Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
Sometimes, no matter what you do, people just get on your nerves. Wouldn’t it be nice to get away from everybody and move to a house in the woods, where you’d have peace and quiet? This isn’t a farfetched idea. Henry David Thoreau did it. Grizzly Adams did it. In fact, thousands of people have done it in recent years. … >>
As I mentioned last week, I learned a lot from the teachers I had at school. At home, in a neighborhood without many other kids, I had some other good teachers in the form of books. One of my favorite authors back then was Isaac Asimov (1920–1992). He’s mainly thought of as a science-fiction writer because of the lighthearted yet … >>
How much do you remember of your time in school? Twelve years (more in some places) is a long time to be anywhere, even with the summers off. We should remember quite a bit. What I remember best, however, isn’t what was on the curriculum, but what rubbed off from a few special teachers. Science + … As a sixth-grade … >>
Yesterday’s news in the publishing business met with shock and horror. One of America’s most respected newspapers, The Washington Post, was being sold. Newspapers and publishing houses tend to be started by individuals, then handed down to their descendants. So to someone in the business, selling such a company would be like selling one of his own children. The natural … >>
Have you noticed? Nearly all of the big movies coming out of Hollywood seem to be sequels based on cartoon characters, animated figures, toys, video games or superheroes. This summer has seen Iron Man 3, Despicable Me 2, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Fast & Furious 6. A new Superman movie is out, and it’s never long between Batman films. … >>
A few weeks ago, Edward Snowden, a former contractor for America’s National Security Agency (NSA), revealed through The Guardian and Der Spiegel that the US government has been keeping secret records on ordinary Americans and spying on its allies. Since then, I’ve been asked two questions over and over: 1. What’s your opinion of what Edward Snowden did? and 2. … >>
Yesterday was a time to reflect on a pioneering achievement. Sixty-five years ago, on June 11, 1948, the world’s first astronaut traveled to an altitude of 63 kilometers aboard an American V-2 rocket. His name was Albert. He was a rhesus monkey. Albert really was a pioneer. He was the first living organism to have flown to a significant altitude … >>
The Internet has come a long way in the last 25 years. Once the exclusive domain of scientists and the military, it’s now in the offices, living rooms and phones of almost everyone on the planet. One thing, however, has not changed: the propensity of users with inadequate social skills to torment one another in nitpicky arguments. This became more … >>
Recently, the American and German exchange students I advise were privileged to enjoy the company of Vice-Admiral Charles Martoglio, the deputy commander of United States European Command. Martoglio and his boss are in charge of 100,000 military and civilian personnel who operate across this entire continent. Our group often meets with ambassadors, consuls, army generals, air-force colonels and important politicians, … >>
Where I live, it’s been cool and cloudy for the last six months, so I’ve been putting the time to use, by learning. In my case, this means consuming lots and lots of books, websites and documentary films. I’ve learned a lot about discoveries in science and medicine, about world history and faraway places. I feel like I’m up to … >>