The Lack of Meccano

One of the best Christmas presents I ever had as a child was a Meccano set (Erector Set, USA), it was the only gift that lasted for several years and actually grew as I requested expansion kits and accessories for it from Santa. By age eleven I had a steam engine, an electric motor and a good selection of gears, I could make real machines with my Meccano. It was at that time that my lifelong interest in science really started, I wanted to get more power from my electric motor and so I had to learn about electricity to achieve my goal. In a short time I understood how transformers worked and realised that I was hooked on this new "magic" of electricity and electronics, I avidly read everything I could on the subject, often late at night under the blankets with a torch because I wasn't allowed the light on.

Eventually my interest in electronics drew me away from Meccano and I played with it less and less but it had "started me out" so to speak, and I still have a fondness for it to this day. Sadly, the company that made Meccano has been out of business for many years; I believe that part of reason that many children today display poor dexterity skills and mechanical ineptitude may well be due to the lack of Meccano. Only a week ago in a DIY store, I overheard two boys discussing how a nut went onto a bolt, when I was their age you would never have heard that, everybody knew how a nut went on a bolt.

Parental encouragement also seems to be in decline these days and may be related to the overall "dumbing down" of children. Every child expects their parents to be able to answer any question and of course this is unrealistic, but parents today seem unable to say "I don't know", they would rather fob the child off or even tell it not to ask silly questions etc. My own father had a slight problem in this area, he always tried to answer my questions but I never heard him say "I don't know". I have a vivid recollection of asking him what electricity was, he should have said he didn't know but replied that nobody knew. A few years later I told him to ask me the question; he wasn't too pleased when I told him exactly what electricity is.

Come back Meccano, we need you badly!

Population Problems

The population of the world is almost 6.5 billion people increasing at the rate of 128 million per annum, this means that 40 years from now there will be nearly twice as many people on the Earth. How are they going to eat? What are they going to eat? How will they avoid annihilation? If we don't do anything, the current religious and ethnicity based wars that we currently fight will seem insignificant compared to what our young children of today will face as adults.

Humankind can easily live without religion but not without food. Wars fought over food will be much more deadly.

Personally, I see a gloomy future ahead; greed and selfishness is everywhere and I don't have a solution to the problem. I could write a thousand words detailing the reasons for my pessimism but I won't, instead, I invite readers to send me their ideas and proposals. Please try to be realistic and sensible, I will delete nonsensical comments or suggestions that we start praying or hoping for divine intervention.

Organic Update

Since I wrote the GM post below, I've done some more research on organic vs genetically engineered plants. It seems clear that because organic growing methods are so inefficient, there is no way that it would be able to provide the quantity of food we need, for that reason alone, GM crops will definitely be produced.

As to nutritional value, there is no evidence favouring organic foods; the safety worries about pesticides used on GM plants are unfounded; indeed, it seems more likely that organic produce may have at least as much if not more, health risk; all produce should be washed before consumption anyway. There is no evidence that cow dung and horse manure is any better than synthetically manufactured fertilizer, as far as the plant is concerned they are the same. The manufactured fertilizer simply skips the part where the nutrient has to pass through the gut of an animal.

The bottom line is this: if a plant shows healthy growth, then it's getting the correct nutrients no matter where they come from.

GM Anyone?

The hubbub on GM crops seems to have abated somewhat; I hope this doesn’t mean that development is slowing down. I’m slightly fed up with seeing all that organically grown ‘natural’ produce in its obviously expensive packaging taking up space in supermarket shelves, we are being conned here folks; all this ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ nonsense is just an excuse to double the price.

Let’s examine the situation more closely.

A few thousand years ago the stuff we ate that grew in the soil was indeed natural, we wandered around tasting things, if good, we ate. Then some bright spark realised that by planting seeds, protecting young plants from weather damage and from being eaten by other creatures, we could have more of the stuff for ourselves, thus was born that very unnatural device; agriculture. Then we found ways to improve the quality and size of the produce, by various grafting and crossbreeding techniques we obtained fruits, vegetables and cereals that were much better than their ‘natural’ counterparts. All these genetic modifications became so successful and popular that we gave the process its own special name, we called it; farming.

So, now we’re aware that we’ve been GM’ing for at least two thousand years, why not continue? Nothing really bad has happened that can be blamed on a farmed crop, I can’t recall anyone being raped by a perverted potato or murdered by some strawberry strangler! GM crops will be developed; get used to the idea; economics alone will ensure it happens. There’s nothing inherently wrong with modifying something, we just need to be sure that good modifications are made, if we follow this simple plan we’ll have no worries about some triffid-like ambulatory foliage having its planty way with us! Taste will be all-important of course, but given that, which would you rather have? A sorry-ass ‘organic’ spud that’s riddled with screwworm holes and costs a fortune, or a beautiful blemish-free potato that on command, peels itself (thinly of course) then jumps automatically into the cooking vessel of your choice?

I’ve made up my mind!

Afterlife Antics

At first, I didn't believe it but unfortunately it's true. There is a web site that offers to deliver afterlife telegrams. They charge $5 per word with a 5 word minimum. It's done by getting your message memorised by a terminally ill person who will pass it on to the already dead recipient when they themselves snuff it.

Still, I got a good laugh when I read their solemn statement that no mentally incompetent people will be used as messengers... talk about the blind leading the blind!

Mediums beware! This new scam makes your scam look lame and may possibly be the death of you!

NHS Gets New Quantum Medical Machine

A new treatment that has amazing health benefits, has been developed in Eastern Europe.

Professor Ludwig Lippensticht, the inventor, says his system can promote weight loss, hair growth, and clarification of the complexion almost instantly! The treatment works at the quantum level and no chemical medication is involved, the patient is treated by the insertion of a nano-probe that is attached to a special machine. Complete details of the machine are still secret but the professor wants to show that no quackery or trickery of any kind is employed, and so has provided the following partial technical description of the machine’s workings that will be of interest to scientists and technically minded persons.

The secret lies in the rearrangement of quarks (the building blocks of matter) by using a special mangulatory field whose range is very small but easily spans the very short quantum distances. The field is generated by taking the output of two oscillators and mixing them to produce a differentially integrated heterodyne signal. The first oscillator uses voltafaradation techniques, whilst the second relies upon capacitosaturation coupled with resistorial inductocoercivity. These signals are then fed into a double-balanced mixer comprised of biologically-doped geranium diodes, the mixer output is then amplified causing squegging megacurrents to flow through sub-atomic spicules aligned in high permittivity mode. This gives complete control of the quarks allowing them to be arranged in a manner suitable for the desired effect, generally, up and down quarks are converted into diagonal quarks whilst strange quarks are eliminated entirely.

The exact geometry of the quarkological effect is still secret; a switch governing the process is labelled appropriately for each treatment, so the user has a simple interface to deal with. Prof. Lippensticht wishes to make clear that the known dangers of field mangulation are not a problem with his machine, automatic demangulation takes place upon probe extraction.

As to availability, the professor has indicated that the British NHS will be the first recipients of the machine.

"The British NHS has shown remarkable stupidity...er, sorry, foresight (my English not so good) when it comes to offering new treatments like crystal healing, homeopathy and dowsing", said Lippensticht.

"I feel it appropriate that their victims...ach! so sorry again, I mean patients, should be the first to get the benefits of my new technology", concluded the professor.

A spokesperson for the New Age department of the NHS said:

"We will implement the new machine immediately, it won't undergo double-blind testing, we've found that technique to be useless with alternative medicine; nothing ever passes!"

Mundane Matters

Am I alone, or do others get infuriated by labels and various tags attached to garments in the most uncomfortable places? There's nothing worse than a new shirt with a huge, coarse label double-stitched into the back of the neck, the first thing I do is cut it right off.

Listen, you ignorant garment producers, we don't need to be reminded of our size by having the skin abraded from our necks! If you must attach a label then make it a stick-on one or use some other means of easy detachment, I'm fed up damaging new clothes trying to dislodge obstinate labels!

From now on I will visit a large store at least once a week and ask them if they know any other store where I can buy a shirt without neck labels. Making it clear that they just lost a sale may make them put pressure on the manufacturers. If lots of us do it, they will get the message.

Ideas and Theories

I'm fed up hearing the phrase "it's just a theory" being used. Of course, it's always people who don't know what a theory is, that use the phrase. This short post is for their benefit.

A theory makes predictions that can be verified by observation. If a theory's predictions disagree with observation, the theory is wrong; it will be modified or perhaps discarded. Clearly then, a theory that survives such testing is very likely to be of high value and until a better one comes along, it may be the accepted wisdom.

People using "just a theory" are confusing theories with ideas. There are good ideas and bad ideas, there are no bad theories, bad theories die quickly. Ideas don't have to prove or predict anything, they can be total nonsense, that's why they're "just ideas". Of course, there is nothing to prevent a good idea being developed into a theory - that often happens - but the difference between idea and theory is enormous, and that is the point to be kept in mind.

Finally, a couple of examples:

Gravity: a theory, first developed by Newton, further refined by Einstein, now an accepted truth.

God: an idea, first developed by many different people, has had no refinement for thousands of years, that's why it's still an idea.

Identity Cards: Threat to Freedom

“Those willing to give up a little liberty for a little security deserve neither security nor liberty.”

That was true when Benjamin Franklin said it and it’s true today. Here in Britain, we seem to have forgotten what democracy means; many of us behave as if we must do as the government decrees. In a democratic society it is the job of government to carry out the will of the people, not the other way round, they work for us we don’t work for them We need to put that authoritarian Home Secretary Blunkett in his place and remind him for whom he works!

The greatest threat to our freedom is not terrorism or the chance of war with other countries; the greatest threat is our own government. Freedom is a precious thing but it places the burden of responsibility and duty upon those who desire it, each of us has a duty to ensure that tight rein is kept upon those we elect to govern the country. The introduction of Identity Cards is just another example of how an out-of-control government tries to further erode our freedom. I say further erode because we are already in deep trouble, we are spied upon everywhere we go, it’s a simple matter for government to monitor us if they want to. Use a mobile phone, an ATM, a credit card, buy an airline ticket; you leave a computer trail behind you If we allow ID cards then soon afterwards I predict we will be asked to show them when making certain purchases, checking into hotels or making travel arrangements etc.

Personally, I will NEVER under any circumstances carry an ID card. I was born of a Scottish mother and an English father, I am truly British, I DEMAND and will FIGHT for, the freedom my forbears died for. To add insult to injury they have the audacity to expect us to pay for the cards! If we fall for that nonsense then we truly deserve what Franklin said, neither security nor freedom.

Animal Rights Activists

This group seem to have lost a large part of their reasoning power (or maybe they never had any) their willingness to desecrate human graves in an attempt to advance their cause will, I’m sure, do nothing for them. Instead it will mark them as unbalanced persons prone to the commission of dangerous acts of folly.

I have nothing against animals myself – I even had a dog that I liked more than some people – but I managed to keep a balanced view, I think more of people in general, than I do of animals. Most of us are aware that many - if not most - medical advances made, are largely as a result of animal experimentation; the humble mouse has been of great help to us, ask any biologist. People who commit crime on behalf of animals should be treated in a way that forces them to think carefully about the long term.

I propose a simple way of dealing with them as follows:

• They should have to register themselves as Animal Rights Activists (or whatever title they choose) with the government. Initially of course, registration would be voluntary unless they committed a crime which would make it mandatory.
• Such a nationally maintained database would enable medical staff to withhold on logical grounds, treatment obtained through animal research (i.e. most of it) from any registered person seeking medical assistance. Any activist not wishing to look like an idiot would of course have to agree with this policy. Let them put their health where their mouth is. As a small concession, I suppose we could make arrangements with local zoos to allow activists to seek help from their animal friends.
• Before giving blood, I would urge all donors to get a signed and sworn statement that their gift will not be used to help registered activists. Would you give your life-blood to a person who thinks more of animals than they do of you? I wouldn’t!
• Finally, all activists should carry a national; “turn-me-into-pet-food” card so that they can properly be processed when they die. This scheme would also create jobs because of the special new buildings and butchers required! On second thought, I see that the money for this would have to come from the activists (I certainly wouldn’t pay) so I further propose that they be forcibly licensed. Because of their relatively small numbers the fee would not be trivial but I think £500 annually from each activist ought to cover it.

I think I might send this proposal to Downing Street – see what Tony thinks of it.

Nixing Nonsense

Here is a list of items that are almost certainly false or have actually been proven false. I have hammered a short, fat nail into each one of them.

Astrology
Perhaps the silliest of things that a few people still believe in. I won't debunk it, it's too obvious and has been done many times, speak to a ten-year old if further explanation is needed.

Homeopathy
One of those "alternative" healing methods, it says that the more a medicine is diluted with water, the more effective it becomes! When the obvious nonsense is pointed out, the homeonutters say that the water retains a "memory" of what was in it! If true, this would deal a very serious blow to our knowledge of physics. But of course it's not true. In fact, when subjected to the double-blind testing that all normal medications must pass, it fails; fails every single time. As indeed it must! Otherwise it would just be part of usual medical practice, no need for the nonsense "alternative" label.

As an aside, a few months ago I noticed my local health centre had a brochure pinned to the notice board stating that one of the centre's doctors was a homeopathy practitioner! I was aghast! Here was a person who had a degree in medcine - a science-based discipline - had hopefully been taught how to think correctly and yet was prepared to throw her training out the window. I didn't actually make a formal complaint, but I expressed my surprise that a document advertising mumbo-jumbo was on display in a scientific establishment. The next time I visited, it had gone.

Mediums
A brand of trickery that depends on people believing in spirits, ghosts and some form of afterlife, all of which there is absolutely no evidence for. Never in human history has any "medium" been able to prove their claimed abllities and I would bet any amount of money that none ever will. I notice that mediums always tell people what they want to hear, the "other side" never has any bad news, everything's fine and no blame is ever attached to the living! I also notice that "other side" inhabitants all seem to be dimwits, they never have any useful information to impart, isn't it more likely that it's the dimwitted, unimaginative mediums who are trying to ensure that clients are always pleased and will therefore return?

Imagine the situation where a medium who has just contacted a client's dead husband say; instead of telling her (via the medium) everything's fine here, don't worry, it's not your fault etc., the spirit says:

"You lousy bastard! I blame you for my demise, if you hadn't been whoring around I would never been in the fight and never would've been shot! I'm going to haunt you till the end of time, you evil slut!"

Do you thnk it likely the lady client would have left the seance comforted and pleasantly uplifted by the experience? More likely she would have torn the "medium" a new asshole and refused to pay the fee!

Many of these charlatans have been exposed and some have even confessed their crookery, yet people unwilling to think or prepared to believe nonsense over fact, happily give them money. Amazing, isn't it?

Faith-Healers
These hucksters also depend upon gullible believers-in-magic for their success. However, they are a different breed, they are cruel, heartless and callous creatures who prey upon sick people who may often be terminally ill. Modern medicine has made tremendous advances in recent years but it's still not perfect, there are some unfortunate persons that medicine cannot help and it's those that the faith-healer often swindles. Popular in the USA, these low-lifes have often been exposed but they keep appearing, cheating dying people is a big lucrative business, there will always be some crook willing to do it.

Dowsing
More nonsense, but perhaps not as bad as some. I don't think James Randi's million dollars (see www.randi.org) is in any danger of leaving him on this - or any other - score, no dowser has ever been able to prove any kind of abliity either. But still, even goverment departments have been silly enough to hire them to look for water, oil etc. Is it surprising that dowsers abound?

The Loch Ness Monster
I wonder how much money has been taken by the businesses around the loch and the general area since the tale was invented? I hope they hold an annual thanksgiving party for the kindly person who started the story! The only thing that surprises me about these kind of tales is that there are not more of them, quite a good ploy for an economically depressed town or area. Come to think of it, how about "The Glenrothes Goliath", often seen on Friday and Saturday nights stumbling aimlessly around town.

Christian Scientists
So far, (thankfully) I don't see much evidence of them in the UK but I did come across these maniacs when I lived in the USA. Firstly, let me say that there is absolutely nothing scientifc about them, they're about as unscientific as you can get. They are people who are prepared to let their kids die rather than seek medical help. Craziness of the highest order seems to be a prerequisite for joining their ranks, they think prayer alone can solve any problem, if prayer fails, it's God's will.

These people are seriously sick in the head, and have been responsible for the deaths of many children over the years, many of whom might easily been saved had medical help been sought. They should be in jail but no, they perpetrate their evil ways with impunity. Sadly, now that the religious fanatic Bush is in government, I wouldn't be surprised if they were given federal cash to help them spread their stupidity. And these are the kind of people who maintain that if you're a moral, kind and compassionate person you must be a God believer...Arghhh, excuse me, these cretins make me puke!