Monthly Archives: May 2011
Competition for public funds
Ever wondered why education, research, health care and public infrastructure is being wound back across the western world? This chart, from here, on the American debt, suggests why: In the competition between various calls on the public purse, it looks … Continue reading
Filed under Politics
The evolution of common sense on Scientific American
No, I do not mean that SciAm has finally evolved common sense, which would be an insult for the magazine that I grew up with. Instead quite the opposite: they have published a piece of mine on their Guest Blog … Continue reading
Filed under Epistemology, Evolution, Philosophy, Religion, Science
Rapture and risk
So, if you are reading this, then the Rapture didn’t take you. I spent a fair bit of May 21 Tweeting various ways in which it didn’t happen in Australia. A bit of harmless fun, but I noted something as … Continue reading
Filed under Epistemology, Religion, Sermon
Australian scientists resign from Murray-Darling Water commission due to a lack of heed
I don’t usually post these announcements, but GetUp are reliable and on target. Today it was revealed that key scientists have walked away from the government’s Murray Darling Basin Authority process in protest. Right now the Murray Darling Basin Authority … Continue reading
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Filed under Australian stuff, Ecology and Biodiversity, Politics
Me-mail
I hate moving, so the Universe has kindly arranged that I must do it around once per year. Despite having pared my possessions down to a begging bowl, loin cloth, and several thousand books, it is still a royal pain. … Continue reading
Filed under Administrative, Australian stuff
Quote: Eddington’s two tables
Arthur Stanley Eddington was an Englishman, a physicist, a pacifist and a clever writer: I have settled down to the task of writing these lectures and have drawn up my chairs to my two tables. Two tables! Yes; there are … Continue reading
Filed under General Science, History, Philosophy, Quotes
Ah, look at all the lonely planets
Epsilon Cygni Picked up a spin from a passing hot Jove Expelled from its star Wanders the galaxy Cooling its surface to 273 below Floats very far All the lonely planets Where do they all come from? All the lonely … Continue reading
Filed under General Science, Humor
How to export a blog as a document
Anyone got smart ideas here? I want to convert my whole blog into a formattable document, including comments, with a view to doing a book format (The Very Best of Evolving Thoughts). I want to be able to edit it, … Continue reading
Filed under Administrative
Terminological exaptitude
Lately, advocates of experimental philosophy have been calling it X-Phi. What with connotations of Mulder and Scully, that’s rather cool. Then, I saw a site on mathematical philosophy call itself M-Phi. So it follows that what I do, the philosophy … Continue reading
Filed under Humor, Philosophy, Science
