#circapodcast

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How does the voyage of one unfortunate fishing vessel shape our understanding of nuclear weapons today? This is its story.

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Is humanity's obsession with beauty good or bad? How far have we gone to be considered beautiful?

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The Force Awakens

The following review contains no plot spoilers, but for those wishing to preserve their viewing experience, read at your own discretion:

The story of Star Wars is the story of the Force. All of the films follow who the Force has imbued, who it has chosen to do its bidding. It never acts on its own accord, it always needs a vessel, and in this newest installment, the Force chooses once again. 

There is something powerful about the desert. It is a place devoid of any of the world’s pleasures. It is where the Israelites were trapped for 40 years, where Jesus fasted, and where we find our heroes of The Force Awakens. Like Luke Skywalker before her, Rey lives on a desert planet, longing for a bigger life. We first meet her in the hollowed out belly of a fallen star destroyer, scavenging for parts. Then there’s Fin, a defected Stormtrooper with a guilty conscience, who has crash landed in the dunes with Po Dameron, the best pilot in the Resistance. 

The film takes a classic Star Wars turn and converges the lives of these heroes around a spunky little droid. BB-8, the purring droid in question, is a heart-warming successor to our old friend, R2. He at once charms us and intrigues us with his secret mission. Who knew you could get such emotional range from a spinning ball? I certainly didn’t. 

The group then ventures off, pursued by legions of The First Order, a shattered fragment of the once evil Empire. These soldiers, with their slick armor and updated weapons, are led by the most promising character in the announced trilogy: Kylo Ren. This rageful Sith descendant worships the severed head of his hero, Lord Vader, and follows the orders of the mangled Supreme Leader Snoke (who remains speciesly-anonymous). Kylo Ren, unlike Vader, lacks self-control, and is crippled with insecurities, making him a volatile on-screen presence. His kind of evil is one of weakness of spirit. As The Force’s presence grew stronger on Rey, Kylo Ren invariably gave in further to his own fragility. Both are movements of The Force in these characters lives and both dictate the flow of the story.

As the heroes clash with troopers of The First Order, we are treated with nostalgic moment after nostalgic moment, adeptly maneuvered by director J.J. Abrams. Many scenes felt like we’d been there before, only 3 movies ago, but were able to stay away from an overt sense of fan service or plagiarism. These scenes now felt like they belonged in that universe, as if nostalgia itself were a part of the DNA of Star Wars. 

The Force Awakens is just that, an awakening of spirit. Out of the desert, this film springs to life with the same mystery as the original trilogy, the same vibrance. Not only on-screen, but off, the vision before us is clear: Stars Wars is not only back, it’s here to stay.

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From the fires of Mount Tambora, the Modern Prometheus gives humanity a new gift. But who are they and what do they bring?

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What can we learn from the last days of the Kingdom of Hawaii?

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What does it mean to hope that something is true? Is it human nature to tell the truth or tell a lie? The history of the hoax answers these questions - if you believe it.

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The history of the ice industry is the story of selling comfort in a glass, and that story belongs to one man.

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Where do we begin?

History is our story, our collective understanding of human nature and how it’s made its way through the years. You are who you are because of every decision made by those who have lived before you. So, in that, we must go back and learn about how others lived, what they achieved, and how that shapes us today. Subscribe and see where you find yourself.