Predictions For Philosophy in 10 Years

Philosophy in 10 Years | Daily Nous: 

[A]theism will become more commonplace in the broader culture, leading less atheists to feel the need to go into philosophy to argue about gods. For these and other reasons, there will be a higher proportion of philosophers who are theists. This could result in another fracturing of the discipline (along the lines of what happened in the 20th Century with analytic and Continental philosophy).

In ten years time, assuming I'm still blogging, I'll check revisit these. The last of the 5, quoted from above, is a bit intriguing.

Certainly all manner of philosophers could happen to be theists in their personal lives and it wouldn't make a whit of difference. To the extent theism might become more prominent in philosophical work in fields like normative ethics is disturbing. Nobody, after all, gets morality wrong like theologians.

Who's Next?

BBC News - Matt Smith to leave Doctor Who at the end of year: 

After four years as the Time Lord on the BBC One show, viewers will see Smith's Doctor regenerate in the 2013 Christmas special.

The 30-year-old actor said working on the show had been "the most brilliant experience".

Doctor Who marks its 50th anniversary in November with a special episode, which Smith has already filmed.

The BBC said Smith's "spectacular exit" was yet to be revealed and would be "kept tightly under wraps".

Oi, I'm rushed by events. I'd planned to write up a detailed post with a casting wishlist for Matt Smith's replacement to be out ahead of the change, but now I feel like I should throw up something to get me started in response to the not-exactly-shocking but unexpected news.

Technically, some sort of appreciation for Matt's performance should probably come first, but since we've still got the 50th anniversary and x-mas specials ahead, let's save that for after his run is properly done. He's done a great job and has a couple big opportunities to really put a bow (tie) on it.

Anyways, here's my first draft, off-the-cuff, list of U.K. actors whose agents I think should be getting calls today ...

Olivia Williams

[ IMDB | Facebook Fan Page ]

via tumblr

Every regeneration prompts the speculation that we might see a female Doctor. I'm all for it. Olivia Williams has the acting chops to be an absolutely brilliant Doctor. She also has the genre cred having starred in Dollhouse. 

She's got a couple movies in pre-production, but I'm hoping that doesn't mean she wouldn't have room for another commitment.

Peter Capaldi

[ IMDB | Facebook Fan Page ]

Peter Capalidi would be a coup, in my book. He's got amazing range, can be as vulnerable as a bunny rabbit, pant-pissingly funny, or pant-wettingly vicious as the situation demands. There's plenty of precedence for actors moving on from guest roles to starring roles (Karen Gillan, Catherine Tate, Colin Baker, Nicholas Courtney) so he's got that guest-starring turn in "Fires of Pompeii" going for him. 

I see he's going to be playing Cardinal Richelieu in an upcoming Three Musketeers series, but surely that wouldn't be enough to prevent this from happening?

Anthony Head

[ IMDB | Twitter ]

via tumblr

Like Capaldi, he's guest-starred already. He's got even more Whedonverse experiences than Olivia Williams. He was considered for the role of the Eighth Doctor, so he shouldn't be outside the realm of possibility. Like my other choices so far though, he's over 40 and one cynically supposes age will play against all of them now that Doctor Who is a hit with the younger crowd as well as those of us old enough to have watched the Classic Series as it was broadcast. (Funny to think that if they tried to cast Tennant now, he probably couldn't get the role either for the same reason. Or, maybe it's not so crazy to think they could cast a bit older again?)

Chiwetel Ejiofor

[ IMBD ]

Back to the Whedonverse for this selection. Ejiofor also has genre cred from Children of Men. If I'm not mistaken, his name came up as a possibility for one of the previous incarnations during the New Series era. He did an episode of Canterbury Tales with John "The Master" Simm a while back, and Billie Piper had that series on her CV before joining Doctor Who, so there might be some connections there that could work to his favor. 

---

These are probably actors that are already too famous to get the part. I knew Eccleston before his casting from Shallow Grave but would never have guessed he'd be a candidate, never mind the ace bit of casting he turned out to be. Tennant and Smith I had to google to find out what they'd done before, so I suspect that's what's going to happen again. Which, hey, they've done a fabulous job so far, so I'll just watch with interest to see what they do and not get bent out of shape my none of my picks are selected.

---

Update 1
Smack my head I can't believe I forgot, hadn't considered, or was simply unaware of these names:

• Russel Brand (Daft manic intelligence!)
• Gillian Anderson (I didn't realize she hails from London.)
• Ruth Wilson (Talented actress with a slightly alien appearance.)
• Tilda Swinton (As suggested by +Tom Ferguson  -- the more I think about this, the more it occludes the possibility it could be anyone else!) 
• Sanjeev Bhaskar (Looked him up after seeing him suggested on a comment thread and after checking out some interviews and clips, he strikes me as having a balance of intelligence and humor that would suit the role perfectly.)
• Angela Bassett (Another suggestion culled from the same thread as above. She won me over, permanently, in Strange Days. Like Swinton, and perhaps all the others, I wonder if she's already too famous to really be a consideration.)

---

Update 2
Somebody must have asked Sheikie for his opinion ...

Doctor Who gives a fuck
— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) June 2, 2013

---

Update 3

'Stand On Zanzibar' is worth reading, regardless how you rate Brunner's "uncanny" predictions ...

The Millions : The Weird 1969 New Wave Sci-Fi Novel that Correctly Predicted the Current Day: 

My copy of 'Stand On Zanzibar' 

Brunner’s work stands out as the most uncanny anticipation of what would actually change — and what would stay the same — in the decades following its publication. Certainly, there are many details, large and small, that Brunner got wrong. But even when the particulars don’t ring true, the overarching theme of Stand on Zanzibar, which is the hidden cost of our obsession with human perfectibility, is just as relevant today as when Brunner wrote his novel.

But, it's a little misleading to give him credit for predicting a President Obomi. In the novel, Obomi is the President of an African nation, not the U.S. So the "Nate Silver himself couldn't have done it," breathlessness is a bit overwrought. (And, no, it's not Kenya either, if that's what you were wondering.)

Election Night 2012: The presidential election is firming up ...

• NH for Obama (I'm disappointed this was close, but it's another correct battleground pick for me.)

NH and WI going blue really narrows Romney's path. He's basically got no chance now. If the characterization of the remaining counting in Florida as being in Democratic strongholds is correct, it's basically over. 

This last batch of closings at the 10 o'clock ET hour doesn't have a lot of interest for me. Watching the Baldwin/Thompson race, the Tester/Rehberg race and waiting to see calls for NC, VI, OH, and FL. One of those will come soon. They won't make us wait all night ... will they?

Here's a call:

• MO Senate - McCaskill (D) defeates Akin(R) -- LOLOLOL Tea Party idiots, suck it.

That means I'm 7 for 8 in predictions. Not too bad.