Ever Widening Circles: It's Still An Amazing World

over 854 reasons to be optimistic

Menu
  • Innovation
      • Technology
          • Image: Girl Playing and Smiling in the Water at Morgan's Inspiration IslandVisit the Water Park of an Inspired Future!Morgan's Inspiration Island is the world's first ultra-accessible water park, and this remarkable place not only connects kids with the power of fun but is spurring on meaningful innovation!
          • bike pathA More Creative Future with Smog Vacuums and Glowing SidewalksWhat if every construction project needed to have both a practical outcome and a component past that; something that expands possibility? Here's a guided tour of what that world might look like!
          • Image: Colorful cross section slide of a Triceratops frillThis Beautiful Image Comes from a Dinosaur Bone!Have you heard about the scientific field called Paleohistology? Scientists are creating stunning images that are not only breath-taking but revealing new insights into the lives of dinosaurs!
        • Close
      • Education
          • Image: two blonde female barbies, one adult and one child, sitting down next to an old desktop computer. The older barbie appears to be explaining the machine to her.The Code for a Better WorldGirls Who Code was started by Reshma Saujani in 2012 with a goal to close the gender gap we find in the tech world, but why is this gap there in the first place?
          • Image: Lightning strikes an airplane and a ground vehicleLightning: Are We Really Safe in Airplanes and Cars?Ever wonder if you are actually safe in an airplane or a car during a lightning storm? Turns out the answer is as fascinating as the science, and it can be made quite fun!
          • Image: 6 Ancient Giza Pyramids of EgyptAre You Happily Using Math Every Day Without Realizing It?By studying mathematics and science, humans have the ability to answer questions that would have otherwise been deemed "unanswerable". So, let's discover how math sneaks its way into our lives inside of our lives every day.
        • Close
      • Business
          • Image: Colorful varieties of heirloom corn laid out next to each otherIs Tradition the Secret Ingredient to Great Food?If you want to have a really, really good tortilla, you're going to need the best corn. Masienda is a company not only supporting Mexico's small heirloom corn farmers but bringing the practices that enhance the nutritional powers of the grain back into the market.
          • bike pathA More Creative Future with Smog Vacuums and Glowing SidewalksWhat if every construction project needed to have both a practical outcome and a component past that; something that expands possibility? Here's a guided tour of what that world might look like!
          • Image: The Globe at European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) at nightThe Best Way to Improve the World Around UsHere is a TED Talk that could be a prescription for solving many of the world's most vexing problems! What if we emulated some of the quirkier characteristics of the most original thinkers and idea people?
        • Close
      • Life Hacks
          • Image: two blonde female barbies, one adult and one child, sitting down next to an old desktop computer. The older barbie appears to be explaining the machine to her.The Code for a Better WorldGirls Who Code was started by Reshma Saujani in 2012 with a goal to close the gender gap we find in the tech world, but why is this gap there in the first place?
          • Image: Person in donkey mask stands out in crowd of cadets in uniformBut Why Do We Feel So Awkward?There may be some benefits to our awkward interactions with each other! Having some anxiety just thinking about it? Well, we may have a fix for that as well.
          • Image: Man pretending to talk to a sculpture of an old man sitting on a bench reading the newspaperHere’s How to Talk to StrangersThere are a lot of great people out there that you don't know! If you'd like to change that, or at least make your introductions easier, here are a few tips.
        • Close
    • Close
  • Thought Leaders
      • TED Talks
          • Image: Crow looking at cameraYou’re Probably More Like a Crow than You ThoughtThese birds probably live near you, but have you ever noticed just how intelligent they are? No? Well, you’re in for a treat.
          • Image: Herd of 8 elephants on the savannah against a beautiful blue sky.Celebrating Elephant Intelligence!They're a favorite animal for many, but how much do we all actually know about how elephants interact with the world? Here's your quick overview!
          • bike pathA More Creative Future with Smog Vacuums and Glowing SidewalksWhat if every construction project needed to have both a practical outcome and a component past that; something that expands possibility? Here's a guided tour of what that world might look like!
        • Close
      • Education Enrichment
          • 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!
          • Image: Mona LisaThe (Actual) Magic of Mona Lisa’s SmileGreat art can be hard to "get", but here's how the Leonardo da Vinci used his masterful understanding of human perception to craft the Mona Lisa and transfix us 500 years later!
          • Image: hand holding yellow and blue pigment powderWhy Does Human Skin Come in So Many Shades?The way humans have adapted to suit life in all corners of the planet tells the extraordinary story of our history as a species. Here's the science behind it all!
        • Close
      • Happiness & Hope
          • Image: Girl Playing and Smiling in the Water at Morgan's Inspiration IslandVisit the Water Park of an Inspired Future!Morgan's Inspiration Island is the world's first ultra-accessible water park, and this remarkable place not only connects kids with the power of fun but is spurring on meaningful innovation!
          • Image: two blonde female barbies, one adult and one child, sitting down next to an old desktop computer. The older barbie appears to be explaining the machine to her.The Code for a Better WorldGirls Who Code was started by Reshma Saujani in 2012 with a goal to close the gender gap we find in the tech world, but why is this gap there in the first place?
          • Image: Coast Guard Graduates in white suits toss their hats in the airAbundance is Our Future!It's easy to concede that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, but the data shows the opposite! Here's the CEO of the X-Prize foundation to clue us in on where we are headed and why!
        • Close
      • Humor
          • Image: Two children eating ice cream and a Popsicle. One wanting the other's treat.Down the Hatch! But Now What?This is an article for the fearlessly curious, the kind of person who when hearing the colon referred to as "charming" must investigate! (There's also our second brains and a team of good bacteria to discover!)
          • 24144839541_8aeb3b632d_kIt’s Dance or Die for this Adorable SpiderThe male peacock jumping spider has one of the most eccentric mating dances you'll come across, and there's a reason he has to put on quite a show!
          • Image: people talking under the northern lightsEarth Your While: Climate Change for EverybodyWhere do you start with tough but important conversations? Here's a fresh perspective from the comedian Zach Anner that gives us some great tips through the lens of climate change!
        • Close
      • Philosophy
          • 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!
          • Image: Finding the gain in every loss, the numerous escalators - up and down - in Loyd's of LondonAmazing Founders’ Stories: Instagram and AirbnbThe founders of some of our favorite innovations -Instagram, Airbnb, Tom's Shoes, Zumba - have stories of catastrophic failures followed by "ah-ha" moments. Now here's a place for some optimism!
        • Close
    • Close
  • Nature
      • Animals
          • Image: Crow looking at cameraYou’re Probably More Like a Crow than You ThoughtThese birds probably live near you, but have you ever noticed just how intelligent they are? No? Well, you’re in for a treat.
          • Image: Chef carefully puts the final touches on a bug inspired dishShould We All Be Eating Insects?We know it's a reach, but the best innovations always are! Insect protien takes less resources to produce, has all of the amino acids we need, and can be pretty tasty. Are bugs the food of the future? Let's risk knowing more...
          • Image: Herd of 8 elephants on the savannah against a beautiful blue sky.Celebrating Elephant Intelligence!They're a favorite animal for many, but how much do we all actually know about how elephants interact with the world? Here's your quick overview!
        • Close
      • Environment
          • Image: unsorted garbage and recyclingWho Exactly is Responsible for Waste ProductionAre you sick of seeing litter all over your hometown? Kamikatsu, Japan and other regions were fed up with GHG emissions and toxins, so they started reducing waste production and have already seen drastic improvements in their environments!
          • Image: Looking up at the immensity of two RedwoodsHave You Been in a Tree Lately?When was the last time you took a moment to really enjoy nature? Meet a man who is taking people hundreds of feet up into the limbs of the world's oldest trees to give us a new perspective on our connection to the natural world!
          • Image: Cross-Section of a blade of grass with cells that look like smiling faces of plants communitatingAre Plants “Talking” to Each Other? They Are!Trees may seem like some of the planet's quietest living things, but it turns out that they and their other plant friends are actually communicating with each other in amazing and complex ways!
        • Close
      • Conservation & Sustainability
          • Image: unsorted garbage and recyclingWho Exactly is Responsible for Waste ProductionAre you sick of seeing litter all over your hometown? Kamikatsu, Japan and other regions were fed up with GHG emissions and toxins, so they started reducing waste production and have already seen drastic improvements in their environments!
          • Image: Chef carefully puts the final touches on a bug inspired dishShould We All Be Eating Insects?We know it's a reach, but the best innovations always are! Insect protien takes less resources to produce, has all of the amino acids we need, and can be pretty tasty. Are bugs the food of the future? Let's risk knowing more...
          • Image: A close-up portrait of a female orangutan (Pongo pymaeus) and her young together, Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Borneo, IndonesiaOrangutan Culture Feels Very… FamiliarWe share 97% of our DNA with orangutans, but what we've known about their cultural customs and habits have been limited... until now.
        • Close
    • Close
  • Creativity
      • Art
          • 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!
          • Image: Person holding a paintbrush covered in paint in front of a wall with graffiti on itWhen (Artistic) Worlds CollideWhat happens when you take a graffiti artist and a painter and give them one day to create a mural together? (Spoiler: it's definitely some sort of magic!)
          • Image: Mona LisaThe (Actual) Magic of Mona Lisa’s SmileGreat art can be hard to "get", but here's how the Leonardo da Vinci used his masterful understanding of human perception to craft the Mona Lisa and transfix us 500 years later!
        • Close
      • Dance
          • Image: Person holding a paintbrush covered in paint in front of a wall with graffiti on itWhen (Artistic) Worlds CollideWhat happens when you take a graffiti artist and a painter and give them one day to create a mural together? (Spoiler: it's definitely some sort of magic!)
          • Image: Two women in traditional folk dress dancing Georgian national balletWhere Artistry Meets AthleticismCombining artistry, athleticism, and tradition the Georgian National Ballet is a true cultural marvel, and an incredible reminder of how art can transcend culture!
          • 3354736146_a697900c4d_bFinding Joy Tapping on Your DoorThere's a lot of pressure to "find your passion" these days. Often that sentiment implies that we have to change the world, but today's EWC Thought-Leader teaches us the essence of the concept!
        • Close
      • Music
          • 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!
          • Image: Person holding a paintbrush covered in paint in front of a wall with graffiti on itWhen (Artistic) Worlds CollideWhat happens when you take a graffiti artist and a painter and give them one day to create a mural together? (Spoiler: it's definitely some sort of magic!)
          • Image: Abstract collage of a face rabbits and psychedelic patternsThis Device Turns Brain Waves Into Music!This isn't like music you've heard before, in fact, it doesn't even sound all that great. But, it CAN save lives by detecting seizures when there are no other symptoms present.
        • Close
      • Design
          • 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!
          • Image: People looking at the MICRO Smallest Mollusk MuseumThis Museum is Sparking Curiosity Anywhere!Meet MICRO, an amazing organization bringing the wonders and knowledge of museums to everybody, with tiny museums built to inspire curiosity!
          • bike pathA More Creative Future with Smog Vacuums and Glowing SidewalksWhat if every construction project needed to have both a practical outcome and a component past that; something that expands possibility? Here's a guided tour of what that world might look like!
        • Close
      • 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!
        • Close
    • Close
  • Science
      • Health
          • Image: Magnification of normal human gastric mucosa, also known as the inner most layer of the stomach. Dyed.Mucus Does A Lot More Than Just Leak From Your NoseWe're thinking it's about time we all give this goop a little more credit for being the amazing innovation it really is!
          • Image: Colorful varieties of heirloom corn laid out next to each otherIs Tradition the Secret Ingredient to Great Food?If you want to have a really, really good tortilla, you're going to need the best corn. Masienda is a company not only supporting Mexico's small heirloom corn farmers but bringing the practices that enhance the nutritional powers of the grain back into the market.
          • Image: Chef carefully puts the final touches on a bug inspired dishShould We All Be Eating Insects?We know it's a reach, but the best innovations always are! Insect protien takes less resources to produce, has all of the amino acids we need, and can be pretty tasty. Are bugs the food of the future? Let's risk knowing more...
        • Close
      • Space
          • 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?
          • Image: Chris Hadfield in the International Space Station with a bubble of water floating in his faceHave a Question? Ask an Astronaut!Want to know if you'll really get taller if you go to space? Or where we're at with warp speed? We know you definitely want to know what it smells like up there. Astronaut Chris Hadfield discusses all of this and more in this awesome video.
        • Close
      • Psychology
          • 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!
          • Image: close up of an adorable jumping spider sitting on a leafMeet Lucas the Spider, Your Cure for Arachnophobia!If you're one of the many people who suffer from a fear of spiders, we may have found a very adorable way to lessen your fears! (And if you are already a spider fan, well, you'll love this.)
          • Image: A group of traditionally dressed girls in China laughing and having a conversationHow Does Language Shape the Way You See the World?Lera Boroditsky shows us how our language shapes our perception of the world in her fascinating TED talk! What are the implications of these variations?
        • Close
    • Close
  • Culture
      • Travel
          • Image: A close-up portrait of a female orangutan (Pongo pymaeus) and her young together, Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Borneo, IndonesiaOrangutan Culture Feels Very… FamiliarWe share 97% of our DNA with orangutans, but what we've known about their cultural customs and habits have been limited... until now.
          • Image: Aerial view of the expansive Canyonland National ParkA History Carved in Canyon WallsIt's hard to find a place in the United States that holds as much human history as Canyonlands and the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. The ingenuity of the people who lived on this land centuries ago is literally carved into the stone!
          • Image: Person snowboardingDid Snowboarding Actually Originate in Turkey?We think of the modern snowboard is a fairly recent innovation, but people in Turkey have been sliding down snow-covered hills on the petranboard for centuries!
        • Close
      • Sports
          • Image: Looking up at the immensity of two RedwoodsHave You Been in a Tree Lately?When was the last time you took a moment to really enjoy nature? Meet a man who is taking people hundreds of feet up into the limbs of the world's oldest trees to give us a new perspective on our connection to the natural world!
          • Image: Person snowboardingDid Snowboarding Actually Originate in Turkey?We think of the modern snowboard is a fairly recent innovation, but people in Turkey have been sliding down snow-covered hills on the petranboard for centuries!
          • Image: A skier spinning through the air off a jumpThe Amazing “Year of the Quad” in the Olympics!2018 is said to be the "Year of the Quad" in the Olympics, but what does this mean? Why is landing a quad a big deal? Here's the science and math behind a nearly impossible feat.
        • Close
      • Food
          • Image: Colorful varieties of heirloom corn laid out next to each otherIs Tradition the Secret Ingredient to Great Food?If you want to have a really, really good tortilla, you're going to need the best corn. Masienda is a company not only supporting Mexico's small heirloom corn farmers but bringing the practices that enhance the nutritional powers of the grain back into the market.
          • 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?
          • Image: Chef carefully puts the final touches on a bug inspired dishShould We All Be Eating Insects?We know it's a reach, but the best innovations always are! Insect protien takes less resources to produce, has all of the amino acids we need, and can be pretty tasty. Are bugs the food of the future? Let's risk knowing more...
        • Close
      • History
          • Image: Mona LisaThe (Actual) Magic of Mona Lisa’s SmileGreat art can be hard to "get", but here's how the Leonardo da Vinci used his masterful understanding of human perception to craft the Mona Lisa and transfix us 500 years later!
          • Image: hand holding yellow and blue pigment powderWhy Does Human Skin Come in So Many Shades?The way humans have adapted to suit life in all corners of the planet tells the extraordinary story of our history as a species. Here's the science behind it all!
          • starry-night-1093721_1920Why Does van Gogh’s The Starry Night Captivate Us?We've all seen this painting before, but why do we love it so much? The answer is a fascinating mix of science, legend, mathematics, and our place in the universe.
        • Close
      • Special Occasion
          • 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!
          • Image: man running up a mountain at dusk with a headlampEver Widening Circles is Ready to Change the World!This week, Ever Widening Circles will be getting a facelift! Here's a look at where we have come from and how we are ready to change the world!
        • Close
      • Saturdays Around the World
          • Image: Girl Playing and Smiling in the Water at Morgan's Inspiration IslandVisit the Water Park of an Inspired Future!Morgan's Inspiration Island is the world's first ultra-accessible water park, and this remarkable place not only connects kids with the power of fun but is spurring on meaningful innovation!
          • Image: A close-up portrait of a female orangutan (Pongo pymaeus) and her young together, Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Borneo, IndonesiaOrangutan Culture Feels Very… FamiliarWe share 97% of our DNA with orangutans, but what we've known about their cultural customs and habits have been limited... until now.
          • Image: a sheep sitting on a rock in the BurrenFarming the Place of StoneLet's take a journey to a lunar landscape nestled into the hills of Ireland! A place where the history, the land, and the people have become deeply intertwined over many millennia.
        • Close
    • Close

Authors

Share
Reddit
Tweet
Share
Pin
Share
+1
Email

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

E-mail

Lynda Ulrich

Founder, CEO

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

Facebook E-mail

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.

E-mail

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.

E-mail

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.

E-mail

“

"Waking up each morning in Cairo Egypt to read your uplifting and interesting messages has really been a gift..."

~ Samia Z.

Read the Full Story

Submit a Story

The EWC community is thriving on the sharing of positive news! You can help!

If you know a story, remarkable person, extraordinary place, a creative piece or idea that the world needs to know about, we’d love to have your input here.

Submit an Article

Featured Circle

[ 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!

Read More

Get your dose of optimism!

Subscribe below for your link to this amazing world

Checkout our Instagram for more amazing photos!
  • Innovation
  • Thought Leaders
  • Nature
  • Creativity
  • Science
  • Culture
  • Mission
  • Meet the EWC Team
  • Educational Enrichment
  • Best of Science
  • Where’s Technology Bringing Us?
  • Follow Us
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Copyright Information
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Use

©Ever Widening Circles 2018 | site by Tannermooredesign

  • All Articles
  • Categories
    • Art
    • Animals
    • Culture
    • Education Enrichment
    • Innovation
    • Nature
    • Science
    • Sports
    • Technology
    • TED Talks
    • Thought Leaders
  • Our Favorite TED Talks!
  • Circles
    • Just for the Fun of It!
    • What the World Needs Now
    • Liesl’s Random Wonders
    • Something Wonderfully Fishy
    • Teens Who Will Restore Your Hope
  • Who is EWC?
    • Mission
    • The Team
    • Join the Team!
  • Surprise Me!
  • Contact Us

Get your dose of optimism!

Subscribe below for your link to this amazing world