Archive for the ‘old dead white guys’ Category
Dr. Strangelove
April 30th, 2010
One of my very favorite movies is now available on Hulu!
Go learn to protect your precious bodily fluids, watch Peter Sellers play every character, and enjoy a nasty bit of commentary on Wernher von Braun.
Philosophers’ Football
April 27th, 2010
Hegel is arguing that the reality is merely an a priori adjunct of non-naturalistic ethics, Kant via the categorical imperative is holding that ontologically it exists only in the imagination, and Marx is claiming it was offside.
The not-quite-classic Python sketch is being re-enacted. Enjoy, Londoners!
The Nietzsche Family Circus
April 7th, 2010
Move over Garfield Minus Garfield, I’ve got a new favorite surreal mash-up webcomic thing. The Nietzsche Family Circus matches random Family Circus panels with quotes from the German philosopher, often generating surprisingly appropriate juxtapositions. So by reading them, we’re applying the random quote to the random picture and still ascribing meaning to the result. Minds are awesome.
art+design, books, language, old dead white guys | No Comments »
Logicomix
March 14th, 2010
I’m pretty sure that if you like this blog you’d like a graphic novel biography of Bertrand Russell, which is exactly what Logicomix is.
art+design, books, history, math, old dead white guys | 2 Comments »
d’Alembert’s Dream
February 25th, 2010
I would call Denis Diderot’s essay d’Alembert’s Dream a study in 18th-century cognitive science.
Also it’s my birthday! I’m older now.
books, neuroscience, old dead white guys, science | No Comments »
Keynes-Hayek Rap Battle
January 25th, 2010
This is something I’ve dreamed about for years. I never thought it would actually exist.
Well quipped, Dr. Bohr
January 14th, 2010
Neils Bohr was once visited at his country house by a friend of his, another scientist. The friend was astonished to see that Bohr had a horseshoe nailed up above his front door. He asked, “Do you really believe that that brings you luck?”
Bohr said, “No, of course not… but I’m told that they work even if you don’t believe in them.”
Take-Away Shows
January 11th, 2010
Did you see this collection of bands playing impromptu public performances? Quite a few good indie bands make appearances: Phoenix, Yo La Tengo, Fleet Foxes, Sigur Rós, The Walkmen, and so on. Produced/organized by la Blogotheque.
On the subject of Lisztomania:
After 1842 “Lisztomania” swept across Europe. The reception Liszt enjoyed as a result can only be described as hysterical. Women fought over his silk handkerchiefs and velvet gloves, which they ripped to shreds as souvenirs. Helping fuel this atmosphere was the artist’s mesmeric personality and stage presence. Many witnesses later testified that Liszt’s playing raised the mood of audiences to a level of mystical ecstasy.
Behemoth
December 14th, 2009
While reading through Borges’ Seven Nights, I came across a reference in his discussion of the Kabbalah in which he mentions that Behemoth is actually plural, meaning “the animals.” Looking this up in the ever-reliable Wiktionary, I learned that
It may be an example of pluralis excellentiae, a Hebrew method of expressing greatness by pluralizing a noun; it thus indicates that Behemoth is the largest and most powerful animal.
Behemoth is so big that it has to be plural. Language is great.