The very busy person’s guide to a minimalist home — You can over-intellectualise the idea of decluttering your life. Minimalism sounds like an intellectual movement rather than a thing that everyone can do. My technique is more like Marie Kondo on a bad hair day. This is how it works. Look around you. What sparks… irritation? What are those Annoying Things? Take one big garbage…

Here is what you can learn from it. — In 2011, 20 undergraduates from Yale University’s Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry traveled to Ecuador with professor Scott Strobel on a research trip. Russia has attacked Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine and all I can think about is a crazy plastic-eating fungi found in a corner of Ecuador. …

The thinking person’s guide to a mad, mad world — No, you are not hypersensitive, overreacting, or too thin-skinned. When you see the intense degradation by powerful forces, it is shocking. Beyond words. Only a sociopath would think it’s okay. At this time in history, it’s just as important that you are sensitive, upset and unreasonable as it is that…

You asked for less nihilism? Here’s 3 minutes of reading time to cheer you up. (Maybe.) — You don’t need to tell me it’s been quite a year. When people tell me to be positive, I say, “I am your pinch of salt.” (With the emphasis on the pinch.) Yeah, I can get a little salty sometimes. So let’s get it straight: Nothing wrong with balanced doom-scrolling. …

Back in an office after 2+ years of freelance life has its challenges. Here’s what I do. — If you return to an office after years of working for yourself, then a little wobble is normal. After a long journey out on the high seas of freelancing, it can take time to lose the ‘sea legs’. I won’t pretend that it is easy getting used to the routine…

This ingenious tool shows you how plastic travels the world — When a freak storm overturned a cargo ship, one of the 62 containers contained 5 million pieces of Lego. Twenty-five years later, locals collect the Lego washing up on the beach — every day: Lego plastic flippers, Lego scuba gear, Lego spears, and tiny Lego lifejackets. Blue plastic octopuses in…

Wise words from the peace activist and Zen Buddhist — If you have been contemplating war and destruction more than usual like I have been, you would eventually come to a conclusion to make peace with the inevitable chaos that is unfolding – mine can be summarized in a quote by Zen Buddhist master, Thich Nhat Hanh. We have an…

Lessons for climate change drawn from Peter Pomerantsev’s fascinating book, ‘This is Not Propaganda” — Lenin said there are decades where nothing happens and weeks where decades happen. The latest IPCC report notes disinformation is slowing climate action in North America. In the same week, Putin shut media, jailed protesters and attacked Ukraine. You may also be feeling all the information flying around. It’s a…

We are about to find out — I heard a story about Larry David when he divorced his climate activist wife. He went home to his mansion in Pasadena and turned on every light in every room out of spite. I can still laugh about this sketch. …