Sparking curiosity...

I'm veering from my usual post about the Torah portion for the week to share something that really excites me.... discovery-based learning.

Last week, I wrote about sparking joy. This is currently a huge buzz phrase. Today, though, I would like to propose a spark that I personally find more meaningful, and that is, sparking curiosity. I think we can get a bit side-tracked by chasing after joy or happiness, because, in the words of Dr. Wayne Dyer, "There is no way to happiness; happiness IS the way." So, rather than directly pursuing or sparking joy, I think what works better for me is sparking things which bring me joy as a result. And, for me, being curious, and sparking this curiosity through various activities, brings me much deep joy. It's a side-effect, so to speak, of doing things which spark my natural curiosity. I've often said I am very much like a house cat, and we all know cats have a very high level of natural curiosity. Curiosity can be a pure delight, if channeled well. If not, it can kill the cat, as the saying goes.

Learning of all sorts is something which sparks a lot of joy for me, and something about which I am immensely passionate. Degree or not, terminal end point resulting in X,Y, or Z or not, I love to learn, especially if it is discovery-based or more exploratory rather than "here are the solid facts; memorize them." Really, what solid facts do we actually know? Technology and scientific explorations and studies are constantly streaming new information which explode the old "facts."

This is the part of learning which excites me! I enjoy documentaries, especially about ancient history, ancient civilizations, forensic anthropology, even the woo-woo Ancient Aliens fascinates me, because it raises myriads of thought-provoking questions... always "What if...? What if...? What if...?" and never "These are the absolute facts...".

I also enjoy watch a few limited reality TV shows, sometimes for the entertainment, but the few I really enjoy watching are for the curiosity they spark in me about creativity (Project Runway), or human behavior (Survivor), or human abilities that seem to transcend "ordinary" (World of Dance and The Voice often fit here). And what I like about cozy murder TV series is that sparking of curiosity over whodunnit and piecing together the clues and the hunt for evidence, and how that evidence is processed with our latest technology. It becomes a learning experience, and certainly engages my curiosity, which makes it more than just entertainment.

Beyond TV, research and learning just for the sake of self-enrichment and curiosity has always been the "hobby" which takes most of my time. The information accessible on the internet has fueled this, and for that, I am grateful.

As some of you know, one year ago, I was engaged in the ending months of a very intense 13-month long learning-by-discovery process, and it ignited my spirit and engaged my mind in a way that completely energized and inspired me. Every morning I could hardly wait to hit the computer and see where my explorations would take me, sometimes arising as early as 4am to get a start on my research and writing! This 13-month adventure culminated in another intense 3-day experience in NYC last June, with an oral exam/defense by three astute rabbis. (Yes, I passed.)

Upon returning home from NYC, I knew I would definitely need a new way to continue to channel my sparked curiosity and constant passion for learning. Many people advised me to take a break, that I had pushed myself too hard in the previous 13 months. However, this was the opposite of what I needed, and I knew it, so I lined up several online courses via Coursera and EdX. They were free; I had nothing to lose.

One of the courses was a home run, and I loved every bit of that learning. Sadly, all of the others were dry and frustrating rather then joy-sparking and curiousity-engaging. It was only this week when I finally put together what was different in these various courses, why one was an epic win and the others were epic fails for me: the factors of curiosity and exploring a topic in a way that goes beyond just learning for the correct quiz answers is the key. I have no need to guess which factoids the prof might deem important in order to pass a quiz, and I could not allow myself to fail. So I wasn't learning and exploring, but looking only for the "right" factoids. That served me as a child through our standard school process, but as a much older adult, I must have something more expansive and engaging.

In any case, I've had a string of not good experiences with online courses in the past 7 months, and it's not because I'm not smart enough. The negative experience left me with a void that has been a real challenge for me, especially as I have been far less able to get around and leave the house and do things. Various other attempts at learning and study have fallen flat.

After a rough start, this week seems to be turning the tide. Several books have popped into my view which are definitely engaging my curiosity, and about which I will be writing in the coming months. Furthermore, just this morning I stumbled into a course on Coursera that I am absolutely fascinated with in Lesson One, and since it's free, I will keep taking the modules if they continue to fascinate me.

It's a three-course series, from the University of Edinburgh (yes, Scotland--the internet is a fabulous thing!), and one can take any or all and in any order. The subject of the series is Philosophy, Science and Religion, and the three courses are Science and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion, and Religion and Science.

The course I am taking first is Science and Philosophy, and it addresses four themes, each presented by guest lecturers:



1. Neuroscience and Free Will (Professor Al Mele, Florida State)

2. Are Science and Religion in conflict? (Professor Michael Murray, Franklin & Marshall)

3. Creationism and Evolutionary Biology--Science or Pseudo-science? (Dr. Mark Harris and Dr. David de Pomerai, University of Edinburgh)

4. Do Scientific claims constitute absolute truths? (Professor Martin Kusch, University of Vienna)

So far, I LOVE the first module on neuroscience and free will. I have always been fascinated by neuroscience, especially the newest branch of neuroscience, which is called neurotheology. Neurotheology explores such questions as, "Are our brains hard-wired for religion? Do we have a G!d-gene in our DNA? etc.!!!! While this first module doesn't really get into neurotheology, perhaps after this course I will be encouraged to do some further exploring in neurotheology!

In this first module of Science and Philosophy, Prof. Mele presents three significant scientific studies in 2008 about free will that drew some very erroneous conclusions! I spotted them right off (the errors of conclusion), so this is definitely right up my alley! (Now, if the philosophy part doesn't get too deep...)

So, as I learn, I will share. (You've been forewarned!)

What things spark a bit of your curiosity? Is this curiosity reflected in some way in your hobbies, or books you read, or TV movies/shows you watch? Does sparking your curiosity bring you joy? What might you do to continue sparking your curiosity?