Philosophy
Italo Calvino
October 15th, 1923 to September 19th, 1985
Cosmological perspectives of Italo Calvino's Mr. Palomar as expressed by Orfeu Bertolami.
Abstract:
The character Mr. Palomar, the alter-ego of the Italian author Italo Calvino, appeared for the first time in 1975 on the pages of the "Il Corriere della Sera", and then more or less regularly till its debut as a book in 1983. Through illuminating thoughts and reflections based on observations, for instance, of sea waves, Mr. Palomar discovers that they induce a peaceful and inspirational state of mind that prevents coronary and mental illnesses, and also holds the key to capturing the complexity of the world reducing it into its most elementary mechanisms. In this contribution I will survey some of Mr. Palomar’s thoughts while he observes the sky and speculate on others that he might have explored if he shared our contemporary knowledge of the cosmos. I will also discuss the thoughts of other authors on how, cosmological thinking affects the human condition.
Some new reflections on Mr. Palomar
Mr. Palomar [on line]
ISBN-10: 0156627809
ISBN-13: 978-0156627801
Review:
Here, Calvino, probably Italy's leading novelist before he died, focuses a probing eye on one man's attempt to name the parts of his universe, almost as though Mr Palomar were trying to define and explain his own existence. Where the Palomar telescope points out into space, Mr Palomar points in: walking the beach, visiting the zoo, strolling in his garden. Each brief chapter reads like an exploded haiku, with Mr Palomar reading an universe into the proverbial grain of sand.
Italo Calvino
- Palomar Observatory...1940 Footage Of Construction
Well, here are reels #2 and #3 of some historical footage of the construction of the Palomar Observatory. Unfortunately reel #1 has not been digitized as this time. The Online Archive of California is an initiative of the California Digital Library. ...
- Kodak And The Palomar Telescope Advertisement
[Click to enlarge.] This is the only commercial advertisement that I can recall with a tie between Eastman Kodak and science, specifically telescopes. For more on the Palomar telescope, use the blog's search engine....
- Hale Telescope..."first Light" On January 26th, 1949
An historic moment from the past. The Hale Telescope saw is first light on January 26th. 1949 on Mount Palomar. On this occasion, the renowned Edwin Hubble had the honors of directing the telescope to his chosen object, which was a nebula previously...
- Pbs Palomar Documentary
The Moon Is Up by Alfred Noyes The moon is up, the stars are bright. the wind is fresh and free! We're out to seek the gold tonight across the silver sea! The world is growing grey and old: break out the sails again! We're out to see a Realm of...
- October 2nd, 1608/october 3rd, 1947...optics/telescope
Wired... October 2nd, 1608: ...officials in the Netherlands pondered over a patent application. It was submitted by spectacle-maker Hans Lippershey for a "device by means of which all things at a very great distance can be seen as if they were nearby."...
Philosophy
Italo Calvino's Mr. Palomar and cosmology
Italo Calvino October 15th, 1923 to September 19th, 1985
Abstract:
The character Mr. Palomar, the alter-ego of the Italian author Italo Calvino, appeared for the first time in 1975 on the pages of the "Il Corriere della Sera", and then more or less regularly till its debut as a book in 1983. Through illuminating thoughts and reflections based on observations, for instance, of sea waves, Mr. Palomar discovers that they induce a peaceful and inspirational state of mind that prevents coronary and mental illnesses, and also holds the key to capturing the complexity of the world reducing it into its most elementary mechanisms. In this contribution I will survey some of Mr. Palomar’s thoughts while he observes the sky and speculate on others that he might have explored if he shared our contemporary knowledge of the cosmos. I will also discuss the thoughts of other authors on how, cosmological thinking affects the human condition.
Some new reflections on Mr. Palomar
Mr. Palomar [on line]
ISBN-10: 0156627809
ISBN-13: 978-0156627801
Review:
Here, Calvino, probably Italy's leading novelist before he died, focuses a probing eye on one man's attempt to name the parts of his universe, almost as though Mr Palomar were trying to define and explain his own existence. Where the Palomar telescope points out into space, Mr Palomar points in: walking the beach, visiting the zoo, strolling in his garden. Each brief chapter reads like an exploded haiku, with Mr Palomar reading an universe into the proverbial grain of sand.
Italo Calvino
- Palomar Observatory...1940 Footage Of Construction
Well, here are reels #2 and #3 of some historical footage of the construction of the Palomar Observatory. Unfortunately reel #1 has not been digitized as this time. The Online Archive of California is an initiative of the California Digital Library. ...
- Kodak And The Palomar Telescope Advertisement
[Click to enlarge.] This is the only commercial advertisement that I can recall with a tie between Eastman Kodak and science, specifically telescopes. For more on the Palomar telescope, use the blog's search engine....
- Hale Telescope..."first Light" On January 26th, 1949
An historic moment from the past. The Hale Telescope saw is first light on January 26th. 1949 on Mount Palomar. On this occasion, the renowned Edwin Hubble had the honors of directing the telescope to his chosen object, which was a nebula previously...
- Pbs Palomar Documentary
The Moon Is Up by Alfred Noyes The moon is up, the stars are bright. the wind is fresh and free! We're out to seek the gold tonight across the silver sea! The world is growing grey and old: break out the sails again! We're out to see a Realm of...
- October 2nd, 1608/october 3rd, 1947...optics/telescope
Wired... October 2nd, 1608: ...officials in the Netherlands pondered over a patent application. It was submitted by spectacle-maker Hans Lippershey for a "device by means of which all things at a very great distance can be seen as if they were nearby."...