eNature — Online Field Guide

A good online field guide—with images and information about 5500 different species—is at eNature.com, which is produced by the National Wildlife Federation. With sections on birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, spiders, seashells, wildflowers, and more; eNature is a good site for those of us who don't have a complete shelf of field guides (I …

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Secrets of the Expert Mind (part 3)

Do the concepts of expertise and excellence lead to a narrow focus on one thing, to the exclusion of all else? Does the kind of focus that it takes to become a top computer programmer necessarily mean that person will be the stereotypical "computer nerd?" I think not. Take the late Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay …

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Secrets of the Expert Mind (part 2)

Yesterday's entry was a bit long; here's the Reader's Digest version: According to the August 2006 Scientific American article "The Expert Mind," motivation and effortful study are more important than natural ability for becoming and expert in one's field. It takes ten years of intense work to truly become an expert in an area, but …

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