All posts by Intellicurious

News, Views and Reviews for the Intellectually Curious

World Hunger: Is Biofuel Feeding A Food Crisis?

The UN’s World Food Programme has described 2022 as “a year of unprecedented hunger”, with millions of people in dozens of countries facing famine. At the same time, significant amounts of farmland are being used to produce so-called biofuels. But could a global food crisis change that?

Biofuels are liquid fuels produced from renewable biological sources, including plants and algae. Biofuels offer a solution to one of the challenges of solar, wind, and other alternative energy sources. These energy sources have incredible potential to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and yield environmental and economic benefits. But many of these sources have a limitation: they can’t replace liquid fuels such as jet fuel, gasoline, and diesel fuel that are critical to our transportation needs. That’s where biofuels could help.

Preview: The New Yorker Magazine – Sept 12, 2022

A crew films a very small dog in the middle of a bustling movie set.

George Balanchine’s Soviet Reckoning

New York City Ballet’s 1962 tour of the U.S.S.R. forced the great choreographer to confront the regime he’d fled and the people he’d left behind.

John Cuneo’s “Top Dog”

The artist discusses canine stars, his first trip abroad, and keeping a sense of the spontaneous in his work.

Miniature Views: Oslo – Capital Of Norway (4K)

A tilt-shift timelapse ride through the city via the Akershus Fortress, Opera House, Dome, Port, Tjuvholmen, Vigelandsparken, Ekebergparken, the ski jump in Holmenkollen and the peninsula Bygdøy in 4 amazing minutes.

Oslo, the capital of Norway, sits on the country’s southern coast at the head of the Oslofjord. It’s known for its green spaces and museums. Many of these are on the Bygdøy Peninsula, including the waterside Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Viking Ship Museum, with Viking ships from the 9th century. The Holmenkollbakken is a ski-jumping hill with panoramic views of the fjord. It also has a ski museum.

A film by Little Big World

Stories: Falling Food Prices, Polio Virus In The West, Tik Tok’s ‘Pink Sauce’

The worst predictions for costs have not come to pass, partly because Russia is selling plenty of wheat. But plenty of food-price woe may still await.

We examine the curious re-appearance of the polio virus in the West. And the trials of “Pink Sauce” reveal the perils of being a cottage-food producer—or consumer—in the social-media age.

Front Page: The New York Times – September 5, 2022

Wary of Cold Days and Hot Tempers, Europe’s Leaders Vow Economic Relief

Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic announced measures to populations feeling the bite of rising inflation and energy costs tied to war in Ukraine.

Russia’s Unfounded Claims of Secret U.S. Bioweapons Linger On and On

Without providing evidence, the Kremlin is pressing allegations that the U.S. operates labs in Ukraine and beyond. This week, it has called an investigative session in Geneva.

October 2022: National Geographic Traveller (UK)

The cover story this month focuses on Tokyo. Japan’s capital is a megalopolis made up of distinct neighbourhoods, each with their own character — from the outré trends of Harajuku and the neon maze of Shinjuku, to the technology and subcultures of Akihabara and the world’s best sushi in Ginza.

Elsewhere in the issue:


Belize: Discover Maya heritage, conservation triumphs and a kaleidoscopic barrier reef.
Kent: A hike from Deal to Folkestone reveals storied landscapes and arty seaside towns.
Namibia: A portrait of life in Kunene, a remote region of desert-adapted wildlife and star-studded night skies.
New York: Sampling the soul food, jazz clubs and markets of Harlem, Manhattan’s most famous Black neighbourhood.
Prague: Beyond the walls of the Old Town, the Czech capital is being reimagined by a new generation of locals.
Tenerife: Discover the wilder side of the Canary Island on its northern coast.
Trondheim: A new-found love of local produce is bringing fine cuisine to the former Viking capital.
Toronto: The Canadian city is upping its hotel game with a host of new openings and high-profile restorations.

Art: ‘Cy Twombly – Making Past Present’ At The Getty

Cy Twombly

Making Past Present

August 2–October 30, 2022, GETTY CENTER

American artist Cy Twombly’s engagement with the art and poetry of ancient Greece and Rome played a central role in his creative process. This exhibition explores Twombly’s lifelong fascination with the ancient Mediterranean world through evocative groupings of his paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture made from the mid-20th to the early 21st century, tracing an imaginative journey of encounters with and responses to ancient texts and artifacts. The presentation includes Greek and Roman antiquities from the artist’s personal collection, on public display for the first time.

Organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities
Major support from Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder
Generously sponsored by

Books: The New York Times Book Review – Sept 4, 2022

The New York Times Book Review 04 September 2022

Stephen King’s ‘Fairy Tale’: A Portal to a Fantasy Kingdom

In King’s latest novel, a teenage boy discovers another world beneath a backyard shed.

Why Did Some Cubans Inject Themselves With H.I.V.?

“Sacrificio,” a novel by Ernesto Mestre-Reed, imagines an extreme counterrevolutionary movement during desperate times.

Newly Published, From Lost Worlds to Whale Talk

Walking Tour: Eindhoven In Southern Netherlands

Eindhoven is a city in the province of North Brabant in the south Netherlands. Known as a technology and design hub, it’s the birthplace of Philips electronics, which built the Philips Stadium, home to the PSV soccer team. The Philips Museum traces the company’s design history. Nearby, the Van Abbemuseum focuses on art and design. Northwest, the former industrial complex Strijp-S houses design shops and restaurants.