Saturday, July 24, 2004

I got lost in the secret palace of science Read recently Tuxedo Park, story of Alfred Loomis. Loomis was something of a shady figure in 20th Century military-industrial-technological complex. He was a wealthy New York lawyer and investment banker whose hobby was science and technology. He took on a science patron's role, of a kind fairly common in the 19th Century, but one pretty rare today. He personally funded research in nuclear physics, radar, and neurology. The book centers on the private laboratory he supported in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Author Conant has some personal connection here. Here family was prominent in U.S. science and education during the mid-20th Century - one of the most violent eras in world history, and one of the most fascinating times in turn for technological development. The author carries the book’s narration forward from the point of view of an individual working at the lab, one who commits suicide as the book begins. Besides being a working chemist., William Richards was somewhat high-strung, a Depression boozer, and an artist. He read - and probably submitted stories to - Amazing Tales. At Tuxedo Park he came across brain tests, uranium research, more. His “Brain Waves and Death” was a roman a clef motif based on a Tuxedo Park experience that was basically very disturbing for him.   Conant the author sticks to the facts – the crazy serial pulp adventure that was Richards’s tale is always rather ahead of her story, which plods somewhat. But facts will do that. People with special interest in the history of technological development, or the doing of ’20-‘30s New York social set will like enjoy this book.   *          *          *   Tuxedo Park is the actual star of the story. One lab building, done in modern style with latest in 1930’s automation features (including AC that failed at time miserably), seems to evoke the labs of The Black Cat and of Batman.   Craze-inducing Uranium, of course is still in the news today.   For info on Tuxedo Park on amazon   Palace of Science - Fortress of Solitude 5:04:13 PM    comment []

I see Booch in Grapevine [GRAPEVINE, TEXAS] -- The future of the world will involve more software, but not necessarily more coding, IBM Fellow Grady Booch asserted at the IBM Rational User Conference 2004 in a keynote alternately historical and futuristic. Booch's presentation provided something of a backgrounder on the history of computing -- from Hollerith cards to ENIAC and Java -- while looking forward to developments forecasted for the next 30 years. The grab bag of the future included development of nano technology, more use of biometrics, more surveillance cameras in cities near you, and the end of military air fighters piloted by humans. Booch's future included many welcome events as well as cautionary ones. Among the good stuff: On-demand printing, news and entertainment over the Web, and complete photorealism in motion pictures. -on adtmag.com, 7/21/2004 Also from Grapevine IBM goes to college -adt, July20 Workplace arriving -adt, July19 Atlantic crossing -adt, July 19 Also You must come, you shall go, even in black holes -July 22, 2004, NYT Man on moon plus 35 Reuters, July 21, 2004 Ben Ratliff on Howlin Wolf - July 21, 2004, NYT Elijah Wald writes on Leroy Carr - July 18, 2004, NYT Bernard Ransil's own bio Sketch - nesacs.org A great soundtrack record and jazz record is Kansas City. Robert Altman's 1996 movie placed itself in that wide-open railroad town, found the mood at the train station, and brought together a host of present day jazz turks to recreate the era of the Blue Devils, Basie, and Jay McShann. Players include David Murray, Cyrus Chesnut, Josh Redman, Don Byron, Nicholas Payton. 4:05:55 PM    comment []

© Copyright 2004 Jack Vaughan.