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena is hosting an Art Center Summit called Designing Sustainable Mobility on February 7 & 8. Attendance is limited to 100 participants, and promises a stellar lineup of inventors, thinkers, and doers. Dean Kamen, Paul MacCready, Robert F.Kennedy, Jr., Amory Lovins and Jay Baldwin are among the presenters.