Word: muchness
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Quantum physics demolishes the conventional concept of time in its own peculiar ways. Measured at short enough durations, space-time loses its apparently smooth, continuous structure, devolving into what Princeton physicist John Wheeler calls "quantum foam." The orderly flow of events may really be as much an illusion as the flickering frames of a movie. And according to independent physicist Barbour's new book, even the apparent sequence of the flickers is illusory...
...perhaps it is just that his protagonist, persistent Everyloser Charlie Brown, has for nearly 50 years appeared to suffer from seasonal affective disorder. Before Peanuts made its debut in 1950, one wouldn't generally think of pop-cultural children--maybe not children, period--as having psyches, much less diagnoses. Moppets of the Depression and before were uncomplicated, hardy imps, ravenous Little Rascals and ruddy-faced Katzenjammers of simple wants and slapstick antics. Schulz's Dr. Spock-era kids brought cartoons into the age of psychiatric help, 5[cents] at a time. Reflective, neurotic and deadpan, they were to their predecessors...
...diversity agreement would signal a major effort to go beyond such quick fixes. It would also score a much needed victory for the N.A.A.C.P., which has spent much of the past decade dogged by financial woes, an embarrassing sex scandal and a dimmed place on the national political radar. Mfume, 51, has been lauded for putting the organization back on solid financial footing and increasing its sagging membership rolls. But he has been criticized for failing to steer the organization into such controversial issues as affirmative action and welfare reform...
Diversity on TV is not exactly a front-burner issue for many African Americans either. And it's likely that Mfume will face some grumbling from civil rights old-liners that any goodwill covenant with the networks that lacks enforcement teeth is not worth much. But Mfume may wind up having more impact by playing the Negotiator than the Terminator...
...Person of the Year, spent three weeks trailing Bezos. "He's manic without the depression," says Quittner, who writes our Personal Time technology column and edits TIME DIGITAL. Quittner and photographer David Burnett even stayed at Bezos' Seattle, Wash., home overnight, where they played way too much Foosball. (How good is Bezos? Let's just say that as a Foosball player, Bezos is a great Internet strategist...