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Sketchplanations makes complex ideas simple with clear, insightful sketches. Explore topics from science, creativity, psychology, and beyond explained in pictures.

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The Goldilocks Zone

The Goldilocks Zone is the range around a star that’s not too hot or too cold to support liquid water. Liquid water is vital to sustaining life like we have on Earth, so fortunately for us, Earth sits in the Goldilocks Zone. Consider the alternatives: If we lived too close to the sun, we’d roast. The average temperatures on Mercury and Venus are hot enough to boil water (and then some). And on Mars, the next planet farther out than Earth, the average temperature sits at -85 degrees F (-65 degrees C)— cold enough to freeze water solid. If you want to look for planets that might support life as we know it in distant star systems, looking for worlds occupying Goldilocks Zones is a promising start. This sketch, along with plenty of others in the "Starry-Eyed Surprises" section, features in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures Also see: Goldilocks Tasks Seasons Know your space objects: comets, asteroids, meteors, meteorites The potato radius…The Goldilocks Zone is the range around a star that’s not too hot or too cold to support liquid water. Liquid water is vital to sustaining life like we have on Earth, so fortunately for us, Earth sits in the Goldilocks Zone. Consider the alternatives: If we lived too close to the sun, we’d roast. The average temperatures on Mercury and Venus are hot enough to boil water (and then some). And on Mars, the next planet farther out than Earth, the average temperature sits at -85 degrees F (-65 degrees C)— cold enough to freeze water solid. If you want to look for planets that might support life as we know it in distant star systems, looking for worlds occupying Goldilocks Zones is a promising start. This sketch, along with plenty of others in the "Starry-Eyed Surprises" section, features in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures Also see: Goldilocks Tasks Seasons Know your space objects: comets, asteroids, meteors, meteorites The potato radius

25 Mar 2017

Goldilocks tasks

The sweet spot for flow and mastery where the task is not too easy, not too hard — it’s just right. Also, just the right spot for learning similar to Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. In that model when you’re out of your comfort zone, and not in your anxiety zone you’re in the learning zone. And yet another way of looking at it, still without as catchy a name as Goldilocks tasks, is getting the right match of challenge to your skills to avoid anxiety and boredom to be in flow. I learned the name from Dan Pink’s excellent book Drive.…The sweet spot for flow and mastery where the task is not too easy, not too hard — it’s just right. Also, just the right spot for learning similar to Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. In that model when you’re out of your comfort zone, and not in your anxiety zone you’re in the learning zone. And yet another way of looking at it, still without as catchy a name as Goldilocks tasks, is getting the right match of challenge to your skills to avoid anxiety and boredom to be in flow. I learned the name from Dan Pink’s excellent book Drive.

16 Mar 2017

Muphry’s Law

Muphry's law states that when criticizing spelling or grammar, you’ll make a mistake yourself. Or should that be criticising? Muphry's Law is a variation of Murphy’s law which is: "If anything can go wrong, it will." Muphry's Law teaches me to be humble and more tolerant of errors. Also see: Hanlons' Razor…

11 Mar 2017

Ghost fishing

Ghost fishing is a sad reality of the fishing industry, where abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear continues to fish. It can be particularly troublesome as smaller trapped animals entice larger predators, who themselves get tangled. A net, after all, can continue to work whether we're around to pull it in or not. Recovering lost fishing gear is a challenging and often dangerous job. See, for example, ghostdiving.org Related Ideas to Ghost Fishing Also see: Bycatch—other stuff you caught while trying to catch something else The tragedy of the commons The Law of Unintended Consequences Strand line Peripherally-related ideas: Ghost grid Ghost cooking—the art of cooking leaving a sparkling, untouched kitchen Only dead fish go with the flow Types of phishing You get what you measure Ghoti - crazy English Nurse shark drawn using How to draw a grey nurse shark…Ghost fishing is a sad reality of the fishing industry, where abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear continues to fish. It can be particularly troublesome as smaller trapped animals entice larger predators, who themselves get tangled. A net, after all, can continue to work whether we're around to pull it in or not. Recovering lost fishing gear is a challenging and often dangerous job. See, for example, ghostdiving.org Related Ideas to Ghost Fishing Also see: Bycatch—other stuff you caught while trying to catch something else The tragedy of the commons The Law of Unintended Consequences Strand line Peripherally-related ideas: Ghost grid Ghost cooking—the art of cooking leaving a sparkling, untouched kitchen Only dead fish go with the flow Types of phishing You get what you measure Ghoti - crazy English Nurse shark drawn using How to draw a grey nurse shark

1 Mar 2017

Stages of grief

This is an adapted version of the Kubler-Ross model for the stages of grief from her work with terminally ill patients. I should caveat that this is overly simplified in several respects and people don’t necessarily go through all these stages, nor necessarily in this order. Though, when you look at it, it’s hard not to have the feeling that it could provide some value in understanding that complex and difficult situation. I find it interesting as a more generally applicable model of how people deal with change. I think it’s possible to relate to some of these stages at some points in life which have experienced major change.…This is an adapted version of the Kubler-Ross model for the stages of grief from her work with terminally ill patients. I should caveat that this is overly simplified in several respects and people don’t necessarily go through all these stages, nor necessarily in this order. Though, when you look at it, it’s hard not to have the feeling that it could provide some value in understanding that complex and difficult situation. I find it interesting as a more generally applicable model of how people deal with change. I think it’s possible to relate to some of these stages at some points in life which have experienced major change.

24 Feb 2017

How to speak plainly illustrated by Owl-speak and Pooh-speak from Winnie-the-Pooh

How to speak plainly, by Pooh Bear

Winnie the Pooh teaches us how to speak plainly and avoid Owl Speak. There’s a surprising amount of wisdom in A. A. Milne’s classic stories of Winnie-the-Pooh. If you haven’t read them for a long time, you could do much worse than try them again. Owl Speak As one small example, I find there’s a lot of Owl Speak around as we get older, where we could all probably benefit from a dose of Pooh’s simplicity. Owl Speak includes never using a short, simple word when a long and complicated one would do. For example, in one revealing exchange, Owl explains: “Well, the customary procedure in such cases is as follows.” “What does Crustimoney Proseedcake mean?” said Pooh. …”It means, the Thing to Do.” says Owl. We learn more and more Owl Speak the more time we spend in school, only to have to work to remove it when we are older. All the Winnie-the-Pooh books are lovely to read: Winnie-the-Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, When we Were Very Young, and Now we are Six. Both quotes are from The House at Pooh Corner. Or, if you prefer to have the wisdom called out, you could try The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff. This sketch was updated for my book Big Ideas Little Pictures…Winnie the Pooh teaches us how to speak plainly and avoid Owl Speak. There’s a surprising amount of wisdom in A. A. Milne’s classic stories of Winnie-the-Pooh. If you haven’t read them for a long time, you could do much worse than try them again. Owl Speak As one small example, I find there’s a lot of Owl Speak around as we get older, where we could all probably benefit from a dose of Pooh’s simplicity. Owl Speak includes never using a short, simple word when a long and complicated one would do. For example, in one revealing exchange, Owl explains: “Well, the customary procedure in such cases is as follows.” “What does Crustimoney Proseedcake mean?” said Pooh. …”It means, the Thing to Do.” says Owl. We learn more and more Owl Speak the more time we spend in school, only to have to work to remove it when we are older. All the Winnie-the-Pooh books are lovely to read: Winnie-the-Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, When we Were Very Young, and Now we are Six. Both quotes are from The House at Pooh Corner. Or, if you prefer to have the wisdom called out, you could try The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff. This sketch was updated for my book Big Ideas Little Pictures

17 Feb 2017

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