About strena.org

Strena.org is a personal project dedicated to sharing information and insights across a diverse range of topics.  My primary goal is to share exciting new discoveries in science, health and history.  

This idea for this website started while in a discussion with my daughter about the latest treatments for peanut allergies over Christmas dinner.  "You should start a blog" she said, from which I quickly concluded the value of my discourse to be confirmed in her eyes...   Yet now, I have a sneaking suspicion that it was a sly (and successful) attempt to get me writing instead of talking (and talking). 

About me...

My past

I am Robert Strena, a retired Optician and Educator at UC Berkeley's School of Optometry, where I've spent the last 12 years of my life working with students and with patients.  I developed my love of the sciences long ago, as a student of Anthropology at the University of Santa Clara.  It was there, that I became a member of the archaeology team under Professor B. Mark Lynch that undertook excavation of the old Santa Clara de Asis Mission site which had been destroyed in a fire in 1926, and in the process of the dig, the uncovering and re-discovering of the past of the old mission, so began my love of history and artifacts...

My passion for anthropology and archaeology gradually grew into a love of all the sciences, for as I soon discovered, and I had great thirst for answers and for knowing which extended to all things.  I had been primed for this as a child, when I would spend hours looking up things in encyclopedias.  I was full of questions.

Interests

My interests remain diverse.  While I never lost my love for anthropology, archaeology, and history, my interest in science as it relates to health, cures for disease, and aging now play a more prominent role in my quest for answers and knowledge. 

At 67, I am still totally committed to personal fitness and a devoted daily gym-goer.  I take supplements, and I'm excited about the research being done in longevity. 

I still love to read, and not just books, and periodicals.  I am also a frequent user of the web, online journals and tools like Wikipedia. There's rarely a day that passes without multiple web searches related to my personal "hot topics". 

Also, I've recently discovered the game of chess, and I'm a big fan.  It's ancient, its strategic, it's cerebral, and at this stage, it's also humbling. 

Blog topics:  Science

Scientific breakthroughs now occur at a blistering pace. Some of these are nothing less than game changers; quantum leaps forward in science and health that benefit humanity.

...and Health

 Some of the most exciting advances in science are those that touch us personally and health touches all of us.  Physical and mental health, aging, and new treatments for disease. 

...and History

The context for all of life lies in history, and the sciences that investigate and record it.  Archaeology, philosophy, sociology, psychology and anthropology give us insight into our journey - who we are, where we've been and where we may be headed. 

Knowing that you have neanderthal DNA may not help you with the crossword puzzles or wordle, but it speaks volumes to our connection with each other, and with our collective past.  

Amplifying and extending positivity, optimism, and sharing of science and learning."

Strena.org