The Universe’s Abundance in Traditional India
January 1, 2024
Things often seem to happen on a cosmic scale in India. While living in the school outside Chennai in 1996 (it was called Madras then),
Different Ways that Cultures Construct Emotions
January 1, 2024
Emotions can seem self-evident, but they come in a lot of varieties which emerge in cultures. It will be a big challenge for AI to
The Emotional Side of the Acropolis at Athens
December 31, 2023
Most people have seen the acropolis at Athens as an expression of rationality. But next to the Parthenon was a highly emotional building, the Erechtheion.
Exploring Hidden Treasures at Petra
December 31, 2023
This is a rather long article for my website, but I found Petra as magnificent as the pyramids of Giza. To appreciate it well, you
The Buddha’s Footprint in Bangkok’s Wat Pho; Prettier than Zeus and Indra Combined
December 26, 2023
Greek gods and Indian concepts of the universe’s vastness–I’ve gotten into humongous things in the last few posts. I need a break. Yeah, Wat Pho’s
Mt. Meru, Everest on Steroids in Ancient India
December 26, 2023
Ideas of geography in ancient India kept getting bigger and bigger. Most ancient cultures imagined a cosmic mountain, that’s either the home of the gods,
Great St. Martin, The Most Beautiful Romanesque Church in Germany?
December 26, 2023
Cologne is best known for its towering cathedral, but only its choir (the cathedral’s back end) is from the Middle Ages. The soaring entrance was
Will AI Be Able to Capture Different Cultures’ Ways of Perceiving?
December 26, 2023
What seems most basic often isn’t so. It can reflect a complex cultural landscape with roots in remote antiquity. This includes perception. Richard Nisbett
Shiva in Shades; An Indian Religious Tradition Travels to Africa
December 25, 2023
Here’s a cool way to spend Christmas–widening our horizons by exploring cultural crossroads that most people don’t know about. This photo’s from the other side