Toarriveattheedgeoftheworld'sknowledge,seekoutthemostcomplexandsophisticatedminds,puttheminaroomtogether,andhavethemaskeachotherthequestionstheyareaskingthemselves.
August.Allisquiet.Theconversationisonhold.TheEdgecommunityhashittheroad...orthey'restayinghome.Recharging.Preparingfortheacademicyeartobegin,wrappingupprojectsandstartingnewones,celebratingwithfamilyandfriendsorcontemplatinginsolitude.Afterahiatus,EdgeispleasedtoreviveSummerPostcards:Edgiesreportinginfromwherevertheyareandonwhateverthey'redoing,asthedogdayswindoutandtheseasoncomestoaclose.Astheworldslowlyreturnstoa"newnormal"withenduringCOVIDrestrictionsinthemidstofrenewedvaccinefreedoms,thisyear'scollectionisatestamenttochange(temporaryandlasting),aconsiderationofloss(willtraveleverbelikeitwas),andacelebrationofquestions(thatstillneedanswering).Thehammockmaybeawayuntilnextyear,butthememoriesremain.Enjoy.
—RussellWeinberger,Publisher
IanMcEwan
LakeDistrict,England
IspentthesummerwritingandrevisingthefinalsectionofalongishnovelIstartedin2019.ItseemsnowasthoughI’vebeenfrom1946to2021onmyhandsandknees.Variouslockdownshavebeenaliberationfromobligationsandtheluggagecarousel,andI’veneverknownsuchsweetandtotalfocusformonthsonend.Wehavetheluxuryoflivinginthecountry—noshortageofbigskiesandmoodywalks.AllourfewbreakswereintheUK—Scotland,theLakeDistrict,theWestcountry.EveninourremotepartoftheLakes,Ihadtokeeponwriting—asinphoto.
Butplentyofreading.ThebestnovelIreadthissummerwasSandroVeronesi’sTheHummingbird.Bestnon-fictionwasPeterGodfreySmith’sMetazoa:AnimalLifeandtheBirthoftheMind.Igavetimealsotosomewonderfulnovellas—perfectfictionalformforyoutoo-busyscientists.AnUntouchedHousebyWillemFrederikHermans,TheDeathofNapoleonbySimonLeys,TheBarracksThiefbyTobiasWolff,TheOrderoftheDaybyEricVuillardand,perhapsbestofall,VeilchenfeldbyGertHofmann.
CarloRovelli
Lesbos,Greece
In2019,aslavBruknerandmyselfwerewalkingonabeachonLammaIsland,nearHongKong,marvellingtogetherattheastonishingstrangenessofquantumphenomena.Thissummer,theconversationwithaslavhascontinuedonanotherisland,andquiteanisland:Lesbos,thenorthernGreekislandneartheTurkishcoast.Lesbosistheplacewherelyricalpoetrywasborn.HerelivedSapphoandAlcaeus.Immensepoets…
(Theblazingheat,whichwitherethallthings,/O'eralltheearthisspread;thebloomingthistle/Holdsupitshead;nowwomankinddothbristleWithpassionmost,andmanishaggardworn...).
Anditisalsotheplacewhereobservationalsciencewasborn.
HerecameAristotletogetherwithhispupilTheophrastus,andthetworesearchedthebotanyandzoologyoftheshelteredlagoonoftheisland,sojumpstartingscientificbiologybasedonsystematicanddetailedobservations.ThisforAristotlewasjustbeforebeingcalledtotutortheyoungroyalwhowouldsteerthedirectionoftheworldtowardcivilization:AlexandertheGreat.
Scienceandlyricalpoetrywerebothbornonthisisland,atashortdistancefromoneanother.Whatdoesitremainofthispast,whilewalkingwithaslavanddebatingrelationalismandoperationalismasabasisforunderstandingthequantumworld
WhatdoweprojectonthespiritofplacesOnthewaybackIstoppedinAthens:IwantedtoseefirsthandtheAntikytheramechanism,thetwenty-century-oldgrandfatherofallcomputers(itismuchthinnerthanIthought!Seethepicture!),andIwantedtowalkonceagainintheshadeoftheAcropolis,whereAristotleandPlatoconversed.
Butthistimesomethingsurprisedme:IlearnedthattheAcropoliswasdenselybuiltinthemiddleages,theParthenonwasachurchandthenamosque.Whatweseetodayiskindofartificial:extractedoutofthecity'sdensityasaskeletonofthepast,togiveshapetoapoliticalandculturalidentityofanascentGreekstate.
Thepastweimagineisadresswithwhichweembellishourcurrentvalues.Weliveinnarrationsbuiltovernarrations.Realityisfarmorecomplexthanourreconstructedlines.Andyet,wekeeptryingtomakesenseofit,tosearchforpatterns.
UsingthemarvellouslyricsofSapphoandAlcaeus,usingthedetailedobservationaltechniquethatAristotleandTheophrastusinvented,andthatwetodaycallscience,ordebatingontheastonishingstrangenessofquantumtheory,walkingwithaslavalongthebeachofthisorthatisland…
—Carlo
LaurenceC.Smith
InglefieldLand,NorthwestGreenland(asvisitedremotelyfromProvidence,R.I.)
GreetingsfromProvidence,RhodeIsland,wheretheundyingCOVIDpandemichaspreventedmyArcticfieldworkforanothersummer.
Instead,IammonitoringthestateoftheArctic'smeltingvirtually,throughroboticinstallationsweluckilyinstalledinNorthwestGreenlandjustmonthsbeforethefirstoutbreakinWuhan.
MypostcardisatelemeteredphotooftheMinturnElv,ahighArcticriverflowingsome250kilometersnortheastofThuleAirForceBase.ItisbusytransferringmassmeltedoffthenorthwesternsurfaceoftheGreenlandIcesheettotheglobalocean.Thisicesheetisnowthesinglelargestmeltwatercontributortoglobalsealevelriseand,tomyknowledge,ourfieldinstallationmakestheMinturnElvthemostnortherlygaugedriveronEarth.Ourweatherstationandtwolaserinstruments,whicharepingingtheriver'swaterleveleverythreehoursfromeachbank,arevisibleinthephoto.
Rushingclear,coldandblue,theMinturnElvlookslikeitcouldbeablue-ribbontroutstreaminWyoming.Butit'snot.ItsclarityandbluecolorarerareforGreenland.Thisareaoftheicesheetissocoldthatitisfrozentotheunderlyingbedrock,thuspreventingtheflushingofsubglacialsedimentthatmakesmostGreenlandicriversgrittyandturbid,thecolorofchocolatemilk.ThereareveryfewremainingplacesonEarthwhereglacier-sourcedriversstilllookthisway.
Iwonderforhowmuchlonger.Thedayafterthisphotowastaken,itrainedatSummitStation.Summit!ThehighestpointontheGreenlandIceSheet,whereitneverthawsandicecoredrillingcampsexhumepristine,two-miledeeprecordsofancientclimatehistorydatingbackmorethanahundredthousandyears.Itrainedthere,forthefirsttime,onAugust14,2021.
—LaurenceC.Smith
SusanBlackmore
Afghanistan
ExactlyfiftyyearsagoIwasinAfghanistan,travellingacrossthedesertinanoldarmytruck,alongthe"hippytrail"throughEurope,Turkey,andIran,lookingforwardtotheKhyberPasstoPakistanandIndia,andontojoinaHindupilgrimageinthehighmountainsofKashmir.IspentmytwentiethbirthdayinKandahar,atownnowtornbyreligiouslyinspiredviolence,death,anddestruction,thewomenandgirlsthreatenedwithafutureundersharialawandseclusionintheirhomes.AsIsit,safeandhappyinbeautifulruralDevon,Iknowthatnosuchtripisnowremotelypossible.MypostcardisaphotographItookon29August1971withmyInstamaticcamera,withitsrollsoftwelvepreciousphotosthathadtobecarriedsafelybackmonthslaterforprocessing.ItshowsthegreatBuddhasofBamiyan,nowlongdestroyed.
HowcanancientreligionsholdsuchterrifyingpowertodayIamreading,thinking,andwritingaboutthepowerofreligiousmemes,tryingtounderstandhowtheyselfishlyspread,inflictingoppressionandviolenceonthosewho,willinglyorunwillingly,areinfectedwiththem,drivingbeliefinaGodwhosuppressescreativity,curiosity,andcriticalthinking.
Thequestionthatdrivesmenowiswhethermemeticsgivesbetterexplanationsthanothertheories.Isuspectthatitdoesandwebadlyneedit—butIamtryingtofindout.Culturalevolutiontheory,includingdual-inheritanceandgene-culturecoevolution,isnowathrivingfield,closetomemeticsinclaimingasecondevolutionaryprocessbutnottreatingmemesasasecondreplicator.Thismeansthateverythingultimatelycomesbacktogeneticadvantage:whentheoristssaythattraitssuchascelibacy,self-immolation,ordangerousandtime-wastingritualsare"maladaptive,"theymeanfromthegenes'pointofview.
Formemetics,suchtraitsareselfishmemes,competingtouseushumansfortheirownpropagation,andshapingourworldanditscompetingreligionsastheygo.
Godhateshumanrights.Itseemstomethatthegreatfaithsthatevolvedlongagoforbiologicaladvantagekeepdraggingusbacktobiologywhilethememesofpersonalchoice,freedom,andsciencebenefitlivingmenandwomenratherthantheirgenes.Christiansmayfightagainstbirthcontrolandabortion—favoringgenesratherthanwomenandtheirchildren.Islamexplicitlycondemnswomenandgirlstobeownedandcontrolledbymen.BothclaimaGodwhogaveusthisfragileEarthforourbenefittodowhatwelikewith.
I'mhavingalovelysummerathomewithgrandchildrenvisitingforweeksonend,gardening,havingabigseventiethbirthdaygardenparty(therainjustheldoff),andswimminginthecold(15°C,or59°F)riverthatrunspastourhouse,andI'menjoyingtheCOVID-inducedlackoffrenetictravelling.But,calmandpeacefulasitisincool,greenEngland,Iwritefromaworldinperil.Andmuchofthatperilcomesfromselfishreligiousmemes.
StevenPinker
Berkeley
GreetingsfromBerkeley,whereI'mspendingasabbaticalwithmyextendedfamily,includingnewbornKaiBlauandfour-year-oldSollyLopez.
Booktoursremainvirtuallyall-virtual,soinpreparationforthereleaseofRationality,I'vesetupagreen-screenstudioinmytemporarystudywithanewbackdrop.
Thoughpodcastsareproliferatinglikerabbits,I'llcontributetotheoverpopulationwithaseriesofmyown,detailsunderwrapsfornow.
ItaiYanai
Israel
I'vebeenonholidaythisAugustinIsrael,mycountryoforigin,catchingupwithfamilyandfriends.It'sachallengetobalanceeveryone'swishes,managetheactivitiesofthekids,andsomehowalsokeepupwithemailsfromthelabbackinNYC.Worse,mydadtoldmeamathriddlethathasbeendrivingmemad,particularlysincehe'salreadysolvedit.Lastweek,MichalandItookthekidstoJerusalem.ItfeltimportanttoshowthemtheoldcitywithitsschizophrenicdivisionintoquartersandthesprawlingmarketofMahaneYehuda.WealsotooktheminasingledaytobothYadVashem(Holocaustmemorial)andtheIsraelmuseum—particularlytoseetheDeadSeaScrolls.Inbetweentheactionthough,therehasstillbeentimethissummerfordaydreaming:atimeforfindingenoughdistancetothinkabouthowthingsaregoingandtoaskwhatnewdirectionsonecouldtake.
Despitebeingonvacation,myfunactivityisputtingtogetheranewworkshop,called"Nightscience—theartofscientificdiscovery,"withMartinLercher—anotherEdgie,ofcourse,andmygoodfriendandlong-timecollaborator."Nightscience"isthetermFranoisJacobusedtodescribethepartofsciencewhereonetriestogeneratethehypothesis—whichwilllaterbetestedbythetraditionalscientificmethod.Inhisautobiography,hewrote:"Nightscienceisasortofworkshopofthepossible,wherewhatwillbecomethebuildingmaterialofscienceisworkedout."TheUniversityofCopenhagencommissionedthisworkshoptobegivennextmonth,andMartinandIjumpedatthechancetoputourideasaboutthescientificcreativeprocessintoacoherent,actionablewhole.
Weareworkingonexercisesthatteachhowanthropomorphizinghelpsgiveusanintuitionaboutaproblem,hownewquestionscanbeidentifiedbysearchingforcontradictions,howahypothesiscanbealiabilityformakingnewdiscoveries,andhowideascanbeimportedandexportedacrossresearchfields.CanscientificcreativitybetaughtOfcourseitcan—andwhatevercreativeskillsyouhave,youcanalwaysgetbetteratit.
Tomorrow,we'llflybacktotheUS—justmyseventeen-year-oldsonandme.Whatagreatopportunitytospendtimewithhim.
BeatriceGolomb
HELLODEAR,
Felicitations.JustbriefedtheJASONs(asecretivegroupofscientistadvisorstothegovernment)ontheso-called"HavanaSyndrome."(PreviouslybriefedtheNationalAcademiesofSciences,Engineering,andMedicinewhosereportagreedwithmyconclusionthatthecauseispulsedradiofrequency/microwaveradiation.I'dalsobriefedtheCubanAcademyofSciences.)
HowgoesyourpandemicsequestrationMyCOVIDcaptivitycontinuesbuthasitsconsolations—inemailepistles(e-pistles)ofastamphighlygratifying.
Exemplars(verbatim)fromatroveofsuch(non-dis)missives:
"DearBeatriceGolomb.Haveagreatfutureaheadofyou.Weareinsearchofeminentauthors."—InternationalJournalofVascularSurgeryandMedicine
"RespectedGolombBeatriceAlexandra...Weareverypassionatetoassociatewitheminentpeoplelikeyou."—BiogenericScienceandResearch
Expressingthispassion,theirlateremailstates
"Ihopeyouwillfindavirtuousbondwithus."(Marriageproposal)—BiogenericScienceandResearch
Othersrecognizemyworthinpecuniaryterms.
"Subject:MERCIFULGOD""AsIlayonmysickbedIwantyoutohelpmeincarryingoutmylastwishonearthwhichwillalsobeveryprofitabletoyou.IwanttoWILLatotalsumofFiveMillionFiveHundredThousand..."
"Subject:HELLODEAR""...Wefearthepirate's[sic]attack...Igetaconfirmationfromyoutoassistinreceivingthemoney"["USD$23.4MillionUnitedStateDollars"]"because...Idon'twanttolosethemoneytoseapirates."
Suchtributesareabalminthisdifficulttime.
Haveagreatfutureaheadofyou.
—RespectedGolombBeatriceAlexandra
BrianG.Keating
JacksonHole,Wyoming
CryptoCowboys
Sunblisteredmountainsandwholesomefamilyfun:hiking,riverrafting,rodeosandbeautypageants.Occasionally,atorrentialrainandcharingMamaMoosemustbedodgedthistimeofyear.Allpartoftherusticexperience.Yetthereisanewhigh-techminingoperation,totallyinvisible,withminimalenvironmentalimpactthroughouttheCowboyState:bitcoinmining.
Californiacityslickerstrytheirhandatcryptowizardry,exploitingthelaxtaxlaws,cheapenergy,willingregulatorsandfreespiritsthatspeakofanewgoldrush.Somehavingbroughtbillionairesseekingtoplacelargetelescopesatopmountainsfarmoredormantinthesummerthanthewinter.WhowillprovidethepicksandshovelsforthisnouveaugoldrushWhatwillcomenext:regulation,taxation,decentralizationWhoknows;thetroutarejumpingjustoutsideGrandTetonNationalPark.ThecryptoiscallingandImustgo…
TerrenceJ.Sejnowski
LaJolla,California
Mysummersareatimetotravel.Ihavetraveledtheworld,hikinginthemountainsofPatagonia,theAlpsinSwitzerland,theruggedterraininNewZealand,andthecascadingwaterfallsinIceland.Butnotthissummer,whichwasfocusedonzoomingacrosstheworldontheInternet.
Scientificmeetings,largeandsmall,haveallgonevirtual.Theyareadifferentexperiencefromin-personmeetings,withbothdownsidesandupsides.Virtualmeetingslackthepersonalexchangesthatoccuratin-personmeetings,butIhavecometoappreciatetheirvalueinkeepingupwithresearch,somewherebetweenreadingapaperandhavingapersonaldiscussion.
Herearemyimpressionsofthreedifferentvirtualexperiences.
AtthebeginningofJune,IattendedavirtualmeetingoftheLearninginMachinesandBrains(LMB)programsponsoredbytheCanadianInstituteforAdvancedResearch(CIFAR).ThisprogramwasinitiatedseventeenyearsagobyGeoffreyHinton,agoodfriendandcollaborator,andwascontinuedbyJoshuaBengioandYannLeCun,allrecipientsofarecentTuringAwardforpioneeringresearchondeeplearning.LMBisasmallgroupofafewdozenresearchersatthetopoftheirgame,creatingfuturecapabilitiesforAIbasedonneuralnetworks.Since2012whendeeplearningwentpublic,computingpowerusedbythelargestAIapplicationshasbeendoublingevery3.4months,muchfasterthanMoore'slawforVLSIchips,whichdoubleseveryeighteenmonths.
TheTellurideNeuromorphicCognitionWorkshopisthelongestworkshopseriessponsoredbytheNSF.IthasbeenmeetingannuallyinthemountainvillageofTelluridesince1994whenwefoundedit,bringingtogetherfiftystudentsandfiftyfacultyforthreeweekstocreateanewtechnologybasedonbioinspiredlow-poweranalogVLSIchips.Neuromorphicchipsthatusespikeslikebrainsarethousandsoftimesmoreenergyefficientthandigitalchips.Theattendeesworktogetherintensively,buildingrobotsandtestingnewchips.InJuly,theworkshopwasheldvirtually,includingvirtualjointprojects.
AnothervirtualmeetingIattendedthissummerwassponsoredbytheNIHontheBRAINInitiative.IwasontheadvisorycommitteetoNIHdirectorFrancisCollinstoplanthis$5B,ten-yeargrandscientificandengineeringchallengein2014.Wewereaskedtocreateasetofgoalsandmilestonesforinnovativeneurotechnologiestoacceleratebrainresearch.Onegoalwastorecordsimultaneouslyfromonemillionneurons.Thiswasachievedearlierthisyear,aheadofschedule.Anothergoalwastousemachinelearningtoanalyzethedelugeofdata.Newdiscoverieshaveoverturnedoldideasabouthowbrainswork.AdvancesinourunderstandingofbraincircuitsinturnisadvancingAIbasedonneuralnetworks.
LaJollaisanhourawayfromhikingtrailsinthelocalmountains.Onetrail,calledCactustotheClouds,ascendsfromPalmSprings,goingstraightuparidgelinethatcontinuesupthemountainforsixteenmilestothetopofSanJacintoPeak,anetelevationgainof10,800feet,thehighestelevationincreaseforadayhikeintheUnitedStates.Itwasalongdaystartingwellbeforedawntoavoidtheheatandendingatdusk.Mercifully,thereisatramgoingdown.Anicewaytoroundoutavirtualsummer.
GeorgeDyson
Bellingham,Washington
Itis100°FinJohnstoneStrait,andCanadianwatersremainclosedtonon-essentialforeign-flaggedvessels.Thesetwofactsareunrelated,butsimilarlyremarkable.HereinBellingham,WA,it'sanothersummerofStayingPut.
Whatdowhalesdowhenthewhale-watchersaren'twatchingReportsfromvesselstransitingthroughtoAlaska(andback)areanecdotal,butitsoundsasifthetwoseasonsofbreathingroomhavebeengoodforthewhales.
Toahistorianwholivesmostlyinthepast,apauseinthepresentiswelcome,allowingthepastsometimetocatchup.
Besidesdeferredmaintenance,mycurrentprojectisasummaryofFreemanDyson'slifeandworkfortheBiographicalMemoirsofFellowsoftheRoyalSociety.DysonremainedaFellowfor67yearsand11months,arecordexceededamongtheSociety'sScientificFellowsonlybySirJohnDavis(elected1822)whoremainedaFellowfor68yearsand7months,andpossiblybyJeanChardellou(elected1702)whois"believedtohavediedaged107"in1771,buttheprecisedateisunknown.Dysoncouldprovesomethingmathematicallyinterestingorphysicallyimportant,oftenboth,inlesstimethanittakesmetounderstandwhathedid.
—George
HowardGardner
Cambridge,Massachusetts
Usually,whenone'sninthdecadeisinsight,it'stimetowrapup.Butthroughanunexpectedseriesofevents,Ihaveembarkedonaprojectwhichshouldkeepmebusyfortheforeseeablefuture.
I'vebeenstudyingandwritingabout"other"mindsfordecades.Inthecourseofcompletingthememoir,IrealizedthatIhadnotwellunderstoodmy-ownmind—basicallyaninstrumentforsynthesizingalargeamountofinformationfromdifferentsourcesinordertoexplainaphenomenon(likeintelligence,orcreativity,orleadership)inwhichIaminterested,andthenwritingaboutitinawaythat(hopefully)makessensetoothers.
AnyEdgeauthorwillrecognizethisdescription.Andwhetheryouareajournalistorabenchscientist,youundoubtedlyengageinsuchsynthesizing.
Butinthelastyear,likethecobblerwhoonlypeersatfeetandshoes,Ihavecometoseesynthesiseverywhere;andIfeelthatitsnatureisnotwellunderstood(atleastbypsychology—afterall,youcan'tsimulatethemindofaCharlesDarwinoranEmilyDickinsoninthelaboratory).AndsoIhavebeguntoblogaboutsynthesis—asitoccursacrossarangefromfields,frompoliticstopoetry,fromhistorytophilosophy.I’veaddressedwhatsynthesisis,whatitisnot,what'sagoodorapoorsynthesis,andhowonemightbecomeabettersynthesizer.
Asanexample:ThoughI’mbynomeansanexpertoninvestment,Idecidedtostudyandcomparetwooutstandinginvestors—WarrenBuffettandGeorgeSoros.Alongtheway,IdiscoveredthattheywerebothborninAugust1930(happybirthday,guys).Obviously,theybothabsorbandretainvastamountsofinformation.Buttheirstylesofbuy/sellcouldnotbetoodifferent:Buffettreflectsforlongperiodsoftime,makeshisinvestmentcautiously,andstickswithit.Sorosswoopsinand,justasquickly,switchescourses.IfIcantwistphrasesfromanothersynthesizer,wellknowntotheEdgereaders,Sorosexemplifies"thinkingfast,"whileBuffettdemonstrates"thinkingslow."
WhilethereareAIclaimstocarryoutsynthesizesofallsorts,IbelievethatthekindofsynthesesinwhichIamchieflyinterested—powerfulnewconceptualorartisticones—arelikelytoeludeAIindefinitely.
JohnC.Mather
NASAGoddardSpaceFlightCenter,Maryland
MyJamesWebbSpaceTelescopeteammembersarejustfinishingupthenewobservatoryinCaliforniaandaregettingitreadytoshiptothelaunchsiteinFrenchGuiana.It’sgorgeousingold,foldeduplikean"enormous,night-bloomingflower"asRivkaGalchendescribeditinTheNewYorker.ButI’mstayinghome,teleworkingfrommysuburbanbrickbox,andtalkingeverydayaboutthemarvelsoftheuniverseandhowthenewtelescopecanseethem.
TheWebbwillbefarmorepowerfulthanthebrilliantHubbleSpaceTelescope,seeingfartheroutinspacetoseefartherbackintimewithitsinfraredeyes,seeinginsidethosedustycloudsofgaswherestarsarebeingborntoday,andlookingforhintsaboutmaybe-Earthlikeplanetswayoutthere.ButmanyoftheastronomerswhowillbeusingthetelescopewerejustbeingbornwhenwestartedthemissioninOctoberof1995.Longevityisagift.
I’vealsobeenworkingonhybridobservatories,combininggiantground-basedtelescopeswithguidestarsorstarshadesinspace.WithadaptiveopticswecancompensatefortheturbulenceoftheEarth’satmosphere,sowegetalmostthesensitivityandimagequalitywecouldhavewithaspacetelescope.Withastarshadeinspace,heldinpositionbetweenatargetstarandatelescope,wecancastashadowofabrightstar,sowecanseeEarthlikeplanetsdirectly.Whatcolorarethey,dotheyhavecontinentsandoceansandweather,whatmoleculesdotheyhave,whatmineralsareonthesurfaceIt’snotimpossibletofindout,butitwilltakealittlewhile.
DanielE.Lieberman
Zealand,Denmark
ThisisthesecondsummerinarowmystudentsandIhavebeenunabletoreturntoKenya.Idon’tmissdrivingthere,butIdomissallmyfriends,collaborators,andothersinEldoretandtheruralcommunityintheNandiHillswherewehavebeendoingresearchforthelastdozenorsoyears.
ThefarthestIgotfromhomethissummer—andindeedsincethepandemicbegan—wasthesouthcoastofZealand,Denmark.Itwasadelightfulplacetowork.Everymorning,Icycledtothetown’soneandonlybakeryforadanish(akaWienerbrd).IwastoldthatthesepastriesbecameahitinDenmarkduringabaker’sstrikeinthemid-19thcenturywhenAustrianbakerswerehiredasscabs.
Apartfromeatingpastries,Ispentthesummerwritingandtrainingformytwenty-fifthmarathon.
—Dan
SabineHossenfelder
KensingtonGardens,London
HellofromKensingtonGardensinLondonandmyfirsttripsincepre-COVIDtimes.ItturnsouttobeoneofthefewsummerdaysinEuropewhenit'sneithertoohotnortoocold.IhavejustfinishedwritingmysecondbookandIamhereforavisittotheRoyalInstitutionwherewewillfilmsomevideos—they'llbeonYouTubesoon!ThenIamofftochasedownacollaboratorinOxford,withwhomIhavehadplentyoflockdowndebatesoverthesenseandnonsenseofquantummechanicsthatwehopetofinallyturnintoapaperortwo.IthinkIhaveanideaformynextbook...
ArmandMarieLeroi
PostcardfromSamos
We'rewanderingacrosstheEasternAegeanlookingforpots.Thekindofrough,utilitarianceramicsthathavebeenmadeintheseislandsforthousandsofyears.Eachislandhasitsownvarieties,asdistinctiveastheHeliconidbutterfliesofAndeanvalleys.No-oneknowswhythisdiversityexists:askandyou'rejusttold"it'showwe'vealwaysmadethem."ModernityhaswashedoverGreecejustaselsewhere;butthecountryneverreallyhadanindustrialrevolution,sotraditionisstillalivingmemory.Eveninthe'60stherewereplaceswheregirlscarriedwaterfromthevillagewellinearthenwarepitchers.
Whenwefindapotinataverna,amonastery,orperhapsontheporchofavillagehouse,wephotographit.Itrytoresistbuyingthem.Thecollector'sobsessionisalwaystherebutmustberuthlesslysuppressed.WhatdoyoudowiththethingsinaLondonflatSo,theimagesuffices.Whenwegethome,we'llrunthemthroughcontour-findingalgorithms,extractthenumbers,castthemintoshapespace—weirdRiemannianmanifoldsofunknowntopography—andreconstructtheirevolutionaryhistoriesasiftheyweredinosaurbones.TheideaistorevealthemigrationsofcraftsmenacrosstheAegean,thehiddenconnections,thatcertainlyrunmuchdeeperthanthemodernGreekState,perhapsdeeperthantheOttomanswhoonceruledtheseseas,perhapsintoByzantiumitself.
WebeganinSamos,justafewkilometresfromtheAsiaMinorCoast.RockyIkariaisnext.We'llendupinLesvos,mytrueloveamongalltheGreekisles.ThereI'llvisitthelast,truetraditionalpotterontheisland,amanwhoworksastheydidatMycenaethreethousandyearsago.ForfiftyyearshehasdugandrefinedtheLesvianclay,shapedhispotsonthewheel,andfiredtheminakilnfueledbyolivestones.Hehasdonesoashisfather,andhisfatherbeforehim,andhisfatherdid—thegenealogydisappearsintotheearth—butnowheistired.Villagegirlsnolongerhikeaboutwithwaterpitchersbalancedupontheirshoulders,andsohispots,elegantasAtticamphorae,accumulateunsold.Atsummer'sendhewillfirehiskilnforthelasttime.
He'saskedustorecordtheoccasion.It'samomentousone.Hereallyisthelast.Ofcourse,therewillstillbepottersinGreece.Mostislandshaveatleastafewwhomakeprettyceramicsfortourists,andAthenshasitsstudiosophisticateswithMFAsfromLondon'sRoyalCollege.Butthisiswhereanonymouscraft,whatSoetsuYanagicalled"thebeautyofeverydaythings"finallydisappearssothatonlyArt—andScience—remain.
DavidChristian
A"Winter"PostcardIronCove,Sydney,Australia
Ifyoucanlookintotheseedsoftime,Andsaywhichgrainwillgrowandwhichwillnot,Speakthentome,…[Banquotothethreewitches,Macbeth,Act1,Sceneiii]
Ispentmostofthefirstsixmonthsof2021tryingtofinishthemanuscriptofabookonthefuture.Well,mypreviousbooktriedtotellthestoryuptothepresent,fromthedazzlingmoment,13.8billionyearsago,whenouruniversefirstlitup,throughtheemergenceofstars,planetsand,atleasthereonearth,livingorganismssuchasourselves.ThatbookdescribedtheUniverse'sfirstbabystepsbecausethecosmologiststellusourUniversewillexistforgazillionsofyearsmore.AsIapproachedretirement,Ithoughtitmightbetimetowriteabouttherestofthestory,thatistosay,"thefuture."
Ilookedforguidance.Surely,someonehadwrittenasortofBaedekertothefuture,a"User'sManual"ofsorts.Andthereisawholefieldnowknownas"FuturesStudies."ButIcouldn'tfindthebookIwaslookingfor.So,Idecidedtowriteitmyself.
Thefuture,Ifound,reallyisveryveryweird.Asyoutrytomakesenseofityoumeetallsortsofmetaphysicalandscientificandlogicalcreepy-crawlies.Isoongotlostinaphilosophicalandscientificjunglefullofveryspookythings:thephilosophyandscienceoftime.Thatwasfun,butseriouslydauntingforahistorianwho'susedtodealingwithfacts.ThenIrealizedthatallourfuturethinkingbeginswiththefuturethinkingofeachcellinourbody.SohowdoesanE.colibacteriumplanforthefutureOranantelopeMorecreepy-crawlies,butthistimeofthebiochemicalandneurologicalkind.Andhowdidourancestorscopewiththemanymysteriesofthefuture
Thatquestiontookmeintotheenchanted,butsometimesverysophisticated,worldofdivination,aworldfullofmanticores,inspectorsoflivers,andotherstrangebeings.Ithoughtitwouldbeeasiertodescribetoday'sseriouslydis-enchantedwaysofthinkingaboutthefuture,fromprobabilitytheorytostatisticsandcomputermodelling.
Butno.Strangebugslurkinsideprobabilitytheory,statisticsandevenlogicitself.Still,IwashavingsuchfunthatIhadtotryonemorething:describingpossiblefutures.So,Itriedtothinkthroughthenext100years(weirdbecausethescienceissogood,butthepoliticsisnomorepredictablethanitwasinCicero'stime)andthenthenextfewmillenniaandfinally,theendoftime.
Iwrestledwiththesethought-monstersinlockdown.EachmorningIwalkeddowntoIronCove,alovelylittleinletofSydneyharbour,anditwastherethatsomeofthemistieraspectsofthefuturebegantotakeshapeinmymind,sometimesjustasthesunwasrising.
Ihavefoundthestillnessandfocusoflockdownprofoundlysatisfying.Weknowwearetheluckyones.ButIdoworryaboutthefutureweareleavingforourchildren.
—David
p.s.Ishouldaddthatmypostcardis,ofcourse,awinterpostcardasitcomesfromSydney(whosewintersareabitlikeSanDiego's,hardtodistinguishfromafineEnglishsummer'sday).
IrenePepperberg
Swampscott/Somerville,MA
Longshiftskeepingtheparrotshappyandhealthyintemporaryspacewhilewefigureoutwhathappensnextinournot-quite-postCOVIDworld.Havenotbeenabletocarryoutanysignificantamountofresearchbuthavebeenabletotestsomeprotocolsforprojectswehopetostartinthenearfuture.Severalreviewpapersandonemanuscript(pre-COVIDdatacollection)havebeenpublishedthissummerorareinpress,andIamrevisinganothermanuscript(amongtheirothertalents,Greyparrotscontrafreeloadanddelaygratification).
DidaZoommeetingwithmiddleschoolstudents—theirquestionswereonparwiththoseofcolleagues!Gavetalksandspokeatseveralvirtualconferences(e.g.,UniversityofGeneva,Sci-FooLightningTalk,Human-AnimalStudies[Israel],SymposiumatAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,AssociationofAvianVeterinarians;posteratAnimalBehaviorSociety—missedinteractingwithcolleaguesbutappreciatedthelackofjet-lag)."Free"timeseemstobeaboutanhouraweektoworkinmygardenanddailymorningwalksbytheoceanverynearmyhomeinSwampscott.
JulianBarbour
Oxford
AtthestartofActIIIofShakespeare'sTwelfthNight,Viola,disguisedasayoungman,meetstheclownFesteplayingonpipeandtabor.Thisgivesrisetoanexchangethatexplainsmychoiceofpostcard:
Viola.Savethee,friend,andthymusic!Dostthoulivebythytabor
Clown.No,sir,Ilivebythechurch.
Viola.Artthouachurchman
Clown.Nosuchmatter,sir.Idolivebythechurch,forIdoliveatmyhouse,andmyhousedothstandbythechurch.
Sodoesmine,andyouseethemedievalchurchinthephototakenlastwinterwith,inthesetimesofglobalwarming,araresprinklingofsnow.
Festelivedbyhiswits,Iduringthelasttwodecadesorsobywritingacoupleofbooksandgettingresearchgrantstoworkwithcollaboratorsontwoquestionsthat,backin1963,grippedmyinterestandhaveneverletgo:WhatistimeWhatismotion
MorerecentlyIhavealsoconcentratedonsizeandusethephototomakeapoint:weneverseeabsolutesizeorlengthbutonlyangles.
Lookattheclosestpinnacle.Itsubtendsananglethatisafractionofthe2piofagreatcirclethatgirdlesthesky.Youmayhaveseenthesimulationofaflightthroughtheuniverse.Itshowsgalaxieswhosesizesrelativetotheglobeofthecompleteskygetlargerorsmallerduringthecosmicjourney.Youneverseetheuniverseitselfgettinglarger.Nordoastronomers;theyonlyobserveratios.Whythendotheysaytheuniverseisexpanding
In2002Iwas,alongwithMartinRees(thenasnowtheAstronomerRoyal),aparticipantintheBBC'sweeklydiscussionprogrammeInOurTime.Thesubjectwascosmology.EggedonsomewhatbyMelvinBragg,whostillhoststheprogramme,Istuckmyneckoutandsaid"Theideathattheuniverseisexpandingstinks.It'schangingitsshape.''TowhichLordReesofLudlow,ashenowis,responded:"Julian,yourphilosophymaybesound,butIthinkyouareforgetting90percentofthephysics.''Notsurprisinglywedidnotsettlethematter.Buttakemywordforit:theexpansionoftheuniverseisamystery.Itsresolutioncouldleadustotheholygrailofmodernphysics:aquantumtheoryofgravity.
KevinKelly
Istanbul,Turkey
GreetingsfromtheMegaprintingplantinIstanbul,Turkey.Thisisoneoutof100palletsstackedwithsewnsignaturesofmymammothbook,VanishingAsia.Theoversizedpagesarebeingreadiedtobeboundintothreevolumes,withatotal1,080pagesforeachbookset.
IhavespentfiftyyearsphotographingtheremotepartsofAsia,inthirty-fivecountriesbetweenTurkeyandJapan,andtheresultisthishand-designed,kaleidoscopicportraitofacontinent.MostoftheculturalmomentsIcapturedinthe9,000photographsinthebookarequicklydisappearing.Amazingcostumes,architecture,traditionsarerapidlyvanishingasAsiaracesintothefutureandbeyond.
AfterbeingeverywhereinAsiaallthetime,Ihavenotbeenanywhereintwoyears.Thepauseintravelcausedbythepandemicenabledmetospendthepastyearputtingthisbooktogetherandgettingitpublished.NowwhensitinmystudiointhesummerfogandIpagethroughthefirstsamplecopiesthatwereovernightedtome,Ifeellikeastrangerwanderinginplacesunknown.Thisotherworldseemssodistantnow,thatIamabletotravelthroughthisbookasifIamseeingthesewondersforthefirsttime.
Themindisastrangething.Ratherthanactingastokensthatremindme,theseimagesactasglimpsesthatsurpriseme,eventhoughIwasstandingrighttherewithmycameraon.SomysummerhasbeenspentwithmybuttinachairinPacifica,California,whilemybeinghasbeenonaremarkablejourneytoplaceswherefewworeshoes,clothesweresewnbyhand,homesconstructedofmaterialsnearby,citieshadfewvehicles,andalltheinhabitantsweresureofwhotheywere.
DavidChalmers
NewYorkCity
GeoffreyWest
SantaFe
GreetingsfromSantaFe,wherewe'renormallyinundatedwithvisitorsatthistimeofyear,butalas,allisquietontheWesternfront.
ThescourgeofCOVIDcontinuesandmyfirstprojectedairlinetripsinalmosttwoyearshavehadtobecancelled;despitehavingbeenboosted,itseemsshort-sightedtoriskitatmyage.I'mdysfunctionalandneurologicallyimpairedenoughasitis!MaybeI'llneverflyagainButfuckit,amongotherthings,I'mgivingupspeakingatGleneaglesinScotlandanddeliveringaspeciallectureatEtonCollege—canyouimaginewhatthatwouldhavemeantforapoorboyfromtheEastEnd!
I'vebeenstaticandsequesteredallyear;givenmygenerallymisanthropicpersonality,thishasn'tbeenparticularlyonerous.ButIdomisstheserendipitousnon-linearthree-dimensionalbull-shitdiscussionsandintenseengagementwithmywonderfulcollaboratorsandcolleagues,whomIcantouch,smell,andviscerallyfeel,ratherthanthetwo-dimensionalsoullessantisepticalienexperienceofZoom.
Yes,butZoomdidsaveusalland,remarkably,wewereabletopublishsomereallygoodpapersthisyear(evenoneinNature)—rangingfromatheoryofsleepandbraindevelopmenttoauniversallawofmobilityincities,thedeathandgrowthofcompanies,fairycircles,thescalingofuniversitiesandwhyCOVIDwilllikelylastabouttwoyears,likethe1918flu—soIshouldhardlycomplain.
JacquelineandIdidgoonaroadtriptoseeourchildrenandnewgrandchildreninCaliforniaearlyinthesummer,sincewehadtogotoMayoClinicenroutetohelpusstayalivejustalittlelonger—apparently,wewill!First,wewenttoSanFranciscotoseeDevorah,Jeff,andAlastair,then,fornostalgia'ssake,wetookthewonderfuldrivedownthroughBigSurtoLAtobewithJoshua,Tracey,andAugust.Ah,areminderofthegoodolddayswhenwe'dgotoNepenthetodancetheeveningawayontheoutdoorpatio,followedbysneakingintoEsalenaftermidnightforthehotspringbathshighuponthecliffs,thencrashingonTonyKing'sland.Hm,memoriesofHeinz,whomImiss...Likeeverythingelse—sadlyincludingacademiaanduniversities—it'sallnowsocorporate,sanitized,entrepreneurial,andcontrolled—thecurrencyhasbeensorelydebased.
But,maybethat'sasitshouldbe;itmaybeaplatitude,butthingschangeandtheyhaveto,andoldfartshavetodie.I'mreadingHardyandSpinoza,watchingBergmanandTottenham,listeningtoBeethovenandBerlioz(Istillshiveronhearingthe"DiesIrae")andvaguelythinkaboutwritinganewbook,likeeveryoneelse.Maybeit'llbeaboutTime,aboutlifeanddeath,birthandinnovation,adaptationandevolution,sleep,entropyandmortgagingthefuture,collapseandrebirth,thefutureoftheplanet,theconnectivityofallthings,andthemeaningoflifebutthen...whatnewdoIhavetosay
DianaDeutsch
GreetingsfromtheCaliforniacoast,wherewearereactingtothepandemicindifferentways.Onefamilymemberheadedforthehills—specificallytoCoarsegold—asmallminingtownclosetotheYosemiteNationalPark,sonamedbecausegoldwasfoundtherein1849,leadingtoabriefinfluxofprospectors.Buttherattlesnakes,excessivesummerheat,smokefromwildfires,andtorrentialwinterrainspersuadedhimtoreturnhome.
Incontrast,I'vebeenstayingputinLaJolla,preparinginvitedvideolecturesforfestivalsofmusicandart—inStrasbourg,inBerlin,andelsewhere.Inconsequence,I'vehadmanydiscussionswithcomposersandvisualartists,whobringfascinatingnewperspectivestothestudyofmusicperception.I'vealsobeenspendinglonghoursimprovisingsoundpatternsonthecomputer,andintheprocess,havestumbledonanewclassofmusicalillusions.Theseconstantlysurpriseme—andalthoughIunderstandpartofwhytheyoccur,thereisstillmuchaboutthemthat'sacompletemystery.Workingwiththemhasbecomeanobsession.
Benotafeard;theisleisfullofnoises,Soundsandsweetairs,thatgivedelight,andhurtnot.SometimesathousandtwanglinginstrumentsWillhumaboutmineears;andsometimevoices,That,ifIthenhadwakedafterlongsleep,Willmakemesleepagain:andthen,indreaming,Thecloudsmethoughtwouldopen,andshowrichesReadytodropuponme;that,whenIwaked,Icriedtodreamagain.
AmandaGefter
Watertown,Massachusetts
Greetingsfrommydesk—PandemicUSA—whereIhavenowspentsomevagueeternitywriting,reading,thinking,dreaming,pullingstrandsofthoughtlikesilkthreadsfromthepagesofbooks.
Iplaythemlikesomepolyphonicinstrument—notesofNielsBohr,MartinBuber,GeorgeHerbertMead,PeterPutnam,MarjorieGrene,MauriceMerleau-Ponty,MikhailBakhtin—andlistenforunexpectedmelodiesinthetunesofquantummechanics,enactivism,pragmatism,language,themind.
WhatIheararerecurringriffs.Somethingabouttherelationshipbetweensubjectandobject.Abouthowwrongwe'vegottenitseveringthemsuchthateachcanfacetheother,bewildered,fromacrossaCartesianabyss.Igatherthethreadsandattempttotiethemintoaknot.It'stheabyssthatinvitesthenotionofrepresentation—abrain'smentalrepresentationoftheworld,say,orawavefunction'srepresentationofaquantumsystem,anoun'srepresentationofathing.Ipullattheloosestrandsandtheknotdisappears.Subjectandobjectarecontextual,relationalnotions.Unseverablefromthestart.Representationsneverstoodachance.Thethreadswraparoundmyfingers,acat'scradle.
Thebraindoesn'trepresenttheworld,thebrainrespondstotheworld;wavefunctionsaren'thowwerepresentsystems,they'rehowweengagewiththem;nounsdon'trepresentthings,butconjurethem,throughourbodilyinteractionswiththeworld.Subjectandobjectareunseverablebecauseeachactsbackontheotherinanongoingdynamicthatcan'tbeteasedapart.
Butweforget.Thatourprocessesossifyintoobjects,butossificationisaprocess,too.Thatnounsareslipknots.Thatweusethemtopausetheworld,buttheworldflowsthroughthemanyway.It'sapeculiarrevelationtohaveinthemidstofthepandemic,here,whereitfeelslikemylifeisstillonhold:thattheworldkeepsonworlding.Thatourattemptstopauseit—tocaptureit,torepresentit,topinitlikeabutterfly—arethemselvesjustmoreeddiesintheflow.Thesilkthreadshaveformedacocoonnow.Insideit,somethingisstirring.
—AmandaGefter
RichardNisbett
Tucson,Arizona
I'vebeentendingmygardeninAnnArborandplanningchangesintheTucsongardenI'mabouttostartworkinginassoonastheweatherinAnnArborbecomeslessagreeable(aroundOctober31).Believeitornot,theTucsongardenhashadmorerainthissummerthantheAnnArborgarden.
Partofmysummerhasbeendevotedtocatchupreading,notablyBehavebyRobertSapolskyandSapiensbyYuvalNoahHarari.Theformerisfulloffascinatingfactsandperspectivesaboutbehavior,humanandotherwise.ThelatterisfullofanswerstoimportantquestionsIhadnevergottenaroundtoexploring,e.g.,whatfractionofmodernEuropeangenesareNeanderthalinorigin;whatfractionofmodernAsiangenesareDenisovaninorigin;whyismoneysoessentialtoanyeconomy;howdidcapitalismariseandwhyisittheonlypossiblebasisforamoderneconomy
I'mlookingforwardtothepublicationofmynewbook,Thinking:AMemoir,whileI'malsoengagedinplanningmynextbook,whichwillexaminethenatureandrootsofculturaldifferencesincognitiveskillsandtemperamentalcharacteristicsthatarehelpfulforsuccessinvariouseconomicniches.
—Dick
RandolphNesse
Michigan
About12,000yearsago,ahalf-milewidechunkoficelodgedandmeltedhere.Thelakeedgeshavefilledinabitinrecentmillennia,creatingwonderfulwadingforaflockofthirtysandhillcranes.Oneofthecoltsfromthenestatourlakeshoredisappearedlastweek,buttheotherisreadytomigrate.
ThedockisjustoutsideWi-Firange,makingittheperfectplacetoreworkmyideasaboutwhynaturalselectionhasleftusvulnerabletosomanymaladies.AndtoreadHopkinsandWallaceStevens.Andtotalkwithfriendsafterdinnerwhilewewatchthecranessoarin.
Thisafternoonitisstillwarmenoughtoswim,soIwillheadoutsoon.Theexperienceisfullimmersioninnature,especiallywhenIfloatlookingupatthecloudsandthevulturescircleinforalook.
PhilipGoff
Durham
I'vehadabusysummer.Ifinishedco-editing(withAlexMoran)avolumeofessaysbyscientistsandphilosophersonthetopicofpanpsychism,whichiscomingoutthisOctoberinJournalofConsciousnessStudies.Mycontribution,"PuttingConsciousnessFirst,"sketchesoutwhat"post-Galilean"scienceofconsciousness—oneinwhichconsciousnessistakentobeafundamentalfeatureofreality—mightlooklike.
Ialsowroteapaperarguingthattheinferencefromcosmologicalfine-tuningtoamultiversecommitsalogicalfallacy,namelytheinversegambler’sfallacy.
Onalighternote,IsetupaYouTubechannel/podcast,called"MindChat"withmyfellowphilosopherKeithFrankish.Keithisanillusionist,whichissomeonewhothinksconsciousness—atleastasphilosophersstandardlyconceiveofit—doesn’treallyexist.SothegimmickisthatIthinkconsciousnessiseverywhereandKeiththinksit’snowhere.
Onceallthatwasdone,Imanagedtosqueezeinaweekoff.WehadaBeatrixPotter-themedholidaythisyearinthebeautifulLakeDistrict(ifyou’revisitingtheUK,don’tforgetthenorthofEnglandisthemostbeautifulbit!).Aswellasdoingalotofhikingandbiking,wetookatriptoPotter’spicturesquehometownofBowness-on-Windermere,includingavisittoBeatrixPotterWorldforthekids(that’smyexcuseanyway).TypicalUK,itrainedthelastcoupleofdays,sowewenttothecinematoseethenewPeterRabbitfilmonarainyafternoon(again,forthekids,honest…althoughitwasreallyfunny!).Thephotoisofawonderfulbitofoutdoortheatreforkidswewatchedonanotherrainyday.
Comingbacktowork,Ifindeverybody’sconvertingtopanpsychism!Oratleast,influentialmaterialistMichaelTyeinhisnewbookVaguenessandtheEvolutionofConsciousness.FirstChristofKoch,nowTye,who’snext…Dennett
GeorgeSmoot
Paris
ThismidmorningIwalkedtothemidweekopen-airmarketatLaMotte-Piquetforvegetablesandbargains.Ontheway,IwentbythePanFuChinesefastfoodtakeoutwhentheywereopeningand,intriguedbythename—couldtheyliveuptoKungFuusingtheirpan—gotThai(spicy)chicken,friednoodles,andstirfryveggies.Aftergettingothersuppliesatthemarket,IhadapicnicattheChampsdeMarsintheshade,lookingattheEiffelTowerandwatchingthelocalsandafewtouristsgoingby.Twomotorcyclespulledup,andfirsttheytookpicturesofthebeautifulwomandriverinfrontofhermotorcycleandthenthemanputonayellowPokémonPikachuoutfitforhisphotos.
Theweatherwassonice,andthisseemedsonormalthatitfeelslikenothinghaschangedandthatIamluckytobequarantinedinsuchaniceplace.
However,inthedeadofwinterthingsweredifferent.Before,Iwasassumingthingswouldbebacktotheoldnormalsoonandhadbeenwritingmanyscientificpaperswithcollaboratorsandencouragingstudentsalong.IthoughtoverthestayathomeenforcedholidaysI'dworkonsomethingdifferentandapproachedtheissueofinformationtheory/conservationandhowlifeandecosystemshavesuchcomplexityofinformationwhentheinitialwavefunctionseemsasthoughitwouldbesosimple.Ididmakegoodprogressbutworemyselfoutandfellbehindonsupportingmystudentsetc.Butitdidmakemerealizethattheresultappliestopeople,toeconomicsystems,andtheissueofopenscienceandscholarshipaswellastheoverallstabilityofsocieties.Thisledtotheeagernessofoneofmygraduatestudentstograduate,asthepandemichasslowedthelivesofsomany.Butitweighsespeciallyheavilyonstudentswhowereanticipatinggraduatingsoonandwhosefellowshipshavereachednearnominalendtorushandtakeonarelatedproject.Hehaspandemically,cheerfullywritteninalargerpaper:
"Failureofcomplexnetworksoftenoccurinacascadingmanner,meaningthatfailureofonecomponentofthesystemcantriggerthefailureofothernearbycomponents,therebycausingalarge-scalecollapseoftheentiresystem."
Thisrelatestoecosystemfailuresandmanyotherslikefinance,socialsystems,largeelectronicnetworks,software,etc.Muchmoretobedoneand,likeCassandra,doomedtobeignored.Reallyupliftingandcheerfulthoughtsonabeautifulday.
SusanSchneider
BocaRaton,Florida
I’vespentthesummerfoundingmynewCenterfortheFutureMindatthebeachinBocaRaton,Florida.Wewillfocusonthefutureofintelligence,bringingtogetherideasaboutthefundamentalnatureofmind,complexsystems,theethicsofsyntheticintelligence,deeplearning,andmore.I’mworkingonanewbookonthefutureofintelligenceandamcontinuingtoadviseCongressonthesethemesaswell.SoI’mdelightedtobesurroundedbycolleaguesworkingontheseissuesatthenewCenter,andIlookforwardtohostingfutureconversationsonthesethemes!Therehaveobviouslybeennobigtripsthissummer,butI’vediscoveredthatIabsolutelylovewakinguptothesoundoftheocean,andwalkingthebeachatsunrise.SoIamsharingaphotoofthismorning’ssunrise.Wishingyouallpeaceandjoy.
VenkiRamakrishnan
VillageofBraemar,Scotland
InlateJune,wesawourchildrenforthefirsttimeintwoyears,oneoftheproblemsoflivingindifferentcontinentsduringapandemic.Myson,acellist,wasteachingatKneiselHall,asummerprogramforearlycareerchambermusiciansinBlueHill,Maine,sowedecidedtospendacoupleofweeksthereandhikedinnearbyAcadiaNationalPark.
InearlySeptember,Iattendedameetingon"TheNewEnlightenment"inthepicturesquevillageofBraemarinScotland,withanearbycastle.ItwasaneclecticmeetinginwhichweheardfromtheOxfordgroupaboutthecreationofnewvaccines,fromDeepMindandothersabouttheprospectsandethicsofAI,fromMartinReesaboutspaceandthesearchforinterplanetarylife,andmanyothers.TwopeopleatmytableatdinnerwereEdge'sownCarloRovelliwhodiscussedtime—bothphysicalandourbiologicalperceptionofitwithHannahFry,amathematicianwhoisalsoasuperbwriterandcommunicator.Iamwritingabookonwhyandhowweageanddie,soIspokeaboutourattemptstounderstandthebiologyofaging,currenteffortstowardprolonginglifeandthetechbillionaireswhoaresointerestedinfundingthembecausetheydon’twanttheirpartytoend,andthequestionofwhetherwereallyshouldwanttolivemuchlongerthanwedo.
DanielC.Dennett
BlueHill,Maine
NotleavingMaineduetothepandemic,westillhavetwochoices,ourislandhouseandourgardenhouseandSusanandIhavesplitourtimethissummer.Thegardengrowsprodigiously,andweareunabletokeepup,evenwithhiredhelp.Theschoonersarelessfrequentlypassingourislandhouse,thankstoCOVID,buthereistheVictoryChimesonitswaytoBucksHarbor.I'mhardatworkonanintellectualmemoir,relivingoldbattles,triumphsanddebacles.I'vebeensolucky!
AndrianKreye
JulianAlps,Slovenia
It’salwaysgreattotaketheracingmindoutofoverdriveduringoneofthoseEuropeansummervacations.ThisyearwediscoveredSloveniaintheJulianAlpsasthenewlypropagatedfoodiedestination.TackledthesteeplearningcurveofmaneuveringaKayakdownamoderatelyturbulentmountainriver.SpentlongsummerdaysatthepoolofaguesthouseonawineryinFriuli.Nearingtheendofsummerandthebeginningofafallcoveringthefrontlinesofthepandemic,climatechangeanddigitalization,Venicewasagreatintellectualairlocktocomebackfromweeksofdeliberatementalslackening.
Normallythefloatingcity’sbiennaleofarchitectureallowsforsillyideasandthoughtexperiments.Thisyearitposedthedeadseriousquestion"howwillwelivetogether"Therewasnowant,canorshouldinthere.Quitealotofbigquestionsloomedbehindthisone.Howtotackletheclimatecatastrophe,pandemics,thegreatmigrationsofrefugees,risingpoverty,hunger,andsealevels.Architecturehasfoundaverygeneralanswer.Science.Ithasalwaysbeenpolitical,itlongreliedonsociology.Thenewfocusonbiology,chemistry,andtheunderstandingthatis,initself,ascienceatthejunctionofbothutopiasanddystopias,wasindeedagreatthrillbeyondtheideasthemselves.
It’sgreattoloseyourselfinthemazeofideasinthebiennale’sgardensandendlesshallsofformershipyards.Thequalitymightbeuneven.Theacutenessofthegeneralthrustisnot.So,itwasafarewelltothehazydaysoftheSouthernEuropeansummer,Venice’soppressingheat,anotsogentlereminderofthisplanet’smostpressingproblem.
Walkingbackfromthesensoryoverloadoftheexhibitionstothecoolhavenofourair-conditionedapartmentwestumbleduponastreetcorner,wherethewallofthelocalofficeofItaly’sCommunistRefoundationPartyisadornedbyanaltardecoratedwithfreshflowers.Throughanopenwindow,therefugeofunapologeticcommunistfervorlookedmorelikearelaxedbookstorecafé.Notwithstandingtheidyllicsetup,itremindedmeofvisionstryingtoanswerthebigquestionsofhowwewilllivetogetherontheshakyintellectualgroundsofideologyandfaith.Theysurefailed,wherescienceisnowunderpressuretosucceed.