Science: Kurt Vonnegut’s Ethical Vision, Tuna And Shark Extinction Risks

On this week’s show: How sci-fi writer Kurt Vonnegut foresaw many of today’s ethical dilemmas, and 70 years of tunas, billfishes, and sharks as sentinels of global ocean health

First up this week on the podcast, we revisit the works of science fiction author Kurt Vonneugt on what would have been his 100th birthday. News Intern Zack Savitsky and host Sarah Crespi discuss the work of ethicists, philosophers, and Vonnegut scholars on his influence on the ethics and practice of science. Researchers featured in this segment:

Peter-Paul Verbeek, a philosopher of science and technology at the University of Amsterdam and chair of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology David Koepsell, a philosopher of science and technology at Texas A&M University, College Station Christina Jarvis, a Vonnegut scholar at the State University of New York, Fredonia, and author of the new book Lucky Mud & Other Foma: A Field Guide to Kurt Vonnegut’s Environmentalism and Planetary Citizenship Sheila Jasanoff, a science studies scholar at Harvard University

Next, producer Kevin McLean discusses the connection between fishing pressure and extinction risk for large predatory fish such as tunas and sharks. He’s joined by Maria José Juan Jordá, a postdoc at the Spanish Institute for Oceanography, to learn what a new continuous Red List Index using the past 70 years of fisheries data can tell us about the effectiveness and limits of fishing regulations. Finally, in a sponsored segment from the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office, Sean Sanders, director and senior editor for custom publishing, interviews Joseph Hyser, assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine about his use of wide-field fluorescence live cell microscopy to track intercellular calcium waves created following rotavirus infection. 

Books: The New York Times Book Review – Nov 13, 2022

Illustrated by Chloe Niclas

Inside the November 13, 2022 Issue

Elizabeth Hardwick’s Master Class on Literature and Life

In his elegiac memoir, “Come Back in September,” the novelist and critic Darryl Pinckney recalls his former writing teacher and lifelong friend, and the vibrant New York intellectual world they once inhabited.

Read Your Way Through Helsinki

Pajtim Statovci shares his love of Finnish literature and the books that helped him, a child of immigrants, to find his voice and grow from reader to award-winning writer.

Siddhartha Mukherjee Finds Medical Mystery — and Metaphor — in the Tiny Cell

“The Song of the Cell,” the latest work by the Pulitzer Prize-winning oncologist, recounts our evolving understanding of the body’s smallest structural and functional unit — and its implications for everything from immune therapy and in vitro fertilization to Covid-19.

Culture: The New Review Magazine – Nov 13, 2022

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Punk poet Patti Smith speaks to @KateKellaway1 about her new photography book @BloomsburyBooks @cyrilzed.

Out of the Blue by Harry Cole and James Heale – the salad days of Lettuce Liz Truss

This biography of Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister was overtaken by events, but its lively style and air of authority illuminates her failings

The Path of Peace by Anthony Seldon review – a trail of painful history

The writer’s vivid account of walking the Western Front Way illuminates the traumas of the first world war while reassessing his own tumultuous life

World Economic Forum: Top Stories – Nov 11, 2022

World Economic Forum – Stories of the Week, November 11, 2022:

  • 0:15 The World’s Fastest Shoes – These inventors have made the ‘world’s fastest shoes’. They let you walk at 11kph, which is the speed of a run. The shoes are called Moonwalkers and they’re powered by a tiny electric motor that turns 8 wheels on the base of the shoe.
  • 1:37 These Cities Are Facing a Housing Bubble – Years of low interest rates and cheap mortgages have increased demand among homebuyers but the supply of housing has not grown at the same rate. This mismatch has caused house prices to shoot up around the world, creating housing ‘bubbles’. When these bubbles burst, prices can plummet and experts say rising interest rates could be the pin that pops them
  • 2:53 First Female Crash Test Dummies – The crash test dummy most often used as a stand-in for women Is just a scaled-down version of the male dummy. At 149cm tall and weighing 48kg, it’s actually the size of a 12-year-old girl. The new crash test dummy is 163cm tall and weighs 62kg, taking into account the physiology of the female body. It was created by Astrid Linder and her team in Linköping, Sweden.
  • 4:22 This Company Is Making Chocolate Healthier – The world’s biggest chocolatier has created a new, healthier chocolate. Which contains 50% less sugar, 60-80% more cocoa and zero processed additives. Second-generation’ chocolate uses a new method of preparation. Growing, fermenting and roasting the cocoa beans differently reduces their bitterness without the need for lots of sugar.

Travel: Ancient City Of Kashan In Northern Iran

Kashan is an ancient oasis city in Iran, famous for its architectural wonders and ancient sites from the dawn of civilization. Tepe Sialk is a large ancient archeological site in Kashan, Its first settlements are 8000 years old, and the Sialk ziggurat was built around 3000 BC.

Video timeline: 0:00 Agha Bozorg Mosque 0:45 Old Town 3:02 Borujerdi House 4:05 Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse 4:42 Tabatabaei House 5:20 Bazaar of Kashan 6:24 Tepe Sialk 7:32 Bagh-e Fin Garden

The Fin Garden (16 century) is one of the most beautiful historical gardens of the middle-east, together with other prominent Persian gardens it is on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Site (The Persian Garden). The Borujerdi house is well known for its unique architecture.

Recorded April 2022 in 4K Ultra HD

Waterway Travel: Hotel Barge ‘Renaissance’ On The Canal de Briare In France

European Waterways – Luxury hotel barge Renaissance has been designed to carry 8 guests in ultimate luxury along the Canal de Briare, France’s oldest canal, completed in 1642 and steeped in history on a cruise route that features elegant châteaux, small countryside villages and the famed wine-growing region of Sancerre.

She is a very spacious hotel barge and the beautifully appointed saloon with its wooden beams, classic dining furniture and artwork, invokes the atmosphere of a classic French manor house. The comfortable leather sofas and hand-built bar where you can enjoy your pre-dinner aperitif, add to the feeling of onboard opulence. The ‘Renaissance mood’ extends to the four very generously sized twin- or double-bedded bedroom suites, (approx. average 250sq ft including en suite), each one fully air-conditioned and complemented by a large en suite shower room.

Outside, the large forward deck includes a covered roof extension with a circular table for alfresco dining, comfortable hardwood sun loungers and a heated spa pool. With her refined onboard ambience, Renaissance is the perfect vessel on which to cruise a historic canal and experience the splendour of landmarks en route, including Gustav’s Eiffels’s aqueduct across the mighty River Loire.

CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • – Visit the “time capsule” studio home of 19th century artist Rosa Bonheur and lunch in her salon
  • – Tour of the privately-owned Château de La Bussière, including a cooking demonstration using seasonal produce from the gardens
  • – 7-lock flight at Rogny-Les-Sept-Ecluses, a national historic monument – Cruise across the aqueduct at Briare, built by Gustave Eiffel over the River Loire
  • – Private wine tasting at the renowned Sancerre winery of La Perriere – Excellent opportunities for walking and biking. Biking Plus option available

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Reviews: ‘The Week In Art’

This week: as the UN’s climate emergency summit, Cop27, continues in Egypt, Ben Luke talks to Louisa Buck, The Art Newspaper’s contemporary art correspondent—and the author of our online column about art and climate change—about international art initiatives responding to the crisis.

Kaywin Feldman, the director of the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, DC, tells us about the museum’s new $10m endowment fund for purchases of works by women artists. The historic gift, from the family of the gallery’s first female president, Victoria P. Sant, will help the NGA fill gaps in its collection.

And this episode’s Work of the Week is Mother with Child on her Arm, Nude II (1906) by the German painter Paula Modersohn-Becker. The work is a highlight of Making Modernism, a show of German women artists that opens this weekend at the Royal Academy in London.

The exhibition’s curator, Dorothy Price, discusses this late painting in Modersohn-Becker’s short but productive life.Making Modernism: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 12 November-12 February 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previews: The Guardian Weekly November 11, 2022

The cover of the 11 November edition of the Guardian Weekly.

The Guardian Weekly, November 11, 2022:

Benjamin Netanyahu is nothing if not a fighter. Having been ousted as Israel’s prime minister a year ago by an alliance of political foes and now embroiled in a corruption trial (he denies all charges), one might have thought the 73-year-old’s career was up. 

The Cop27 climate talks got under way in Egypt, as debate raged over the agenda as well as a furore over hosting the event in a country where political and human rights are a live issue. Environment editor Fiona Harvey explains what the talks – which run until 18 November – can hope to achieve, amid a slew of alarming reports about the rate of global heating.

This week’s magazine went to press too soon to feature news of the US midterm elections – there’ll be plenty on that in the next edition. In the meantime, Leyland Cecco reports from Canada, where there are claims China is operating a chain of clandestine police stations to keep tabs on its diaspora.

Design: Northside House In Clifton Hill, Australia

The Local Project – Through warm and inviting additions, Northside House becomes a dream house for the clients of Wellard Architects. In partnership with Artedomus, Wellard Architects have carefully considered the owners’ personalities with the selection of colours, tones and materials.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to Dream House 00:39 – An Alterations and Additions Project 00:51 – The History Behind Northside House 01:10 – Layout of the Dream House 02:01 – The Overarching Theme of Compression and Release 02:50 – Joining Forces with Artedomus 03:17 – The Main Materials Utilised Throughout The Home 05:02 – Artedomus’ Involvement 05:37 – The Architect’s and Artedomus’ Favourite Aspects 06:13 – Proud Moments from the Architect’s

Located on a corner site of Clifton Hill, Northside House is an existing heritage home that once housed an Italian plasterer and showrooms. However, with carefully considered alterations and additions, the dream house becomes a space for private family dwelling that also opens to the surrounding community. From the front of the Federation-era home, the house tour leads guests past the principal bedrooms and bathrooms of the original home.

Wellard Architect’s alterations and additions become evident with the double-height hallway that marks the transition between the old and new. Located upstairs is a lounge and study, which offer a warm and light-filled retreat where one can find some privacy in a busy household. On the ground floor, the living and dining spaces have been subtly zoned so no space feels too cavernous. From the blonde timber walls and ceiling to the terrazzo flooring, the dream house encompasses a natural form of living.

Desiring a cosy interior, the clients and Wellard Architects worked closely in the selection of decor, furniture, finishes and fixtures for the interior space. During these project development stages, Artedomus was approached for its robust materials that would fit the brief of a busy family’s dream house. In the ensuite bathroom, porcelain tiles from Portugal infuse warm tones, while the vanity and basins use Travertine Zena and INAX tiles to establish calmness throughout.

Additionally, the main bathroom uses Verde Bardini granite and Fiandre Maximum porcelain tiles which meld with the selected Agape Vieques steel bath that sits sculpturally in the centre of the bathroom. Flowing throughout the rest of the dream house, Artedomus products can also be appreciated in the generously-sized kitchen, where Nerofino Brushed Quartz has been employed for the splashback.

Alongside the creation of a cosy atmosphere, the kitchen further instils the clients desire to have a home that can be used for entertaining – with space for intimate family cooking or a gathering of friends and neighbours. Opening up to the back garden courtyard, the orange-bricked façade of the garage seamlessly balances the terracotta shingles of the dream home and merges the heritage home with the modern additions.

Architecture & Design: The 2022 House Awards

House 101 in Vietnam by Atelier tho.A

House 101 by Atelier tho.A. Photograph: Anh Chuong

The Architectural ReviewThe 15 shortlisted projects include houses from all over the world, from the UK, Ireland and Spain, to Mexico, Vietnam, New Zealand and The Bahamas.

Casa Ter by Mesura

Casa Ter by Mesura. Photograph: Salva-López

The private house occupies a unique position in both the history of architecture and human imagination. Beyond its core function of shelter, it is an object of fantasy, a source of delight, a talisman and a testing ground. 

Bass Coast Farmhouse by John Wardle Architects

Bass Coast Farmhouse by John Wardle Architects. Photograph: Trevor Mein

Blockmakers Arms by Erbar Mattes

Blockmakers Arms by Erbar Mattes. Photograph: Ståle Eriksen

Brillhut by Brillhart

Brillhut by Brillhart Architecture. Photograph: Bill Abranowicz

Casa Eva by Fernanda Canales Arquitectura

Casa Eva by Fernanda Canales Arquitectura. Photograph: Rafael Gamo

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