Edumacate

As the name Aldous Huxley was once again brought up, this time in the discussion regarding art/design theory in modernism, I dug out my copy of Brave New World, which I regrettably never "truly read". Not surprisingly, the book is 100 times more intriguing, entertaining, understandable, and pretty much better in every way than I remember it from my high school years. There were a number of passages that I truly resonated with including a detailed description of a failed attempt at Hypnopaedia:

A small boy asleep on his right side, the right arm stuck out, the right hand hanging limp over the edge of the bed. Through a round grating in the side of a box a voice speaks softly.

"The Nile is the longest river in Africa and the second in length of all the rivers of the globe. Although falling short of the length of the Mississippi-Missouri, the Nile is at the head of all rivers as regards the length of its basin, which extends through 35 degrees of latitude..."

At breakfast the next morning, "Tommy," some one says, "do you know which is the longest river in Africa?" A shaking of the head. "But don't you remember something that begins: The Nile is the..."

"The-Nile-is-the-longest-river-in-Africa-and-the-second-in-length-of-all-the-rivers-of-the-globe..." The words come rushing out. "Although-falling-short-of..."

"Well now, which is the longest river in Africa?"

The eyes are blank. "I don't know."

"But the Nile, Tommy."

"The-Nile-is-the-longest-river-in-Africa-and-second..."

"Then which river is the longest, Tommy?"

Tommy burst into tears. "I don't know," he howls.

I must admit, this was exactly the case when it came to my relationship with mathematics. Quite appalling really. But just as hilarious.

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