pk: repercussio
“To doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions; both dispense with the necessity of reflection.” Henri Poincare…and waiting…
I forgot to include some of my favorite quotes (Waiting for Godot):
“We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression we exist?” Estragon, p. 77
“What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come–” Vladimir, p. 91
“They give birth astride the grave, the light gleams an instant, then it’s night once more.” Pozzo, p. 103
Waiting…for…Godot
Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is one of those ‘important’ plays I had heard of in passing since college, but had never read. I had this vague notion that it was “metaphysical”, but wasn’t sure how, and if I had really paid attention, I would have realized that it was considered existentialist. So, how did I finally stumble upon it? Thanks to my iPhone, iTunes, and podcasts, I am now more enlightened. I subscribe to the “Big Ideas” podcast (a series of lectures from an array of smart people, some notable), and one of the “latest three” that I have synced caught my eye: Nick Mount on Waiting for Godot. No idea who Nick Mount is, but, well, I’ve got a lot of papers to sort, so here goes.
I was pleasantly surprised. His analysis is really interesting, and what caught my attention was that he related how this play was not well received when it first came out, but when it played for a maximum security prison, you could hear a pin drop – they totally got it – I had to know why. He also argues why it is not really an existentialist play -it’s not about transcending reality, but facing its sometimes ugly, pointless, and meaningless existence – or at least as it is sometimes perceived by us humans.
So, I got the play – it’s a quick read – and Beckett really does capture the maddeningly circular feeling so many people feel – sometimes not even aware of what they are feeling – in trying to find purpose and meaning in life.
Darwin and Lost
Lisa and I just finished watching “Darwin’s Darkest Hour”, a new PBS docu-drama on Darwin’s struggle to publish his theory. The actor who portrays Darwin is one of the actor’s from “Lost” (plays Desmond- it’s no six degrees of separation, but it makes for a catchier blog entry title). It’s very well done, relying heavily on Darwin’s own writings-letters and such. It’s gives a very personal account of his struggle to be fair to Wallace, be sensitive to the religious implications, as well as the personal struggles he faced. Does a pretty good job of summarizing the issues as well. Recommend catching it next time it airs.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/darwin/
Help with decisions.
I just had to share this, passed on from a good friend of mine. With so much information, the internet can be overwhelming, but sometimes it really helps simplify some things.
Wonderfully made…
I was reading an article in Discover magazine (unfortunately not available online) this morning by Douglas Fox about the work of Kwabena Boagen’s work on computer chips – he’s trying to re-architect the concept of how a computer chip should work. The problem is efficiency: computer chips are amazingly fast and accurate, but in order to do that, they have to consume relatively huge amounts of power to overcome ‘noise’ that produces errors. The really fascinating thing about his work is that he is looking to the brain as a model. Consider – Read the rest of this entry »
Improvisation
Alex Ross, classical music critic for The New Yorker, has a nifty article on improvisation, or lack of, actually, in classical music. Most people think of classical music (not big-C Classical music, the 18th century stuff, but little-c, generic – meaning it’s got violins ‘classical’) as staid, stuffy, and snobby. Well, it is, in large part, but 1) it doesn’t have to be; 2) it wasn’t always – or at least not as much. Until the early 19th century, classical music was comprised of a great deal of improvisation, and performers were expected to embellish a fair amount. Now, improv is the specialty of jazz musicians. Read the rest of this entry »
Two Visions of Jesus
Lisa and I are reading The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions together, which is a conversation, really, between Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright. I first read the book several years back, and it was actually my first introduction to both authors; we thought this would be a good way to pick through some of the questions and issues we have been pondering. The way the book is structured, it’s like getting to listen in on a conversation between two well-informed experts: you might not agree with everything, but hearing them counterpoint off one another is like listening to a Bach (2-voice) invention. It’s engaging, fun, and makes you think.
Giberson’s New Project
A friend of mine passed on an article from USA Today by Karl Giberson and Darrell Falk. I blogged on Giberson’s book here; Falk I don’t know. In the article, they point to their new website: The Biologos Foundation. Looks like a nice resource to add to the conversation of faith and science.
How much?!
Great article in the Washington Post (thanks to a friend at work for sharing) on the relative value of art. Joshua Bell – one of the greatest living violinists – dressed quasi-incognito, and played Bach in a Metro station on a $3M dollar violin. He made $32 after 1000 people passed by; a couple nights earlier, he sold out a concert at $100 per seat. Enjoy – it makes you think.
*Update* – thanks to my father-in-law for this link.
Atticus – An ambiguous hero?
Malcolm Gladwell has a new article in the New Yorker re-examining To Kill A Mockingbird, which I just read for the first time last summer. Of course, I was very impressed with the story and Finch’s character as well – the everyman’s hero, the patience and long-suffering. Gladwell calls that into question somewhat by looking at the example of James Folsom, governor of Alabama in the 50’s. His point is that it’s not enough to have people like Folsom and Finch who are advocates of minorities, but who are also still genteel and polite in the face of racism. Read the rest of this entry »
