Artful artichokes, showy 'shrooms,
seeds cantilevered in cantaloupe.
Fractal flows,
and more
at this MRI show.
Showing posts with label just entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label just entertainment. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
India Unbound
Dense Delhi fog followed me to Gwalior, Jhansi, Orchha--everywhere it seems, even France. I spent most of the first week of the new year in and out of airports and railway stations.
But this post is not about the long journey back to Rennes. India Unbound, Gurucharan Das' personal account of the socio-economic history of post-independence India is a compelling read. The story of a Punjabi family with roots on the other side of the Radcliffe divide and their middle class aspirations annotate discussions on economic policy. What could be dry chapters on Nehru, Shastri and the never-ending Gandhi line are brought to life with vignettes that have a "I was there" ring of authenticity.
It is this story telling that makes this book different from others. It is as easy to read as a well-researched work of fiction in the style of Amitav Ghosh.
But this post is not about the long journey back to Rennes. India Unbound, Gurucharan Das' personal account of the socio-economic history of post-independence India is a compelling read. The story of a Punjabi family with roots on the other side of the Radcliffe divide and their middle class aspirations annotate discussions on economic policy. What could be dry chapters on Nehru, Shastri and the never-ending Gandhi line are brought to life with vignettes that have a "I was there" ring of authenticity.
It is this story telling that makes this book different from others. It is as easy to read as a well-researched work of fiction in the style of Amitav Ghosh.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
World Mosquito Day
It is true, there is such a day. Ross spent months, years even bent over a microscope, with only buzzing mosquitoes and whimpering natives--feverish volunteers for his grand experiment--for company. In this narrow blinkered world, you start believing the myths you tell yourself to egg you on. One dapple-wing on the microscope and then another and another and another, four in all from his set of ten now offered up clues to the mode of transmission. To mark this moment and in keeping with the tradition of hubris that is the hallmark of European discovery, he declared Mosquito day.
By coincidence I've just finished reading The Calcutta Chromosome. Central to the story, which might be described as historical science-fiction, a medical mystery with traces of Sherlock Holmes, is Ross, and this discovery on August 20th. Coincidences weave through the plot and I'm not entirely sure, if having read the book, I might not now be part of this bizzare tale. There are many reviews on the web, I think the general consensus is that the author was in a hurry to finish the book. I give seven out of nine dapple-wings to this highly entertaining story.
By coincidence I've just finished reading The Calcutta Chromosome. Central to the story, which might be described as historical science-fiction, a medical mystery with traces of Sherlock Holmes, is Ross, and this discovery on August 20th. Coincidences weave through the plot and I'm not entirely sure, if having read the book, I might not now be part of this bizzare tale. There are many reviews on the web, I think the general consensus is that the author was in a hurry to finish the book. I give seven out of nine dapple-wings to this highly entertaining story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)