Unwrapping art (and other stuff) with Jonathan Cooper ★ Disvolvi arton (kaj aliaj aferoj) kun Jonathan Cooper
Are you free? Free to choose what you do and make decisions? Or are you incapable of deciding anything for yourself? You feel like you’re in control of your life, or at least what you’re having for breakfast. But that may be an illusion. Physics can actually force you to go through life as if … Read more
An English translation of a post (in Esperanto) by Robert Nielsen, in his blog Teo kaj Libroj, 30 October 2023 Every Esperantist has already heard the usual speeches about peace many times during Esperanto congresses. They are so vague and banal that they really mean nothing. “Peace is good, death is bad,” the speaker bravely … Read more
I strongly believe that it will be good if the Australian Constitution is changed to recognise Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders as the original inhabitants and owners of the country, and to establish a permanent Aboriginal Voice (to the parliament and government). The no-campaigners are not a unified group. On one side are those who … Read more
My oldest brother Christopher recently wrote a book, The God Theorem: God seen through the eyes of a mathematician, in which he explains his worldview and spiritual faith, and discusses some tricky questions about life, philosophy and morality. Because he is a mathematician, his approach is through a system of logic. And a fundamental concept … Read more
Between 8 and 12 January 2022, I participated in an online Esperanto congress (for Australia and New Zealand, but we had people from all over the world). On the final day, there was a session called “Montru kaj rakontu”, which means “Show and tell”. Anyone who wanted to, could talk about an object in their … Read more
A number of people I know have spoken out against the current “vaccine mandate”, that is, the requirement that certain privileges – such as eating at a restaurant – only be available to those who have been fully vaccinated. Their arguments are based on three main points: The vaccine mandate is discriminatory, a kind of … Read more
By “soul”, I mean something beyond the body, which nevertheless is an essential part of “me”. I will use the method Reductio ad absurdum (“reduction to the absurd”): I will assume the opposite of what I am trying to prove. If this leads to an absurd outcome, I will be able to conclude that the … Read more
There is no shortage of people who declare that climate change is real and if we do not act quickly and decisively, the world is headed for an irreversible disaster. On the other hand, it is not hard to find those who oppose this view, either sceptically (claiming that the evidence is inconclusive) or categorically … Read more
When I started learning Esperanto in 1970, online courses did not exist. To learn a language, you either learnt face-to-face from a teacher or used a book (perhaps with an accompanying vinyl record for pronunciation). Because I had no idea where to find someone who could teach, or even speak, Esperanto, I learnt from a … Read more
Beyond individual ability, drawing holds benefits accessible by all who are willing to see anew Every week, a group of adults varying in age and background meets at the building “Kincumber Village School of Arts” on the central coast, north of Sydney. They gather to practise the skill of life drawing: to sketch the human … Read more