Dialogues at Still Points is an academically styled, literary-minded blog for the intellectually (and obsessively) curious – ranging across science, history, philosophy, and literature. Here you’ll find essays that move between close reading and clear argument, weaving bibliographic reference with the clarifying power of story, alongside commentary, book reviews, and provisional, exploratory discussions approached from unexpected angles. The title nods to T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets: each entry is a “still point” that captures a thought at a moment in time, inviting dialogue as knowledge and perspective evolve.
What’s in a name anyway?
This blog is written for the intellectually curious. My main motivation is to provide intellectually engaging writting across science, history, philosophy, and world of literature. The name of this points to this motivation, and also the constantly evolving nature of knowledge – that a comment, or a piece of writing about a topic, captures an idea or concept at a single point in time. The notion of dialogues at still points comes from T.S. Eliot’s poem Four Quartets reflecting on timeless moments where past and future converge,
“At the still point of the turning world, neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance”
What is the Cabinet of Curiosities?
The Cabinet of Curiosities is a monthly companion to the Dialogues at Still Points newsletter: a small, delightful cabinet of intellectual oddments – scientific facts, philosophical provocations, historical episodes, literary echoes, and the occasional piece of esoterica worth polishing and placing on the shelf. Each edition is curated rather than comprehensive: a handful of “exhibits” offered with brief commentary, a deeper drawer opened for one longer reflection, and a short trail of footnotes for those who like to follow sources back to their origins. The aim is simple: to help make thinking feel tactile – part study, part wonder, and part conversation.
About me
My name is Robert G. C. Smith. I am currently pursuing a PhD in mathematical physics as part of the Particle Theory Group at the University of Nottingham. You can find more about my research in string/M-theory and other topics in mathematical physics on my research blog.
Beyond physics and mathematics, I have deep and long-standing interests in literature, history, and philosophy. In fact, these were my first intellectual loves. During my formative years, I spent considerable time immersed in philosophy and social science—particularly 18th- and 19th-century philosophy, as well as the philosophy of science. In developing a love for logic and epistemology, I was driven to explore much of continental and analytic philosophy. Over time, my curiosity expanded into almost every region of philosophical space, driven by a desire to piece together the world and understand human behaviour.
Over time I began to develop concentrated study at the intersection of human society, human behaviour, epistemology, and ethics. In recognition of these pursuits, I was offered opportunities to give talks and publish various articles and essays. In 2016, as a result of my developing a cross-disciplinary research programme in the area of human and social sciences, I had a book published by Springer Nature / Palgrave on social pathology, with the main philosophical motivation being the observed deficits of reason and rationality in the social domain. It is a critical book very much belonging to the enlightenment tradition.
All of these interests have, over time, led me to publish a range of academic and non-academic articles across diverse fields, including history, anthropology, psychology, epistemology, and the philosophy of science.
I’ve also occasionally ventured into poetry, and my love for literature stretches back to the classics.
This blog, Dialogues at still points, is my space to share these interests.
