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Apr 12, 2010 Science and Technology
It is the cutting edge of literary studies, a rapidly expanding field that is blending scientific processes with the study of literature and other forms of fiction. Some have dubbed it “the science of reading” and it is shaking up one of the most esoteric and sometimes impenetrable corners of academia. Forget structuralism or even post-structuralist deconstructionism. “Neuro lit crit” is where it’s at.
Later this year a group of 12 students in New England will be given a series of specially designed texts to read. Then they will be loaded into a hospital MRI machine and their brains scanned to map their neurological responses.
The scans produced will measure blood flow to the firing synapses of their brain cells, allowing a united team of scientists and literature professors to study how and why human beings respond to complex fiction such as the works of Marcel Proust, Henry James or Virginia Woolf.
The students are part of a group called the Yale-Haskins Teagle Collegium, which is headed by Yale literature professor Michael Holquist. “We are a group made up of honest-to-God scientists who spend all day in the lab and a group of literary humanists who are deeply devoted to the cause of literature,” Holquist said.
Full article at the Guardian. If they figure out why we read, does that mean I have to change the title of the blog?
Recent Entries
Apr 2, 2010 Religion and Ethics
Apparently there’s been a lot of controversy over this book, so despite not generally reviewing fiction I decided to give it a look. I really don’t see where the controversy and outrage came from, unless it was just mindless raging at the title.
Instead of a plot description or celebrity endorsements, the back of the dust jacket simply states “this is a story.” That is exactly what this is – an imaginative and surprisingly sympathetic retelling of the story of Jesus.
The characters in the Bible are pretty two-dimensional. This is understandable, considering that most of it is taken from old oral traditions and tribal lore. This retelling, on the other hand, focusses on the human aspects of the well-known tale. There are plenty of nods to the skeptics when it comes to the various miracles, but it’s far from smug – the ending is heart-wrending and personally I found that a human, imperfect Jesus was far easier to sympathise with than a mythical deity (this probably goes for most readers, apart from those with serious megalomania). It’s not long, or demanding, but it’s worth picking up for a quiet afternoon of peaceful reading.
Amazon link
Mar 31, 2010 History
This is kind of a niche subject for most British readers, but the recent British Musuem exhibition on Warriors of the Plains made me curious enough to get hold of this book. It’s a comprehensive history of American Indians from neolithic times until the present day. As you can imagine, it’s probably quite abridged – that’s a lot of time to fit into one paperback. It is fairly fast-paced and it’s easy to miss a personal name or a short mention of a certain tribe or culture that becomes important 100 pages down the line or so. However, the pace does keep it entertaining, and not only does it teach you the basics of American Indian history, but it includes some folklore and mythology as well, and some lovely illustrations. Bonus! It also gives the reader a different perspective on early American history – the European colonies and wars, the Declaration of Independence and how these events affected Indians/Native Americans. It’s sympathetic without being saccharine, or falling into the patronising trap of the “noble savage” stereotype. If you have even a passing interest in history or seeing things from a new cultural perspective, give this a try.
Amazon Link
Mar 21, 2010 Politics and Society
The generally accepted image of a group of social animals involves a pack structure, with a strict pecking order. The toughest are firmly in charge, and challenges are settled with either a show of strength or outright battle.
Human societies are (usually) not quite as simple as this, so when you think about it, it’s not surprising that chimpanzee groups aren’t quite that cut-and-dried either. Chimpanzee Politics gives us an intimate look at the alliances, rebellions and Machiavellian scheming of a captive colony of chimpanzees. Butch lesbians, angry matriarchs, double-dealing leaders and more cliques than an American high school all play their parts, and you might even pick up some tips for your own office machinations if you’re that way incllined. If not, it’s still an informative and fun look at chimpanzee behaviour.
Amazon link
Mar 15, 2010 Uncategorized
Some of you may not be aware that a race to produce the smallest book possible has been going on for centuries. The Miniature Book Society has a huge display of the tiny things, and notable pre-21st Century American miniatures started in 1750 – 60 with a 1 11/16″ x 1 7/16″ edition of Verbum Sempiternum and culminated in 1932 with an edition of The Rose Garden of Omar Khayyam only 3/16 x 7/32.
New technology has allowed obsessives to go even further, though – in 2002 the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed the world’s smallest book had dimensions of only 0.9 x 0.9 mm, owned by Mark Palcovic of the University of Cincinnati . In 2007, the worlds first nanoscale book was published by Robert Chaplin. Measuring less than 0.07 x 0.1 mm, it can’t even be read with the naked eye.
Mar 7, 2010 Philosophy & Thinking, Politics and Society, Science and Technology
A journey through the history of the universe, our own human perspective on it and a look into the possible futures of mankind amongst the stars – Cosmos is a beautiful book that conveys Carl Sagan’s constant awe and wonder at the sheer size and strangeness of the cosmic ocean in which we are merely a floating speck.
The thirteen chapters in the book correspond to the 13 episodes of the original TV series, and the content ranges from philosophy and cultural history to hard physics and astronomy, and the book as a whole is both a celebration of the wonders of the universe, and a plea for us to come together as a species to explore it before we tear ourselves apart.
Amazon link
Mar 3, 2010 General
Thanks to Spinballer for this link – the article tells the story of a teenage fan who became penpals with J D Salinger. It’s quite genuinely touching.
Post Gazette
Mar 3, 2010 Politics and Society
1984 may seem like an awfully old chestnut for a review, but I’ve come across a shocking number of people who have never read it, despite having enough of a concept of “Big Brother” to not question the name of the reality TV show/wreck, and have a tendency to repeat the phrase “Orwellian Nightmare” whenever the government does something. That being the case, I suppose we all need to persuade more people to read it.
1984’s sheer realism makes it terrifying – whereas in Brave New World we don’t really have the dystopian technology described, there’s really not much in 1984 that couldn’t theoretically be carried out right now, and the use of language to control society has interesting implications.
Get your tinfoil hat on, break out the Victory Gin and pick a hidden corner of your room to read this in, and learn to love Big Brother.
Amazon Link
Feb 25, 2010 Learning and Knowledge, Science and Technology, Self Help & Personal Training, Specialist Subjects
If, like me, you’re tired of hearing complete rubbish about how someone touching an ear, scratching their leg, making eye contact or not making eye contact are apparently sure-fire ways to tell that they are lying, this book will come as a welcome relief.
In Telling Lies, Paul Ekman discusses what possible indicators you can look out for to spot emotional states that can suggest lying, as well as explaining some of the different types of deception that we all practice, and why we do it. He also introduces the idea of microexpressions, those little tics that give away how we’re really feeling – if this sounds familiar to those of you who watch “Lie To Me,” that’s because Cal Lightman was pretty much based on Paul Ekman.
Amazon UK link – used only
Amazon.com link
Paul Ekman’s official site
Feb 22, 2010 Learning and Knowledge, Science and Technology
Before Richard Dawkins was famous for his open atheism, he was primarily known as a brilliant science writer (and still is – see our review on The Greatest Show On Earth for our take on his most recent work).
When most people picture a book on evolutionary biology, they don’t imagine an epic pilgrimage that spans the entire world and billions of years. Nor do they imagine an ever-growing cast of storytelling co-travellers, each with its own dramatic tale of a journey from the beginning of life itself into the modern world. This is what Richard Dawkins has created, and while it’s based purely on hard science, it is every bit as magical, as moving and as full of wonder as Lord of the Rings.
After reading this book, it’s hard to look at any living thing in the same way ever again, from blue whales to bacteria.
Amazon link
