_{Only one this week, but we think it’s rather important:}

Maybe those old Enlightenment guys, Adam Smith and the others, were on to something. Their findings were painfully simple. Facts would be collected and subjected to Reason. Conclusions could be drawn, and Right Action initiated. It gave us such things as soap, democracy, mass education, telephones, scientific medicine, even space travel. Well, it had a good run, but now its day seems to be coming to end.

Because facts and reason are not how most people guide their lives. The history of the last ten years has seen freedom fall to tyranny, conspiracy theories surge, and explosions of irrational popular rage. Most peoples’ decisions aren’t made through reading learned articles in The Economist, but through a bundle of competing grievances, unmet needs, insecurities and obsessions. Readers, we’re not asking you to abandon fact and reason. But they must be applied urgently to understand the raw dark matter of human unreason, or we are all lost. Dazzled by our progress in things like space and computers, this has been left in its infancy. Better roll up our sleeves and get started.

One such place is an intriguing paper in Nature Behaviour :Conspiracy Mentality and Political Orientation across 26 countries by Roland Imhoff and his collaborators [1]. We liked it for many reasons. The size of the data sets. The thoroughness of the statistics. The quiet humility in the face of the facts. Above all for the questions it posed. What is an Authoritarian personality? Why are conspiracy theories more common among the defeated and the lower-educated? Why did the phrase “deprived of political control” keep coming up? If you believe one conspiracy, do you believe them all? Do conspiracies offer the bewildered a chance to restore a feeling of control, of understanding? That the terrible task of having to engage with complexity has been magically staved off?

For us, this work is a jumping-off point, a source of questions, not answers. But it lays down themes which we will be coming back to, with your help of course. To end, a little quote from Proverbs 3:12, always one of our favourites in dark times:

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding; For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her

As David Brent would say; “It starts here!”

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01258-7

#conspiracy theories #climate change denial #Qanon #religion #alternative facts #illuminati #political left #political right #Donald Trump #anti-vaxxers

This week, courtesy of Drinks International[2] and Vinepair,[1] both stalwart voices for sophistication and style, we are proud to offer their take on the top 50 cocktails for 2022. Which will help to set the tone for the rest of the twenties, we hope. After all, if 1922 was the birth of the modern, according to the BBC,[3] why should 2022 not offer itself as the Birth of the Modern Cocktail?

We won’t get between you and them much further, ladies and gentleman. Read the link for yourself. Every one has a pretty good recipe, plus a well-taken picture to check if you’ve got the mix just right. There’s real old favourites like Long Island Iced Tea and the Sidecar. Topical themes like Penicillin and the Moscow Mule. Bond fans will recognise Dry Martini, Vesper and Vieu Carre (well he wrote spy fiction too, didn’t he?). And finally you will find the Top Five, with a cheeky newcomer at Number 1. But we won’t spoil it for you. And one note of caution: don’t try to make all 50 in one go! One a night, which is to say Friday Night, should be enough for all and any one of you.

[1] https://vinepair.com/articles/50-most-popular-cocktails-world-2017/

[2] https://drinksint.com/

[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m0013r19

#friday night cocktails #top 50

Imagine you are a member of the Taliban, or one of their admirers in the Humanities Departments of certain western Universities, and you read about someone who made some of the most important contributions ever in theoretical physics. That this person collaborated closely with Albert Einstein. Then went on to transform mathematics. But you discover that this person was a woman. How do you feel now about banning education for women?

Emily Noether (1882-1935) began her working life as a teacher of foreign languages, as women were not admitted into science departments. Gradually her abilities shone through enough for the more thoughtful souls to recruit her as a teacher and researcher in the mathematics department, though the pay and pensions package was decidedly exiguous. Our Wikipedia link [1] will tell you all you need to know about the profundity of her achievements. Suffice thereof these tiny quote from Wikipedia which shows how Emmy took the biscuit, intellectually speaking of course:

_{She discovered Noether’s theorem, which is fundamental in mathematical physics.^[1] She was described by Pavel Alexandrov, Albert Einstein, Jean Dieudonné, Hermann Weyl and Norbert Wiener as the most important woman in the history of mathematics.^[2][3] As one of the leading mathematicians of her time, she developed some theories of rings, fields, and algebras. In physics, Noether’s theorem explains the connection between symmetry and conservation laws.}

Not only was she a woman, she was Jewish. This combination of offences was enough to enrage the new Nazi Government of Germany who drove her from her post at Goettingen University. She fled to the United States and was welcomed at Bryn Mawr. Sadly she only lived for two more years, not enough to witness the downfall of the ignorant, murderous and misogynistic regime which had done her such harm.

Emmy’s legacy is greater than her work. For it shows like nothing else the fullest possible education of women is of imminent benefit to us all. And that those who oppose it, and their cheerers-on, are our most fundamental enemies.

#Islamic extremism #nazi #physics #mathematics #women #education for girls #science #

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether

Two thousand years ago a group of Chinese mathematicians came up with a new form of mathematics called matrices. It must have seemed a bit abstract and ivory tower to the man-on-the Shanghai-omnibus. “yeah, just the sort of stuff that metropolitan elite like,” he would have sneered. Well the metropolitan elite, or to give them their proper name, the Educated, carried on with this line of abstract research. Eventually Larry Page used an aspect their findings called stationary distributions to create the multitrillion dollar company Google. Quite an application for the pure research.

David Sumpter, writing in the Guardian, has a whole set (unintended pun) of examples of how pure, seemingly abstruse research turned into practical applications. [1]. Click to the link to see how Cauchy‘s ideas of gradient descent changed the game for YouTube. Or how Sir David Cox‘ theory of logistic recession is the toast of all successful gamblers everywhere. Our own example is James Clark Maxwell, without whose theories you would not have turned on an electric light this morning, let alone be reading this.

And so it goes. Today’s abstract, new, thought is tomorrow’s refrigerator. Or laptop. Or vaccine. In this seemingly intractable war between the educated and the uneducated, our side must defend the value of learning for its own sake. One day it will pay dividends. It’s a theme we shall return to in future posts.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/24/equations-google-billion-dollar-bits-of-maths

#pure research #applied research #education #mathematics #technology #google #youtube #computers

stories which we think will have a lasting impact

Here’s what science can do The dream of restoring sight tom the blind is one the most inspiring we know. If you get enough scientists, doctors and other educated people into teams, this is what they can achieve. From the Mail staff

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10425271/Bionic-eye-implant-lets-blind-woman-see.html

Pristine Coral Reef discovered near Tahiti It’s not all doom and gloom as this little clipping from Nature shows

Scientists at UNESCO, the United Nations cultural organization, have discovered a pristine coral reef, undisturbed for at least 25 years, off the coast of Tahiti. The reef is 3 kilometres long and 30 metres below the ocean’s surface — deeper than most known coral reefs. There could be many more reefs at similar depths, which scientists think might help these ecosystems to better survive climate change. “It was like a work of art,” said underwater photographer Alexis Rosenfeld. “Giant, beautiful rose corals stretching as far as the eye can see.”BBC | 3 min read

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/19/world/coral-reef-tahiti-twilight-zone-climate-scn/index.html

Anti-semitism The conspiracy theorist’s conspiracy theory Jonathan D Sarna looks at the oldest conspiracy theory of all for The Conversation Others have followed, providing equal opportunities for cranks and sociopaths large and small. Time for the educated to start seriously looking at the psychological and economic roots of deluded beliefs, we think.

https://theconversation.com/how-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-contributed-to-the-recent-hostage-taking-at-the-texas-synagogue-175229?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest

Another blow for Nessie A new investigation deepens the credibility crisis for the Loch Ness Monster and his legions of adoring followers. (Thought-does this remind you of someone else, further south?) We were among those who doubted him from the start. Loch Ness is only about fifteen thousand years old, whereas the last plesiosaur went belly up at least 65 million years ago. But, Nessie fans, hold your heads up! Because it looks like your poster boy couldn’t.

Loch Ness Monster sightings get one simple thing wrong, say fossil experts

with contributions from Mr Peter Seymour

#loch ness monster #boris johnson #bionic eyes #medical research #conspiracy theories #anti-semitism #ecology #wildlife #tahiti

Among the Convivial Community, no Christmas is complete without a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur on hand. Its dark rich tones and creamy, yet slightly rasping combination of savours fits well into a world of twinkling lights and roaring log fires. But what do do in austere January as the harsh winds of new resolutions and repaid debts make a three-quarters empty Christmas bottle of Baileys suddenly forlorn and out of place, like a Rolls Royce Phantom on a Lidl forecourt?

Fortunately, Baileys themselves have come galloping to the rescue. The company’s website is a veritable cornucopia of recipes for Baileys. There are cocktails, warm beverages, biscuits, desserts, coffee combinations and many other ideas which are a tribute to powers of human imagination and ingenuity. So many so that all we can do is urge you to click on the site link below [1]. Meanwhile we will pick out a couple of the more notable cocktails, of which we severely liked the look.

Flat white martini Nice and simple-just Baileys, Vodka, espresso and a few coffee beans. We still remember this at what was then our local boozer in Hammersmith on Valentines Night 2003. Strongly recommended.

https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/recipes/flat-white-martini-cocktail

Baileys Tiramisu Talking of Valentines Night, what lady would not like this rather clever combination of favourite dessert/favourite tipple? A cunning plan for selling the next bottle, we suspect!

https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/recipes/baileys-tiramisu-cocktail

Chocolate Orange s’mores martini cocktail Certainly needs a little more labour to go in before you can start the drinking. But surely the way to appease your puritan new year conscience.

The LSS Baileys recycle special. Not on the website, but our own invention designed to push back the limits of resource recycling and thrifty use of every possible drop. Take 1 measure of Irish Whiskey and pour it down the neck of your Baileys bottle. Replace cap on bottle and shake. Pour the remnants into cocktail glasses over ice. How’s that for economy?

https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/recipes/baileys-chocolate-orange-smores-martini-cocktail

We’re sure you will find other sites and other excellent recipes. Our efforts are entirely designed to get you stared. If it’s criminal to waste food, it must be to waste drink. Old Baileys is just the place to start your virtuous new year of recycle, make and mend. Cheers!

[1] https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/recipes

#baileys #cocktails #new year resolution

It’s started to bite . For years LSS and many others have warned of the dangers of ignoring the problem of antibiotic resistant micro-organisms. With limited effect. Because now the consequences of that blithe ignorance are clear. Antibiotic resistance (1.3 million deaths in 2019) now kills more people every year than HIV (860 000) or malaria(640 000)

We’ll let Andrew Gregory of the Guardian tell the full grim statistics of the current situation [1]. His links to the Lancet study will allow thoughtful readers to dig deeper if they wish. Our role today is to consider how this avoidable catastrophe arose.

A growing disdain for state action The early developments of successive generations of antibiotics occurred in a climate of co-operation between Governments, Academia and Pharmaceuticals firms. R and D risks were essentially underwritten by a social contract.

The supply chain freezes The new “private sector profits at all costs” model which triumphed after 1979 handed all responsibility for new developments to drugs companies. Who have to make a profit. And there are no profits in antibiotic development. No new antibiotics.

Cut taxes and give us our Sony Walkmans The consumer culture of the 1980s demanded two things A) instant gratification of every wish B) the reduction of all impediments which might inconvenience this, such as a rational level of taxation. The consumers got their Sony Walkmans. They lost a healthy infrastructure of institutions that might have developed new antibiotics. We hope they still enjoy their Sony Walkmans.

One upmanship The suburban battles over who has the biggest car/kitchen/number of bedrooms/bathrooms spills over into the ferocious mutual jealousies for pride and status among the nations. Never mind if your country is poor, disease ridden cold and hungry. It showed that lot next door who’s The Daddy! The result is furious arms races involving colossal levels of expenditure which could have been better placed in scientific research. Like new antibiotics perhaps?

Blind Aggression Medical professionals have been known to live in fear of angry, aggressive patients who demand antibiotic treatments instantly, regardless of the nature of their malady The result is over prescription and the evolution of further resistant organisms.

Blind Greed The desire of most of humanity for huge take-aways of cheap greasy meats has lead to a reckless over use of antibiotics in factory farms. Such dense crowds of over nurtured animals are a perfect evolutionary cauldron for the next anti biotic resistant superbug. It’s just a matter of time and mathematics.

It isn’t Governments. It isn’t media tycoons. It isn’t Pharmaceutical companies. The blame lies with each and every one of us. For we are like heirs who have squandered one of the greatest inheritances ever. Time to take action.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/20/antimicrobial-resistance-antibiotic-resistant-bacterial-infections-deaths-lancet-study

#antibiotic resistance #superbugs #public health #health #research #medicine

Back in the early days of climate science denial, one of the deniers’ specious claims was that renewables like wind and solar energy were impracticable. Batteries could never store enough energy made in the good times (when the sun shone, for example) to last through the night, they claimed. As a result it would be impossible to store medicines in hot countries and everyone there would die of any number of terrible diseases. How would you like that on your conscience, Climate Scientist?

Batteries have come on marvellously in the last fifteen years. Look how your mobile phone has changed before you climb into your electric car, if you don’t believe us. But now research from Australia suggests they are about to get a whole lot better. Researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia have harnessed the power of quantum superabsorption which will allow the construction of batteries of unprecedented efficiency in the not-too-distant future. Quantum what? Yes, well, our subatomic physics is a little rusty too. So we’ve got two links for you, which give you a choice of the depth you need, and enough hyperlinks to go further if you so wish. [1] Is Anthony Cutherbertson of The Independent and [2] is Crispin Savage of Phys. org.

The specious appeal to “practical reason” is often employed by deniers. The aim is cast doubt into gullible minds, or ones that think too quickly and with emotion rather than reason. Next time you read one of their posts-remember how wrong they were on batteries. They always will be.

[1]https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/quantum-battery-breakthrough-paves-way-for-revolution-in-energy-storage-b1995425.html

[2] https://phys.org/news/2022-01-superabsorption-key-next-generation-quantum-batteries.html

_{Thanks to Peter Seymour for this post}

#global warming #renewable energies #climate change #energy storage # battery technology #quantum physics #australia

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When we speculated on the link between MS and Epstein-Barr virus, we didn’t realise just how far behind the curve we were, Until we heard from Gaynor Lynch, one of our oldest friends, whose comment (see LSS 15 1 2022) is a tour de force of learning and links. We honestly urge you to read it. There is an abundance of studies which are starting to link the presence of viruses to all sorts of chronic disorders.

We are simply going to cherry pick a few of Gaynor’s leads, and hope that you will follow up for yourselves. So, in no particular order:

Are viruses implicated? Yes, in at least seven cases, including Multiple sclerosis, celiac disease and lupus. Don’t overlook genetic and environmental factors as well. We thought this paper from Very Well Health, by Adrienne Dellwo makes a good jumping-off point, but there’s a vast underbrush of literature on this subject.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/is-epstein-barr-linked-to-autoimmune-disease-4165847

Guillain-Barre syndrome is in there too At least one study links a sort of creeping paralysis called Guillain-Barre syndrome, or something rather like it, to West Nile Virus. OK, this may be a rare case for now. So was the first infection with Sars-Cov-2. Maybe if NATO and Mr Putin buried the hatchet, maybe some of that defence money might be better spent here?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31453858/

Are women overlooked? As Gaynor tells us:

There is a gender bias in that women are disproportionately more affected than men. Sadly, historically women have often not had their health issues taken seriously and their conditions have described as general malaise or hypochondria

To which we can only add a weary “no surprise there, then!” The neglect of women and their health has cost us trillions in lost economic opportunities. Surely men can see that it is in their own interest to right this injustice? Surely not all of them the read The Sun?

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/06/health-needs-of-women-are-being-overlooked-time-to-end-this-injustice

There’s a lot, lot more in Gaynor’s riposte. Nearly every sentence will lead you off somewhere fruitful. But we hope that the above presents some sort of start.

#epstein-barr #virus #auto-immune disease #multiple sclerosis #glandular fever

Ones we think will run:

Intriguing insights on Multiple Sclerosis We think any research is a good thing, especially when something arrives from an unexpected direction. The terrible disease of multiple sclerosis (MS) may be linked to contracting the Epstein-Barr virus and glandular fever, according to John Ely of the Mail. Lots of unanswered questions as of yet, but fascinating nonetheless.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-10398067/Glandular-fever-biggest-cause-multiple-sclerosis.html

Plug: Even lefties should be looking at the Science page of the Mail online. There’s an eclectic mix of stories, and always great pictures. Grit your teeth and think of Bertrand Russell!

Never say Never We at LSS have long pontificated that you can never say anything conclusive about tetrapods/dinosaurs/earlyhumans/the neolthic/romans/etc etc because there is always going to be tonnes of game-changing stuff in the ground waiting to be dug up. Now someone intelligent and sober has come along to prove we were right! Nature on an imbalance in the fossil record-it’s a warning to all researchers in any discipline really.

Our understanding of the history of life on Earth is biased towards wealthier countries, warns a study of the fossil record. The analysis reveals that 97% of palaeontological data come from scientists in high- and upper-middle-income countries, such as the United States, Germany and China. “I knew it was going to be high, but I didn’t think it was going to be this high. It was astonishing,” says palaeontologist Nussaïbah Raja. The analysis also found that colonial ties shed decades ago are still affecting palaeontology. For example, one-quarter of palaeontological research in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria — former French colonies — was done by scientists based in France.Nature | 6 min read Reference: Nature Ecology & Evolution paper

A Clockwork Orange at (about) Fifty Kubrick’s Film, made in 1971, got its London release in 1972 and went Nationwide in ’73. Strange? Mannered? Relevant? Dated? Stylish? Disturbing? You will never run out of fresh opinions on a Stanley Kubrick film. Scott Tobias has far from the last word in the Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/19/a-clockwork-orange-at-50-stanley-kubrick

Deforestation destroys The short-sighted and reckless destruction of rainforests is having terrible consequences. What worries us here is the long-term, thoughtful nature of the study behind this one Christopher Taylor and Douglas Parker for The Conversation

https://theconversation.com/deforestation-is-causing-more-storms-in-west-africa-finds-30-year-satellite-study-174558?

Our Final thoughts In our country, criticism of the Tories often centres on their demographic-too old, too male, too posh, run the canards. So how about a slogan to attract younger voters: VOTE CONSERVATIVE, THE PARTY THAT KNOWS HOW TO PARTY

Any takers?

#deforestation #ecology #a clockwork orange #stanley kubrick #multiple sclerosis #boris johnson #conservatives #fossils #scientific method