The manifesto of the committee to abolish it.
To be honest, I had never previously realized how terrible outer space is.
Category Archives: Philosophy
The Mystery Of Melody
Thoughts from Ed Driscoll (and David Solway).
Music does seem to have noticeably degenerated in my lifetime. I remain mystified at the popularity of the “musical” Les Miserable. When we saw it at the Pantages over two decades ago, I walked out thinking it was one of the most tuneless operas I’d ever heard. There was very little memorable in it. Richard Rogers it wasn’t, and isn’t.
[Update a while later]
I’ve added a link to the Solway piece, which is worth a read in and of itself. I should also note that, just as I have no talent whatsoever for fiction, I’m unable to write a song to save my life. I can read music, and play music, but I am utterly unable to create it.
The One Question Any SC Nominee Should Be Asked
I’ve often discoursed on this:
What’s something you think is a good idea but you think is unconstitutional? Or, conversely, what’s something you think is a bad idea but you think is constitutional?
Everyone concerned with the Constitution — and most especially Supreme Court nominees — should be asked this question. And if they don’t have an answer — that is, if they think everything they like is constitutional — then maybe they don’t really believe in the Constitution.
Too many think that the purpose of SCOTUS and the judiciary in general is to give them results they like, as opposed to results conforming with the law and the Constitution. Elena Kagan failed this question in her confirmation hearings, when she said a law mandating the eating of broccoli would be a bad idea, but Constitutional. She got it exactly backwards.
Social Justice Warfare
…in spaaaaaaaace.
I wrote about this a few months ago.
Gravitational Waves
This is a huge day for Kip Thorne (and others). Nadia Drake has a comprehensive story up already.
[Update a few minutes later]
Here’s another write up by Matthew Francis at The Atlantic.
[Update a few more minutes later]
Here‘s the paper itself.
[Update a while later]
And one from Miri Kramer.
[Update a while later]
And from Loren Grush.
Ending Apollo To Mars
I couldn’t give a heads up, because they only want people on the approved list to call in, but I was the speaker for today’s FISO talk. The audio and PDF are up now.
An AI Breakthrough
Interesting that this happened a few days after Minsky’s death: A computer has defeated a professional at go.
Elon Musk And Stephen Hawking
The Final Frontier
It’s time to claim your piece. An interesting read on space property rights at Aeon, with a lot of quotes from your humble correspondent. [H/T to Paul Dietz]
Eric Drexler
Haven’t heard from my old friend (in both senses of the word these days), but Ray Kurzweil has an interview.
Haven’t listened to the whole thing, but so far, he doesn’t seem to have mentioned that he got interested in the subject of nanotech via his interest in space.