Author. Thinker. Other things.
What you are about to read is not my writing, not all of it, anyway. It’s been generated by an AI bot with prompts from me. I’m using "frase" technology, because I'm too impatient to wait to be let into the ChatGPT website. So, you get onto frase and scroll down (way down) to the... Continue Reading →
A friend just emailed me a series of articles which surprised me considerably. Each describes an event in which an animal has died at the hands of somebody - and in some cases many people - grabbing it to take selfies. Here are some examples within the last couple of weeks - warning this isn't... Continue Reading →
Having just posted a book announcement on Art and Ethics on the website of ICOM NATHIST Ethics Working Group (click here for that) has given me pause to think about how the ethics of art touches on natural history. There are many facets to this. For instance, wildlife photography. When we sit down to our television... Continue Reading →
I just discovered, while doing some research, that the Dutch East India Company had a private army. I was surprised to discover that, assuming it had been more like Macy's meets David Livingston. But it makes sense. Given their acquisitive agenda, coupled with the (quite reasonable) opinion of local people that they would rather keep... Continue Reading →
In my last post, I wrote about immortality. It occurs to me, however, that I left out one of the most important aspects of this phenomenon occuring in popular culture - vampires. The most recent Twilight series (which I haven't seen, I have to admit) is only the latest point in a long history that... Continue Reading →
"Modding", for the noncognicenti (of which I count myself one), is making everyday objects into works of art that fit into some genre. Steampunk is where I've come across this at, in my opinion, its most inventive. As an example at random, here's an X-Box unit cleverly modded to reflect a 19th Century steam-powered contraption,... Continue Reading →
A few years ago I was fortunate enough to be asked to give a talk at the 95th birthday of Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer. Anybody who isn't a science geek could be forgiven for not knowing who she was. Let's say it would be like a budding fashion designer being asked to give the keynote speech at... Continue Reading →
This post was catalysed by my friend Dale, who sent me a web link for BrewDog Beer, featuring a pair of taxidermied animals fashioned as beer bottle covers. The point they're making with the bottles is that they're beer is so finally crafted (and presumably unique) that they can afford to create these one-offs to... Continue Reading →
ERIC DORFMAN 