Juan Pimiento
@juanpimiento.bsky.social
Neuroscience PhD candidate.
Apollo flaying Marsyas after he played the aulos out of tune (José de Ribera, 1637).
In magical rituals and exorcisms, music had to be flawless—those who misplayed sacred songs risked execution to appease gods or demons.
Thankfully, conservatory punishments have softened a bit since then.
In magical rituals and exorcisms, music had to be flawless—those who misplayed sacred songs risked execution to appease gods or demons.
Thankfully, conservatory punishments have softened a bit since then.
November 24, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Apollo flaying Marsyas after he played the aulos out of tune (José de Ribera, 1637).
In magical rituals and exorcisms, music had to be flawless—those who misplayed sacred songs risked execution to appease gods or demons.
Thankfully, conservatory punishments have softened a bit since then.
In magical rituals and exorcisms, music had to be flawless—those who misplayed sacred songs risked execution to appease gods or demons.
Thankfully, conservatory punishments have softened a bit since then.
Whenever someone uses the "applicability" argument to look down on basic science, remember this: Apollonius of Perga formalized conic sections 17 centuries before Kepler used them to describe planetary motion—the same principles that now guide satellites delivering your Internet connection.
August 15, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Whenever someone uses the "applicability" argument to look down on basic science, remember this: Apollonius of Perga formalized conic sections 17 centuries before Kepler used them to describe planetary motion—the same principles that now guide satellites delivering your Internet connection.
Marcus Aurelius writes in Meditations: "honey tastes bitter to the jaundiced". Not true, as far as I know— I wonder where he got that idea. What I love is how it anticipates our modern understanding of sensory systems: internal states shape perception, and even ancient skeptics seemed to grasp this.
August 9, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Marcus Aurelius writes in Meditations: "honey tastes bitter to the jaundiced". Not true, as far as I know— I wonder where he got that idea. What I love is how it anticipates our modern understanding of sensory systems: internal states shape perception, and even ancient skeptics seemed to grasp this.