Artwork © Jose-Ramiro
Monday, September 30, 2024
Selfmate
The end of Judaism
Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, September 30, 2024
One cannot understand the meaning of what is happening now in Israel, if one does not understand that Zionism constitutes a double negation of the historical reality of Judaism. Not only, in fact, because it transfers the Christian nation-state to the Jews, Zionism represents the culmination of that process of assimilation which, starting from the end of 18th century, has been progressively erasing Jewish identity. The decisive point is that, as Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin has shown in an exemplary study, as foundation of Zionist consciousness stands another negation, the negation of the Galut, that is, of exile as a principle common to all historical forms of Judaism as we know it. The premises of the concept of exile are prior to the destruction of the Second Temple and are already present in biblical literature. Exile is the very form of the existence of the Jews on earth, and the whole Jewish tradition, from the Mishnah to the Talmud, from the architecture of the synagogue to the memory of biblical events, was conceived and lived out in the perspective of exile. For an Orthodox Jew, even the Jews who live in the state of Israel are in exile. And the State according to the Torah, which the Jews await with the coming of the Messiah, has nothing to do with a modern national state, so much so that at its centre stand just the reconstruction of the Temple and the restoration of the sacrifices, which the state of Israel does not even want to hear about. And it is well not to forget that exile according to Judaism is not only the condition of the Jews, but concerns the defective condition of the world in its integrity. According to some Kabbalists, including Luria, exile defines the very situation of the divinity, which created the world by exiling itself from itself and this exile will last until the advent of the Tiqqun, that is, the restoration of the original order.
It is just this unreserved acceptance of exile, with the rejection it entails of any present form of statehood, that establishes the superiority of the Jews over religions and peoples that have compromised themselves with the State. The Jews are, together with the Gypsies, the only people who have rejected the state form, have not waged wars and have never stained themselves with the blood of other peoples.
By denying exile and diaspora at their roots in the name of a national state, Zionism has therefore betrayed the very essence of Judaism. We should not be surprised then if this removal has produced another exile, that of the Palestinians and has led the state of Israel to identify itself with the most extreme and ruthless forms of the modern nation-state. The tenacious claim of history, from which the diaspora according to the Zionists would have excluded the Jews, goes in the same direction. But this could mean that Judaism, which did not die in Auschwitz, now perhaps knows its end.
Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, September 30, 2024
One cannot understand the meaning of what is happening now in Israel, if one does not understand that Zionism constitutes a double negation of the historical reality of Judaism. Not only, in fact, because it transfers the Christian nation-state to the Jews, Zionism represents the culmination of that process of assimilation which, starting from the end of 18th century, has been progressively erasing Jewish identity. The decisive point is that, as Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin has shown in an exemplary study, as foundation of Zionist consciousness stands another negation, the negation of the Galut, that is, of exile as a principle common to all historical forms of Judaism as we know it. The premises of the concept of exile are prior to the destruction of the Second Temple and are already present in biblical literature. Exile is the very form of the existence of the Jews on earth, and the whole Jewish tradition, from the Mishnah to the Talmud, from the architecture of the synagogue to the memory of biblical events, was conceived and lived out in the perspective of exile. For an Orthodox Jew, even the Jews who live in the state of Israel are in exile. And the State according to the Torah, which the Jews await with the coming of the Messiah, has nothing to do with a modern national state, so much so that at its centre stand just the reconstruction of the Temple and the restoration of the sacrifices, which the state of Israel does not even want to hear about. And it is well not to forget that exile according to Judaism is not only the condition of the Jews, but concerns the defective condition of the world in its integrity. According to some Kabbalists, including Luria, exile defines the very situation of the divinity, which created the world by exiling itself from itself and this exile will last until the advent of the Tiqqun, that is, the restoration of the original order.
It is just this unreserved acceptance of exile, with the rejection it entails of any present form of statehood, that establishes the superiority of the Jews over religions and peoples that have compromised themselves with the State. The Jews are, together with the Gypsies, the only people who have rejected the state form, have not waged wars and have never stained themselves with the blood of other peoples.
By denying exile and diaspora at their roots in the name of a national state, Zionism has therefore betrayed the very essence of Judaism. We should not be surprised then if this removal has produced another exile, that of the Palestinians and has led the state of Israel to identify itself with the most extreme and ruthless forms of the modern nation-state. The tenacious claim of history, from which the diaspora according to the Zionists would have excluded the Jews, goes in the same direction. But this could mean that Judaism, which did not die in Auschwitz, now perhaps knows its end.
(English translation by I, Robot)
Marc Chagall, The dance of Myriam, 1966. Courtesy of WikiArt.
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Friday, September 27, 2024
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Biorhythms and Algorithms
“I’d call it more an unique dialogic experience than a game of chess”, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said in her post-match review. “Unlike usually, I approached 元萝卜 (Yuánluóbo) more as a partner with whom to consult than as an adversary, so I opted for an explorative and experimental attitude, playing imaginific moves so that I could feel the difference between a robot and a human. For example, if I play against Carlsen, I can feel he is human after all; his moves will inevitably betray all the emotions of a human being. Well, with 元萝卜 (Yuánluóbo) it is nothing like that”, she said. “Basically it plays chess at a constant speed and with extreme accuracy. The more complex the situation, the faster it moves, which shows its power of calculation, while in the more quiet situations it will think strategically and hit the key points with every move. As our game showed, its technique is highly superb. 元萝卜 (Yuánluóbo) is all in all a reliable partner for a chess affair, and can help one to identify areas where one needs to improve”. Photo: Sina Sports. |
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Impossible Match
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 元萝卜 (Yuánluóbo) SenseRobot AI
Human–Machine Ultimate Chess Showdown; 北京 (Běijīng), September 25, 2024
French Defence C18
Human–Machine Ultimate Chess Showdown; 北京 (Běijīng), September 25, 2024
French Defence C18
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Ba5. Bobby Fischer called it “A dubious alternative to 5. ... Bxc3+”, yet it has its story.
6. Bd2. More than one theoretician in the last century argued that 6. b4(!), recommended by Alekhine, was here a sharper and more promising continuation for White, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) doesn’t seem to think so.
6. ... Nc6 7. Nb5 Nxd4 8. Nxd4 cxd4 9. Bb5+ Bd7 10. Bxd7+ Kxd7 11. Nf3 Bb6 12. a4 a6. Also playable is 12. ... Ne7 13. a5 Bc7 14. a6 Nc6 15. axb7 Rb8 16. c3 dxc3 17. Bxc3 Ke8 18. 0-0 Rxb7 with reasonable chances for equality, Krakops – Barsov, 3rd International Open, Patras 2001.
13. a5 Ba7 14. c4?! A very aggressive move! 14. 0-0 Ne7 was probably a sounder line of play.
14. ... dxc3 15. Qa4+ Kc7 16. Bxc3. 16. Rc1 Rc8 also leaves Black with the better game.
16. ... Rc8 17. Qg4. White persists in her crude strategy, enabling the robot to seize the upper hand.
17. ... Ne7! 18. Qxg7 Rg8 19. Qxf7 Rxg2
6. Bd2. More than one theoretician in the last century argued that 6. b4(!), recommended by Alekhine, was here a sharper and more promising continuation for White, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) doesn’t seem to think so.
6. ... Nc6 7. Nb5 Nxd4 8. Nxd4 cxd4 9. Bb5+ Bd7 10. Bxd7+ Kxd7 11. Nf3 Bb6 12. a4 a6. Also playable is 12. ... Ne7 13. a5 Bc7 14. a6 Nc6 15. axb7 Rb8 16. c3 dxc3 17. Bxc3 Ke8 18. 0-0 Rxb7 with reasonable chances for equality, Krakops – Barsov, 3rd International Open, Patras 2001.
13. a5 Ba7 14. c4?! A very aggressive move! 14. 0-0 Ne7 was probably a sounder line of play.
14. ... dxc3 15. Qa4+ Kc7 16. Bxc3. 16. Rc1 Rc8 also leaves Black with the better game.
16. ... Rc8 17. Qg4. White persists in her crude strategy, enabling the robot to seize the upper hand.
17. ... Ne7! 18. Qxg7 Rg8 19. Qxf7 Rxg2
20. Qxe6? This leads to a disaster. Willy-nilly, she had to castle Queenside.
20. ... Bxf2+ 21. Kf1 (21. Kd1 Rg6 22. Qf7 Kb8−+)
21. ... Rg6 22. Qf7 Bc5. If body language means anything, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) now burst out in a smile.
23. b4 Qf8! 24. e6
20. ... Bxf2+ 21. Kf1 (21. Kd1 Rg6 22. Qf7 Kb8−+)
21. ... Rg6 22. Qf7 Bc5. If body language means anything, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) now burst out in a smile.
23. b4 Qf8! 24. e6
24. ... Rxe6! 25. Be5+. The Rook is obviously taboo, because of 25. Qxe6 Qxf3+ 26. Ke1 Qxc3+ with a massacre.
25. ... Bd6 26. Qxf8. (26. Qxe6 Qxf3+ 27. Ke1 Qe3+−+)
26. ... Rxf8 27. Bxd6+ Kxd6 28. Kf2 Ng6 29. Ra3 Nh4 30. Kg3
25. ... Bd6 26. Qxf8. (26. Qxe6 Qxf3+ 27. Ke1 Qe3+−+)
26. ... Rxf8 27. Bxd6+ Kxd6 28. Kf2 Ng6 29. Ra3 Nh4 30. Kg3
30. ... Rg8+! 31. Kf2. All other moves lead to mate, i.e. 31. Kxh4 Rh6#, 31. Kf4 Re4#, and 31. Kh3 Nxf3 32. ~ Rh6#.
31. ... Rg2+ 32. Kf1 Rf6 0–1. Enough is enough! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) burst in laughter and resigned.
31. ... Rg2+ 32. Kf1 Rf6 0–1. Enough is enough! 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) burst in laughter and resigned.
Queen and the robot king: an impossible match. Photo: Sina Sports.
A Merciful Heart
[Event "Human–Machine Ultimate Chess Showdown"]
[Site "北京 (Běijīng) CHN"]
[Date "2024.09.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) CHN"]
[Black "元萝卜 (Yuánluóbo) SenseRobot AI"]
[ECO "C18"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "38"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.Bd2 Nc6 7.Nb5 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 cxd4 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxd7+ Kxd7 11.Nf3 Bb6 12.a4 a6 13.a5 Ba7 14.c4 dxc3 15.Qa4+ Kc7 16.Bxc3 Rc8 17.Qg4 Ne7 18.Qxg7 Rg8 19.Qxf7 Rxg2 20.Qxe6 Bxf2+ 21.Kf1 Rg6 22.Qf7 Bc5 23.b4 Qf8 24.e6 Rxe6 25.Be5+ Bd6 26.Qxf8 Rxf8 27.Bxd6+ Kxd6 28.Kf2 Ng6 29.Ra3 Nh4 30.Kg3 Rg8+ 31.Kf2 Rg2+ 32.Kf1 Rf6 0-1
Post-match conversation with four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). |
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Stay tuned for an extraordinary AI premiere that you won’t want to miss! On Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 19.00, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) will take on 元萝卜 (Yuánluóbo) SenseRobot AI in an exciting showdown for the highest stakes. Guest commentator will be 7th Women’s World Chess Champion 谢军 (Xiè Jūn).
“For the first time in my life I am going to play a game with a machine. It is rated 3200. How do you think I should deal with it? I’d better say it silently, show mercy!”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) jokingly said.
“For the first time in my life I am going to play a game with a machine. It is rated 3200. How do you think I should deal with it? I’d better say it silently, show mercy!”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) jokingly said.
Monday, September 23, 2024
Two Career Girls
Two ballerinas in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” studio dance school look forward to a bright future. On one hand, Sofia (pictured above and below) was admitted to the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, a highly selective public research university in Pisa, Italy, where she is going to study Engineering. Viola (pictured above), on the other hand, is about to sit down with the whole family in the “button room”, eager to hand out credits to the worthy. |
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Saturday, September 21, 2024
Peace & Love
Over three thousand people paraded today in the Peace and Fraternity March from Perugia to Assisi, now in its 28th anniversary year. |
Pursuing Meaning
A bold chipmunk tackles a large peanut on the deck of a home in Morristown, New Jersey, United States. Photo: Zuma Press/Alamy Live News. |
Friday, September 20, 2024
A Shot in a Trance
We had just had our old Panasonic Lumix repaired a few days before, and thus when we met 林丽丽 (Lín Lìlì) yesterday, we took the opportunity to capture as many of her expressions as possible! |
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Propitiation
As far as Mado Flynn is concerned, 林丽丽 (Lín Lìlì) is the most exotic model in the brand’s seasonal collections. |
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Billboard
Feeling board... Didier Vanderperre’s shot of Chinatown in New York City, United States. Photo: Didier Vanderperre via The Guardian. |
Monday, September 16, 2024
Sunday, September 15, 2024
Power of Gardens
Spent Sunday wandering around the stalls of the Wellness Festival at Anconella Park
in Florence, Italy, where Mado Flynn featured her art in the exhibit of the A.M.A. (Friends of Animal World) Cat Pound. One of the highlights of the programme was the lecture given by philosopher Luigi Lombardi Vallauri, an acknowledged authority in animal law and animal rights. If then one needed signs, posters, labels, here they were: give peace a chance and say no to NATO. |
Saturday, September 14, 2024
Friday, September 13, 2024
Laughing Matters
Behind the scenes at 2023 Women’s World Chess Championship match: 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) and 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié) burst out into liberating laughter. |
Thursday, September 12, 2024
³
Lee Miller, Exercises, triple exposure, Limbering up for the big push, London, UK, 1942. Photo: Lee Miller Archives. |
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
The Wish of Wishes
On Saturday evening, September 7, 2024, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and PKU Professor 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured above, front row, from back right) joined teachers and special guests in the grand ceremonies of “2024 PKU First Run”. Photo: Peking University/Office of Student Affairs. |