I read a lot of online science journals, and a lot of news, and a lot of books, and I talk to a lot of science type people on a regular basis, and I have been involved with on the ground environmental restoration, and I know people in finance and I have my own thoughts about a lot of stuff, and frankly it’s getting grim out their.

Once in a while it is important to remember WHY we are all trying so hard to make this world a better place (aside from the survival of the human race). The world is full of great stuff, worth saving, and worth spreading around. I attempt to post good stuff (new science discoveries, companies doing the right thing, environmental political victories, etc) to go along with the steady stream of horrible news.

So in no particular order here are a bunch of things that make me happy.

Girls with Ukuleles

(oh goodness that smile at the start, and that smile at the end, I think I am in love)

Bicycles!

(yes that is me on the right, and yes we are racing bikes indoors, it gets real nasty in the winter around here…and yes I whooped Gregs ass!)

Seriously bikes are a huge part of my life I would say that 60-80% of my life is spent on a bike, talking about bikes, working with bikes, thinking about bikes…you get the idea.

I would also like to submit the following for your consideration…

now tell me you don’t love bike, dare ya.

The Internet

I honestly, with no irony, believe the internet to be one of the greatest things that human beings have ever invented…seriously. I am a firm proponent of the theory that what makes humans advanced is our culture, and our ability to share information with each other. Nothing does this better than the internet. How many times have you thought to yourself “I wonder….X” and then went and typed it into the google and whalla knowledge. Who answered those questions before the internet? How did people figure out how to drive from place to place? Did people used to draw funny captions on pictures of cats and then mail them to each other?!

All joking aside the internet has done more to advance the further study of science, medicine, and a whole host of other good things than any tool invented in the last 1000 years. And it’s not done yet, as data transfer gets faster, and more things are connected to the internet, and storage capacity of data gets higher their may come a day when you have a tiny chip clipped to your ear that gives you instant access to a vast vast sea of knowledge. Knowledge as we all know, is power.

Science!

The thing I love about science, and the part about it that makes me so happy, is that it is always changing. Science is great because it is not based on faith. If you have proof that some long held scientific theory is wrong, and you can show evidence of it, and you can verify it with tests, well we have to throw out that old theory. Even if it has been around for 100 years, it’s out.

Try telling that to a religious leader…you wont get far. Science is great because it is our best (so far) way to explain how the world works. It has also brought us wonders like the internet, bikes, and girls with Ukulele’s so you can see it is pretty awesome.

So these are just a few of the many things that make me happy, I might do another post like this some other time, if you do a post on your blog about what makes you happy link back here and we can make it some sort of internet chain letter thing.

What makes you happy? Let me know in the comments.