Proust was a Neuroscientist

Book review time!

Proust was a Neuroscientist
by Jonah Lehrer

Using a handful of writers, artist, chef, and musician, Lehrer links the world of neuroscience and psychology, with the world of arts. I thought it was a rather interesting read, with new links and random information for the common reader.

Each chapter is dedicated to a specific artist, and the connections they have made to the scientific world. It typically starts off with a brief introduction and biography about the artist, some of the works they have accomplished. Then, ties between neuroscience and the specific works they have created, how they felt about it. What I liked the most, is that within each chapter, Lehrer also brought in other artists, philosophers, scientists, etc, to back up, or counter the argument. So we get to learn philosophies from a much wider range of people.

Though, to fully enjoy the book, I think one should have some specialty/common knowledge in the arts. For example, one chapter featured a musician - Stravinsky. And when Lehrer made notes between music, and how our brains work, I enjoyed it with greater depth, than some of the chapters on novelists, because I did manage to understand the terminology, and was able to relate to the experiences, and thus understand the links better. Same thing goes for the artist chapter, in which, I understood the experiences.

However, that is not to discourage readers who do not consider artistic inclinations their forte. The language used in the book, is clear enough, that it is suitable for everyone. I just think that artists, writers and musicians would take more out of it, because it does involve their art. For example, I liked and understood the chapters on novelists, but I do not remember as much from those, than from the music and art ones. (After all, memory is linked with the emotions that we feel at the time of its creation)

Overall, I think it's a book worth reading =)

Red Moon

It is just beautiful, things you can observe so late at night.

Right now, sitting outside my window, lies a sliver of the red moon.

It looks something like this:

Photo by Chris Harvey

http://www.flitemedia.com/index.php

Except, my moon, is a waxings one (the one show in this image is waning), and it is larger, yellower/whiter along the outer edge, and its craters are much more visible. It is much better to be looking at it, photographs does it no justice.

It is visions like this, that are the driving forces behind artistic creation, behind inspirations, the romanticism in ourselves.

And I just love how, if someone in my general geographical area looks up in the right direction, they will see the exact same thing, and perhaps ponder the exact same thoughts.

So pretty...... But alas, like all beauty, it will not last. It will return again, perhaps in the same setting, perhaps in a different one. But for now, it is fading.

Back in December, was the first time I saw this red moon in a long while. It was in the early hours of the morning, not quite dawn yet. The moon was full that day, and in the exact same location, I sat there, watching as the red disk slowly sank to the ground, disappearing into the horizon.

It was quite amazing. Because in the summer, I always watch the sun set, just a little west of where that moon was. They sank, the exact same way, the moon being slightly larger, and the setting of it signalled the beginning of light, instead of the end.

So this is where philosophies and ancient tales, stories passed down through generations came from...

The Scale of the Universe

A little link that a friend of mine sent us a while ago.
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/525347

It is very fascinating.

Of course, the values are going up exponentially in relation to one another. Literally, it would not make sense for the distance between atoms to be further apart than people between people. Relatively, yes, literally, no.

And it does leave you wondering... and be in awe, of our universe, our existence.

Of Valentines and New Years

       February 14th, Valentine's Day. This year, today also happens to be Chinese New Year (which technically was yesterday because it originated in Asia; time zone differences, etc, etc).

       It is intended to be a day for loving couples, peace / family time, good luck, traditions, and so on. It's a special day, to be celebrated, to cherish things. However, and maybe I am just being my usual 'gloomy' self here, I don't feel anything special about it.

       Now, I love the idea of traditions, different dates, memorials, rituals. I love learning about them, studying them, even celebrating them. But, I've been getting this anticlimatic feeling for almost all the holidays/celebrations recently. It is almost like there's no spirit behind it.

       Valentine's Day for example; if you are with someone, first of all, you should be (most of the time anyway) treasuring that person no matter what time of the year it is. If that seems to be a bit too cliche, you should at least be able to show your affection, when you want. Valentine's seems to be this giant obligation that everyone must follow. It's too commercialized, just like Christmas and Easter and all those other holidays. The meanings and values behind are lost in the mist of mass production of roses and chocolate hearts. If you are involved, it seems like you are obligated to empty your pockets and take the extra time to do something special right on that day, because your partner would be expecting it. If you are single, well, there seems to be social pressure for you do either join some cult with other singles and mourn your lack of a partner (which, if you were truly that desperate, would be doing the other 364-5 days of the year anyway), or to say that you are proud to be single. Or some other idiocy that springs up on this day that everyone who's past puberty must follow. Even in grade school, when we used to make those Valentine's day cards and buy chocolate hearts to send them to our classmates. It is a well meaning gesture, and I encourage the tradition of doing so (social connections and what not), but it does usually lead into a small competition of who got the most cards and candies.

       Onto New Years. I like those mass New Years celebrations, I like the fact that families and friends try to get together on this day*, in this family connections wrecked time in our history. But, again, I don't feel the specialness behind it. At the stroke of midnight, nothing feels changed. In fact, in most of our lives, nothing have changed. We are still in the same crappy situations we are in, unfinished work still needs to be done, our relationship with the rest of the world have not changed a single bit. Life still goes on. The most significant thing is that we'll have to get used to writing 2010, instead of 2009. I think, in an almost archtypical kind of way, this passage of time should be something sacred. Like shedding a layer of skin, burning the old, unwanted, and embracing the new. But it does not feel this way, like something is lost....

      I don't know about anyone else, but I would like to regain the meaning behind these celebrations. Without these moments, time feels lost. It seems like we are in this whirl of linear time, that at the same time feels like a loop and does not lead us anywhere. And there is this strictness in which we measure and place and structure events on time, that leads to this diminishing sacredness. At this rate, I'll have to agree with the existentialists.

       So maybe our ancestors got it right, when we marked important stepping stones on biological indications. Sure, things would be most chaotic, but it might also seem more significant.

       In conclusion.... well, I have nothing else to say.

       For those of you who want to do something special, more meaningful for Valentines, here's this very cute DIY Anatomical Heart Card from Cheeky Magpie.

*plus, for Chinese New Year, we get red pockets ^_____^ (which is strangely, gold coloured for me this year).