Many things want our attention. They can’t all have it
Life always seems to get louder and more insistent. There are reasons for this, though it’s not a good trend.
It’s alarming
Articles Tagged with social trends
Plato’s fallacy
Education is good, but it has its limits
A scientist cautions against the idea behind the philosopher-king.
Somone else’s poetry
Why read something you don’t care for?
A minor matter of a subscription raises a point of vital importance.
The postures of photography
Conforming to the machine
Our photographer notices how a new technology forces our bodies into new positions.
Science and the long shot
Why new discoveries are over-hyped
We often hear of new scientific results that promise great things, especially in the health field, but then hear no more of them. Most scientific ideas don’t work out. Why, then, do we still hear the hype?
The old fencer and the cheap watch
The unexpected usefulness of old and new things
Our navigator had the pleasure of attending a fencing match this past weekend as a spectator. The range in ages of the participants was unusually large, which highlights some important considerations about newer and older people and things.
With or against the grain?
Defects become desirable
Our photographer is bemused by modern efforts to re-create, digitally, two of the least desirable qualities of fast film: high contrast and large grain. But the paradox of limitations and defects becoming highly sought-after features is not new, and is as widespread as ripped jeans.
No more trade-offs
It’s easier when you can have it all
Life was more complicated in the old days. Not only were many things more difficult and tedious to accomplish, often you had to work out which of several methods you should use depending on what you really needed done. It’s much easier now. Really.
The anti-selfie
Candid photography (for the expert)
We turn again to the theme of technology transforming society, or at least one part of it. With the invention of the 35mm still camera about a quarter of the way into the twentieth century, a whole area of life was suddenly opened up to photography. That was not the intention of the inventor, who was only looking for a lighter-weight way to take pictures himself.
The need for distraction
The ubiquitous earphone
Our astronomer visited the exercise room last night, as is his regular habit. This time there were several other people there. How one of them went about his workout routine prompted some thought and some speculation about the importance of the earphone to modern society, as well as underlining the differences between people.