http://machinemachine.net/stream/feed en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sweetcron therourke@gmail.com http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/03/22/neal_stephenson_s_hieroglyph_and_the_dystopian_sci_fi_rut_.html/neal-stephensons-hieroglyph-and-the-dystopian-sci-fi-rut Should sci-fi be less dystopian and more upbeat? http://t.co/AYbbiCPu – Slate (Slate) http://twitter.com/Slate/status/183032265322934273 ]]> Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:07:46 -0700 http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/03/22/neal_stephenson_s_hieroglyph_and_the_dystopian_sci_fi_rut_.html/neal-stephensons-hieroglyph-and-the-dystopian-sci-fi-rut http://www.metafilter.com/111915/John-Frankenheimers-Seconds Seconds (John Frankenheimer, 1966) is a disturbing film to watch. With its unresolved, horrific ending, it’s possibly one of the most depressing films ever made [SPOILER]. ]]> Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:21:35 -0700 http://www.metafilter.com/111915/John-Frankenheimers-Seconds http://newhumanist.org.uk/2283/gloom-merchant The belief that humanity makes moral progress depends upon a wilful ignorance of history. It also depends upon a wilful ignorance of oneself – a refusal to recognise the extent to which selfishness and calculation reside in the heart even of our most generous emotions, awaiting their chance. Those who invest their hopes in the moral improvement of humankind are therefore in a precarious position: at any moment the veil of illusion might be swept away, revealing the bare truth of the human condition. Either they defend themselves against this possibility with artful intellectual ploys, or they give way, in… ]]> Sat, 12 Jun 2010 09:19:00 -0700 http://newhumanist.org.uk/2283/gloom-merchant http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/should-this-be-the-last-generation/ Have you ever thought about whether to have a child? If so, what factors entered into your decision? Was it whether having children would be good for you, your partner and others close to the possible child, such as children you may already have, or perhaps your parents? For most people contemplating reproduction, those are the dominant questions. Some may also think about the desirability of adding to the strain that the nearly seven billion people already here are putting on our planet’s environment. But very few ask whether coming into existence is a good thing for the child itself.… ]]> Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:45:00 -0700 http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/should-this-be-the-last-generation/ http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/change-things-better-10000001084082/ You've been singing the theme to The Love Boat for hours now, and you're becoming unmoored. If a song is on an unfinished loop, "sing it through all the way, or listen to the entire song, to achieve completion," says James Kellaris, Ph.D., a professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati, who studies why catchy tunes―called "earworms"―stick in your head. "If you can't remember all the words or how it ends, rewrite the ending. Sometimes appending a Beethoven coda or even just 'Shave and a haircut, two bits' will do the trick." If you can’t banish it, replace it.… ]]> Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:05:00 -0700 http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/change-things-better-10000001084082/