There are one or two other interesting links from the Herodotus shipwreck story. And I always bear in mind a recurring theme in Herodotus: that one should not become too successful, thereby inviting the envy of the gods. His story of Croesus in particularly sticks in my mind. And the distributed viruses are certainly amazing; interesting that they were noticed so long ago, but ignored.
Maybe there simply wasn't the technology to study them in the '40s. Microscopes and computers have come a long way since then.
Thermopoli is the story that sticks in my mind from Herodotus. But, yes, I agree that he did seem to have an overall moral. It is indeed dangerous to be too successful.
I didn't see that part of the virus story, but nobody knew what viruses were in the 1940s. That had to wait for the advent of molecular biology in the 1950s. Indeed, some crucial advances, including how some viruses integrate into the genome, didn't occur until I was in grad school in the 1960s.
I might well have misremembered the time line, Bill; but it stuck in my mind that there was evidence of the distributed viruses quite some time ago, but it wasn't pursued.
I was in grad school a half-century ago. That qualifies as "quite some time." And by then people could have understood the concept of distributed viruses if they chosen to investigate.
I can't for the life of me figure out whether the Republicans are in fact scared shitless of O'Rourke or if they are doing what they did to Clinton, setting him up as inevitable so Trump can knock him down like a tenpin. Surely, they're making a lot of fuss over a paper tiger. Then again, politically unsophisticated folks like my sister think he's some kind of wonderful, much in the manner of a Rock star. So, who knows?
From the Washington Post: (if you have exceeded your allowance of free articles and this slightly modified link doesn’t get you through, try a different browser. Or two) A church service on a blue-skied Sunday interrupts Trump’s weekend of presidential pique. [Click] “His condition is getting worse.” Sure sounds like it. And the expression on his face as he left church is downright surly.
A rather heterogeneous collection of links to start off the day:
ReplyDeleteShortest Way Home review: Pete Buttigieg as president in waiting [Click]
Nile shipwreck discovery proves Herodotus right – after 2,469 years [Click]
DNA from 200-year-old pipe sheds light on life of enslaved African woman [Click]
Bharara Not Sure Mueller Is Done Yet [Click]
Viral cat videos and the man who watches thousands of them. [Click] It frankly never occurred to me when I was growing up that one could make a living as a cat video curator…
Well, of course Herodotus was right. I always knew that. :D Nice that other people are finally figuring that out.
DeleteThanks for the link, Alan. I'm looking forward to reading it.
Wow! The distributed viruses are mind bending.
DeleteThere are one or two other interesting links from the Herodotus shipwreck story. And I always bear in mind a recurring theme in Herodotus: that one should not become too successful, thereby inviting the envy of the gods. His story of Croesus in particularly sticks in my mind. And the distributed viruses are certainly amazing; interesting that they were noticed so long ago, but ignored.
DeleteMaybe there simply wasn't the technology to study them in the '40s. Microscopes and computers have come a long way since then.
DeleteThermopoli is the story that sticks in my mind from Herodotus. But, yes, I agree that he did seem to have an overall moral. It is indeed dangerous to be too successful.
I didn't see that part of the virus story, but nobody knew what viruses were in the 1940s. That had to wait for the advent of molecular biology in the 1950s. Indeed, some crucial advances, including how some viruses integrate into the genome, didn't occur until I was in grad school in the 1960s.
DeleteI might well have misremembered the time line, Bill; but it stuck in my mind that there was evidence of the distributed viruses quite some time ago, but it wasn't pursued.
DeleteI was in grad school a half-century ago. That qualifies as "quite some time." And by then people could have understood the concept of distributed viruses if they chosen to investigate.
DeleteI can't for the life of me figure out whether the Republicans are in fact scared shitless of O'Rourke or if they are doing what they did to Clinton, setting him up as inevitable so Trump can knock him down like a tenpin. Surely, they're making a lot of fuss over a paper tiger. Then again, politically unsophisticated folks like my sister think he's some kind of wonderful, much in the manner of a Rock star. So, who knows?
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem. People look at the public persona and not at their voting record.
DeleteFrom the Washington Post: (if you have exceeded your allowance of free articles and this slightly modified link doesn’t get you through, try a different browser. Or two)
ReplyDeleteA church service on a blue-skied Sunday interrupts Trump’s weekend of presidential pique. [Click] “His condition is getting worse.” Sure sounds like it. And the expression on his face as he left church is downright surly.
I'm surprised lightning doesn't strike him if he tries to enter a church.
DeleteI'm surprised they let him enter.
Delete