[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: With the impact of Covid on everyone's schedules, including mine in the publishing world, how has it affected your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly activities? Rick Rosner: The pandemic has significantly altered my routine. Most of my work, to the extent that I do work, is done at home. However, …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 685: Messed Up Covid Schedules
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Let's discuss the concept of empathy fatigue, particularly in the context of diminished sympathy for Americans contracting Covid. This topic came up in a recent article I wrote, where part of the title was “ignorant and proud of it”. This phrase, reminiscent of Mencken, is far from compassionate. It reflects …
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You mentioned reading a book yesterday and shared some initial thoughts. What are your further impressions after reading more of it tonight? Rick Rosner: I'm now about two-thirds through the book, and it seems to be divided into two major parts. The first part covers events from 15 years ago, …
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Can you share the history of your house? Rick Rosner: Sure. Earlier, off tape, you asked about the room I'm in, probably noticing the different acoustics. I'm in the dining room of our house, built in 1966 when homes still had traditional layouts like a living room, dining room, dinette, …
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Can you tell me about the book you're reading and its author? Rick Rosner: Sure, I'm nearly halfway through a book titled 'The Premonition' by Michael Lewis. He's a well-known nonfiction writer, famous for 'Money Ball' and 'The Blind Side', which inspired the Sandra Bullock movie. Lewis has a knack …
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How do you feel physically at your age? Do you feel spry? Rick Rosner: Yeah, I'm 61 and two-thirds years old and, unsurprisingly, I deal with various aches. I often wake up with back pain, which seems to be a constant, albeit minor, discomfort. My age shows in some ways, …
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Can you tell me about the TV show 'Succession'? Rick Rosner: Alright, so 'Succession' is playing in the background because my kid is binging on it. It's a show that really delves into dark themes, featuring a cast where nearly every character is unpleasant in their own unique way. Essentially, …
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Do you believe the absence of overarching narratives is enabling the rise of political and social demagogues? Rick Rosner: Yes, I strongly believe that. In America, as I've repeatedly observed, the Republican Party has found it easier to influence less informed individuals. This strategy has led them into a corner …
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Do you believe humans are the apex species, and what framework do you use to define 'apex', especially considering nature's indifference? Rick Rosner: For many millennia, humans didn't consider themselves part of nature. We believed we were superior, divinely created to rule and be better than all other entities. This …
[Recording Start] Rick Rosner: Today, January 11th, 2022, marks a significant moment in the ongoing Covid pandemic. Just over a year ago, on January 8th, 2021, we witnessed the peak of a massive winter wave of Covid cases, both in the US and globally. This wave was the deadliest yet. In the US, the situation …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 676: Omicron and January 11th, One Year
Rick Rosner 