. Voting in the United States is a tedious business. My vote yesterday took one and a half hours. It took place in the lobby of an apartment building, one of the Lincoln Towers. It was a different place from the one I was used to, a school next to my own apartment building. The … Continue reading
Here is a message that I sent out to a listserv of my area of science, reaching approximately 1000 people. It speaks for itself. “I have become aware of the fact that some inferior copies of my book are still being shipped out. This is a problem that I brought to the attention of Oxford … Continue reading
This man, the man I seem to see, is an extrapolation from fragments we believe belong to a man, or a woman. This is the decisive experiment to tell an extraterrestrial from a human earthling: the extraterrestrial will have no clue on what is inside the wall, whereas we postulate — how could we … Continue reading
. I was able to watch Sandy from the comfort of my 11th floor apartment. I saw rain move horizontally, trees being tossed in the intense wind, birds struggling to keep their balance in flight, dogs in fast-pasted poop-and-pee performances as their owners struggled to stay dry, umbrellas being turned upside down, but nothing really … Continue reading
Well, I admit I didn’t go to Shanghai merely for the purpose of taking this picture, but among all my pictures of power lines in urban settings, this is a pretty good catch. Connoisseurs appreciate the elements of looping, the multiplicity of lines, the crude attempts to mimic birds sitting on the wires, the harmonious … Continue reading
. Mice and rats are difficult to spot. They have developed the gray color as camouflage so they cannot be made out easily in subways. Genetically engineered, glowing mutants have been developed, thanks to the invention of GFP, green fluorescent protein. My recommendation would be to breed ten thousand glowing mice and the same number … Continue reading
Columbus, it is true, has been out of reach for as long as he stood on Columbus Circle. The Penthouse erected around him, complete with Americana wallpaper, TV set running CNN, bookshelf with Richard Ford and other chronicles of current and past America, brings Christopher for once closer to our eyes. And what do … Continue reading
I went to Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, looking for Concordia, Concordia! — the exhibit about the Italian cruise ship in disarray — and found all galleries closed. I’m not sure why Sunday afternoon is not considered a time for art lovers to make their final decision, to buy a Rauschenberg or a Lichtenstein, since … Continue reading
Yesterday we learned that Jesus was married according to the inscriptions on a 4th century Coptic papyrus fragment. I was interested to read that the color of the handbag in which the owner of the fragment carried it to the specialist who examined it for authenticity was red. What is the significance of the color … Continue reading
. I recently came across Mark Tansey’s painting in the Contemporary Art wing of the Metropolitan Museum. I cannot remember the title, but I don’t believe it gave a clue, so I’m left with my own interpretation. Here we see, I believe, an attempt by a circle of art specialists (or patrons?) to authenticate a … Continue reading
I took a picture of the plant wit the red flowers in bloom in our garden, a testament to the summer but also to the summer’s passing and inevitable end. I continue to be astounded by the differences in quality we perceive when we look at colors, even though the wavelengths of light are so … Continue reading
Today on my way back from work I went to Barnes and Nobles. I was compelled to go to the information desk. “I have an unusual request.” “Go right ahead.” “I forgot the name of the author.” “Do you know the title of the book?” “I’m afraid not.” “Is there something to go by?” “The … Continue reading
It’s August already, the month after record-breaking July 2012, and nothing has been resolved. The Republicans have NOT been coralled into an area the size of 10 acres in Nevada, to spend their time in 110 degree heat, to make them see the disadvantage of high temperatures resulting from global warming. Mitt Romney has not … Continue reading
You get a sense of living in the wrong century when people around you decide to graft rat heart muscles into silicon to make an artificial jellyfish. When it gets zapped with electricity, it contracts rhythmically and swims like the real thing. I lack the imagination to come up with something comparable. I’m used to … Continue reading
It’s the first time I’m doing jury duty, even though I’ve been American citizen since 1998. I suppose the court system of Albany (where I lived till April 2008) had fewer cases, or it never recognized me as an American. It’s an experience that makes me appreciate the long-ingrained sense of civil duty among Americans, … Continue reading
On the Riverside Walk, near the 79th Street Boat Basin, there is a washed-out sign on the asphalt, of two sticks with circles drawn on top. Next to it is written “Trail Marker for Errant Balloons.” Since then I’ve been in deep thoughts, trying to imagine the rules of this game. Will balloons be released … Continue reading
I’ve been obsessed with the story of Goethe’s mother, who announced on Sep 11, 1808 that she was going to die two days hence. It so happened that a Patrician family in Frankfurt close to the Goethes, the Manskopfs, is closely related to a branch that settled in Siegen, to which I belong. So Frau … Continue reading
I had this idea of making a fountain in my garden, and bought hardware and connecting hoses and a bag of cement. I would put the hardware in place with a scaffold and then make a mold around it and pour the concrete in the mold. After I bought these things I put them into … Continue reading
On February 23 I joined the Cowbird community, and it’s been on my mind since. The idea of having people around the world sharing stories outside of commerce, outside of Hollywood aesthetics is refreshing. It’s the equivalent of the Moth oral experience with its own peculiar format in which one picture is matched with a … Continue reading
It’s this time again, of enjoying spring exuberance, and at the same time the feeling of powerlessness, of the inability to put the feeling into words. Instead, wanting to express it all, we are reduced to making a sweeping gesture with our hand, saying, “look at this! Isn’t this magnificent?” And secretly we are searching … Continue reading
