self-licking ice cream cone
n.— «SDI has become “a self-licking ice cream cone. It serves no purpose except to consume itself.”» —“Critics Call Star Wars A Contractors’ Feast” by Tim Weiner Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania) Mar. 23, 1992. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...
There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding — and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished...