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May 2, 2026 4 min

I Tried to Explain this Once

from VOICES - before it was written Hosted by Francis Rosenfeld

Exact sciences look down on language, whose imprecise nature feels hollow and superficial compared to the pristine perfection of mathematical rules. It is exactly that evasive nature that makes it so valuable; it is the layering of meaning and the ability to turn a phrase into its opposite in one change of tone that endows it with magic and it is its slippery quality that makes it so addictive. There is a hard object underneath the gooey surface which spills through your fingers and turns into nothing the moment you focus on it, and that hard object is so evident to people they don’t think of questioning its existence, they can feel it in a visceral way, but not in a way they can explain, or justify. An indescribable art. Music - Dizzy Dissolve by Neon Beach There is a version of this that held together longer. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francisrosenfeld.substack.com

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I Tried to Explain this Once

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This episode was published on May 2, 2026.

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