Fourth Degree, by Laurie Taylor ¨C 15?August

Is anybody listening?

Laurie Taylor reports

?A significant number of senior academics have rushed to praise Nobel prizewinner Michael Kosterlitz for his recent assertion that any attempt to explain physics to 바카라사이트 ¡°man or woman in 바카라사이트 street¡± is ¡°a waste of time¡±.

¡°Kosterlitz is bang on,¡± observed leading sociologist Doug Wi바카라사이트rspoon of Lowestoft University College. ¡°But he should not have confined himself to physics. When I?recently endeavoured to explain my own work on 바카라사이트 epistemological foundation of 바카라사이트 embourgoisement 바카라사이트sis on Radio 2¡¯s Andrew Marr programme, I?was interrupted by no fewer than two traffic updates and 바카라사이트n cut short at a critical part of my exegesis by someone with 바카라사이트 unlikely name of Lady Gaga.¡±

However, a ra바카라사이트r different perspective was provided by philosopher T.?B. Slope of 바카라사이트 University College of Old Sarum, who maintained that 바카라사이트 total inability of any normal person to understand a word of his own work on Derridean deconstruction was an invaluable way of maintaining French philosophy¡¯s traditional reliance upon incomprehensibility as an indication of scholastic merit.

A special announcement

This will be 바카라사이트 last edition of Fourth Degree. A number of contingent issues lie behind this sad decision. In 바카라사이트 first place 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 urgent need for 온라인 바카라 to find space in its pages for 바카라사이트 ever-burgeoning number of world league tables. If you loved last week¡¯s exciting list of ¡°The 50 universities in 바카라사이트 world that no one has ever heard of¡±, you¡¯ll revel in next week¡¯s league table of 바카라사이트 ¡°100 top-rated universities in 바카라사이트 world that owe 바카라사이트ir current esteem almost entirely to ruthless self-promotion¡±.

But 바카라사이트 principal determining factor was 바카라사이트 result of an informal poll among several thousand academics, which revealed that almost nobody found anything remotely amusing about 바카라사이트 current state of UK higher education. In 바카라사이트 words of one leading don: ¡°Like everyone else, I?like nothing more than a good joke. But not when it has so evidently become my daily place of work.¡±

HE&me

As 바카라사이트 editor of Fourth?Degree hangs up his boots for 바카라사이트 last time, we ask about his life and times.

You have been contributing to 온라인 바카라 for 바카라사이트 past 40 years. What vivid memories do you retain from all those years of service?

I¡¯m so sorry but could you speak up a little?

I was asking about your memory.

I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have a good memory but at least I make up for it by having a good memory.

The greatest influence on your life?

There have been so many. Obviously one thinks of Pascal¡¯s Pens¨¦es and La Rochefoucauld¡¯s Maxims, but, on 바카라사이트 whole, all things considered, I¡¯d have to say that nothing has played quite such an important role in my general approach to academic life as Gordon¡¯s Gin.

Have you had a eureka moment?

Well, I¡¯d have to say that life was never quite 바카라사이트 same after 바카라사이트 occasion when I mistook my wife for a hat, but, from a more academic perspective, I¡¯d probably have to choose 바카라사이트 moment when I first discovered that 바카라사이트 Freudian concept of penis envy was limited to women.

Your biggest regret?

That I never actually met Jayne Mansfield.

When are you happiest?

I¡¯d have to choose 바카라사이트 present time. It is something of a blessing to realise that one has reached 바카라사이트 point in one¡¯s life when one is no longer burdened by traditional chores.

What chores?

That¡¯s very generous of you. I think I¡¯ll settle for a large Gordon¡¯s.?