Science – Page 2 – the coffee philosopher

Posted on June 12, 2016June 8, 2016 by the coffee philosopher

The Sunday Paper – Shuffling The Tarot Deck

Economic model or astrological tool?

Economists use ‘mathiness’ to disguise their astrologies.

Old fashioned literary hate mail is the best literary hate mail. Today’s internet trolls just can’t compare to the greats of the genre.

We just don’t make good polymaths anymore.

Posted on April 3, 2016April 1, 2016 by the coffee philosopher

The Sunday Paper – Kung Fu!

14.-D.A.-Jasper_Two-Champions-of-Death-652x1024 Did you know that there was a tradition in Africa of hand painted posters for martial arts movies? Me neither. But now I want one.

Reinventing Shakespeare(‘s book covers).

The Etruscan language is nearly lost and much of their culture a mystery, so, while this stele is not a Rosetta Stone, it is something rather big.

On a related noted (in that it’s also a question of archaeology), some folks were tipped off on the location of a second Viking settlement in the New World by some photographs taken from outer space. Actually, I hadn’t realized we’d only found one Viking settlement. Honestly, because their presence in North America has been known for so long, I’d just assumed it was more widespread. And it might have been widespread, but this is the first evidence that were was more than one (semi-)permanent settlement.

The fine folks at DCist have compiled a list of the best used and independent bookstores in the District. Of course, with the closure of the downtown Barnes & Noble, there are only used and indie bookstores in DC: not a chain in sight. And I appreciate this list acknowledging the truly magnificent poetry selection at Bridge Street Books.

Posted on September 16, 2015September 11, 2015 by the coffee philosopher

Midweek Staff Meeting: Vinteuil

According this fellow, the Saint-Saens sonata above if the little piece by ‘Vinteuil’ that so inspired Swann and Odette. I’d read it was something by Franck, but this a nice piece… so whatever.

Make yourself feel bad with personality tests.

Fredric Jameson has really gotten into the philosophy of SF lately.

I feel like album covers, maybe, used to be cooler.

Posted on September 12, 2015September 10, 2015 by the coffee philosopher

Weekend Reading: Community

It’s an old argument and can frankly get boring, but it also has some merit. The sense of community created by people sitting on their stoops and front porches and interacting with their neighbors. While that’s hurt by the increase in apartment buildings and condos, our city frankly needs more and denser housing (it also needs a lot more affordable housing, but that’s another matter – but, in any case, more single family homes are almost certainly not the answer to the problem) But lest you think I’m some sort of grinch, I think this ‘mobile stoop’ is a great idea.

At the end of a terrifyingly claustrophic passage… a treasure trove of fossils and a new hominid. But I’m getting the willies just thinking about getting stuck in the narrow chute.

The destruction of a ruin is like the desecration of a body. It is a vengeance wreaked on the past in order to embitter the future. And how often it is that those who destroy ruins are the same ones who desecrate bodies.

Posted on July 16, 2015July 14, 2015 by the coffee philosopher

Humans Rescue Great White Shark (Kind Of Moving Actually, I Love Sharks; And Did You Know That Many Marine Biologists Believe The Great White Shark To Be In Danger Of Extinction And That It’s Our Fault? Yeah)

https://youtu.be/p444Zf-gcHU

Posted on June 17, 2015June 12, 2015 by the coffee philosopher

Midweek Staff Meeting – The Man Who Taught Proust To Speak English

Not literally, but if you’ve read and English translation of Remembrance of Things Past, as I have, you probably read his translation (as I have).

The Enlightenment’s most prominent unenlightened.

A review of Charles Simic’s latest books (it’s a generally positive review, but I have become less and less enamored of the poet over time; honestly, most of his poetry from this millenium feels lazy and recycled, whereas his best work is arresting, comic, and faintly melancholy).

And some poetry by Monica Ong. I love that Hyperallergic publishes the occasional poem. Appropriately, for a website focusing on the art world, these poems might be best described as vispo.

Another study of a hypothetical link between madness and creativity (in this cause, examining whether a correlation between increased likelihood of schizophrenia and participation in artistic a/vocations is the result of a shared, causative, genetic root).

Yes. Yes, it can.

On disliking poetry. And, maybe, on learning to love it.

Posted on June 12, 2015June 3, 2015 by the coffee philosopher

Weekend Reading – I Can’t Believe An Oil Company Would Want To Hide Information From Us!

I’m shocked that Shell Oil didn’t want a science museum talking about… climate science. What next? People putting naked pictures on the internet? Toddler spilling food? Someone making a poor decision while drunk? It’s a world gone mad!

Bookstores. Not dead yet. Actually, they’re growing.

While Seattle and Portland buy the most total books on Amazon, DC buys the most print books.

Is nature writing America’s greatest contribution to world literature?

Posted on April 17, 2015April 7, 2015 by the coffee philosopher

Weekend Reading – Reviews

When the poems are better than the book (this is a review of a book by Terrance Hayes, but I once read about Sharon Olds something to the effect of: there is no poet whose poems I like so much and whose books of poetry I dislike so much; but that was more about too much Olds being way too much of a good thing, especially when themes and ideas overrepeat)

The faultlines of reference.

Apparently, there is a brontosaurus. Or there might be.

I am confused now. Let’s talk about poetry instead. Here’s an interview with Marilyn Chin.

Posted on February 6, 2015February 4, 2015 by the coffee philosopher

What Is Best In Life?

Posted on January 2, 2015December 19, 2014 by the coffee philosopher

Weekend Reading – The Lit Smugglers

The rescued literature of Timbuktu.

Digitizing the east.

The physics of Jackson Pollock.