Monthly Archives: June 2026
Why Socialism Has More Lives Than the Phoenix
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 26th June 2026Socialism, in its purest and most advanced form, is a political and economic system in which the means of production and the distribution of goods and services are owned, controlled, or directed by the government. In one form or another, it has been around for more than two centuries. It eventually disappears or degenerates into…
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Five Preludes
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 23rd June 2026The prelude to the beginning of an opera or to one of its acts differs from an overture in several ways. A prelude is usually, though not always, shorter. It is not a compendium of the work’s hit tunes. It tends to be less formal and more atmospheric. It typically runs directly into the action…
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Extinction Denied?
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 14th June 2026Two basic events seem to be converging. First, our technology advances at an astonishingly rapid pace, while our behavior hasn’t changed since our ancestors were kicked out of Eden. Thus, we now have the capacity for endless mayhem (I’m ignoring all the benefits of technology, as they can be extinguished in a millisecond), coupled with…
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Vaccinating Honeybees and Shrimp
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 12th June 2026The idea of vaccinating honeybees and shrimp would have sounded like science fiction only a few years ago. Both animals are invertebrates, lacking the sophisticated antibody-based immune systems that make vaccination possible in humans, dogs, cattle, and other vertebrates. Yet recent research has shown that even these seemingly simple creatures possess forms of immune memory…
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How Similar Is a Cloned Animal to Its Donor?
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 8th June 2026A recent article in the Wall Street Journal depicts the frequency with which cloned horses are now used in equestrian sports. This use is especially common in polo ponies. The practice is banned in thoroughbred horses. The public seems to think that a cloned animal is identical to its donor. This belief is not true….
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On the Future of the Metropolitan Opera
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 5th June 2026I’ve touched on this topic several times before, but as the Met’s future becomes more uncertain every year, I thought a revisit would be worth a few minutes. Basically, there are only two types of problems that confront mankind and his institutions – money and craziness. Of course, the two are often joined as tightly…
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