Arena, a billionaires'-backed biotech start-up, opens in Kendall Square. (Named after a TRoosevelt saying.)

[stellarfun]

First reported in the NY Times, and today in the Globe.

Backed by five billionaires.

Image from NY Times is better. Image from Globe was taken at night.

The name is derived from Teddy Roosevelt's speech in 1910 at the University of Paris, Sorbonne, titled, "Citizenship in a Republic". Now popularly known as 'The Man in the Arena speech'. The setting was the Grand Amphitheater of the University of Paris, The amphitheater was filled with professors and politicians, ministers of state and navy officers in full regalia, nearly a thousand students and an additional two thousand ticket-holders. The vice rector of the Sorbonne welcomed Roosevelt to the stage and proclaimed that the greatest voice in the New World was about to speak

Roosevelt apparently spoke French with a bit of German accent. From the speech

That is why I decline to recognize the mere multimillionaire, the man of mere wealth, as an asset of value to any country; and especially as not an asset to my own country. If he has earned or uses his wealth in a way that makes him a real benefit, of real use—and such is often the case—why, then he does become an asset of real worth. But it is the way in which it has been earned or used, and not the mere fact of wealth, that entitles him to the credit.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/12/business/stuart-schreiber-steve-pagliuca-celtics-broad-whitehead-koch/?s_campaign=breakingnews:newsletter

 

[DBM]

This is surely the most unfortunate incident of misplaced punctuation in AB's history; the thread title, as currently punctuated, indicates that an arena is being planned for Kendall Square. I urge someone to retitle this to something like: "Arena (a new biotech consortium) planned for Kendall Square," so others won't be as badly duped as I was and be forced to waste their time confirming that an arena is not in fact planned for Kendall Square (despite the participation of one of the Celtics owners...)

 

[stellarfun]

This is surely the most unfortunate incident of misplaced punctuation in AB's history; the thread title, as currently punctuated, indicates that an arena is being planned for Kendall Square. I urge someone to retitle this to something like: "Arena (a new biotech consortium) planned for Kendall Square," so others won't be as badly duped as I was and be forced to waste their time confirming that an arena is not in fact planned for Kendall Square (despite the participation of one of the Celtics owners...)

Note taken.