Silence on the radio

Like I said before I'm a geek. I love listening to the radio and I love science. So naturally I adore the NPR show, Radiolab. What makes Radiolab so great is that it takes one topic per week, such as: is time travel possible, can you make your own universe, what happens when someone dies, etc... investigates them and breaks them down into something I can understand. The greatest thing about the show however, is that they never give you a right or wrong answer; they let you decide. Because the truth about it, is that it's really more about philosophy than science. While listening to one of their podcasts yesterday {yes I even download NPR podcasts} I was moved so greatly that I felt I had to share.

"In Silence" is about the human experience and what it truly means to be one of our race. Call it the design of humans if you will. In this episode, rather than explore people through data, they broke down two ancient stories. Stories you probably know. Stories that are well over 5000 years old. They retold the stories of Abraham and Isaac and Noah and the flood. After listening to this episode I felt like I had never really heard these stories before. They way they are described, broken down, and understood makes them much more powerful than they ever were before. I couldn't help think of my previous post where I talked about giving things a second look and how here I was with my headphones on, almost in tears because I was giving something a second listen.

Now if you are sitting there reading this thinking, "Ok, Amy that's cool but I thought your blog was about design and the renovation of your house. What does this have to do with anything?" This is my explanation . . . extraordinary design makes you feel apart of something greater than yourself. Great design should make you examine your world more closely, to question it more thoroughly, wonder more, and tinker with the thought of "is this really the best way?". Inspiration comes from all places in life and seeking understanding is what makes a good designer.

Personally I am someone who thinks that a belief in science and a belief in a Creator are not mutually exclusive. Whatever your thoughts about science, God, or the nature of humans, I highly suggest listening to Radiolab. It will open your ears and your mind. It will make you think and feel the great joy of being in awe. And it will put you into that wonderful position that only humans experience of knowing the more you know, the more questions you have. Enjoy!