“The existence of life depends on a delicate balance between order and chaos.” — Ilya Prigogine On January 17, 1995, a magnitude 6.9–7.3 earthquake struck Kobe, Japan. The quake killed over 6,400 people and caused an estimated $100–200 billion in damage. Anyone who has been affected by a natural disaster (or any disaster) knows how devastating and unfair the circumstances can seem. We are left questioning: Why did it happen? How were we left vulnerable? What are the chances it will ever...

“Those who can be still are able to move; those who can be soft are able to be firm.” —the Neiye On the fifth of November, 1605, the greatest political coup of all time was thwarted. The Gunpowder Plot was a violent conspiracy hatched amongst a group of Catholic gentry rather than ordinary Londoners, in order to end the religious discrimination that followed the coronation of King James I. The plot was to blow up the entire Parliament building, including the assembly and the King, who was...

“Dwell on the vastness of time and the smallness of your part in it.” -Marcus Aurelius Seventy-seven years is the average American lifespan, or roughly four thousand weeks. When seen through that lens, the brevity of life quickly comes to the fore, and difficult questions arise. How much of it have we already squandered? What do we still hope to accomplish? And how can we avoid discouragement as we march steadily toward our own endings? Humans have wrestled with these questions since the...