STORING STUFF FOR MILLENNIA
HITTING THE “SAVE” BUTTON instills perhaps misplaced confidence. True, the stuff continues to exist somewhere or other. But can it be easily retrieved? And for how long? Robert F. Service … Continue reading
THE PALIMPSEST OF ARCHIMEDES PART 2
YESTERDAY, WE BEGAN SHARING CLAIRE HALL’S LRB REVIEW “Maths is Second Best” of Nicholas Nicastro’s Archimedes: Fulcrum of Science. Today, we pick up with her analysis of the Hellenistic world … Continue reading
THE PALIMPSEST OF ARCHIMEDES PART 1
THE WORD “PALIMPSEST” MAY JOG THE MEMORY of longtime readers of this website: “Medieval DNA Sleuthing,” SimanaitisSays, August 7, 2017, described “A palimpsest is a piece of writing material, parchment, … Continue reading
DOUBLING DOWN—AND REMINDING ME OF AN OLD JOKE
SPEAKING, UNDER OATH, ONE WOULD ASSUME, before a Congressional committee, Kristi Noem outdid herself in the Trump administration’s practice of doubling down. Examples of this are offered in “Noem Sticks … Continue reading
A PAIR OF WIND WAGONS PART 2
YESTERDAY WE SHARED Bill Milliken’s adventure with his Aero-Triple-Cycle. Today in Part 2, Sam Posey tells us about his Crazy Uncle Teddy’s Wind Wagon. The primary source of this is … Continue reading
A PAIR OF WIND WAGONS PART 1
BILL MILLIKEN AND TEDDY JAMESON were kindred spirits born two years apart, 1911 and 1913, respectively. Both were enamored of things mechanical; both were evidently inspired by Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic … Continue reading
THAT MOVIE STANK! PART 2
YESTERDAY, LETTERS TO LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS encouraged me to research olfactory cinema, movies with accompanying aromas (besides popcorn and perhaps stale seating). Today, specifics are addressed with a brief … Continue reading
THAT MOVIE STANK! PART 1
BUT MAYBE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO STINK. A recent “Letters” column in London Review of Books, February 19, 2026, follows up on a citation of mine: Susannah Clapp’s reference to … Continue reading
LOSING A $50 BILLION BET—OR JUST MORE TRUMP CHAOS? PART 2
YESTERDAY, LINDSAY VANHULLE DESCRIBED “Automakers Regroup As Market Shifts After $50 Billion EV Debacle,” Automotive News, February 13, 2026. This, of course, is a fair piece of change, but implications … Continue reading
LOSING A $50 BILLION BET—OR JUST MORE TRUMP CHAOS? PART 1
“IT’S A BILLION HERE, A BILLION THERE, PRETTY SOON IT BEGINS TO ADD UP TO REAL MONEY.” So recounted The New York Times in 1938. And a variation of the … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 