On this second episode of my new literary podcast Books Are Burning!, my sometime co-author G.J. Villa and I continue our discussion of Chilean author Benjamín Labatut’s When We Cease to Understand the World. Focusing on “Schwarzschild’s Singularity,” the second section of Labatut’s endlessly fascinating book, Mr. Villa and I consider German scientist Karl Schwarzschild and his theory of black holes (hence the black background on the graphic above), Einstein’s resistance to Schwarzschild’s theory, the possibility of an AI singularity, sci fi as a literary genre, the deleterious effects of German nationalism, and more.
Note that American author Cormac McCarthy, who is mentioned near the end of the pod, is referred to in the present tense because Mr. Villa and I recorded our chat before the great man’s death in June.
Speaking of great men, here’s a pic of Herr Doktor Schwarzschild:
For some reason, this image reminds me of H.L. Mencken’s observation that “the learned are seldom pretty fellows, and in many cases their appearance tends to discourage a love of study in the young.”
BAB! #3 will focus on Alexander Grothendieck and “The Heart of the Heart,” the third section of When We Cease to Understand the World. In the meantime, the video version of BAB! #1 has been uploaded to my YouTube channel:
Stay tuned for the inaugural episode of my new musical podcast, Guitar & Pen. Craig Branch will be joining me for a close listen to the classic Smiths album The Queen Is Dead.
MW
"Schwarzschild's Singularity" - Benjamín Labatut's "When We Cease to Understand the World" (2/5)