Contemplation

Minh-Hoang Nguyen HCM, 02-07-2026 Mehtab’s email A few days ago, a PhD student named Mehtab Danaei from Alzahra University in Tehran, Iran, reached out to my mentor, Prof. Quan-Hoang Vuong, seeking advice and support in developing his doctoral dissertation. The research question that fascinates him concerns the process through which suicidal ideation forms and persists among Iranian adolescents (13–18 years old). He hopes to employ Mindsponge Theory and Bayesian Mindsponge Fr

Thi Mai Anh Tran Michigan Technolgical University, United States 02-06-2026 © VQH During the seven hour drive back from a conference, I found myself thinking about the future. The road was long, and the silence inside the car made my thoughts feel louder. I wished that my future self could come to me for a moment and tell me that everything would be okay. I wanted her to tell me what I would become. I wanted to know whether I would be successful, whether I would receive the t

Thi Mai Anh Tran Michigan Technological University, United States 30-05-2026 © name_gravity Imagine two countries facing the same climate crisis. One possesses advanced laboratories, skilled engineers, and abundant investment capital to develop cutting-edge green technologies. The other struggles with poverty, limited infrastructure, and weak innovation systems. Both are asked to participate in the global transition toward sustainability, and both are told that green growth i

Trong Hieu Phan XC, 31-05-2026 The intact bird nest At the beginning of summer, we visited the temple dedicated to Sage Nguyễn Minh Không, better known by his title Lý Triều Quốc Sư, in Ninh Bình. Behind the temple lies a modest garden, carefully planted with medicinal herbs in remembrance of Sage Nguyễn’s contributions as one of Vietnam’s earliest masters of traditional medicine during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. This region is home to a rare endemic species of yello

Minh-Hoang Nguyen ISR, Phenikaa University 28-05-2026 © rawpixel Mathematics is often mistaken for a discipline of quick calculations and precise answers. Yet mathematics is not fundamentally about arithmetic. At its deepest level, mathematics is an exercise of world-building (Bischoff, 2026). Mathematicians begin with a small collection of assumptions, known as axioms, and construct entire conceptual universes from them. Starting with simple notions such as sets, increasingl

Phuong-Tri Nguyen Nguyen Tat Thanh University 27-05-2026 © Wix Imagine a strange school in Wild Wise Weird (Vuong, 2024). One day, a magical bird arrives carrying an enchanted feather. Whenever students face a difficult mathematics problem, they simply whisper the question into the feather, and perfect answers instantly appear. Homework becomes effortless. Test preparation becomes smooth. The students celebrate. Teachers are amazed by the speed of improvement. Weeks later, th

Hong-Hue Thi Nguyen Ho Chi Minh City 27-05-2026 © Wix How does natural selection promote cooperative behavior? If two animals compete for food, mates, or survival, why would one individual sacrifice resources to help another? Intuitively, selfish individuals seem more likely to gain an advantage by taking benefits without paying the costs of cooperation. This apparent contradiction—how cooperation can persist in a world shaped by competition—has long been considered one of th

Phan Trọng Hiếu Hanoi, 25-5-2026 ©2026 Đàm Thu Hà—“Mirror Gazing”—oil on canvas. The first sunset of summer descends over the quiet pond, painting the still waters crimson. Every now and then, a few fish splash near the surface, sending ripples spreading across the pond in delicate rings. A tiny tailorbird, exhausted after a long day hopping from branch to branch in search of insects, softly lands on a thin mulberry branch leaning over the water’s edge. As it leisurely enjo

Phuong-Tri Nguyen Ho Chi Minh, 01-03-2026 © CNN Approximately one week after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Donald Trump’s tariffs—measures he had pursued under a statute intended for national emergencies [1]—the United States and Israel launched a large-scale joint military operation, Operation Epic Fury, against Iran. The domestic political uncertainty surrounding the administration at that moment may have shaped the broader strategic climate in which the decision

NMH 13-02-2026 Generated by ChatGPT Has anyone ever seen a kingfisher lying on its back on the grass? When a bird lies on its back, it’s usually dead. But there are exceptions. One day, Zhuangzi sees Kingfisher lying on his back on the grass, yet his whole body still seems lively. He steps closer and sees Kingfisher’s eyes bulging, his beak unable to close. Kingfisher’s belly is swollen as if he has just swallowed an entire chicken egg. Of course, Kingfisher doesn’t eat chick

NMH 15-12-2025 Created by ChatGPT Toward late afternoon, as the sun cast long shadows and the schools of fish return to their resting places, Kingfisher still perchs on the branch. Its eyes follows the setting sun; it no longer looks like a laborer hunting fish, but like one lost in vague, wandering thoughts. Delighted by this strange sight, Zhuangzi speaks up: – Which stubborn fish has chased you adrift into the realm of reverie? Seemingly unperturbed, Kingfisher swoops down

NMH 30-11-2025 Six Persimmons (六柿圖), Muqi Fachang (1210–1269) One autumn day, Kingfisher perches on the pomegranate branch next to Zhuangzi’s house, cheerfully boasting: — I just ate a fish that had a pearl, which allows me to see the future, so I witnessed many marvelous things! Zhuangzi asks: — What did you see? Kingfisher replies: — I saw that 1,500 years later, there would be a painting called Six Persimmons . And more than 2,000 years later, the advanced Japanese would

Minh-Hoang Nguyen HCM, 29-11-2025 Six Persimmons (六柿圖), Muqi Fachang (1210–1269) Six Persimmons is a painting created by Master Muqi Fachang (牧谿 法常), a Chinese Chan Buddhist monk and artist, in the 13th century. Although the painting was not particularly well-known in China at the time it was created, once it was brought to Japan, it came to be regarded as a national treasure there. It is not easy to deeply understand the meaning of this painting. One can search far and wid

NMH 8-10-2025 Created by ChatGPT Kingfisher diligently catches fish. Zhuangzi leisurely watches the clouds. The two friends couldn’t be...

Minh-Hoang Nguyen 05-10-2025 Created by Copilot Zhuangzi strolls slowly when he sees Kingfisher perch on a branch by the pond. He looks...

Minh-Hoang Nguyen 02-10-2025 Created by Copilot Zhuangzi sits by the lake, watching the wind ripple the water. Kingfisher lands nearby,...

Minh-Hoang Nguyen (*) 28-09-2025 Created by ChatGPT The court officials have just dispersed after a grand banquet celebrating the First...