At Home He Feels Like A Tourist

Category: Science

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  The Machinery Considering Itself

  A non-specialist’s attempt to climb the ladder from chemistry to behaviour — and understand what it means for the rest of our political and cultural economy project

  May 25, 2026
• General Relativity Gravity Instrumentalism Mathematics Philosophy Quantum Field Theory Quantum Theory Realism Reality Science Standard Model Theoretical Physics

  

  Where Do We Fit?

  Why theoretical physics matters

  May 22, 2026
• Aesthetics Agency Alienation Anxiety Authority Authorship Bureaucracy Capitalism Colonialism Commodity Critical Theory Culture Debt Democracy Economics Enlightenment Feminism Fiction Frankfurt School Gender Government Ideology Language Luxury Marx Morality Philosophy Political Economy Politics Power Race Science Shakespeare Structuralism Theatre Truth Violence Walter Benjamin

  

  What’s the Big Idea

  A list of thinkers whose ideas do most to inform this blog.

  May 20, 2026
• Acting Comedy Culture Czech Dialogue Drama Enlightenment History Intellectualism Love Nature Philosophy Science Theatre Vienna

  

  Tom Stoppard: Too Clever For His Own Good?

  A Continuing Dialogue on Drama. Tom Stoppard.

  May 19, 2026
• Classical Music Concert Contemporary Classical Culture England Family London Memory Minimalism Mortality Piano Race Relationship Science Theatre Uncategorized

  Catching up (Part 1)

  February 2020 Yep. You read that right. February 2020. Just before you know what kicked off and the stages went dark. You would have thought that the last 18 months would have given the Tourist plenty of time and inclination to continue reporting on his cultural journey. But no. Despite…

  October 18, 2021
• Australia Contact Culture Film London Science Science Fiction Theatre Universe

  Solaris at the Lyric Hammersmith review ****

  Solaris Lyric Hammersmith, 2nd November 2019 One book, a Soviet TV adaptation, two films. And now a play. And, between us, the SO and I have all the bases covered. SO, a big fan of Stanislaw Lem’s ground-breaking 1961 dense sci-fi/horror novel, me, unusually tolerant of Tarkovsky’s high culture, languid…

  December 2, 2019
• Capitalism China Culture Epidemic Exploitation History London Medicine Morality Science Theatre

  The King of Hell’s Palace at the Hampstead Theatre review ***

  The King of Hell’s Palace Hampstead Theatre, 17th September 2019 This was an interesting choice as the first production in Roxana Silbert’s inaugural season at the Hampstead Theatre. A play based on a true story about corruption scandal in China. From a US playwright, (who spent part of her childhood…

  October 27, 2019
• Classical Music Concert Contemporary Classical Culture Hungary London Science Symphony

  Peter Eotvos and the Philharmonia at the Royal Festival Hall review ***

  Philharmonia Orchestra, Peter Eötvös (conductor), Iveta Apkalna (organ), László Fassang (Hammond organ) Royal Festival Hall, 7th February 2019 Arnold Schoenberg – Accompaniment to an Imaginary Film Scene, Op. 34 Bela Bartok – Dance Suite Igor Stravinsky – Symphony in Three Movements Peter Eotvos – Multiversum A sort of panic purchase…

  February 22, 2019
• Classical Music Concert Culture Education London Nature Science

  Holst’s The Planets: BBCSO at the Barbican review ****

  BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Chorus (women’s voices), Professor Brian Cox, Ben Gernon Barbican Hall, 29th September 2018 I wasn’t quite sure of what the format would be for this performance of Holst’s The Planets. Maybe a quick intro from our most famous and telegenic physicist, then a work-out for…

  October 13, 2018
• Concert Contemporary Classical Culture London Religion Science

  Thomas Ades and the LPO at the Royal Festival Hall review ****

  London Philharmonic Orchestra, Thomas Ades, Kirill Gerstein (piano) Royal Festival Hall, 26th September 2018 Igor Stravinsky – Symphony in Three Movements Thomas Ades – In Seven Days (Concerto for piano and orchestra) Witold Lutoslawski – Symphony No 3 Thomas Ades is a talented chap. As composer, conductor and performer he…

  October 11, 2018