Are people as unique as snowflakes?

I came across this article in Forbes recently:

Winter Wonderland: Snowflakes Are Predictably Diverse, But Not Unique

http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2013/12/22/winter-wonderland-snowflakes-are-predictably-diverse-but-not-unique/

The article discusses how snowflakes are formed, but more interesting to me is the idea that

There are many variables that determine the ultimate shape of the snowflake when it hits our noses, but all of them can be modeled.

Would this hold true for humans (assuming we had the equipment to model such complexity)? It is often said that everyone has an exact twin somewhere in the world, and much of who we are is genetically passed along from parent to child. As an interculturalist, I also believe that most of our behaviors are learned from the culture(s) around us. The article goes on to say

The “unique” character comes from random events during the life of the snowflake :

Very cold air, i.e. large temperature difference between snowflake and ambient, makes needles that are sharp and fast growing, fluffy snow.
Small temperature differences (cold air just under 0 Celsius) make stubby needles, or no needles (small beads, packed snow becomes ice).
The falling flake falls like a leaf, it bumps into other flakes, breaks some needles, sticks to its neighbors, etc.
The wind during a strong snow storm damages all the flakes, in random ways due to air turbulence.

The "randomness" of events in our individual lives, then, are what make us seem unique, and this would explain why siblings with similar genes and upbringing can seem so very different.

What is Paradise?

Sep 29, 2013

Do people in every culture imagine the perfect place to be is under palm trees?

Here are 7 things I've found out about paradise:

1. it seems it's human nature to find the grass greener on the other side of the fence (or world)
2. it's an age thing. Your idea of paradise might be different when you are older and less inclined to adventure and kitschy romance
3. it's a cultural thing in a reverse kind of way. Islanders might dream of Manhattan or Shanghai, while urbanites tend to pine for white
sandy beaches and solitude
4. it rarely has to do with wealth or income
5. in many belief systems, paradise is the reward that comes after living a virtuous life
6. your version of paradise probably has to do with the kind of stories your parents told you, the books they read to you as a child, where
they took you on holiday, and what their own visions of paradise were
7. if you do find your paradise, chances are you won't find it as nice as you thought it would be

Find more cultural background on paradise here

What is your paradise? You can share your dreams right here:

I've been thinking about why we have a seven day week

So, I did some research and came up with these links:

http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/week.html(a wonderful resource for all things calendar)
and http://sciencev1.orf.at/news/46545.html and http://www.friesian.com/week.htm (simply titled "Days of the Week")

which leads me to another thing: why is seven a special number?



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