la finale

A very pleasant stroll through central Paris this afternoon, during “la” finale, when France was playing Croatia. Bars were all overflowing onto the pavements and sometimes the streets, each action was echoed throughout town, and we certainly did not miss any goal, even from the heart of the Luxembourg gardens! Which were deserted except for the occasional tourist, just as the main thoroughfares, except for police cars and emergency vehicles. Since the game ended, horns have been honking almost nonstop, even in the quietest suburbs.

Dom Juan’s opening

The opening lines of the Dom Juan plan by Molière, a play with highly subversive undertones about free will and religion. And this ode to tobacco that may get it banned in Australia, if the recent deprogramming of Bizet’s Carmen is setting a trend! [Personal note to Andrew: neither Molière’s not my research are or were supported by a tobacco company! Although I am not 100% sure about Molière…]

“Quoi que puisse dire Aristote et toute la philosophie, il n’est rien d’égal au tabac: c’est la passion des honnêtes gens, et qui vit sans tabac n’est pas digne de vivre. Non seulement il réjouit et purge les cerveaux humains, mais encore il instruit les âmes à la vertu, et l’on apprend avec lui à devenir honnête homme.”

Dom Juan, Molière, 1665

[Whatever may be argued by Aristotle and the entire philosophy, there is nothing equal to tobacco; it is the passion of upright people, and whoever lives without tobacco does not deserve living. Not only it rejoices and purges human brains, but it also brings souls towards virtue, and teaches about becoming a gentleman.]

17 equations that changed the World (#1)

I do not know if it is a coincidence or if publishers were competing for the same audience: after reviewing The universe in zero word: The story of mathematics as told through equations, in this post (and in CHANCE, to appear in 25(3)!), I noticed Ian Stewart’s 17 equations That Changed the World, published in 2011, and I bought a copy to check the differences between both books.

I am quite glad I did so, as I tremendously enjoyed this book, both for its style and its contents, both entertaining and highly informative. This does not come as a big surprise, given Stewart’s earlier books and their record, however this new selection and discussion of equations is clearly superior to The universe in zero word! Maybe because it goes much further in its mathematical complexity, hence is more likely to appeal to the mathematically inclined (to borrow from my earlier review). For one thing, it does not shy away from inserting mathematical formulae and small proofs into the text, disregarding the risk of cutting many halves of the audience (I know, I know, high powers of (1/2)…!) For another, 17 equations That Changed the World uses the equation under display to extend the presentation much much further than The universe in zero word. It is also much more partisan (in an overall good way) in its interpretations and reflections about the World.

In opposition with The universe in zero word, formulas are well-presented, each character in the formula being explained in layman terms. (Once again, the printer could have used better fonts and the LaTeX word processor.) The (U.K. edition, see tomorrow!) cover is rather ugly, though, when compared with the beautiful cover of The universe in zero word. But this is a minor quibble! Overall, it makes for an enjoyable, serious and thought-provoking read that I once again undertook mostly in transports (planes and métros).