Category: News
-
Darcey Bussell Retires
Ballet casts a unique spell. Words like ‘dreams’, ‘fantasy’ and ‘fairy tale’ are used to describe both ballet and the career of the extraordinary ballerina Bussell. While ballet certainly encompasses dreams and fantasy, it is also, among other things, a visceral projection of feminine mystique and power, precision, discipline and artistic and erotic refinement. Articles…
-
Primates and Philosophers…
…is the title of a new book by Frans de Waal, famed primatologist and Professor of Psychology at Emory. De Waal essentially argues that traits of empathy and reciprocity, the foundation for survival, human morals and law, are evolved from animal behaviour in particular primate behaviour. As such his work supports Darwin while contradicting Thomas…
-
Evolution
Faced with a flood of news about death, war, greed and propaganda it was easy to miss the story this month that the Galapagos islands are under pressure from excess tourism. This unique group of islands, an inspiration to Darwin and many others has enormous significance in the history of evolution. Destroying a remote delicate…
-
Homage to Kurt Vonnegut
From Kurt Vonnegut’s New York Times obituary. To Mr. Vonnegut, the only possible redemption for the madness and apparent meaninglessness of existence was human kindness. The title character in his 1965 novel, “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, or Pearls Before Swine,†summed up his philosophy: “Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer…