Tag: books

Edible Gold: A Luxurious Yet Ineffective Delicacy | February 03 2025, 21:58

Recently, I was surprised to discover that gold leaf is edible, and when you see golden flakes on a quality cake, it’s actually real gold, not just some props. Here’s a kebab from Arkadiy Novikov and Jihan Deniz costing 23,550 rubles.

Another revelation was that such gold is quite affordable. A single sheet of purest 99.8% gold, palm-sized, sells for just 4 bucks. It’s sold in very thin sheets—about 100-500 nanometers thick (depending on the manufacturer). 100 nanometers is 0.0001 millimeters. To compare, the thickness of writing paper is 130,000 nanometers, and a human hair is about 60,000 nanometers thick, while a gold leaf is only 100-500. If calculated, a sheet is approximately 600 atoms thick. Edible gold also comes in powder and flakes.

Turns out, this gold has its own E-number, E175 (while E174 is edible silver). Gold is not absorbed by the body at all; it passes through unchanged, so logically, it offers no benefits. However, sellers of edible gold claim its benefits are sky-high and it cures almost all ailments. Studies conducted in 1975 and 2016 showed, however, that there are indeed no health benefits.

The only benefit here is to show off your wealth and brag to your friends that you are, literally, pooping gold (remember, it’s not digested). Whether you should sift through your toilet matters looking for gold is up to you…

Interestingly, even anciently, gold sheets were somehow made to be 500 times thinner than a human hair.

The production of gold leaf started around the end of the third millennium BC when craftsmen learned how to purify the metal and hammer it into thin sheets. Traditionally, during the Middle Ages, gold leaf was prepared by rolling or hammering gold ducats (trade coins used in Medieval Europe) into approximately the thickness of foil. As the metal became thinner, it became more challenging to prevent the foil from sticking to nearby moist or greasy surfaces. To prevent this, “gold beaters would lay a small square of thin metal in the middle of a paper or parchment square and other metal squares on top of it in sequence, until a decent stack was formed; then they skillfully hammered it until the small squares of metal spread to the edges of the parchment.” Then these squares were cut into smaller squares, and the process was repeated. For the final stage of beating, when the gold reached its thinnest point, a special type of parchment called “goldbeaters’ skin” (made from the inner lining of calf’s intestine) was placed between the layers of foil. According to Cennino Cennini, about 145 sheets could be made from one ducat, and a Venetian ducat weighed about 54 troy grains. However, Cennini preferred his gold leaf to be thicker and recommended producing only 100 sheets from one ducat.

Exploring Classics: Reflecting on Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” and Kubrick’s “The Shining” | February 02 2025, 00:12

I’ve closed another gestalt with the iconic Hitchcock noir—watched the movie “Vertigo” (Vertigo) by Alfred Hitchcock from 1958.

Initially, this film did not inspire much enthusiasm among either viewers or critics. It didn’t become the director’s highest-grossing or most famous film and at the Oscars, it only received two nominations in technical categories—for best sound and best art direction. However, over time its influence and significance greatly increased, and the film itself gained a multitude of interpretations—from Freudian to postmodern. Eventually, it sort of came to be considered the best film of all time and the best detective movie.

Here, Hitchcock flips expectations by killing the main heroine in the first half of the movie and the detective reveal is not at the end, but in the middle—in Madeleine’s letter. The producers argued with Hitchcock over this, but he insisted: the audience needs to know more than Scottie. It’s necessary to create suspense.

Last week, I finally got around to watching Kubrick’s “The Shining” (1980). Turns out, I hadn’t watched it back then either. So, I’m catching up!

If, like me, you’ve missed out on either of these two—make sure you find the time!

Tragic Plane Crash Claims Lives of US Figure Skaters | January 30 2025, 23:42

Thank you to everyone who showed concern, called, and texted from the morning to check if we were all alright. Thankfully, we are fine.

The plane was carrying athletes returning from a training camp in Wichita for top junior, intermediate, and novice figure skaters, coming back from the World Championship. Yes, some of them were known to Nadya and Masha, and a few were close friends. In total, 14 people related to the ice-skating community perished, and tragically, all 64 people on board died.

Six members of the US figure skating team on that ill-fated flight were affiliated with the Boston Figure Skating Club. Skater Spencer Lane, his mother Molly, skater Gina Han and her mother Jean, as well as coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board. Nadya and Masha were also closely acquainted with sisters Everly and Alidia Livingston, aged 11 and 14 respectively, and knew Inna Volyanskaya well. It is very, very sad news.

A similar tragedy occurred in 1961 when a plane carrying 18 members of the US figure skating team to the World Championships in Prague crashed during an attempt to land in Brussels. All 73 people onboard died, including the 16-year-old “Queen of American Ice,” Laurence Owen, along with her mother and coach Maribel Vinson-Owen and her older sister Maribel Owen.

Names of the deceased will be released. In the US, there is an unwritten ethical rule that the relatives of deceased individuals are notified first, followed by the media after some time.

Describing 20 Countries in Two Words Each | January 29 2025, 21:22

Here is the translated text with the original HTML markup preserved:

I asked ChatGPT to pick 20 countries and describe them in two words.

Contemplatively-tranquil country

Indomitably-defensive country

Profoundly-decaying country

Technologically-scientific country

Academically-philosophical country

Passionately-creative country

Eco-progressively country

Legendarily-touristic country

Aristocratically-financial country

Scorchingly-royal country

Soccer-sportive country

Iron-isolated country

Sacredly-religious country

Brightly-explosive country

Disciplined-collectivist country

Pastorally-peaceful country

Fiery-geyser country

Fjord-fairytale country

Alcoholically-reckless country

Rainily-emerald country

Write how many countries you did NOT guess right 🙂

Modern Take on Theodora: Opera, Martyrs, and Pole Dancing | January 28 2025, 01:55

I finished “Theodora”. It’s a three-hour opera in a production by the Royal Opera House. About Christian saints and martyrs Theodora and Didymus, who lived in the 4th century in what’s now modern Syria. On stage – prostitutes, pole dances, a bomb, essentially, the full package.

And yes, originally it’s not an opera, but an oratorio, meaning originally on stage there is a chorus that sings for three hours, and nothing else happens. In the production, however, the oratorio is decked out like an opera, plus a bit more.

In short. The plot. Briefly. Valens, the Roman envoy, forces everyone to worship Roman gods, and threatens to execute those who refuse. Theodora, a Christian, does not comply. Her lover, Didymus, secretly converted to Christianity, tries to save her by disguising himself in her dress. In the end, Theodora surrenders to the enemies to save Didymus, and both die as martyrs for their faith. Afterwards, they were canonized by Christians in gratitude.

The oratorio is in English. That’s unusual in itself. Well.. in English. “Vouchsafe, dread Sir, a gracious ear. Lowly the matron bow’d, and bore away the prize…”. English from three hundred years ago. I understood “Carmen” in French with subtitles better. But no matter, there are translations you can hold in your hand and glance at one-eyed, plus everything happens veeery slowly there.

So, what we have here. A classic plot on a religious theme. In Katie Mitchell’s production, they decided to break all norms at once, making the oratorio into an opera and also setting it in modern times. It turned out pretty cool, actually.

Katie Mitchell situates the action in, as they called in an Alicante publication, a “Putin-like” embassy in Antioch, where rooms function as a brothel. This is the first theatre piece to involve an intimacy coordinator for sex and violence scenes (Ita O’Brien).

Valens, the Roman envoy in Antioch, wears a red sweater. He hasn’t heard of the #MeToo movement, hence the brothel accommodates “comfort women” for him and his bodyguards. They in red lingerie dance on poles in the red room (kind of a striptease; Holly Weston and Kelly Vee).

Next, we are introduced to Septimius, Valens’ head of security. His task is to ensure that all citizens publicly worship Roman gods as a sign of loyalty. Otherwise – death.

Here comes Didymus, one of the bodyguards. Didymus used to believe in Roman gods but secretly converted to Christianity. He’s in love with the Christian Theodora, the head of the household staff at the embassy.

Theodora plans an assassination attempt on Valens with a homemade explosive. They actually assemble it on stage with duct tape and some stuff.

Septimius uncovers the conspiracy and defuses the bomb. Theodora’s punishment – she becomes a “comfort woman”. For this, they dress her up as Marilyn Monroe. Oh, actually, it seems more like Louise Brooks, but never mind, they look alike.

Then the drama continues with an escape, Didymus saves Theodora, then the other way around. But ultimately, as in all operas, things end up not very well, but specifically in Mitchell’s production, good prevails over evil.

The role of Didymus is played by Jakub Józef Orliński. He has a beautiful scene where he changes into heels and a shimmering dress, in which he continues to perform until the end of the opera.

Jakub has a rather unusual voice. He is a countertenor. It’s the highest male voice. After castrati fell out of favor – quite rare. Google it, his voice is very beautiful. I’ll leave a few links in the comments.

One of the scenes towards the end reminds me of the café scene from “Pulp Fiction”.

The first performance of “Theodora” was in London, at the Royal Theatre in Covent Garden in 1750, and this production 272 years later comes from there too. Quite symbolic. True, back then it flopped – almost no audience. But now, it’s a classic.

Sleep Enhances Motor Memory Consolidation in Piano Practice and Beyond | January 25 2025, 18:10

I have long noticed an interesting feature. You practice a piece on the piano and when progress seems to stall, you quit, but the next day when you sit down at the keyboard, suddenly, the difference from yesterday is like night and day, even though all you did was sleep.

I found a study (Journal of Neuroscience) suggesting that the proximity of sleep to practice plays a significant role. The researchers hypothesized that motor memories – the brain’s way of preserving skills and actions – not only consolidate over time, but can significantly improve if sleep follows soon after practice.

This hypothesis was tested through a series of experiments involving 290 right-handed individuals. Participants had to move a cursor on a computer screen to hit targets using a joystick. The complexity arose because sometimes the movement of the cursor was altered by optical rotation, which forced participants to adjust their hand movements to accurately hit the target. Different groups of subjects underwent this at different times, and those who did it before sleep showed the best progress.

It turns out that engaging in activities involving a significant portion of motor memories—like playing the piano or participating in complex-coordinated sports—right before sleep is beneficial. You could either adjust your sleep or the timing of these activities.

Diverse Memories of WWII: National Narratives and Perceived Contributions | January 25 2025, 14:20

Who won the Second World War? Interestingly, notice that nobody paid attention to Trump’s words about the Second World War in his recent tweet-ultimatum. He writes “Russia helped us win the Second World War” — “Russia helped the USA to win the Second World War.” Everyone focused on the incorrect casualty figure of 60 million, but not on this.

I found an interesting study from 2017. It’s a study on how people (survey, 1338 participants) from 11 countries remember the war, including 8 Allied nations and 3 Axis countries.

It showed significant differences in how the former Soviet Union and 10 other countries recall the war.

The events highlighted by representatives of the Soviet Union almost completely differed from those mentioned in other countries. Moreover, Russians declared a greater responsibility for victory in the war (75% of military efforts) than representatives of any other nation (although the USA and UK also rated their contributions at over 50%).

However, when people from each country evaluated the contributions of other nations to the war, they attributed a greater contribution to the USA than to the former Soviet Union.

Another interesting finding is that when asked why the USA dropped atomic bombs on Japan, most residents of the ten countries said it was to win the war, except for the Russians.

Additionally, the older the respondents in 7 of these countries, the more often they agreed with the statement that the USA dropped the bombs to end the war.

Russia (USSR) in the survey results demonstrates a unique narrative, focused on the Eastern Front, unlike Western countries.

Most countries (including former Axis countries) focus on events related to the USA and UK, such as Pearl Harbor, the Normandy landings, the atomic bombings of Japan, and the Holocaust.

The USSR holds a central place in the Russian narrative (75% contribution to victory). The USA and UK also inflate their estimates, stating that their contribution exceeds 50%, focusing on the Western Front and the Pacific campaign. The total contribution assessments of the eight Allied nations amount to 309%, which demonstrates the effect of “national narcissism.” Most countries prioritize the USA (27%), while the USSR is at 20%.

Four events achieved “key” status (mentioned by more than 50% of respondents): the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the Atomic bombings of Japan, the Normandy landings, the Holocaust. The Russian narrative concentrates on events that are called the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945) in Soviet and contemporary Russian historiography. Russians highlighted unique events: the battles of Stalingrad, Kursk, Moscow, Berlin, and the Leningrad blockade. Thus, despite the fact that the USA and Russia fought together as allies, studies show that there is virtually no overlap in the events remembered as most significant. Members of each group primarily remembered those events that were associated with their own country. However, this is not surprising.

About the atomic bombings, most respondents believe that the bombing aim was to end the war. Russians view this event as an act of intimidation against the USSR. Opinions within countries vary by age: older generations more often support the official version of ending the war.

In France, in 1945, 57% of the population considered the USSR the main victor. By 2004, this figure had dropped to 20%, while the share of the USA increased to 58%.

The reasons are clear: history textbooks and popular culture reinforce national emphasis. In the USA and UK, films and books that praise their role in the war predominate. The USSR and the USA fought on different fronts and represent different ideological systems, which defined narratives. And of course, all countries exaggerate their role in historical events.

Family Soup Night: A Tale of Lamb, Beans, and Sausages | January 24 2025, 22:35

Alright, cooking up a soup. Business as usual. Because the first thing they do in our diet-conscious family is scarf down the lamb chunks and broth from the soup. And when you dig into the fridge, at the bottom of the pot, there’s potato and beans winking at me. Now, just need to fry up some sausages, and dinner’s set.

Unraveling the Mysteries of a Missing Aria in Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte | January 20 2025, 03:23

I am listening to the opera Cosi fan tutte, half-watching the libretto in another window. Suddenly, I notice a whole section isn’t translated. And they completely skip it in the opera. That is, after “O ciel”, it jumps straight to “Ei parte”. I go to Google to figure out what’s going on. Seems there were many cuts, but in the entire libretto, only this aria is untranslated. Everything else is translated. I find another version of the libretto with a side-by-side translation, and there, Aria No. 24 by Ferrando “Ah, lo veggio, quell’anima bella” is missing altogether. That’s precisely why it is also missing from the parallel translation—because the translation is from the booklets of various productions, and in them, the aria is omitted.

I started digging deeper, it turns out that Aria No. 24 is feared and not included in most productions and even studio recordings because it is very difficult to perform. “Ah, lo veggio, quell’anima bella”. However, of course, if you wish, you can find a few performances from different theaters on YouTube.

UPDATE: Suddenly, ChatGPT has developed a sense of humor. It replies to me, “Although Mozart can no longer participate in the staging 😄, his music is sometimes subject to adaptation”. It even added a smiley face! And this was a reply to the third question with no Personalization message, and all the questions were serious.

Navigating the Nexus: Harari on Information Networks and AI | January 19 2025, 16:42

Well, I finally finished reading Yuval Harari’s “Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI.” Quite interesting, although I was expecting more controversy, especially from a historian who likely doesn’t quite understand what’s under AI’s hood. But it turned out to be quite good. The theses extracted from the book without context sound quite odd. For example, Harari writes that it would be more accurate to call AI Alien Intelligence—not because it possesses consciousness, but because its methods of thinking and problem-solving are completely alien to our human experience.

It’s particularly fascinating how he views political systems as information structures: democracy with its decentralized flow of information and autocracy with its drive for control. An attempt to understand how information governs us, our choices, and our societies.

Overall, the parallels drawn between the AI revolution and past historical events are quite intriguing. Harari cites examples of how social network algorithms aimed at increasing engagement have contributed (and continue to contribute) to the spread of misinformation and the fomenting of hatred. He references real cases, such as the tragic events in Myanmar, where Facebook was used to spread falsehoods that led to violence. Because falsehoods positively affected engagement—they simply got more clicks—and this function was optimized by Facebook for better advertising metrics. Ultimately, a relatively simple AI behind the newsfeed led to bloodshed.

I liked Harari’s example from Nick Bostrom’s book “Superintelligence,” which is a thought experiment. Bostrom suggests imagining a paperclip factory acquiring a superintelligent AI, and the factory manager assigns the AI, seemingly simple, the task of producing as many paperclips as possible. In pursuit of this goal, the computer takes over the Earth, destroys all humans, sends expeditions to capture additional planets, and uses vast resources to fill the entire galaxy with paperclip factories. The essence of the thought experiment is that the computer did exactly what it was instructed to do.

Of course, it’s hard not to notice that Harari sometimes succumbs too much to alarmism. For example, he describes AI as something already spiraling out of control, though there are many technical constraints that inhibit its development. Nevertheless, his book is not a prediction, but an invitation to a discussion. A discussion about how technologies change our understanding of truth, freedom, and even reality.

P.S. I also liked this fragment:

“…It’s no wonder that politicians around the world spend a lot of time and effort recounting historical narratives. The aforementioned example with Vladimir Putin is hardly an exception. In 2005, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan first met with General Than Shwe, the then-dictator of Myanmar. Annan was advised to start the conversation first to prevent the general from monopolizing the talk, as the meeting was supposed to last only twenty minutes. But Than Shwe spoke first and almost for an hour about the history of Myanmar, leaving almost no opportunity for the UN Secretary-General to speak.”

Surprisingly, Harari did not include interviews with Tucker Carlson 🙂