Deep Space, Baby
Or, Prattle Beyond The Stars:
Physicists at MIT and SUNY Stony Brook recently announced findings that the total surface area of two black holes was maintained after the two entities merged. While this research was a welcome confirmation of both Stephen Hawking’s work and the theory of general relativity, it failed to address a crucial matter: what were its racial implications?
Heather Mac Donald browses an astronomy course at Cornell University, titled Black Holes: Race and the Cosmos, and premised on the question, “Is there a connection between the cosmos and the idea of racial blackness?” It seems unlikely that said course will enable any great scientific revelations, despite marshalling the combined forces of “Black Studies theorists” and the late jazz musician Sun Ra, who claimed to have visited Saturn; though it promises to “conjure blackness through cosmological themes.”
And so, while some observe the merging of bogglingly massive astronomical objects, others regard themselves as a more fascinating topic, and “conjure” their own “blackness.” Via farce, contrivance, and racial narcissism.
Consider this an open thread. Share ye links and bicker.
Mellow out or you will pay:
Smiles are now mandatory at Canon
theme, mood and allegory
Well…
Oh Stewardess!
“Do you like what you doth see . . . ?” said the voluptuous elf-maiden
The audio book of “Bored of the Rings” was/is on hoopladigital, an online source accessible through USA public libraries. I listened to a bit of it. It was quite depressing that *explanations* of some then-culturally relevant jokes were inserted into the reading. I feel old.
Meanwhile in other news, newly discovered violent language.
‘Tis new to him. See my tweet in that thread.
Who coined the term “black hole” to describe “a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing—no particles or even electromagnetic radiation such as light—can escape from it” (Wikipedia)? Why, none other than astronomer John Archibald Wheeler… a hu-ite man from the AMERICAN SOUTH! Need I say more? Pure racism, case closed.
According to Wikipedia, the term “black hole” was actually coined by Robert H. Dicke. Presumably we all associate it with John Wheeler because he popularized it and he was a far more famous physicist.
pst314,
A man named DICK(e) coined the term “black hole”. If that’s not homophobia, I don’t know what is! But he was from Missouri (which is close to the American South, but not quite the South), so at least it’s less racist. Still a hu-ite American heterosexual man, though.
Homophobia, or sly subversion of heteronormativity? 😀
Speaking of heteronormativity, how long until “heterodyne” becomes a taboo word?
And then there’s the last episode,
Watched the finale last night. It wasn’t entirely successful and felt somewhat removed in tone from previous episodes. After a promising opening (who’s banging on the door?, etc), it sagged a little, lost some deftness and economy, and relied much too heavily on lengthy, overwrought speeches. At times, the drama was tripping over the florid dialogue, as it were. I didn’t mind the (sort-of) happy ending, but overall, it was a little underwhelming.