Staying Curious During Quarantine
Staying curious isn’t just for Imagine Scholar students. Our staff is always on the hunt for new experiences and opportunities to learn.
For everyone stuck at home during the lockdown, we’ve compiled a “best of” list of some of our favorite things to watch, eat, learn, listen to, and read to fend off boredom, and most importantly, to stay positive.
Check out our list to see what we’ve been up to. We hope it brings you joy!
To watch…
1. Night on Earth
Night on Earth is a beautiful Netflix original documentary that uncovers the nocturnal lives of creatures around the world.
2. Sex Education
The binge-worthy British comedy-drama series, Sex Education follows Otis, a high-schooler whose mother is a sex therapist, as he navigates teenagehood.
3. Ugly Delicious
Chef David Chang takes you on a food and culture journey around the world, straight from your couch. This is a great series for global cuisine enthusiasts.
To eat…
1. Homemade alfredo sauce
Because there is always time for a good pasta dinner. This quick homemade alfredo sauce is as good as it is easy to make.
2. Raw beet salad with carrot, quinoa & spinach
This healthy and flavorful salad is a must add to your quarantine healthy cooking list!
3. Vegan white lasagne soup
For the vegans! This soup gets its creaminess from soaked cashews.
4. Lentil stew with spinach and potatoes
This hearty middle-eastern-inspired stew is a welcome break from your conventional cooking routine.
5. Homemade churros
Churros, a fried Mexican desert, are an undeniably guilty pleasure.
To learn…
1. The Science of Everyday Thinking
If you’re like our staff, you might spend a lot of time thinking about thinking. Sounds like you? Head on over to edX for the free Science of Everyday Thinking online course in partnership with The University of Queensland.
2. The Science of Wellbeing
This breakout online course delivered by Coursera was built on Professor Laurie Santos’ popular Yale program on integrating wellbeing practices into daily life. Participants in The Science of Wellbeing course will learn practical strategies to improve their quality of life.
3. Sustainable Development: The Post-Capitalist Order
The SDG Academy teamed up with edX to deliver this insightful course taught by Columbia professor, Jeffrey Sachs. The Post-Capitalist Order explores the flaws of global capitalism and how sustainable development might offer an alternative pathway to social justice and environmental preservation.
To listen to…
1. Hurry Slowly
Pertinent to today’s day and age, Hurry Slowly is a podcast that explores how we can get more done by doing less.
2. The Objectivity Illusion
Does it ever feel like people are living in different completely different worlds? In this approachable TEDx talk, Stanford professor of psychology, Lee Ross argues that we might be. He distills how we take our perceptions as reality, clouding our judgment, and missing opportunities for empathy and understanding along the way.
3. How to Start a Movement
In 5 minutes and 41 seconds, Derek Divers will make you laugh — and will then make you reconsider how you think about movements. This short and inspiring TEDTalk explores the importance of the first follower.
4. Do schools kill creativity?
An oldie, but goodie. Sir Ken Robinson’s flagship TEDTalk (and the most-watched TEDTalk of all time) has been an inspiration to Imagine Scholar since we started. If you haven’t seen this one yet, watch it immediately.
5. The danger of a single story
This captivating and important TEDTalk by Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, shows how important stories are in how we understand and appreciate people around the world.
To read…
1. Throne of Glass series
Young adult novels are an Imagine Scholar staff and student staple. Check out Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series to add a bit of fantasy to your reading repertoire.
2. Why We Sleep
Have you ever questioned the importance of your own sleep, or been curious about why sleep is such a vital process for the human mind and body? The informative page-turner, Why We Sleep, by Dr. Matthew Walker, is nothing short of mind-blowing.
3. The Great Alone
The Great Alone is a historical fiction by decorated novelist, Kristin Hannah. This 2018 Goodreads Choice Winner details the story of a Vietnam veteran as he and his family moved north to Alaska.
4. Doughnut Economics
Oxford-educated economist, Kate Raworth puts pen to paper to draw an alternative to our growth-focused economy — one that prioritizes social justice and environmental sustainability. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21-st Century Economist, is a must-read for anyone interested in a new global economic system fit for the future.
5. Elastic
In this delightfully readable non-fiction about neuroscience and mental elasticity, author, Leonard Mlodinow equips readers with an understanding of their own inner workings. Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change, offers readers practical exercises to test their own mental tendencies.
