They're also teaching me a lesson: to try to go beyond the bounds of what I know and what I think is right. It's a good trick for an old artist to teach a new scientist something.

By looking beyond the limits of their usual practice and transforming materials from other trades to their painting, the great artists of the Renaissance created a palette that gave them an immediate and lasting reputation as brilliant colorists.

However, throughout the five weeks we used only chopsticks to eat our meals. After the teaching assignment I decided to do some traveling. When I got into hotels that used regular silverware I had to get used to it all over again.

We had no feeling of being overseen by the authorities. No government personnel came to observe our teaching. The dean and professors at the university were all very supportive.

These animals are teaching us... about basic aspects of our own physiology.

If kids come to us [educators / teachers] from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important.