Pomodoro Breaks

This collection of texts focuses on the physics of extreme states of matter, exploring conditions of ultrahigh energy densities, pressures, and temperatures as found in both laboratory experiments and across the cosmos. It discusses various methods for achieving these states on Earth, such as lasers, particle accelerators, and explosive techniques, highlighting their technical applications including controlled nuclear fusion and ma...

This academic work explores the complex relationship between human experience and the vast scales of geological and evolutionary time, challenging anthropocentric views. It examines how deep time, animality, and eschatological thinking inform our understanding of ourselves and the world, drawing on philosophical concepts from thinkers like Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, and Heidegger. The text also considers the implications of scientific...

This academic work, edited by Marcia Sá Cavalcante Schuback and Tora Lane, titled "Dis-orientations: Philosophy, Literature and the Lost Grounds of Modernity," explores the concept of disorientation across philosophical and literary perspectives. It examines how thinkers like Kant, Husserl, Heidegger, Nietzsche, and authors like Kundera, Platonov, and Beckett grapple with fundamental shifts in understanding space, time, k...

This text originates from an academic book titled "Powers, Parts and Wholes: Essays on the Mereology of Powers," edited by Christopher J. Austin, Anna Marmodoro, and Andrea Roselli, and published by Routledge in 2024. The excerpts explore the complex philosophical relationship between mereology (the study of parts and wholes) and powers (dispositional properties like fragility or charge). Several chapters investigate how ...

These texts explore the complex and multifaceted nature of nostalgia throughout history, examining its origins, evolution, and impact. They discuss how nostalgia has been viewed variously as a medical condition, an emotion, or a political tool, tracing its appearance in ancient literature and philosophy through to its manipulation in modern political discourse and mass media. The sources analyze how different societies and thinkers...

"The Denial of Death" by Ernest Becker is a comprehensive work synthesising various human sciences to explore humanity's fundamental struggle with the awareness of mortality. The text presents excerpts praising the book's insightful fusion of psychoanalytic and philosophical ideas, particularly those of Rank, to understand how the fear of death shapes human behaviour and the creation of cultural "hero systems...

This academic work examines the relationship between narrative, digital technology, and youth well-being. Drawing on insights from counselling, psychology, comparative literature, and education, it explores how online and offline narratives shape young people's identities and mental health. The author integrates transdisciplinary research, including interviews with students and teachers, to understand the impact of digitality on na...

This collection of excerpts explores the concept of self-therapy, presenting it as a powerful alternative to traditional psychotherapy for addressing life's challenges. The author emphasizes the importance of self-responsibility and facing reality, even when it's uncomfortable. Key themes include understanding and accepting your own feelings, beliefs, and behaviors, learning from mistakes, and challenging limiting expectati...

This compilation of texts traces the evolution of the attention economy, beginning with early forms like newspaper advertising and Parisian posters in the 19th century. It highlights how mass attention was first strategically harnessed by British propagandists during WWI, a technique later adopted by industry and amplified by new media like radio and television. The sources explore various strategies for capturing and reselling att...

This podcast presents excerpts related to Neil Postman's work, particularly his book "Amusing Ourselves to Death." The excerpts include reviews and commentary highlighting Postman's insights as a social critic and communications theorist and his influence on education and media studies. A significant portion focuses on the book's core argument: the transformation of American public discourse from a typographic...

This collection of sources focuses on the concept of cities as anticipatory systems, exploring how urban environments and their diverse actors envision and prepare for future challenges and opportunities. The text examines how cities, as complex socio-spatial systems, utilize anticipation to address issues ranging from climate change and environmental sustainability to urban security, public health, and social inequalities. Through...

"The Dictator's Handbook" by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith presents a novel theory of political behavior, arguing that leaders, whether autocratic or democratic, are primarily driven by the need to maintain power by satisfying a core group of essential supporters. The authors posit that politics operates according to predictable rules centered on acquiring and retaining the loyalty of this "winning c...

This extensive text examines the historical development of political institutions, particularly focusing on the emergence of the state, rule of law, and accountability. It contrasts different civilizational paths, highlighting the unique trajectories of China, India, and Europe, and later exploring the experiences of the Middle East and Russia. The sources analyze how factors like kinship structures, religion, warfare, and economic...

This podcast explores the concept of capitalism as a "Megamachine," tracing its historical and philosophical roots from thinkers like Nietzsche and Mumford to contemporary analyses by Latouche and Scheidler. The central argument posits that capitalism, driven by a technically misguided will to power and a focus on quantitative optimization, functions as a dominant, almost uncontrollable system. Richard's analysis of S...

This podcast explores the concept of capitalism as a "Megamachine," tracing its historical and philosophical roots from thinkers like Nietzsche and Mumford to contemporary analyses by Latouche and Scheidler. The central argument posits that capitalism, driven by a technically misguided will to power and a focus on quantitative optimization, functions as a dominant, almost uncontrollable system. Richard's analysis of Scheidler's wor...

This podcast critically examines mainstream economics, particularly its reliance on equilibrium theory and its limited treatment of natural resources and production. The authors propose an alternative "entropy economics" rooted in biophysical principles, viewing economic systems as extensions of living systems constrained by thermodynamics. They argue that value is determined by scarcity and the number of suppliers, offering a simp...

This podcast critically examines mainstream economics, particularly its reliance on equilibrium theory and its limited treatment of natural resources and production. The authors propose an alternative "entropy economics" rooted in biophysical principles, viewing economic systems as extensions of living systems constrained by thermodynamics. They argue that value is determined by scarcity and the number of suppliers, offer...

An introduction to economic networks, exploring how economies can be analysed as systems of interconnected entities like households, firms, and banks. It covers foundational graph theory and linear algebra concepts necessary for understanding network structures and dynamics. The text examines various applications, including production networks, financial networks, and Markov chains as models for economic phenomena like income distr...