Regular observations and conversations on ways the humanities serve, or fail to serve, the greater good.
How the calendar runs our lives. The time of science in the season of love
Do we need a calendar for the season of love?
A Dream of Cicero
A Dream of Cicero Marbles: What’s wrong, Swan? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Swan: I have! I had a crazy dream last night I met Cicero. Marbles: You’re kidding. You’ve been reading [...]
Looking Both Ways
Looking toward the past, and the future, on New Year's Day
Thinking and Thanking
Rabbit: What are you doing, Hare? Hare: Nothing much, it seems. Rabbit: Ah, the dolce far niente again. It must be your modus vivendi. Hare: There's nothing like a mixture of languages to get me going. So what [...]
STEM talks
Grundlos: Watch out, you almost ran me over! Where are you rushing off to? Magnus: I'm off to give a talk and I'm in a hurry. Grundlos: What is the talk about? You're not very [...]
Losing Greece
Losing Greece: its meaning for Europe, past and future. Overheard in a train station at the height of the Greek financial crisis, between two men of business. One, in middle age, is wearing a light-grey [...]
Francis Drake Comes to Como
It sometimes appears that we find the most interesting sights in the least expected places. Such an incident is one I wish to recount from a visit to a little restaurant in Como.