May 2020
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Penn’s tentative plans for next academic year
Realistic and instructive, probably a useful model for urban campuses; some excerpts: In light of the challenges before us, we want to share four major scenarios currently under consideration. Some of these could be productively combined. The four scenarios are: A hybrid experience with some in-person instruction. In a mostly online learning environment, classroom instruction…
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Great moments in obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Frankie Miller Band, “Ain’t Got No Money,” 1975
This tune comes from Scottish rock singer Frankie Miller's third album, and bears such an uncanny resemblance to a later Bob Seger song one wonders whether there was a copyright infringement action:
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Anthony Fauci on colleges reopening
Cautious, but sensible; here is his take on how to reopen in the fall: I don’t think it’s going to be one size fits all. I think it’s going to depend on the location of where the particular university or place of higher education is, what the demography of the students is, where they’re coming…
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Detailed plans from the University of North Carolina about fall opening
Here; some excerpts from the Chancellor's message: [W]e will ask you to practice physical distancing, wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer, maintain clean spaces and wear appropriate face coverings/masks (provided by the University for those who need them), among other best practices…. The College of Arts & Sciences, along with our schools and units,…
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Blast from the past: shameless hypocrisy of philosophers edition
Back in 2018: philosopher Adriel Trott (Wabash), who participated in the online harsassment of Rebecca Tuvel, complains about online harassment in philosophy!
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Sweden’s approach to the pandemic hasn’t worked very well
An interesting thread, with links, from Yale's Professor Christakis.
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After the “war” against COVID-19, we’ll also need “war crimes” trials for…
…Governor Cuomo of New York and Mayor DiBlasio of New York City. See, for example, this and this, but especially this damning ProPublica report contrasting their performance with the performance of San Francisco's Mayor and California's Governor. Having screwed up the initial response, Governor Cuomo has certainly shown himself to be an adept public communicator,…
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Spinoza: moving to center stage in the modern canon?
So argue two Spinoza scholars, Clare Carlisle (KCL) and Yitzhak Melamed (Johns Hopkins) in this interesting TLS essay; an excerpt: The fate of the Ethics in the Anglo-American world is another story. In the 1970s and 80s most analytic philosophers regarded Spinoza as an uncritical and extravagant metaphysician, whose strange ideas might – at best…
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University of Minnesota law professor Parisi wins defamation lawsuit against woman who falsely and maliciously accused him of rape
Good for him, some vindication after the ordeal he was put through. (Prior coverage.)
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Katha Pollitt, the longtime feminist critic at The Nation, on why she does not believe Tara Reade
I don't read many columnists at The Nation, but I have read Pollitt off-and-on for many years (and it was a thrill to get to have dinner with her last year, when she and Steven Lukes were in town). Here's her sensible take on the Reade business (earlier coverage). I suppose I shouldn't be surprised…
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Pharmaceutical giant spending $1 billion on vaccine development, aiming for the fall
And Pfizer isn't alone in such efforts. This is another reason to be hopeful that science and modern medicine may save us from the incompetence of the political leadership in the U.S. and other backwards countries.
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Open letter from Fordham graduate students seeking better university support during the pandemic
Like their peers at Villanova, the Fordham students are also in need. (Thanks to Ricky DeSantis for the pointer.)
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Cambridge University announces *lectures* will be on-line next year…
…but that still leaves open the possibility of in-person teaching in small groups and tutorials.
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Some skepticism about the initial reports on Moderna’s vaccine
A propos this, see this; an excerpt: The company’s statement led with the fact that all 45 subjects (in this analysis) who received doses of 25 micrograms (two doses each), 100 micrograms (two doses each), or a 250 micrograms (one dose) developed binding antibodies. Later, the statement indicated that eight volunteers — four each from…
I only just learned of Barry’s passing, and I’m enormously saddened at the news. I wrote my PhD on his…