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Glimpses of Wonder™

“Only Using 10%?” — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —

I had always heard the claim that we only use 10% of our brains. It was said so often that I never questioned it. It sounded believable. After all, it often feels like more of my mind is offline than on — especially when I walk into a room and forget why I’m there.   But as it turns out, that familiar statistic has no basis in fact. Brain scans show that nearly all areas of the brain stay active — even at rest. We’re not underusing the brain. We’re using it the way it was designed: wit
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dljbsp in Systems of Wonder

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Glimpses of Wonder™

The Wind Blew — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —

Inspired by a riddle @Tortuga shared. July 7, 2016   The wind blew. Not a storm, not a gale — just one of those sudden, cheeky gusts that slips through the house when a door swings wide.   The frame on the shelf wobbled. A photo of a little girl, maybe five or six, holding up a fishbowl with both hands and a grin you could hear.   The frame fell.   The glass bowl shattered.   And Mary — Mary was the goldfish.   She didn’t
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dljbsp in Perspective

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Glimpses of Wonder™

When Horses Lie Down — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —

There’s something quiet and reverent about it — when a horse finally lies down.   Most of the time, they sleep on their feet. They can — by design. Jehovah gave them a built-in system called the stay apparatus — tendons and ligaments that brace their legs so they can rest without falling. That’s useful when you’re a prey animal. Grazing in the open. Light sleep, head high, muscles ready to flee.   But for real sleep — the kind that brings dreams — the horse has to lie do
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dljbsp in Animal Wonders

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Glimpses of Wonder™

Extreme Peripheral Vision — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 4 of 4 —

You’re walking in the woods when something moves just off to the side. You didn’t *look* at it—yet somehow, you *saw* it. That’s peripheral vision.   The human eye has a surprisingly wide visual field—nearly 180 degrees in total. While central vision is sharp and detailed, the periphery is tuned for motion and contrast. Specialized rod cells dominate this region, making it easier to detect movement, especially in dim light.   But seeing motion in the periphery isn’t just abou
Glimpses of Wonder™

The Hidden Root Behind the Bloom — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —

It’s easy to admire a dahlia from the top down.   Stand in any late-summer garden and they’ll stop you in your tracks — a riot of color, shape, and surprise. Some look like firecrackers in full explosion. Others, delicate tea saucers arranged by a very fussy bee. Petals fold in layers or spike out wildly, as if the flower just couldn’t decide what mood it was in when it bloomed. Ivory, peach, blood orange, deep violet, even nearly black — all glowing like stained glass under sunlight.
Glimpses of Wonder™

Rapid and Complex Eye Muscle Control — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 3 of 4 —

Your eyes move faster than any other muscle group in your body. Each shift in gaze—called a saccade—lasts only milliseconds. Yet in that time, six tiny muscles surrounding each eyeball contract in complex coordination to point both eyes at the same target.   That’s not easy. These muscles aren’t just moving in one direction; they’re balancing rotational force, managing speed, and compensating for the slightest head movement. Your brain performs calculations in real time—adjusting even
Glimpses of Wonder™

“A Time for Bananas” — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —

It starts green. You can try to eat it then, of course. Teeth squeak. Flavor’s not quite there. Feels like chewing a plantain with something to prove.   But wait a few days, and the banana changes. The skin softens. A little sweetness creeps in. Those freckles start to show — first one or two, then a whole constellation. And just like that, it’s ready.   According to modern health science, that shift matters more than taste. A ripe banana — mellow, yellow, and halfway slouchi
Glimpses of Wonder™

Corneal Fluid Pump — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 2 of 4 —

The cornea has no blood vessels. If it did, your vision would be permanently cloudy. But how, then, does it stay alive?   The answer is a fluid pump—built right into the cornea itself. Tiny endothelial cells along the back surface of the cornea form a living pump system that constantly moves water out of the stroma, the thick middle layer. Without this action, fluid would accumulate, scattering light and turning your clear window milky.   It’s not just a matter of staying dry
Glimpses of Wonder™

Swallowed by Design — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —

You may want to sit down for this one.   The average human produces about 1.5 quarts — or 1.4 liters — of mucus every single day. That’s enough to fill a large soda bottle. And here’s the kicker: you swallow most of it.   Yep. That drip from your nose? That tickle in your throat? It doesn’t just disappear. It’s working overtime — and then taking the express train down your esophagus.   But mucus isn’t just some gooey nuisance. It’s one of the body’s most underapprec
Glimpses of Wonder™

Extreme Light Adaptation — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 1 of 4 —

You’re outside in the sun when someone calls your name from inside a dark garage. You step in—and for a moment, it’s like you’ve gone blind. But within seconds, the outlines return. A minute later, you can see almost everything. How?   Light adaptation is just one reason the human eye stirs awe. In bright light, specialized cells in the retina adjust sensitivity by rapidly changing their response levels. Step into the dark, and other cells—the rods—gradually take over, boosting their s
Glimpses of Wonder™

Out Where the Shield Grows Thin — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —

Out Where the Shield Grows Thin — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —   In 1977, two small spacecraft — Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 — were launched toward the edge of everything. They were never meant to last this long, nor to travel this far. Yet here they are, over 46 years later, still whispering faint signals back across billions of miles. They’ve left the planets far behind. They’ve passed through the invisible boundary that marks the outer limit of our sun’s reach. And now, they’re out
Glimpses of Wonder™

“The ‘Wonder’ Is What’s Under the Blanket” — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —

Some say the blanket octopus is different from other octopuses because it has eleven arms instead of the usual eight. That’s not true — but honestly, if it did, that might be one of the least surprising things about it.   Because the real differences? They’re far more astonishing than a couple of bonus limbs.   Let’s start with what the blanket octopus does share with its relatives — the octopus family is already full of mind-bending wonders. Like others in its group, it has
Glimpses of Wonder™

Why Not Eat Insects? — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™— 4 of 4 —

Some things are hard to unsee. Like the time a friend cracked open a protein bar and saw the word “cricket” on the label. He blinked. Read it again. Then quietly folded the wrapper back over and set it on the table like it was radioactive.   “You going to eat that?” I asked. He shook his head. “You?” “…maybe.”   There’s something about insects — even clean, cooked ones — that makes many people instinctively recoil. We know they’re edible. We just don’t want to.
Glimpses of Wonder™

The Unsung Architects — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — — 3 of 4 —

There’s a reason a swarm of bees can cause panic — and it’s not just the stingers. It’s the sound. That synchronized buzz, like a warning that something is happening — fast, focused, and entirely beyond your control.   But step back. Watch longer.   You’ll notice a rhythm. A pattern. A purpose.   Bees don’t waste time — or space. Each one has a role, and together they build something astonishing: combs shaped with mathematical precision, hexagons that maximize stora
Glimpses of Wonder™

Designed to Decompose — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 2 of 4 —

You can smell it before you see it — that sour-sweet reminder that something has gone soft behind the fridge. Or maybe it’s the compost bin you forgot to empty. Either way, it’s not just gross… it’s active.   But if you step back — maybe plug your nose first — something beautiful is happening.   Decay doesn’t mean defeat. It’s actually the beginning of renewal.   All across creation, Jehovah designed small, tireless workers to carry out one of the most humbling jobs
Glimpses of Wonder™

Bugs with Benefits — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 1 of 4 —

They even follow us camping. The lantern goes out, you’re zipped up in your sleeping bag, just starting to relax — and then it comes. That inevitable buzz in your ear. You swat at the dark, grumble under your breath, and wonder how something that small can be that annoying. And in the morning? You find out they’ve been eating you. But we’ll get into that in a future entry.   Swatting, spraying, or stomping is often our default response. But maybe — just maybe — we’ve been overlooking s
Glimpses of Wonder™

It’s a “Wonder” We Didn’t Know This Already — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — Epilogue

We built towers that touched the sky. Then rockets that left it behind. We conquered gravity, crossed the void, and sent human footprints into ancient dust. We reached for the stars — and grabbed hold of the moon.   And yet somehow, the greatest “wonder” wasn’t out there. It was here all along.   Maybe it just took leaving Earth for a little while to finally see it.   When the astronauts looked back — really looked back — they saw our planet with new
Glimpses of Wonder™

It’s a “Wonder” Man Returned to Earth — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 5 of 5

It’s one thing to go somewhere no one has gone before. It’s another thing entirely to come back from it.   When the astronauts of Apollo 11 lifted off from the moon, they weren’t celebrating yet. They had only left the surface. They were still a fragile craft orbiting a lifeless satellite, hoping that every component would hold together long enough to reunite with their command module pilot — and then steer home.   Home. That word carried more weight now.   After al
Glimpses of Wonder™

It’s a “Wonder” Man Made It off the Moon — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 4 of 5

There’s a reason why nearly every story ends with the characters heading home. That’s when the relief sets in — when the tension breaks, the dust settles, and you can finally exhale. But for those who actually went to the moon, the story wasn’t over once they arrived. In some ways, that’s when the danger peaked.   The Eagle had landed. The world rejoiced. But the crew of Apollo 11 — and every crew after them — still had to pull off something far more delicate than the landing. They had
Glimpses of Wonder™

It’s a “Wonder” Man Made It on the Moon — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 3 of 5

The moon had always been distant — a cold companion admired from afar. Poets described it, farmers relied on it, and children pointed toward it from their backyards. But no one had ever touched it. Not until now.   Apollo 11 changed that. With fuel nearly spent and alarms flashing, the lunar module skimmed across the surface like a skipping stone. A boulder field loomed beneath them — ancient, cratered, uninviting. Neil Armstrong, calm and precise, scanned for a flat patch. Buzz Aldrin
Glimpses of Wonder™

It’s a “Wonder” Man Made It to the Moon — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 2 of 5

It wasn’t the launch that made people nervous. Rockets had launched before. We’d already sent satellites, dogs, chimps, and a few very brave humans into orbit. But what kept the world holding its breath this time was what came after the roar — when the engines shut down and the silence of space took over.   From Earth to Moon is about 240,000 miles — give or take a few depending on the day. But the real distance wasn’t just in miles. It was in complexity. In courage. In math. They had
Glimpses of Wonder™

It’s a “Wonder” Man Made It Off the Planet — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ — 1 of 5

Long before rockets thundered into the sky, humans watched birds. We craned our necks, followed contrails with our eyes, folded paper planes, and built balsa-wood models just to see them float. One astronaut recalled getting his first ride in a barnstormer’s airplane as a child — a single loop around the family farm — and thinking this is it. That moment changed him. But flying wasn’t enough. Not forever.   You can see it in their eyes — the men who became astronauts. Even before they
Glimpses of Wonder™

Green Companions — a Glimpse of Wonder entry™ —

There’s something oddly calming about wiping the dust off a leaf.   It doesn’t make much noise. It doesn’t require a degree. And the plant doesn’t respond with a thank-you card or a parade. But in that quiet moment—just you, a damp cloth, and a stubborn layer of fuzz—you feel it: a sense of order returning. A little beauty restored. Something inside you exhales.   That reaction isn’t random.   Jehovah’s first assignment to humans wasn’t to build cities or name const

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