PG Wodehouse: a guide!

Here is the Guardian's guide to PGW: link via bookslut.

30 years of Selfish Gene!

Boing Boing has a nice post about the 30th anniversary of Selfish Gene with tons of links. Don't miss it!

Demental fun?

Take a look at this quote of the day from John Hawks

Books, the many uses of!

Long ago, Mark Twain said:

"A big leather-bound volume makes an ideal razor strap. A thin book is useful to stick under a table with a broken caster to steady it. A large, flat atlas can be used to cover a window with a broken pane. And a thick, old-fashioned heavy book with a clasp is the finest thing in the world to throw at a noisy cat."

I too have found other purposes for my books — nothing works as wonderfully as textbooks to put me to sleep — and they also double as pillows. Now, Moorish Girl has a post on repurposing books. And, the photo at the end of the post, is, oh, so wonderful and so…very inviting. I am curious  to know the identity of the book though

Stanislaw Lem passes away!

I have not read anything of Stanislaw Lem except this: but, that was sufficient to make me a Lem fan. Now, via Slashdot, I learn that he passed away. May his soul rest in peace!

Being Cyrus: a review!

Being Cyrus is technically superb. The performances of all actors are beyond reproach. But, as a movie, it failed to entertain me. As this review says, it might be a pitch perfect film. But, I would not recommend the movie to anybody other than film institute students.

Study on orangutans suggests culture promotes intelligence!

Don't miss this extremely interesting article from SciAm! On a similar note, read about the influence of "executive" monkeys on other executive monkeys in this science blog essay.

PS: John Hawks has a commentary on the "executive monkey" story and a few other similar studies.

On Delhi!

Amardeep recommends Darlymple's City of Djinns!

Winning!

Via Abi, I found this wonderful article; take a look!

E O Wilson on Darwin, religion and evolutionism!

Here is an interview with E O Wilson from Salon. At some point he says,

Religious belief itself is an adaptation that has evolved because we’re hard-wired to form tribalistic religions. Religion is intensely tribalistic. A devout Christian or Muslim doesn’t say one religion is as good as another. It gives them faith in the particular group to which they belong and that set of beliefs and moral views.

And then goes on to say this:

The story of the origin of life on this planet — the time scale, the magnitude of it, the complexity of how it has been put together — all of that engenders in me even more awe than I ever felt as a devout Southern Baptist growing up.

And, then says this:

Oh yes, I grew up fundamentalist. I grew up as a Southern Baptist with strict adherence to the Bible, which I read as a youngster. As a child, I was warned by counselors and routine religious training that the truth was in the Bible. Redemption was only in Christ and the world is full of Satanic force. Satan himself perhaps — but certainly his agents, witting and unwitting — would try to make me drop my belief. I had that instilled in me. You have to understand how powerful the religious drive is — the instinct which I consider tribalist but probably necessary — in most societies for continuing day-to-day business.

A very interesting inverview where he says many other equally provoking things. Take a look!