Cut Red Tape? Be careful what you wish for
Nothing annoys us more than form filling and box ticking, and we’re not alone, so no wonder the old mantra “cut red tape” plays so well . But-some of those regulations may have a purpose as Heather Stewart of the Guardian explains.
Were the Denisovans Dragon Men, or what?
The discovery of a new lineage of humans in Denisova Cave in 2010 was breathtaking because the identification was made from DNA rather than from a recognisable skull or skeleton. The subsequent identification of Homo longi (“Dragon Man”) as a Denisovan raises an intriguing nomenclatural question, at least as far as we’re concerned. If Dragon Man is accepted as a Denisovan, as this Conversation article argues, does the formal species name Homo longi take precedence over the population previously known simply as Denisovans? There is still some wiggle room, since it remains unclear whether Denisovans should be regarded as a separate species, a subspecies, or something else entirely. Expect some lively discussions in the halls of academe.
Give Liz a chance Controversial former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss seems to have gained a lot of opprobrium since her short term in office. But we say: give her a chance, let’s hear her side of the story before we rush to judgement. So here’s a review of her latest book Bank Job, wherein she sets out her account of what really happened in that fateful autumn of ’22, here reviewed by John Crace of the Guardian. Just for balance.
Farewell Patrick Stewart -You will always be Sejanus to us
LSS mourns the sad news of the death of actor, Sir Patrick Stewart although 86 is not a bad innings. He was famous to many as both Shakespearian Great and movie star. But to us he will always be how we first saw him: the charmingly sinister Praefectus Praetorio Lucius Aelius Sejanus in the TV series I Claudius. “Look, there’s Sejanus!” we cried whenever he appeared in the following five decades.
Sir Patrick Stewart obituary | Patrick Stewart | The Guardian
Quote of the week
If anyone can refute me, show me I am making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective, I will gladly change. It is the truth I seek.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
#human evolution #denisovans #china #economics #regulation #politics #economics #patrick stewart #roman empire
