We need new stories of the 21st-century university.
If our civilization survives the coming upheavals, universities will too, even if their form and function changes—because universities are what makes our civilization possible. (2000 words)
Author: Gene Tracy
Chancellor Professor of Physics Emeritus at William & Mary
The Guardians of the Memory Palace
What if you tried to reconstruct a prophet after a thousand-year absence? (As T Rix; 11,800 words)
Small Bites of Tasty Bits [Fiction]
Short reviews of fiction. Updated from time to time. [Last updated Oct. 30, 2023.]
Cosmology and the History of Wonder
A reading list for a liberal arts course I taught on the history of astronomy and cosmology. For curious readers…
How to be a liberal
A review of the book How to be a Liberal, by Ian Dunt (700 words)
Who’s Afraid of Alfred North Whitehead?
Some thoughts upon rereading The Function of Reason. (2700 words)
News about icarus [the book]
My new book is out! A collection of essays from Icarus, fully revised and updated, and new material.
Singularities
What use is eternal digital life, if we can’t forget the sins we committed to achieve it? (As T Rix; 900 words.)
Bear Stew
What if you created a time machine solely for the purpose of revenge? (As T Rix; 950 words.)
We are all the Tin Woodman [Revised]
In what sense are we the same person today as yesterday? (Sample essay from my new book; 4100 words)
The Icarus Question 