Ideation Words

😋 For my 16th Birthday, I indulged in a homemade, seven layer, “Death by Chocolate”cake! Today some visionary scientists are trying to resurrect that kind of chocoholic intensity. They’re doing so through an almost extinct cacao tree. It’s called the Ancient Nacional, and used to thrive in the rain forests of Ecuador. Disease almost eradicated it, save nine trees recently discovered. The co-founder of To’ak Chocolate joined with local conservationists to take cuttings from each. They grafted them on seedlings, and then transplanted them into a protected area. Now thirty families are working to reforest their land with the seedlings. Luxury flavor will live! https://toakchocolate.com/ Up to five thousand new Nacional seedlings are expected within three years. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/quest-save-worlds-most-coveted-chocolate-180982703/ 

💫 Cheers! Sustainability is literally brewing in the textile industry. A Japanese company is using a fermentation process to brew up new fibers. The texture is described as a mix of silk and cashmere. https://www.wsj.com/style/fashion/sustainable-clothing-materials-fashion-4385c5e3 A former Miss Florida contestant jumped on the green clothing initiative early. Elizabeth Tran made her entire finale dress from garbage from the Mt. Trashmore landfill in north Broward. She just returned from the UN’s “Sustainable Development Goals Action Weekend,” representing “Teens Go Green Global.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtdqSsH0w2I 

✍️ Ten year old Nachi crochets things she finds in the dumpsites surrounding her refugee camp. Her words? “Mmmm, this could come to life. What do you say? Nothing I can’t hand crochet!“ I hope you meet her in my upcoming novel “Solhubod” (Dec./Jan.).

 👽️ What do aliens wear? The words “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” emit mystery in their own right. So how do you cut the wheat from the chaff when it comes to the extraterrestrial? Take last week for example. First you’ve got Mexico presenting non-human corpses that look like ET. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-alleged-bodies-non-human-shown-mexican.html A day later, you have NASA appointing a new director of UAP research. https://www.space.com/nasa-names-head-of-uap-research And then you have the James Webb telescope indicating that an exoplanet, K2-18b, may contain water or support life. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/2023/webb-discovers-methane-carbon-dioxide-in-atmosphere-of-k2-18b An awesome world begs for awesome ideas of discovery!

💭 If you’re curious for an intriguing read that’s both mystery and action—space and deep earth, I’ve got a recommendation for you!

You can find a review on “Impact” by Douglas Preston here: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandrashawe/video/7192577708260625710

Whew! Keep your taste buds open, your fashion kind, and your eyes to the skies! Have the best week!

Sandra