At last I spotted Venus in the evening sky, where in theory it has been lurking for about three months already. I was in Lafayette Square, Cambridge (which people think of as part of the Central Square area, but is really its own thing) and the skyline was low enough on the Western side of Mass Ave that I could see it glinting above the buildings. ( Read more... )

I know that Venus has been visible, in principle, for half an hour or so after sunset. But I haven't seen it yet. At this time of year (I think this is right) the ecliptic lies rather flat to the horizon around sunset, so by the time it gets dark enough Venus is very low, and I don't have convenient places around here with a clear view to the West ( Read more... )

Over the last couple of weeks Venus re-entered the evening sky, passing behind the Sun on the far side of its orbit from us. I haven't seen it yet; it's setting just a few minutes after the Sun, and the sky is still very bright (and I have my usual trouble finding an unobstructed Western horizon). But I'm looking forward to its cheering presence.

I finished reading Walden, Henry David Thoreau's 1854 autobiographicophilosophical manifesto, a few days ago, I think on Wednesday. I have an interesting kettle of feelings about it.

I was all set up to find it unbearably preachy and hypocritical, as well as poorly-reasoned, from my unfavorable impression of Civil Disobedience. But I have to ( Read more... )

It had been known for centuries before the 1800's that some compounds of silver had interesting photosensitive properties, and some people had managed to make fleeting images from life using these properties, but these images could not be made to last. The substances in question were still photosensitive and labile; further exposure to light would ( Read more... )

On March 28, Venus slipped behind the sun, moving from west to east, and became the Evening Star again. I think I missed blogging the last time this happened, about 583 days ago ( Read more... )

I have never read anything by G. K. Chesterton before, but I've been reading his name in other works for my whole reading life. Martin Gardner admired Chesterton's work, and produced a couple of his classic "annotations" for Chesterton originals.

Chesterton lived from 1874 to 1936; H. G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw were contemporaries. ( Read more... )

Arthur Conan Doyle introduced Professor Challenger in his 1912 novel The Lost World. 1913's The Poison Belt is the second Challenger story. Although Challenger was clearly intended to contrast with Sherlock Holmes, there are points of similarity as well. Both are formidable intellects, with poorly-disguised disdain for the lesser minds that ( Read more... )

Any attempt to understand Edgar Rice Burroughs's writing career must focus on the dates his works were serialized in the pulps, not when they were published in hardcover. Burroughs was a good self-promoter and businessman and I'm sure he was constantly trying to sell novels to book publishers, but all his primary business was with the pulp fiction ( Read more... )

Every once in a while one has the lovely experience of discovering something wonderful, that one had no idea existed. It seems like I ought to be able to come up with a few examples that are not literary. Or mathematical. Or sexual ( Read more... )