On Thursday, Radius Goes to the Theater to see Jamie Pachino’s The Return to Morality. The play tells the tale of a down and out writer, Arthur Kellogg, who decides to write a satire about the fringe right wing of American politics. The book becomes a stunning success for all the wrong reasons. He's suddenly a hero to America's angry, disaffected classes.
Happy New Year!
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, September 5, 2016
I love this time of year! A new academic year is beginning and with that comes the wonderful sense of new beginnings, possibility and adventure, accompanied by the normal concerns of time, workload and fatigue. Although my life centers around an acadmemic schedule, I haven't been an official student for many years. However, that exciting sense of a "new year beginning" never fades.
The Four Horsemen of Calumny
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
“I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national condition. It is a national feeling of fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the end of everything that we Americans hold dear.....I don’t want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear. . . . Surely we Republicans aren’t that desperate for victory.”
Looking Forward and Back
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Thursday, June 30, 2016
We here at Radius will be taking some time off this summer for rest and renewal, but with our eyes towards September and the new academic year. As we do this, we also reflect back on the year as we write and publish our annual report.
The Power of Uni-tasking
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, May 2, 2016
For over a year now, Radius has been co-sponsoring Hack Your Mind, a popular lunchtime series on technology and mindfulness with topics ranging from stress reduction to Facebook (and other media) addiction to helpful apps for meditation initiates. Over the year, two themes have been at the forefront: distractedness and a sense of being overwhelmed, both with technology and our reliance on it. People talk of having to multi-task in order to get things done, but research is now proving that multitasking is an illusion.
Although the Cold War is officially over, the United States' nuclear arsenal is an integral part of our country's military strategy and spending. Next Saturday, Radius will be co-hosting an all-day conference focusing on reducing the risks of a nuclear event. In 2014, our blog reported some staggering statistics related to nuclear weapons and spending and today, sadly, those statistics remain stable.
Did you know that....
CityDays MIT 2016
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, March 14, 2016
When I was growing up, volunteering in a concrete, organized way--except for our church--was not part of my life. In addition to church volunteering, my mother would readily help neighbors and family members--a drive to the doctor's office or the market, a meal delivered. We were always exhorted to help those who were less fortunate than ourselves, but organized, community volunteering was not part of our family's life.
The Art of Life
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, February 29, 2016
Last year, Radius began hosting a "night at the theater" for the MIT community and we continue to do so this year in partnership with Central Square Theater and the Nora and Underground Railway Theater companies. We reserve a block of tickets and extend an invitation to students and the wider community to join us for the show, usually offering a post-performance discussion as well.
Paris Climate Talks: Now What?
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, February 8, 2016
It's been nearly two months since the COP 21 negotiations in Paris concluded. Opinions of the effectiveness of the talks vary--some hailing it as a bold move toward public problem solving to others calling it a fraud. In January, Christiana Figueres, the UN climate change official who guided the negotiations for six years, sounded guardedly optimistic, saying that the agreement kindled "a huge flame of hope."