“Some colleagues have made fun of me recently for frequently beginning dispatches — even ones that, I guess, contain news-worthy stuff — with esoteric historical anecdotes or bewildering asides”. That’s one of the elements of your writing I like the most.
The long and winding road was supposed to lead to a door. However, the song goes on to say that it just leads you back to the road. I love your writing through historical content with a point with no conclusion. That is what life is until it isn't.
Lordy Mama. I remember learning about Project Mohole in high school, as the first drilling went on, and had NO IDEA of its origins. It was just one of those Science Things we had to know about, like Sputnik. Thanks for the wandering into it. The rest followed nicely--relentless curiosity about pretty much everything but sports is what keeps me sane. Though I doubt I would bother with Joe Rogan's brand.
I’ll wager that your dispatches make all your other work better (or at least, less painful to write). They definitely make my brain work better - thanks. But I want to try to emphasize how essential your dispatches are. I think they are done “simply for the sake of curiosity, discovery, knowledge”, exactly like Basic Research, which undergoes attack at every turn (and needs to be defended). If you insert “dispatches” for “Basic Research”, and “mass media” for “Applied Research” in the following paragraph, I think it captures it:
Why Basic Research?
Why pursue basic research simply for the sake of curiosity, discovery, knowledge, when applied research specifically tackles the world’s biggest problems––poverty, energy, disease, or building new businesses to boost the economy? Faculty say it’s because basic research is the process of creation, and without it, applications vanish.
Thanks Justin for another year of wonderfully insightful posts. I, like others, enjoy the historical background to your posts.
My question is whether you will be making a New Year’s resolution to start a BE&S podcast in 2025. I would encourage you to consider. You and Jen Gerson did a great job years ago. Your recent collaboration with Paul Wells and Jen went well and was fun to watch. Hopefully, Santa brought you audio equipment. I am looking forward to 2025 and reading/hearing more in 2025.
I'd actually love to launch a proper BE&S podcast, but unfortunately there's a chasm between what I want to do and what I have the time/technical chops to achieve. I'm aiming to drop a new episode early in the new year that features a bunch of conversations I've had with Russian dissidents over the past year, similar to what I published after my trip to Columbia U this summer. (I.e. it'll be a bit rough around the edges but it'll sound like a real podcast.)
Beyond that, I had actually cooked up the idea to do a Substack Live with Wells and The Line folks even before Trudeau lost Freeland. Then all hell broke loose and we did an impromptu live: I thought that was quite fun. Expect more of that, and I aim to have more interesting Substackers on with me in the near future. (The one pain is that Substack Live currently only works on mobile, so I can't even use my proper audio gear!)
Thanks Justin. I am all up for more arcana, particularly around where our politics have beach themselves today. Maybe Rene Guenon --> Julius Evola --> Bannon? Or the John Birch Society origins of MAGA? How Lyndon LaRouche begat QAnon? How ideas about diet, hunting or make-up shape the political opinions of millions? How wrestling kayfabe is really the Solomon Key of modern political communications? Keep them coming!
“Some colleagues have made fun of me recently for frequently beginning dispatches — even ones that, I guess, contain news-worthy stuff — with esoteric historical anecdotes or bewildering asides”. That’s one of the elements of your writing I like the most.
It’s one of the elements I like most, too.
Thanks to both of you!
I for one like your deep dives, Justin. It's why I read you, occasional whimsy included. Happy whatever to you too!
The long and winding road was supposed to lead to a door. However, the song goes on to say that it just leads you back to the road. I love your writing through historical content with a point with no conclusion. That is what life is until it isn't.
Lordy Mama. I remember learning about Project Mohole in high school, as the first drilling went on, and had NO IDEA of its origins. It was just one of those Science Things we had to know about, like Sputnik. Thanks for the wandering into it. The rest followed nicely--relentless curiosity about pretty much everything but sports is what keeps me sane. Though I doubt I would bother with Joe Rogan's brand.
I’ll wager that your dispatches make all your other work better (or at least, less painful to write). They definitely make my brain work better - thanks. But I want to try to emphasize how essential your dispatches are. I think they are done “simply for the sake of curiosity, discovery, knowledge”, exactly like Basic Research, which undergoes attack at every turn (and needs to be defended). If you insert “dispatches” for “Basic Research”, and “mass media” for “Applied Research” in the following paragraph, I think it captures it:
Why Basic Research?
Why pursue basic research simply for the sake of curiosity, discovery, knowledge, when applied research specifically tackles the world’s biggest problems––poverty, energy, disease, or building new businesses to boost the economy? Faculty say it’s because basic research is the process of creation, and without it, applications vanish.
https://betterworld.mit.edu/spectrum/issues/spring-2014/the-brilliance-of-basic-research/?device=mobile
A very enjoyable read! Thanks Justin!
Where are the BE&S awards for 2024?
I tried to write them last year and got too depressed. I suspect the awards won't return until morale improves.
Thanks Justin for another year of wonderfully insightful posts. I, like others, enjoy the historical background to your posts.
My question is whether you will be making a New Year’s resolution to start a BE&S podcast in 2025. I would encourage you to consider. You and Jen Gerson did a great job years ago. Your recent collaboration with Paul Wells and Jen went well and was fun to watch. Hopefully, Santa brought you audio equipment. I am looking forward to 2025 and reading/hearing more in 2025.
Thanks Wayne, for your loyal subscribership.
I'd actually love to launch a proper BE&S podcast, but unfortunately there's a chasm between what I want to do and what I have the time/technical chops to achieve. I'm aiming to drop a new episode early in the new year that features a bunch of conversations I've had with Russian dissidents over the past year, similar to what I published after my trip to Columbia U this summer. (I.e. it'll be a bit rough around the edges but it'll sound like a real podcast.)
Beyond that, I had actually cooked up the idea to do a Substack Live with Wells and The Line folks even before Trudeau lost Freeland. Then all hell broke loose and we did an impromptu live: I thought that was quite fun. Expect more of that, and I aim to have more interesting Substackers on with me in the near future. (The one pain is that Substack Live currently only works on mobile, so I can't even use my proper audio gear!)
Thanks Justin. I am all up for more arcana, particularly around where our politics have beach themselves today. Maybe Rene Guenon --> Julius Evola --> Bannon? Or the John Birch Society origins of MAGA? How Lyndon LaRouche begat QAnon? How ideas about diet, hunting or make-up shape the political opinions of millions? How wrestling kayfabe is really the Solomon Key of modern political communications? Keep them coming!