Trauma. A Rip in your view of the Universe

 Jayson Greene: ‘Trauma is a rip in your understanding of the universe’ | Books | The Guardian … :

“Trauma is a rip in your understanding of the universe,” says Greene, Skyping from New York. “The idea that you can prepare for trauma is wrong. You can’t. Trauma is the unforeseen and the terrible. I think people are drawn to stories in which terrible things happen because in some ways they are one of the most proven mechanisms we have in making sense of the world and making sense of our emotions.”

Aliens are coming. Why now? Why not in better times?

Reality update: The aliens are coming. And they’ve caught us with our pants down | James Felton | Opinion | The Guardian … :

Couldn’t they have shown up during the 2012 Olympics or when Britpop was at its height? Better yet, when Shrek 2 was first released. Apparently not. They want a chinwag with humanity right when we’ve collectively decided to dip our testicles in the Müller Light.