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Dr Pangloss: the ideas hothouse

Brian Eno — 16th June 2010 Free entry

In 1865 Gregor Mendel presented his groundbreaking work on plant hybridisation to the Brunn Natural History Society… and for the next 35 years, nothing happened. When it was finally rediscovered in the early 20th century, it became the basis of the science of genetics.
What impresses me about this story is the 35 years of neglect. [...]

Let’s carnival

Brian Eno — 10th March 2010 Free entry

In February, a couple of friends went to Trinidad for the carnival. What makes for a great carnival? Living in west London, and having seen ours evolve from chaotic and lively to dully over-regulated, I’ve often wondered.
My conclusions: carnival is good when the number of participants isn’t grossly outweighed by the number of spectators, and [...]

Looking smart, being good

Brian Eno — 8th February 2010 Free entry

I like those strangely boxy little electric cars. I like the message of their looks. They defy the traditional sleekness of car design and instead make a point of their functionalism. They say “OK—we may look a bit funny but we use a third of the energy your car is using.” They advertise their owners’ [...]

Power to the people

Brian Eno — 4th January 2010 Free entry

Traditionally there’s only one unforgivable crime in British society: to rise above your station. The cynicism directed at pop stars who decide to “get involved” is fuelled by the usual combination of envy and small-mindedness—but is justified by the argument, “Well what could (s)he possibly know about it?”
This mindset assumes that there are experts who [...]

The death of uncool

Brian Eno — 25th November 2009 Free entry

It’s odd to think back on the time—not so long ago—when there were distinct stylistic trends, such as “this season’s colour” or “abstract expressionism” or “psychedelic music.” It seems we don’t think like that any more. There are just too many styles around, and they keep mutating too fast to assume that kind of dominance.
As [...]

Subject: Intellectuals & ideas

The post-theoretical age

Brian Eno — 29th October 2009 Free entry

It feels, at last, that the 21st century has arrived. Until recently we’ve been at the end of the 20th, but now it’s different. Obama, of course, but something else as well.
There’s been a conversation going on—a wider, more inclusive and better-informed conversation than humankind has ever experienced before. You may have noticed the explosion [...]

In praise of car boot sales

Brian Eno — 5th October 2009 Free entry

My daughters, currently morphing into very gentle eco-warriors, resist buying anything which might tax the earth’s resources any more than necessary. They make an exception, however, for car boot sales. To them these represent a new way of redirecting the consumerist urge away from resource-usage and into enthusiastic recycling: instead of throwing away old and [...]