Monday, January 31, 2011

What is hot on 31 January 2011

Philosophy Bites
Cécile Fabre on Cosmopolitanism and War
There is a long tradition of just war theory, but how does it square with moral cosmopolitanism, the idea that individuals, not nations, should be our prime concern? Cécile Fabre discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.
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Witness
North Sea Flood
On the last day of January 1953, a storm combined with high tides to breach the sea defences in the Netherlands. Over 1800 people died in the flooding - we hear from a survivor of that night.
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Mahabharata Podcast
Kidnapped!
Episode 42 - Vyasa stops by the Pandava camp and tells the story of Mudgala, who turns down the opportunity to go bodily to heaven because it wasn't permanent enough! He chose instead to stay on earth, eking out his miserable existence until his natural death, when he finally attained total extinction. That seems to be Vyasa's only mission, because after the story, he leaves. Soon after, King Jayadratha of Sindh passes by the camp while the brothers are away hunting. He spots Draupadi alone and undefended, so he grabs her and runs off.
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Beyond the Book
France Gets Its E-Book Moment
The world came to the 2011 Digital Book World Conference in late January. At Editis, one of France’s leading publishers, Virginia Clayssen oversees digital development. In an interview with CCC’s Chris Kenneally, she accounts for why France has not yet had its ebook moment, but is about to this year. “We didn’t have in France the Kindle effect, because connected e-readers are just arriving in France. We have one now, but it’s very new.”
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The History of Rome
The Tetrarchs at War
In the mid-to-late 290s the Imperial Tetrarchy was at war on multiple fronts. In the west Constantius undertook the reconquest of Britain, while in the east, Galerius fought a newly hostile Sassanid Empire.
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