Posts by Bruce Grierson
How long does a day in space feel like?
Many people think it’s high time we sent a poet into space. Up there they would deploy their antennae and capture, in high fidelity, that most precious of commodities we’re running so low on back on Earth: wonder. Until that day, we’ll have to be content with Orbital, Samantha Harvey’s slim and meticulous novel, which…
Read MoreUBC scientists one-up Lou Reed, unveil the template for a Perfect Day
At some level, this whole One Big Day project circles around the abstract concept of The Perfect Day. If such a thing were possible, what might it look like? The question might make more sense if we were sheep. Presumably, sheep would all wish for the same sort of thing out of a day (freedom…
Read MoreCape Scott Ruck ‘n Roll (or The Trail That Ate My Boots)
“Is there sleep in my eyes?” Jen says, emerging from the tent to meet the day. Imagine if that construction worked for other occasions … some verb residue lingers on you from the thing you just did. I’ve got a little work on my hands. I’ve got a little play on my feet. We are…
Read MoreBig Sky Day
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 was a pretty big day for Verna Marzo. And also for everyone she shared it with, for reasons that will become clear. Here’s how it all went down. 5:30 AM Many of Verna’s days begin this way – eat, pray, exercise (lots and lots of situps). But not all in that…
Read MoreThe Museum of What You Used to Know
Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, the unofficial World’s Most Positive Human, revealed in a recent conversation with Tim Ferriss that he is a ferociously dedicated diary-keeper. Every night, round about midnight, he faithfully jots down notes — just what has shaken out from the day. He has made it his mission to encourage everyone to do this.…
Read MoreBig Filibuster Day
AP photo Cory Booker once dreamed of playing pro football, and it showed this week, in the sheer athleticism of his speech on the floor of the US Senate. Technically, the New Jersey Democrat’s 25-hour-long stemwinder wasn’t a “filibuster” – that term usually implies gassing on in the Senate in order to delay or defeat…
Read MoreGetting your reps in
Not long ago the economist Tyler Cowan posed a cheeky question on his blog. “What is it you do to train that is comparable to a pianist practicing scales?” Most of us probably don’t have a good answer. In our jobs, we don’t practice skills the way musicians or athletes do. We don’t “train.” But…
Read MoreBe Someone Else
image: Jaroslav Devia for Unsplash * Oliver Burkeman, the former Guardian columnist, once devoted an entire day to mimicking the rituals of famous artists and scientists. He got up at 5:30, a la Hemingway; sat around naked in the morning, a la Ben Franklin; downed a cocktail at noon, a la V.S. Pritchett; gulped strong…
Read MoreSloth Christmas
michael jerrard photo / unsplash LA FORTUNA, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica A Sloth State of Mind Costa Rica has a motto: Pura Vida. Literally: “pure life.” It’s an invitation to stop worrying and just gear down and chill. Don’t stress over what you can’t control. Dispacito, as the animal-crossing signs dotted beside the country’s highways…
Read MoreSteal This Idea
photo: Ameen Fahmy for Unsplash * People sometimes tell me, Hey, I’m digging the whole One Big Day thing. Been thinking of giving it a go. Trouble is, I don’t know what to do. Here’s one option: Choose a theme for your Big Day according to the month you want to try it. The schedule…
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