The opening of my latest column at EveryJoe: “A new generation of sex robots is upon us, and the joking has begun. “I don’t need one, says a wife, since my husband is already robotic in bed. Ha ha. “Sure, a husband replies, but you should see my wife in inaction. (No thanks, I think to […]
Sex with Robots? The Ethics [new The Good Life column] Read More »
[This week in my Introduction to Philosophy course, we’re reading Galileo’s “Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina” — published exactly 400 years ago — in which he argues that free inquiry in the sciences is compatible with religion rightly understood. Here is a re-posting of my Galileo and the Modern Compromise.] IN HIS OPEN LETTER
Galileo on religion and science (Introduction to Philosophy this week) Read More »
O número estimado de mortos como consequência do desastre químico em Bhopal, Índia, no ano de 1984, é de 15.000 pessoas. Contextualizando o caso, considere que o número estimado de mortos no desastre nuclear de Chernobyl, na União Soviética, foi 4.000; no vazamento radioativo em Fukushima, no Japão, em 2011, foi zero; e no acidente
O desastre químico em Bhopal — quem é o culpado? Read More »
The international conference, Innovation, Substance, Vision — The Future of Art, was held at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan in 2003 and hosted by the Foundation for the Advancement of Art. The speakers at the one-day conference were: * Jan Koenderink, a vision scientist from the Netherlands and author of Color for the Sciences and
The Future of Art conference in New York — video Read More »
Há exatamente um século, Adolf Hitler estava lutando na I Guerra Mundial. Ele era um bom soldado — recebeu a promoção ao posto de cabo, foi ferido duas vezes, e ao final, condecorado com seis medalhas. E com ele durante a guerra estavam os escritos do filósofo Arthur Schopenhauer. A imagem de Hitler lendo Schopenhauer é
Quão esperto e versado era Adolf Hitler? Read More »
Por um longo tempo, os críticos de arte moderna e pós-moderna têm contado com a estratégia do “Isso não é repulsivo?” Refiro-me à estratégia de, dado que as obras de arte são feias, triviais, ou de mau gosto, apontar que “uma criança de cinco anos poderia tê-las feito”, e assim por diante. Em sua maioria,
Por que a arte se tornou feia? Read More »
Che Guevara was killed on October 9, 1967, so here is a quiz to test your knowledge of his guiding principles. (Click to enlarge.) For why our Che problem is more philosophical and less political, here is my article — “Our Che Guevara Problem” — in English and in Portuguese.
A fun quiz for Che Guevara Day Read More »
The opening of my latest column at EveryJoe: “Recently, I met a young man in Miami. Instead of taking a taxi I decided to try Uber for the first time. Rafael (not his real name) showed up a few minutes later. Traffic was bad in rush-hour Miami, and along the way we started chatting. “He
Uber, Cuba, and Freedoms Small and Large [new The Good Life column] Read More »