marklynch@wicn.org's blog

8/13/08: Today I interviewed LEONARD MARCUS, probably THE leading historian of American children’s literature. He had been a guest before talking about his wonderful history of Golden Books (you know: Scruffy The Tugboat; The Little Engine That Could). His new, much more ambitious book, MINDERS OF MAKE BELIEVE, details the complete history of children’s lit in America from the landing of the Pilgrims to Harry Potter.

8/5:

See:

 http://www.plan59.com/main.htm

Before irony was invented!

Mark

Commenting on the possibility that there could be intelligent life on other planets, reknowned physicist ENRICO FERMI once remarked: "Where is everybody?"

According to JEFFREY BENNETT, astrophysicist, educator and author of the deeply scientific BEYOND UFOS: THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE AND IT'S ASTONISHING IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR FUTURE, there are three possibilites of life elsewhere in the universe:

A quote from MIKE HANSELL, Emeritus Professor of Animal Architecture at Glascow University, from his book BUILT BY ANIMALS:writing about how millions of tiny termites can build complex mounds 10 feet high:

"We should never underestimate the capacity of animals simpler than ourselves to come up with effective yet simple alterantives to our own." (pp.99)

 Best new word learned in book: STIGMERGY and the concept of "emergent properties"

Check out this artist's blog:

http://www.mydogoscar.com/birdspot/

Catherine has been on Inquiry years back, and on her blog you can watch her complex and delicate ink work develop over the days and because she is a decent birder and natural historian to boot, she is too cool for school.

Mark