Oppenheimer and the 'guilt-ridden scientist' myth

Move over, Dr. Strangelove: Oppenheimer and the myth of the ‘guilt-ridden scientist'

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, always rejected popular depictions of himself as a guilt-ridden scientist agonizing over the doomsday weapon he unleashed. How, then, did Oppenheimer wind up as the poster boy for scientific guilt and soul-searching? The answer probably explains more about us than about him.

Mark Wolverton

Mar 17, 2009 · Essays · 7 minute read

Bodybuilders vs. the rest of us

Atlas shrugged, but Arnold didn't: A philosopher defends bodybuilding

Every year more than 165,000 overly muscled men and surgically enhanced women descend on Columbus, Ohio, for Arnold Schwarzenegger's annual fitness weekend. In a land where 60% of the population is obese and only 15% belongs to a gym, should these bodybuilders be viewed as freaks, or as role models?

Jim Rutter

Mar 10, 2009 · Essays · 7 minute read

Newspapers and the Internet

Who'll replace the Inquirer? And how come I'm not worried?

In the Internet age, what will happen to fact-based journalism as daily newspapers fold? Contrary to what you hear from print journalists, the quality of coverage could improve. Which would you prefer: The Inquirer, or a Philadelphia edition of the New York Times?

Richard Carreño

Mar 03, 2009 · Essays · 5 minute read

Here comes Philly Beer Week

Do beer drinkers have more fun?

Philly Beer Week is evidence of what much of the world already knows: Beer is complex, delightful and an interesting companion to good food. In many cases it's much more exciting than wine.

Lynn Hoffman

Mar 03, 2009 · Essays · 3 minute read

The real "soft power': Cultural diplomacy

Dear President Obama: What works better than carrots or sticks?

After eight years of Bush's muscular diplomacy, Obama has embraced the virtues of “soft power” in theory. So why is the U.S. deliberately reducing its use of the arts as a foreign policy tool?

Gresham Riley

Feb 25, 2009 · Essays · 6 minute read

Death of a restaurateur: René Blaschke, 1997

Love and death in the kitchen: A tale of two restaurants

Each year around this time my thoughts inevitably turn to René Blaschke, an early Philadelphia restaurant pioneer who was literally destroyed by a disastrous Valentine's Day— and, to be sure, by his own mercurial personality. This year I found the antidote at Marc Vetri's Osteria.

Merilyn Jackson

Feb 21, 2009 · Essays · 6 minute read

Public TV explains the Crash of "08

The not-so-big picture: Public TV explains the great economic meltdown

Is a global economic meltdown about to consume the planet? Not to worry: Public TV is on the case, with cameras panning the glass canyons of Wall Street in between stints from talking heads and shots of an increasingly beleaguered-looking Henry Paulson.

Robert Zaller

Feb 21, 2009 · Essays · 5 minute read

The trouble with "Saturday Night Live'

Trying too hard to be funny: Can we talk about ‘Saturday Night Live'?

Some observers contend that Tina Fey's impression of Sarah Palin breathed new life into “Saturday Night Live.” Well, maybe for a few minutes. This show seems to have forgotten what political humor— or any humor, for that matter— is all about.

Brett S. Harrison

Feb 17, 2009 · Essays · 4 minute read

"You'll never be a writer'

'You'll never be a writer,' or: My mother's worst nightmare

Many people say they want to be writers. What's the difference between wanting to do it and doing it? Here's my story.

Reed Stevens

Jan 31, 2009 · Essays · 4 minute read

Foggy media memories

The fog of media memory, or: What do FDR and Fred Astaire have in common?

Considering all the common points between politics and show biz, there's no excuse when misinformation about music is fed by officials and regurgitated by uncritical media, as happened often during Obama's inauguration festivities.

Steve Cohen

Jan 24, 2009 · Essays · 2 minute read