Claude Monet Water-Lilies 1914Claude Monet The Seine at Rouen IClaude Monet The Road Bridge at ArgenteuilClaude Monet The Bridge at Argenteuil
This Pulitzer Prize winning book is a mind-opening journey that spans science, computation, zen, art, music and much much more. The book is most unusual in the way it tells its story. Some chapters are dialogs between Waldrop Stephen Hawking once said: “I think the next century will be the century of complexity.” Complexity science is one of the most important breakthroughs in recent history. Unlike the traditional specialized approach to science, complexity focuses on patterns and properties that exist across different branches.Achilles and Tortoise. Other chapters are focused on Bach’s fugues and the theorems of great German mathematician Kurt Gordel.Throughout the book, Hofstadter discusses the work of M.C. Escher, a painter famous for his paradoxical paintings that question how the mind perceives space. In addition, the book features chapters about modern genetics, zen buddhism and neuroscience. All of these seemingly diverse topics come together to discuss recursive structures, the mind, artificial intelligence and computation. 2. Complexity by Mitchell
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Claude Monet The Picnic
Claude Monet The PicnicClaude Monet La GrenouillereFabian Perez TangoFabian Perez Flamenco
looked down at the recumbent thief.
"Good.
He looked up and yelled as another ember landed on his neck. Flames were racing along the rooftops on the other side of the street. All around him people were hurling possessions from windows and dragging horses from puzzling him.
"I’m sure all the candles went out," he said. "So how did the Drum catch fire?"
"I don't know," moaned Twoflower. "it's terrible, Rincewind. We were getting along so well, too."
Rincewind stopped in astonishment, so that another refugee cannoned into him and spun away with an oath.
"Getting on?"smoking stables. Another explosion in the white-hot volcano that was the Drum sent a whole marble mantelpiece scything overhead."The Widdershin Gate's the nearest!" Rincewind shouted above the crackle of collapsing rafters. "Come on!"He grabbed Twoflower's reluctant arm and dragged him down the street."My luggage!""Blast your luggage. Stay here much longer and you'll go where you don't need luggage. Come on!" screamed Rincewind.They jogged on through the crowd of frightened people leaving the area, while the wizard took great mouthfuls of cool dawn air. Something was
looked down at the recumbent thief.
"Good.
He looked up and yelled as another ember landed on his neck. Flames were racing along the rooftops on the other side of the street. All around him people were hurling possessions from windows and dragging horses from puzzling him.
"I’m sure all the candles went out," he said. "So how did the Drum catch fire?"
"I don't know," moaned Twoflower. "it's terrible, Rincewind. We were getting along so well, too."
Rincewind stopped in astonishment, so that another refugee cannoned into him and spun away with an oath.
"Getting on?"smoking stables. Another explosion in the white-hot volcano that was the Drum sent a whole marble mantelpiece scything overhead."The Widdershin Gate's the nearest!" Rincewind shouted above the crackle of collapsing rafters. "Come on!"He grabbed Twoflower's reluctant arm and dragged him down the street."My luggage!""Blast your luggage. Stay here much longer and you'll go where you don't need luggage. Come on!" screamed Rincewind.They jogged on through the crowd of frightened people leaving the area, while the wizard took great mouthfuls of cool dawn air. Something was
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Henri Rousseau The Boat in the Storm
Henri Rousseau The Boat in the StormHenri Rousseau SurpriseHenri Rousseau Sleeping GypsyHenri Rousseau Scout Attacked by a Tiger
daemon.
Of course, she hadn't understood what he meant; he'd spoken of panserbj0rne instead of using the English word, so she didn't know he was talking about bears, and she had no idea that lofur Raknison wasn't a man. And a man would have had a daemon anyway, so it hadn't made sense.
But now it was lorek Byrnison to his rightful throne; a way, finally, of getting to the place where they had put Lord Asriel, and taking him the alethiometer.
The idea hovered and shimmered delicately, like a soap bubble, and she dared not even look at it directly in case it burst. But she was familiar with the way of ideas, and she let it shimmer, looking away, thinking about something else.plain. Everything she'd heard about the bear-king added up: the mighty lofur Raknison wanted nothing more than to be a human being, with a daemon of his own.And as she thought that, a plan came to her: a way of making lofur Raknison do what he would normally never have done; a way of restoring
daemon.
Of course, she hadn't understood what he meant; he'd spoken of panserbj0rne instead of using the English word, so she didn't know he was talking about bears, and she had no idea that lofur Raknison wasn't a man. And a man would have had a daemon anyway, so it hadn't made sense.
But now it was lorek Byrnison to his rightful throne; a way, finally, of getting to the place where they had put Lord Asriel, and taking him the alethiometer.
The idea hovered and shimmered delicately, like a soap bubble, and she dared not even look at it directly in case it burst. But she was familiar with the way of ideas, and she let it shimmer, looking away, thinking about something else.plain. Everything she'd heard about the bear-king added up: the mighty lofur Raknison wanted nothing more than to be a human being, with a daemon of his own.And as she thought that, a plan came to her: a way of making lofur Raknison do what he would normally never have done; a way of restoring
Monday, February 23, 2009
William Bouguereau Innocence
William Bouguereau InnocenceBill Brauer The Gold DressUnknown Artist Muhammad Ali pop artUnknown Artist Bruce Lee
weak...."
They were as frightened as Lyra was. She found Annie and the others, and sat down.
"Listen," she said, "can you keep a secret?"
"Yeah!".
"The fire bell, like this afternoon. It's all organized. All the kids're going to know and none of the grownups. Especially not her."
Their eyes were gleaming with hope and excitement. And all through the canteen the message was being passed around. Lyra could tell that the atmosphere had changed. Outside, the children had been energetic and eager for play; then when they The three faces turned to her, vivid with expectation."There's a plan to escape," Lyra said quietly. "There's some people coming to take us away, right, and they'll be here in about a day. Maybe sooner. What we all got to do is be ready as soon as the signal goes and get our cold-weather clothes at once and run out. No waiting about. You just got to run. Only if you don't get your anoraks and boots and stuff, you'll die of cold.""What signal?" Annie demanded
weak...."
They were as frightened as Lyra was. She found Annie and the others, and sat down.
"Listen," she said, "can you keep a secret?"
"Yeah!".
"The fire bell, like this afternoon. It's all organized. All the kids're going to know and none of the grownups. Especially not her."
Their eyes were gleaming with hope and excitement. And all through the canteen the message was being passed around. Lyra could tell that the atmosphere had changed. Outside, the children had been energetic and eager for play; then when they The three faces turned to her, vivid with expectation."There's a plan to escape," Lyra said quietly. "There's some people coming to take us away, right, and they'll be here in about a day. Maybe sooner. What we all got to do is be ready as soon as the signal goes and get our cold-weather clothes at once and run out. No waiting about. You just got to run. Only if you don't get your anoraks and boots and stuff, you'll die of cold.""What signal?" Annie demanded
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Thomas Kinkade Stairway to Paradise
Thomas Kinkade Stairway to ParadiseThomas Kinkade NASCAR THUNDERThomas Kinkade LondonThomas Kinkade Light of Freedom
watched their daemons. This nurse's was a pretty bird, just as neat and incurious as Sister Clara's dog, and the doctor's was a large heavy moth. Neither moved. They were awake, for the bird's eyes were bright and the moth's feelers waved languidly, but they weren't animated, as she would have expected them to be. Perhaps they weren't He was annoyed at having his experiments interrupted, and snapped his fingers in irritation.
"I suppose this is just the sort of thing the practice is meant to show up," he said. "What a nuisance."
"When I came yesterday," Lyra said helpfully, "Sister Clara put my other clothes really anxious or curious at all.Presently the doctor came back and they went on with the examination, weighing her and Pantalaimon separately, looking at her from behind a special screen, measuring her heartbeat, placing her under a little nozzle that hissed and gave off a smell like fresh air.In the middle of one of the tests, a loud bell began to ring and kept ringing."The fire alarm," said the doctor, sighing. "Very well. Lizzie, follow Sister Betty.""But all their outdoor clothes are down in the dormitory building, Doctor. She can't go outside like this. Should we go there first, do you think?"
watched their daemons. This nurse's was a pretty bird, just as neat and incurious as Sister Clara's dog, and the doctor's was a large heavy moth. Neither moved. They were awake, for the bird's eyes were bright and the moth's feelers waved languidly, but they weren't animated, as she would have expected them to be. Perhaps they weren't He was annoyed at having his experiments interrupted, and snapped his fingers in irritation.
"I suppose this is just the sort of thing the practice is meant to show up," he said. "What a nuisance."
"When I came yesterday," Lyra said helpfully, "Sister Clara put my other clothes really anxious or curious at all.Presently the doctor came back and they went on with the examination, weighing her and Pantalaimon separately, looking at her from behind a special screen, measuring her heartbeat, placing her under a little nozzle that hissed and gave off a smell like fresh air.In the middle of one of the tests, a loud bell began to ring and kept ringing."The fire alarm," said the doctor, sighing. "Very well. Lizzie, follow Sister Betty.""But all their outdoor clothes are down in the dormitory building, Doctor. She can't go outside like this. Should we go there first, do you think?"
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thomas Kinkade Footprints in the sand
Thomas Kinkade Footprints in the sandThomas Kinkade Fisherman's WharfThomas Kinkade elegant evening
the quayside he shook himself, sending great sheets of water flying in all directions, till his fur was standing up thickly again. Then he bent to take the black object in his teeth once more and dragged it along to where his armor lay. It was a dead seal.
"lorek," said the , lorek."
"Where's your balloon?" said Lyra to the Texan.
"Packed away in two sledges," he said. "Here comes the boss."
John Faa and Farder Coram, together with the sysselman, came down the quay with four armed paeronaut, standing up lazily and keeping his pistol firmly fixed on the sysselman. "Howdy."The bear looked up and growled briefly, before ripping the seal open with one claw. Lyra watched fascinated as he laid the skin out flat and tore off strips of blubber, which he then rubbed all over his armor, packing it carefully into the places where the plates moved over one another."Are you with these people?" the bear said to Lee Scoresby as he worked."Sure. I guess we're both hired handsolicemen.
the quayside he shook himself, sending great sheets of water flying in all directions, till his fur was standing up thickly again. Then he bent to take the black object in his teeth once more and dragged it along to where his armor lay. It was a dead seal.
"lorek," said the , lorek."
"Where's your balloon?" said Lyra to the Texan.
"Packed away in two sledges," he said. "Here comes the boss."
John Faa and Farder Coram, together with the sysselman, came down the quay with four armed paeronaut, standing up lazily and keeping his pistol firmly fixed on the sysselman. "Howdy."The bear looked up and growled briefly, before ripping the seal open with one claw. Lyra watched fascinated as he laid the skin out flat and tore off strips of blubber, which he then rubbed all over his armor, packing it carefully into the places where the plates moved over one another."Are you with these people?" the bear said to Lee Scoresby as he worked."Sure. I guess we're both hired handsolicemen.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida Arrival of the Boats
Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida Arrival of the BoatsJoaquin Sorolla y Bastida Valencian SceneJoaquin Sorolla y Bastida The Wounded Foot
use for reading the future. And the nearest book of readings I know of is in the Abbey of St. Johann at Heidelberg."
Lyra could see why he was saying this: he didn't want Dr. Lanselius to know of Lyra's power. But she could also see the city of Prague," said the consul. "The Scholar who invented the first alethiometer was apparently trying to discover a way of measuring the influences of the planets, according to the ideas of astrology. He intended to make a device that would respond to the idea of Mars or Venus as a compass responds to the idea of North. In that he failed, but the mechanism he invented was clearly responding to something, even if no one knew what it was."something Farder Coram couldn't, which was the agitation of Dr. Lanselius's daemon, and she knew at once that it was no good to pretend.So she said, "Actually, I can read it," speaking half to Dr. Lanselius and half to Farder Coram, and it was the consul who responded."That is wise of you," he said. "Where did you obtain this one?""The Master of JordanOxford gave it to me," she said. "Dr. Lanselius, do you know who made them?""They are said to originate in
use for reading the future. And the nearest book of readings I know of is in the Abbey of St. Johann at Heidelberg."
Lyra could see why he was saying this: he didn't want Dr. Lanselius to know of Lyra's power. But she could also see the city of Prague," said the consul. "The Scholar who invented the first alethiometer was apparently trying to discover a way of measuring the influences of the planets, according to the ideas of astrology. He intended to make a device that would respond to the idea of Mars or Venus as a compass responds to the idea of North. In that he failed, but the mechanism he invented was clearly responding to something, even if no one knew what it was."something Farder Coram couldn't, which was the agitation of Dr. Lanselius's daemon, and she knew at once that it was no good to pretend.So she said, "Actually, I can read it," speaking half to Dr. Lanselius and half to Farder Coram, and it was the consul who responded."That is wise of you," he said. "Where did you obtain this one?""The Master of JordanOxford gave it to me," she said. "Dr. Lanselius, do you know who made them?""They are said to originate in
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