Borges's Library of Babel: Ctrl + F for meaning

from Do You Even Lit? · host cam and benny feat. rich

The Do You Even Lit boys put down the heavy tomes and choose a short story. Well, we're not sure if it counts as a story. Maybe a thought experiment? This week we’re talking about one of our favourite authors: Jorge Luis Borges. We read The Library of Babel, Borges’s classic meditation on infinity (well, not infinity exactly — but an almost-might-as-well-be infinity). There are a lot of books. Nonsense: Not to complain about pLoT hOlEz, but we take slight issue with the fact that it's no feasible for a librarian to find any coherent passages, even if the library contains everything collectively. How would you know? We worry about the metaphysical horror of not being able to know you found the book with all the codes in it even if you found it. We're reassured by reminding ourselves that we won't stumble across The library: How are the hexagons actually connected? Can you piss off the railing? Was it designed to be pissed off? And if you jumped, which book would you bring on the way down? CHAPTERS (0:11) Banter and boners (2:13) Thought experiments vs short stories (4:28) Summary (06:07) How many books is it really? (08:23) It'd all be nonsense, practically speaking (10:23) Metaphysical layers 1 and 2 (18:06) the real world website (21:10) Falling down the shaft (27:06) No author doesn't quite hit the same (39:06) How do they have history? (44:30) What does the library look like? (47:25) Multiverse (59:03) Wrap up WRITE US: We love listener feedback. Send us a note at [email protected] to correct our hot takes, add your own, or ask a question. NEXT ON THE READING LIST: Butcher's Crossing - John Williams James Joyce...

What this episode covers

The Do You Even Lit boys put down the heavy tomes and choose a short story. Well, we're not sure if it counts as a story. Maybe a thought experiment?This week we’re talking about one of our favourite authors: Jorge Luis Borges. We read The Library of Babel, Borges’s classic meditation on infinity (well, not infinity exactly — but an almost-might-as-well-be infinity). There are a lot of books. Nonsense: Not to complain about pLoT hOlEz, but we take slight issue with the fact that it's no feasible for a librarian to find any coherent passages, even if the library contains everything collectively. How would you know? We worry about the metaphysical horror of not being able to know you found the book with all the codes in it even if you found it. We're reassured by reminding ourselves that we won't stumble across The library: How are the hexagons actually connected? Can you piss off the railing? Was it designed to be pissed off? And if you jumped, which book would you bring on the way down? CHAPTERS (0:11) Banter and boners(2:13) Thought experiments vs short stories(4:28) Summary(06:07) How many books is it really?(08:23) It'd all be nonsense, practically speaking(10:23) Metaphysical layers 1 and 2(18:06) the real world website(21:10) Falling down the shaft(27:06) No author doesn't quite hit the same(39:06) How do they have history?(44:30) What does the library look like?(47:25) Multiverse(59:03) Wrap up WRITE US: We love listener feedback. Send us a note at [email protected] to correct our hot takes, add your own, or ask a question. NEXT ON THE READING LIST: Butcher's Crossing - John Williams James Joyce...

NOW PLAYING

Borges's Library of Babel: Ctrl + F for meaning

0:00 1:00:28

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

Big Old Life: Heather Blackbird interviews people on planet earth. Heather Blackbird loves asking questions. This podcast is a learning experience. Join me, Heather Blackbird, as I talk to people about their lives. Frequency of new episodes is a little all over the place and I'm learning as I go. Big Old Life is a small way of talking about the vastness of life, one person at a time. If you are reading this or found this podcast it's probably because someone you know gave you a link to it. :) Explicit Bitcoin Is Dead Trey Carson Welcome to Bitcoin is Dead, the ultimate Bitcoin variety show where host Trey takes you on a journey through the ever-evolving world of Bitcoin. Each episode brings new personalities, fascinating locations, and insightful conversations with politicians, educators, and innovators shaping the future of Bitcoin. Whether you're a seasoned Bitcoiner or just starting your journey, tune in for thought-provoking discussions, unique perspectives, and a deep dive into the ideas and people driving the Bitcoin revolution. Explicit Křemíkové nebe Jura Ibl, Filip Brož Novinář Filip Brož a analytik Jura Ibl rozebírají svět technologických firem. Kam běží zajíc, kdo je hlavní hlava a kdo už míří do křemíkového nebe? Explicit Never Time to Give Up Shadoe Lass A nod to the classics with a note from the future. A project meant to encompass every call I wanted to make but never went through. Seriously, it's just me, calling you. Pick up the phone? :) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Explicit

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Do You Even Lit??

This episode is 1 hour and 0 minutes long.

When was this Do You Even Lit? episode published?

This episode was published on September 3, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Can I download this Do You Even Lit? episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.

URL copied to clipboard!