Open Minds is our archive of commentary, news, research, stories and other columns from our guest writers. Enjoy!
If you are interested in submitting a piece to Recycled Minds, email us at recycledminds@gmail.com
________________________________________________________________________________
Why be Normal? Thinking about Neurodiversity and Mental Health
by Kristina Baines on July 29, 2013
Wherever you go, there you are. I’ve considered this old adage quite a bit lately in my thoughts and conversations. Wherever I turn, I can’t get away from the brain. By this, I don’t just mean my own thoughts, but conversations about the brain and what it does and how it makes us do what we do and be who we are...
Mexican Puppetry and Balance in Technology
by Diane Daly on July 12, 2013
Puppetry is a fascinating art form from an Information perspective because it is defined by balance in the technology it uses. The term technology today has come to mean digital tools - the more, the better. But when I speak of the balance in technology inherent within puppetry, I am using the older meaning of technology: Using devices to more effectively accomplish our goals...
Balancing Copyright for the Ne(x)t Generation
by Diane Daly on January 16, 2013
There are a number of lessons about United States copyright laws for young people on the internet. Most that I have found assume a tone similar to this excerpt from CopyrightKids.org...
Legacy Under Fire: The Work of Reichel-Dolmatoff and His Nazi Past
by Federico Cintrón Moscoso on October 10, 2012
At the beginning of August, a video was uploaded onto YouTube in which Colombian archaeologist Augusto Oyuela-Caycedo (University of Florida) presented conclusive evidence of the relationship between Gerardo (“Erasmus”) Reichel-Dolmatoff, the founder of Colombian archaeology and anthropology, and the Nazi regime (read the transcript of the video)...
Open Access: a Movement, a Policy, a State of Mind
by Lana Brand on August 10, 2012
“An old tradition and a new technology have converged to make possible an unprecedented public good. The old tradition is the willingness of scientists and scholars to publish the fruits of their research in scholarly journals without payment, for the sake of inquiry and knowledge. The new technology is the internet...”
Occupy for Independence
by Occupy on July 4, 2012
In the spirit of Thomas Paine, whose manifestos rose the rallying cry for the U.S. revolution, we here at Recycled Minds offer the recently released Occupy Global Manifesto. Paine has been described as a radical intellectual and revolutionary who tirelessly advocated for what he believed would be a superior political system...
Extraction from Immersion
by Kristina Baines on December 27, 2011
As I begin the last weeks of my dissertation fieldwork, the preferred topic of conversation during my final encounters is my imminent departure. Thanks to my (extensive) anthropological training, I felt well prepared to enter my study community and immerse myself in a version of the tried and tested ethnographic methodology, however, I never gave much thought to the idea that the time and care spent entering would or should be mirrored in the leaving process...
Voices of Occupy: Radical Networking
by Cyrus Kleege on November 16, 2011
A massive set of protests has been planned for November 17th in New York City. It remains to be seen whether they will evidence strong, continuing support for the Occupy movement. In recent weeks it seems that those who wish for the failure of the movement have been taking the proverbial gloves off, with more harsh police tactics in evidence as several cities (St. Louis, Burlington, Salt Lake City, Portland and others) have attempted to evict Occupy encampments from public spaces...
Voices of Occupy: Morality and Occupy
by Cyrus Kleege on October 24, 2011
I have been increasingly interested and involved in the Occupy Wall Street movement that sprung up in New York about a month ago and in a short time began to spread to the far corners of the United States and the world. I haven't been able to properly “Occupy” Zucotti Park as I work full time, but I have made it to most of the larger actions: the march halfway across the Brooklyn bridge (followed by the paddy wagon ride to One Police Plaza), the huge labor solidarity march the following week and the convergence on Times Square this past weekend...
Voices of Occupy: Call to Action from LA
by anonymous on October 19, 2011
I don't get riled up easily. However, I'm SO SICK AND TIRED of people being snarky/negative about the Occupy movement! First they say that there is no focus, then no future. Hmm. Well, as you can see from the first call to action in July from Adbuster (link here), the original Occupy demand was "We demand that Barack Obama ordain a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence money has over our representatives in Washington." That's a pretty specific focus, folks...
Aguacate: pop. 570 1/2 ~ On Practicing Community Archaeology
by Claire on July 27, 2011
That's what the sign says as you drive into Aguacate village. It always cracks me up a little bit; someone with a sense of humor took a permanent marker to the otherwise weathered and rusty sign. Here's some more information on Aguacate village, and my time there...
The Impact of Values
by Debbie Jordan on June 18, 2011
Values. Ethics. Call them what you will, values are vital in life and in politics. Not merely buzzwords, values define what we believe, how we achieve our goals, who we really are. Choices made because of values have wide-ranging social consequences. The different ways people approach the issue of marriage is a good example...
