Ever Widening Circles: It's Still An Amazing World

over 911 reasons to be optimistic

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  • Innovation
      • Technology
          • Image: Tilly Lockey at the SingularityU The Netherlands Summit in 2016 with her bionic armThis Prosthetic Arm Doesn’t Look Human — And That’s AwesomeThis prosthesis is not only the cheapest bionic arm you can find on the market, it's also one of the coolest. The Hero Arm is 3D printed for anyone age 9 and above, customizable, and inspiring a new wave of research!
          • Image: Wine and cheese on a tableThe DNA of CHEESE!Cheese isn't just delicious, it's also a remarkable feat of science! And scientists are using DNA sequencing to learn more about it. Let's see what they're finding...
          • Image: Woman getting screened for malariaDetecting Malaria with MagnetsDetecting malaria can sometimes be difficult in the most rural places, but engineers have come up with a clever way to detect it with magnets! Here's how this life-saving innovation works!
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      • Education
          • sherpaSupporting Education in the Mountains of NepalThe vast majority of people who have summited Mount Everest have porters to thank for it—but being a porter is far from a safe profession. Yet, for many Sherpa, this is their only way to support their families. After becoming a porter at the age of 12 and summiting Everest 21 times, Apa Sherpa has created a foundation to ensure that children have another path to travel in life through their education.
          • Image: Ben Lecomte Swimming the Pacific Ocean for ScienceWhat We’re Learning from The First Swim Across the PacificBen Lecomte is currently (right now!) in the middle of swimming 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. While this is awesome on its own, what's truly amazing is the amount of scientific data they're picking up along the way.
          • Image: American Grizzly in the middle of a paved roadWhy Wild Animals May End Up On Your StreetThese communities in Canada are helping us all reimagine what we can do to have healthy relationships with the wildlife that lives around us!
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      • Business
          • Image: Colorful Sailboats on the OceanHow to Catch the Winds of LuckWhat if you could have more luck without just wishing for it? Here's a Stanford Professor, with decades of research, pointing to 3 simple ways to start increasing the odds of finding more "good luck" in your life!
          • Image: A colorful collage in a silhouette of a human headEvery Brain is Beautiful: The Autism AdvantageWhat if we let disabilities take a back seat and we focused on the abilities that might look like superpowers in the right setting? Let's take a look at some examples.
          • Image: A gallery of Judith Scotts workCreative Growth: Where Artists with Disabilities ThriveCreative Growth is a space where artists can hone their crafts, express themselves, and share their work with the public. This is one nonprofit making us rethink where our community focus actually is.
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      • Life Hacks
          • Image: Plastic waste mixed with sea rubbishOur Plastic Waste Problem: It’s Not About PerfectionWe all know that plastic waste is a huge problem, but what are we supposed to do about it? Turns out there's a lot we can do with just a few little changes!
          • Image: American Grizzly in the middle of a paved roadWhy Wild Animals May End Up On Your StreetThese communities in Canada are helping us all reimagine what we can do to have healthy relationships with the wildlife that lives around us!
          • Image: Two figures offer each other things to tradeHow to Trade a Paperclip for a HouseNow here's a TED Talk that is both fun and transformational! The best ideas are a win/win for everyone and this one certainly qualifies. After this, you'll never look at your "stuff" in the same way.
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  • Thought Leaders
      • TED Talks
          • Image: Colorful Sailboats on the OceanHow to Catch the Winds of LuckWhat if you could have more luck without just wishing for it? Here's a Stanford Professor, with decades of research, pointing to 3 simple ways to start increasing the odds of finding more "good luck" in your life!
          • Image: Mario action figureCan Super Mario Teach Us To Be More Successful?There's a tendency to look at what stands in our way to success and feel overwhelmed. But Mark Rober has a novel method to get around this, and he calls it the Super Mario Effect. Now, THIS is a game-changer!
          • Image: Two figures offer each other things to tradeHow to Trade a Paperclip for a HouseNow here's a TED Talk that is both fun and transformational! The best ideas are a win/win for everyone and this one certainly qualifies. After this, you'll never look at your "stuff" in the same way.
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      • Education Enrichment
          • polar bearHave You Hugged an Apex Predator Today?Did you know that whale poop can slow climate change, wolves can change rivers, and the sand from China's Gobi Desert is now reaching the United States? It's all about those apex predators and keystone species!
          • Image: Ben Lecomte Swimming the Pacific Ocean for ScienceWhat We’re Learning from The First Swim Across the PacificBen Lecomte is currently (right now!) in the middle of swimming 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. While this is awesome on its own, what's truly amazing is the amount of scientific data they're picking up along the way.
          • Image: A colorful collage in a silhouette of a human headEvery Brain is Beautiful: The Autism AdvantageWhat if we let disabilities take a back seat and we focused on the abilities that might look like superpowers in the right setting? Let's take a look at some examples.
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      • Happiness & Hope
          • Image: Tilly Lockey at the SingularityU The Netherlands Summit in 2016 with her bionic armThis Prosthetic Arm Doesn’t Look Human — And That’s AwesomeThis prosthesis is not only the cheapest bionic arm you can find on the market, it's also one of the coolest. The Hero Arm is 3D printed for anyone age 9 and above, customizable, and inspiring a new wave of research!
          • Image: A colorful collage in a silhouette of a human headEvery Brain is Beautiful: The Autism AdvantageWhat if we let disabilities take a back seat and we focused on the abilities that might look like superpowers in the right setting? Let's take a look at some examples.
          • Image: 5 small children smiling, covered in mud, sitting on a benchForest Kindergarten: Challenging All Our Instincts!When was the last time you saw pre-schoolers gleefully playing in a muddy ditch or climbing in a tall tree? Turns out that encouraging that sort of thing might be a giant leap forward in education! Take a look...
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      • Humor
          • Image: Mario action figureCan Super Mario Teach Us To Be More Successful?There's a tendency to look at what stands in our way to success and feel overwhelmed. But Mark Rober has a novel method to get around this, and he calls it the Super Mario Effect. Now, THIS is a game-changer!
          • Image: Two figures offer each other things to tradeHow to Trade a Paperclip for a HouseNow here's a TED Talk that is both fun and transformational! The best ideas are a win/win for everyone and this one certainly qualifies. After this, you'll never look at your "stuff" in the same way.
          • Image: Lego knight fighting off a shoeThe Case For Making Useless ThingsHow can we bring joy and humility back into the work we do? Why not have more fun! Simone Giertz is the queen of terrible robots, and she makes a great case for why we should embrace making "useless things".
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      • Philosophy
          • Image: Louisa on Chuck's chestMicro-Preemie Turns 21: A Success Story for Everyone!When life gets difficult there's always something we can learn and use for the rest of our lives. 21 years ago, Dr. Lynda (EWC's founder) gave birth to a 1 pound baby when she was just into the 5th month of her pregnancy. She picked up a few pearls of wisdom in the years that followed—here are 12.
          • Image: A famous, wild roller coaster at dusk in GermanyIs Happiness Truly Our End Goal?Most of us are running around looking to hold on to this thing called happiness, but these seem to be fleeting moments. Should we be focusing on something else instead? Listen to writer Emily Esfahani Smith's eye opening insight in her TED Talk!
          • Image: people placing their hands and feet in a circleWhy Asking for Help is a Sign of StrengthWhy do we feel embarrassed to ask for help? The wonderful (and hilarious) TED Talk Speaker Michele L. Sullivan helps us re-frame our perspective on asking for help, and how it all starts with having a little more compassion!
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  • Nature
      • Animals
          • polar bearHave You Hugged an Apex Predator Today?Did you know that whale poop can slow climate change, wolves can change rivers, and the sand from China's Gobi Desert is now reaching the United States? It's all about those apex predators and keystone species!
          • Image: A raccoon kit in a treeRaccoons Can See With Their Hands!How much do you know about this famous neighborhood bandit? They have quite a few interesting tricks that help them survive in our urban worlds!
          • Image: American Grizzly in the middle of a paved roadWhy Wild Animals May End Up On Your StreetThese communities in Canada are helping us all reimagine what we can do to have healthy relationships with the wildlife that lives around us!
        • Close
      • Environment
          • polar bearHave You Hugged an Apex Predator Today?Did you know that whale poop can slow climate change, wolves can change rivers, and the sand from China's Gobi Desert is now reaching the United States? It's all about those apex predators and keystone species!
          • Image: Plastic waste mixed with sea rubbishOur Plastic Waste Problem: It’s Not About PerfectionWe all know that plastic waste is a huge problem, but what are we supposed to do about it? Turns out there's a lot we can do with just a few little changes!
          • Image: Ben Lecomte Swimming the Pacific Ocean for ScienceWhat We’re Learning from The First Swim Across the PacificBen Lecomte is currently (right now!) in the middle of swimming 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. While this is awesome on its own, what's truly amazing is the amount of scientific data they're picking up along the way.
        • Close
      • Conservation & Sustainability
          • polar bearHave You Hugged an Apex Predator Today?Did you know that whale poop can slow climate change, wolves can change rivers, and the sand from China's Gobi Desert is now reaching the United States? It's all about those apex predators and keystone species!
          • Image: Plastic waste mixed with sea rubbishOur Plastic Waste Problem: It’s Not About PerfectionWe all know that plastic waste is a huge problem, but what are we supposed to do about it? Turns out there's a lot we can do with just a few little changes!
          • Image: Ben Lecomte Swimming the Pacific Ocean for ScienceWhat We’re Learning from The First Swim Across the PacificBen Lecomte is currently (right now!) in the middle of swimming 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. While this is awesome on its own, what's truly amazing is the amount of scientific data they're picking up along the way.
        • Close
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  • Creativity
      • Art
          • Image: Dancer on pointe on bricksWhat’s the Pointe (Shoe)?Pointe shoes are the most important tool for a ballet dancer, second only to their body. So who makes them and how they are prepared before each use is crucial to their career. Let's take a look at this fascinating process...
          • Image: Microsculpture is a photographic project be British photographer Levon Biss. Please email Levon for any enquiries. Longhorn Beetle, Nigeria.Species of the genus Sternotomis (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).Once magnified the secret to the spectacular patterning of this beetle is revealed – a covering of extremely fine pigmented scales similar to those of butterflies and moths.Insects Have Never Looked So Good!The amazing, intricate structures of insects are something that belongs in museums—oh wait, they're already there! Photographer Levon Biss has teamed up with one exhibit to bring us closer than we've ever been to these tiny creatures with his Microsculptures. You'll never look at a bug the same way after you see these.
          • Image: Fan Yang holding child in the middle of bubbles!This Performance is “Popping” BarriersBubbles have a way of instantly taking us back to the joys of childhood! Meet the family bringing the wonders of bubble making to new heights with a performance unlike any other!
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      • Dance
          • Image: Dancer on pointe on bricksWhat’s the Pointe (Shoe)?Pointe shoes are the most important tool for a ballet dancer, second only to their body. So who makes them and how they are prepared before each use is crucial to their career. Let's take a look at this fascinating process...
          • Image: Hussein Smko performing outsideWhen Dance Creates OpportunitiesHussein Smko grew up in war-torn Iraq, and he's turned his experience into an opportunity. Through his performance, this dancer is not only telling his story, but making it possible for others to share theirs.
          • Image: Older couple dancing togetherYour Dance Moves Say More About You Than You Think!Whether your preferred move is the running man or the moonwalk, here's the science to help you bust it better!
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      • Music
          • Meet the Hindu Bagpipers Bringing Cultures TogetherThe Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Pipe Band is a worldwide organization of Hindu bagpipers who blend Indian and Scottish music in a brilliant cultural mashup!
          • Image: Aleksandar Marković conductingWhat Are Conductors Even Doing?Most of us have pretended to be an orchestra conductor at some point in our lives. The interesting thing is, we actually understand, on some level, what we're doing, even if we know nothing about music! This is a fascinating and fun window into a world we never knew we shared.
          • Image: Abstract blobs of colorSynesthesia: Wiring the Senses TogetherSynesthesia could be called a superpower, so what is life like for people who can see music or taste color? This is the fascinating science behind it all!
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      • Design
          • Image: American Grizzly in the middle of a paved roadWhy Wild Animals May End Up On Your StreetThese communities in Canada are helping us all reimagine what we can do to have healthy relationships with the wildlife that lives around us!
          • Image: Group of school children wearing the shoe that growsThe Shoe that Grows Keeps Growing!What if more businesses were built to have a positive impact on the world? Kenton Lee, the founder of The Shoe that Grows, is working to make an even greater positive impact on the globe with the launch of GroFive, and Expandles!
          • Image: man processing sisalSisal! The Plant that Points to PossibilitiesThis Kenyan farmer has invented machines that help this cactus-like plant give farmers across the world stability in a changing climate.
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      • Photography
          • Image: Colorized Image of peasant women from RussiaBringing Color Back to our PastWhat stories do images from the past tell us? How might they speak to us differently if we could easily see ourselves reflected in them?
          • Image: Graffiti of a cubist style painting of a faceStories Behind the Faces of PowerWhat if we removed the veil of power and could see people at "the top" for who they really are? Here's a photographer whose stories do just that!
          • Image: Graffiti face on a garbage canLitterati: Connecting Us All and Changing Paradigms!Have you heard of the amazing social media project that can eliminate litter from our planet? It's bringing together ordinary people, brands, governments and the power of big data--all with a novel artistic magnetism!
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  • Science
      • Health
          • Image: Woman getting screened for malariaDetecting Malaria with MagnetsDetecting malaria can sometimes be difficult in the most rural places, but engineers have come up with a clever way to detect it with magnets! Here's how this life-saving innovation works!
          • Image: A colorful collage in a silhouette of a human headEvery Brain is Beautiful: The Autism AdvantageWhat if we let disabilities take a back seat and we focused on the abilities that might look like superpowers in the right setting? Let's take a look at some examples.
          • Image: man wearing headphones on a busy city streetWhat’s Up With All This Noise?We're living in a loud world, and most of us are contributing to the noise pollution in some way. Although it's rather grim to mourn our hearing, there's still hope! Let's learn more.
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      • Space
          • Image: Mae Jemison in SpaceHappy Birthday Mae Jemison!The story of Mae Jemison's life is one about pursuing your dreams and striving for better. And tomorrow's her birthday! So let's celebrate.
          • Image: Astronaut on space walk orbiting earth and waving at the cameraHow Do Space Suits Even Work?We've seen people walk on the moon in them, but how has that been possible? What is it about a space suit that enables it to protect us out there?
          • Image: A zinnia that was grown in space floating inside of the ISS with the Earth behind it.Did You Know We Can Garden in Space?Lettuce, zinnias, peas, and radishes are just some of the plants that have found their roots in space. But what does this mean for our future?
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      • Psychology
          • Image: Two babies talking and smiling at cameraListening to the BabiesBaby babble isn't just cute. When babies are babbling their brains are actually engaging in much more complex thinking than just making noises!
          • Image: A beautiful landscape of green wheat fields on one side and brown wheat fields on the otherJanine Shepherd: The Flight of an Unstoppable SpiritA world of possibilities is waiting for us if we lighten our load! Here is an amazing person to be our guide.
          • Image: Boy in a striped shirt smilingThe Universal Language of Our EmotionsDoes your smile mean the same thing as my smile? What about your frown? How is it that we can intuitively understand another person's emotions simply by looking at their expressions? There are a few universals in life, and our smiles may just be one of them.
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  • Culture
      • Travel
          • sherpaSupporting Education in the Mountains of NepalThe vast majority of people who have summited Mount Everest have porters to thank for it—but being a porter is far from a safe profession. Yet, for many Sherpa, this is their only way to support their families. After becoming a porter at the age of 12 and summiting Everest 21 times, Apa Sherpa has created a foundation to ensure that children have another path to travel in life through their education.
          • Image: hands holding cacao beansThe Surprising Life Behind Your ChocolateIf you've ever eaten chocolate, then you're definitely going to want to check this out. Most of us don't know of the lengthy, fascinating process it goes through before it makes it to us!
          • Image: People standing away from us on a forest trail surrounded by the lights from fireflies.Fireflies Put on Quite the Show in MexicoOn this edition of Saturday's Around the World, we're traveling to Mexico to experience the light show few have seen happening in their forests!
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      • Sports
          • Image: Dancer on pointe on bricksWhat’s the Pointe (Shoe)?Pointe shoes are the most important tool for a ballet dancer, second only to their body. So who makes them and how they are prepared before each use is crucial to their career. Let's take a look at this fascinating process...
          • Image: Ben Lecomte Swimming the Pacific Ocean for ScienceWhat We’re Learning from The First Swim Across the PacificBen Lecomte is currently (right now!) in the middle of swimming 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. While this is awesome on its own, what's truly amazing is the amount of scientific data they're picking up along the way.
          • Image: Machine smashing through some mudWhat’s More Fun Than Mud?We've all played in mud at some point in our lives, but when did that stop? And why? We may all be able to learn a little something about the power of play and innovation from these mudslingers!
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      • Food
          • Image: Wine and cheese on a tableThe DNA of CHEESE!Cheese isn't just delicious, it's also a remarkable feat of science! And scientists are using DNA sequencing to learn more about it. Let's see what they're finding...
          • Image: hands holding cacao beansThe Surprising Life Behind Your ChocolateIf you've ever eaten chocolate, then you're definitely going to want to check this out. Most of us don't know of the lengthy, fascinating process it goes through before it makes it to us!
          • Image: cut up mushroomsHere’s Where Your Mushrooms Come From!You can find fungi pretty much everywhere—including your plate. But how does it get there? The amazing series, How Does it Grow, brings us to one of the largest mushroom growers in the United States to find out how!
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      • History
          • polar bearHave You Hugged an Apex Predator Today?Did you know that whale poop can slow climate change, wolves can change rivers, and the sand from China's Gobi Desert is now reaching the United States? It's all about those apex predators and keystone species!
          • Image: Icelandic horse in front of a barren landscapeIceland’s Comeback StoryIceland may be well known for its barren and sweeping landscapes, but the island didn't always look like that. Here's how scientists are using the latest science to regrow Iceland's long-lost forests.
          • Image: A line of Moai statues on Rapa Nui also called Easter IslandPreserving the Cultural Heritage of Rapa NuiRapa Nui, or Easter Island, is well known for its Moai. While many go to see these incredible stone statues that tower over the landscape, few are introduced to the rich culture they represent. This is the story of that culture and the people working to preserve it!
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      • Special Occasion
          • Image: Louisa on Chuck's chestMicro-Preemie Turns 21: A Success Story for Everyone!When life gets difficult there's always something we can learn and use for the rest of our lives. 21 years ago, Dr. Lynda (EWC's founder) gave birth to a 1 pound baby when she was just into the 5th month of her pregnancy. She picked up a few pearls of wisdom in the years that followed—here are 12.
          • Image: Group toasting with beer glassesCheers to Years of TraditionLet EWC help you celebrate the holiday season by spotlighting some of the oldest and quirkiest brews in the world! From enjoying beers the Pharaohs would have sipped to wine fermented at the bottom of the sea, these brewmasters are certainly proving it's still an amazing world!
          • Image: the diamond ring effect on the sun caused by a full solar ecipseThe Day the Darkness Brought Us TogetherThough the Great American Eclipse has passed, the lessons we learned that day about our greater sense of possibility and connection are something we can pause to celebrate and carry with us!
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      • Saturdays Around the World
          • sherpaSupporting Education in the Mountains of NepalThe vast majority of people who have summited Mount Everest have porters to thank for it—but being a porter is far from a safe profession. Yet, for many Sherpa, this is their only way to support their families. After becoming a porter at the age of 12 and summiting Everest 21 times, Apa Sherpa has created a foundation to ensure that children have another path to travel in life through their education.
          • Image: American Grizzly in the middle of a paved roadWhy Wild Animals May End Up On Your StreetThese communities in Canada are helping us all reimagine what we can do to have healthy relationships with the wildlife that lives around us!
          • Image: 5 small children smiling, covered in mud, sitting on a benchForest Kindergarten: Challenging All Our Instincts!When was the last time you saw pre-schoolers gleefully playing in a muddy ditch or climbing in a tall tree? Turns out that encouraging that sort of thing might be a giant leap forward in education! Take a look...
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Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

COO Ever Widening Circles

Liesl is a camera-toting traveler, a global story seeker, and an aspiring—but more often floundering—yoga lover. She can be found on Instagram @Liesl.UV

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Lynda Ulrich

Founder, CEO

Dr. Lynda is a dentist, artist, global traveler, and philanthropist who looks for potential and shares it with the world.

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Dr. Chuck Verderber

CFO

Dr. Chuck is our CFO--Chief Fun Officer--at Ever Widening Circles. He and Dr. Lynda are dentists in and practice together at Fiddlehead Dental in Northern Vermont.

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Samantha Burns

Executive Assistant, Staff Writer

Samantha is a listener, creator, collector of knick knacks and lover of most, if not all, types of cheese.

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Abigayle Fugere

Abi is passionate about warm chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk, analyzing numbers, and soaking up the sun on the beach.

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[ Innovation ]

Explore New Innovations!

By Liesl Ulrich-Verderber

These are some of the new innovations in science, technology, healthcare, and even food that are shaping a brighter future for us all!

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