Word: conundrum
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...Cosmic Conundrum" [Nov. 29] explored the "anthropic principle," the proposition that the universe is "uncannily well suited to the existence of life." Just as physicists are ultimately baffled by the laws of the universe, physicians and surgeons spend their entire lives trying to comprehend the complexities of the body's systems. The more we understand human physiology, the more we believe that a higher power must be responsible for the body's creation as well as the varying outcomes (good and bad) we see after treatment of seemingly similar diseases. The human body is more complex than the most sophisticated...
...question facing businessmen across Libya as the prospect of a full-force American return to the country builds. Back in Tripoli, Seif Gaddafi says the conundrum is "very classic," faced by countless developing countries. Then, as with most problems, he finds a reason to dismiss this one. "The story of Libya is different," he says. "We have a strong leadership--that is obvious." And thanks to $20 billion in foreign reserves from the country's existing oil business, Seif goes on, "we don't lack cash. We don't need capital." But Libya does need modern technological know...
...drinking beer from his own special stein, a ritual he has performed for the past seven parties he has thrown. He introduces himself to me and asks me my name, a ritual we have performed for the past seven parties he has thrown. The Drunken Host is a conundrum: so friendly, so outgoing, so caring towards everyone. Yet, The Drunken Host will never remember you, what you major in or that you don’t have any “freshman hottalicious friends.” The Drunken Host will also tell you that relaxing and partying...
More than two-thirds of all mergers fail. Yet companies rarely grow without deals. How does a CEO confront this conundrum? David Harding and Sam Rovit, veteran management consultants at Bain & Co., walk readers through the daunting world of M&A inMastering the Merger: Four Critical Decisions That Make or Break the Deal (Harvard Business School Press). Through detailed case studies, the pair show that the more successful acquirers, like Clear Channel, tend to thrive through many small deals rather than the big one. The bottom line: no matter how far along you are in the process, always...
...some ways, I always prefer fantasy to the truth, because fantasy always pleases me and the truth doesn’t. On the other hand, there’s something delicious about getting your hands on a fact. Robert Nozick had a famous conundrum where he asked people, “If you could go inside a happiness machine and you’d experience a life of utter bliss, but you’d really be laying inside a machine with your brain all wired up, would you want to go into the machine?” I don?...