Somewhat synchronicitously, as I steal my way through Richard Rorty’s Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, in the midst of other more obviously self-rationalisable pursuits, David Foster Wallace releases his latest collection of short stories, Oblivion, which contains a story titled, yes, Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. What’s more, this particular story is available [...]
Saddam Hussein is, apparently, at work on novel number five (Jo Tatchell, “Saddam the romancier”, in Prospect, Iss. 100, July 2004).
“The essence of Dirac‚Äôs problem was simply that:
√(p2c2 + m02c4) ≠ pc + m0c2
and, in general: √(a2 + b2) ≠ a + b (for non-zero a and b), as everyone learns (or should learn) at school. At which point mere mortals give up. Geniuses try harder.”
(Norman McCubbin, “Beauty in physics: the legacy of [...]
Currently addicted to Blurred, by Billband. Originally heard some snatches of it on Difficult Listening on RTR, one of the few radio shows in Australia that plays anything interesting (some of the others are Methodology, AudioDaze, RadioAlice and The Space in Between on 2SER; we’re spoiled in Sydney) —it sounds like Steve Reich and Aphex Twin scoring the jazzband in heaven, [...]
“If you are trying to work hard, look good and save enough money for your house, it takes a lot of energy. You almost need to go home and be a failure with someone” (Stephanie Donald)
“Copenhagen Consensus: Putting the World to Rights”, in The Economist, 3 June 2004.Very interesting article on a high-profile cost-benefit analysis of possible means of aiding developing countries. HIV/Aids was a clear priority; it’s intriguing that education was left off.