The Restless Clock: A History of the Centuries-Long Argument over What Makes Living Things Tick The Restless Clock opens in “the dark ages” with a parade of moving statues and mechanical theaters, constructed almost entirely of wood, driven by weights or water, and acting out astronomical, religious and quotidian scenes. They could be found everywhere, from churches to … [Read more...] about The Restless Clock
Bloodlines
Bloodlines: Odyssey of a Native Daughter As I read this book, I drew a family tree so I could keep better track of all the people within. I’m not sure I could have absorbed the story without it. A family tree that only showed who-begat-whom didn't suffice. It matters, for instance, when there is an age gap of ten years between a person and the rest of her siblings. I … [Read more...] about Bloodlines
The First Word
The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language Consider the internet and its potential to connect everyone. This is nothing new, says Christine Keneally. Language, she maintains, is the “first virtual world” where we are online all the time. It is unclear how we arrived. Language is in our minds, our conversations, and our perceptions. It can be preserved in … [Read more...] about The First Word
The Spaces Between Us
Have you ever inadvertently walked too close to an overhanging branch only to have a leaf or twig that you didn’t see slap you on the eyelid as you passed? Was it by some lucky coincidence that you happened to blink at the perfect instant? Michael Graziano, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Princeton University, would assure you that timing of the blink was no … [Read more...] about The Spaces Between Us
Certain Women
As all good students of Paulo Friere know, literacy isn’t simply about reading print words in sentence order. “Reading” means “reading the world as well.” For your reading pleasure, I offer a flim: Certain Women, written and directed by Kelly Reichardt. After I saw this film, I thought about it for weeks. I’m still thinking about it, flashing occasionally on an image or a … [Read more...] about Certain Women