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In 1835 the French philosopher Auguste Comte [1] tried, somewhat ambitiously, to set the possible limits of human learning. He agreed that we could know the distances and motions of the stars, but never their composition. Within ten years he was wrong. The invention of spectroscopy rendered his prediction void.

The origins of human language seem even more impenetrable. Between the utterances of bonobos and our own all-syntax, fully-vocabularised and recursive model lies a gap of at least four million years with absolutely nothing in it. It is like being an educated Roman standing on the shores of Spain in about 50 BC trying to guess what was on the other side of the Atlantic from two bits of washed up flotsam.

There are tiny, fascinating clues. The FOXP-2 gene is in there somewhere. Brains have got bigger, and there have been changes in key areas like Broca’s tissue. Certain gestures seem universally understood. Linguistic and genetic evidence seem to indicate a common origin of the languages of Homo sapiens somewhere in Africa probably between 200 000 and 140 000 years BCE. That’s a lot of time, and a big area.

But it seems to us, sadly, that everything beyond that is speculation and guesswork. We have great regard for the valiant enquiries of some very learned people; a good jumping off point is the Wikipedia article below[2] Sadly, their efforts are intriguing but not yet convincing. When the Paris Linguistic Society banned all discussion of the origins of language, we can understand why. So, although it is tempting to imagine some early hominins directing hunts in language comprising nouns only, that is not science. (You should try communicating in nouns for just an hour or so-it’s surprising how far you will get.)

The only way forward we can think of is advanced computer modelling. Would it be possible to programme the communication systems of chimps and bonobos into a computer, subject them to iterations of evolutionary pressure, and see what happens? Or would the old principle of “rubbish in= rubbish out” apply? Could we model the brain of a Homo erectus, human, but smaller than our own, to assess its capacities. Answers on a postcard, please. In language.

#humanevolution #linguistics #computermodelling #limits of knowledge

[1] Auguste Compte Cours de Philosophie Positive

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_language

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a weekly look at stories which intrigue

Earthquakes and global warming The causes of earthquakes have been attributed to many things. The Roman Emperor Justinian thought that they were caused by the practice of homosexual acts, and legislated accordingly. Some are undoubtedly caused by shifts in the Earth’s tectonic plates. Others seem to be the result of more local events in the outer crust, which jar ancient faults, setting off local earthquakes. Which brings us to an intriguing report in Nature. So much ice is melting now due to global warming that the crust is now changing its shape. We are no geomorphologists; but doesn’t that imply a higher chance of earthquakes?

ttps://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02285-0?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=8af1d88175-briefing-dy-20210827&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-8af1d88175-45255642

Heroic Compassion When the women’s refuges and similar initiatives kicked off in the 1970s, there was more than one sneer about middle class do-gooders. Well, these so called do-gooders have constructed a mighty movement which has added inestimably to the quality of human life, and we at LSS put these brave women on the same pedestal as Wilberforce and the anti-slavers. Gill Margaret Hague documents the early years for the Conversation. And if you have tears, prepare to shed them now.

https://theconversation.com/you-couldnt-leave-your-husband-it-wasnt-done-the-story-of-the-women-behind-the-first-domestic-violence-refuges-160895?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekend%20Conversation%20-%202045120132&utm_content=The%20Weekend%20Conversation%20-%202045120132+CID_0838e4af337211e52d7e5c8fe53624b5&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=You%20couldnt%20leave%20your%20husband%20It%20wasnt%20done%20%20the%20story%20of%20the%20women%20behind%20the%20first%20domestic%20violence%20refuges

Street lights-a progressive dilemma Street lights make the night safer for women, draining the dark pools of shadow from which their enemies attack. Yet now these lights seem to be the cause of a rapid decline in our six-legged friends, without whom we are all doomed. If you know the answer, write to Joe Biden, as he’s probably not got much on this weekend. Mr Gary Herbert of Buckinghamshire adduces this study from the Conversation by Douglas Boyes.

https://theconversation.com/why-the-changing-colour-of-our-streetlights-could-be-a-danger-for-insect-populations-166470?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+August+26+

Well, that’s three for this week gentle readers, enough to keep you going until we meet again on Tuesday. Enjoy and relax!

#globalwarming #earthquakes #justinian #domesticviolence #insectdecline

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We are in receipt of a communication from that most erudite of readers, Mrs Lee of Fulham, London, (currently travelling on a cultural tour of Europe),who writes:

“O, Cocktailmeister, much as we admire your recipes and suggestions, some of them do seem to suggest another age. An expansive age, an art deco age, a world of liners, blazers and streamlined limousines. All very well, but it has passed! Where is something for the ultra modernists, those cool dudes who wear clothes that make them look like the residents of certain suburbs of Los Angeles, Ca, and who spend more time on their computers and mobile telephones than in erudite conversation with educated peers?”

“Ok,” we said, “a have you in mind?”

And she has come up with this-the 5G, which comprises: gin, grenadine, grapefruit juice, ginger beer and Galliano.

Take a well cooled cocktail shaker and add five or six ice cubes. Add two measures of gin, one of Galliano and one of fresh grapefruit juice. Shake well and pour with ice into a tumbler. Top up with cold ginger beer for taste. Decorate with a small twig of mint or borage.

Some correspondents have enquired if they may substitute the ginger beer with Guinness, but we do not recommend it.

Well, thank you Mrs Lee, and keep your suggestions coming. And the same goes for everyone else!

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Slowing recoveries around the world from China to the US, rising inflation, massive debts. You could be forgiven for thinking that the headwinds blowing across the world economy were due to our old friend COVID 19, but not so, according to Larry Elliott of The Guardian.[1] He sees a deeper structural malfunction comparable to the famous long depression that started after the financial crash of 1873 and lasted for the rest of the nineteenth century. The parallels with 2007-08 are obvious,

Well, not only does he provide a masterly analysis, but also shows what the way out will be-so read it and find out. Since 2007 the feeling that the whole world is living with a ild but chronic case of flu is almost palpable. There has to be way out for everyone, we deserve better than this.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/25/pandemic-global-slump-20-year-financial-crisis

#us #china #economics #depression #covid-19 #sustainability

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Amid the square parsecs of coverage on The Retreat from Kabul(2) and the endless discussions on, strategically, was it a Good Thing? or a Bad Thing?, the fact remains that on the ground, in Afghanistan, the forces of feminism have suffered a grievous blow. Life for women in there is going to get worse for a very, very long time. From that, it’s all too easy to sink into sorrow, culpability and despair. When that threatens, as any good psychiatrist will tell you, you need to find Hope from somewhere. And we have found it.

Thanks to the inestimable Channel 4 News, we have discovered the existence of a remarkable organisation called The Centre For Women’s Justice. Remarkable because they do what we believe to be central at LSS. Do something different but use sensible mainstream tools to do it. And their USP is to add tip top legal brains to all the different fights for rights going on everywhere. They cite the long list of abuses-rape, domestic violence, forced marriage, genital mutilation, the usual charge sheet. They admit that some advanced countries have passed laws against these atrocities. But without enforcement-holding the feet of Governments to the fire, so to speak-laws are just bits of paper in a dusty book of statutes. So, paraphrasing their own words, they

hold the state accountable for failures in the prevention of violence against women…..support groups who challenge individuals and laws that perpetuate such violence and , crucially: Undertake strategic litigation and facilitate legal assistance

A small start you might say after the disaster in Central Asia. But consider this; the most intelligent man we have ever met once told us that progress starts from well organised centres of excellence, and spreads out. This is as true of science and education as it is of sports teams. In the related field of animal rights, Arthur Schopenhauer was quick to recognise the pioneering work of British organisations like the RSPCA, whose ideas later went global. Feminists and all progressives round the world-here is a beacon and a template for you. We link below [1] but as you scroll, please remember there is a donate button for these people too!

https://www.centreforwomensjustice.org.uk/

#taliban #afghanistan #feminism #womens rights #justice #centrefor womensjustice

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your guide to to intriguing little stories which may yet run

We at LSS are far from anti religion. Trouble is, when it goes wrong or you concentrate too much on purity over everything else, you can get problems, as the following cautionary tales illustrate

Thrashing out the issues: John Smyth QC was quite a guy. He was a relentless moral crusader, a committed Christian activist and a Recorder Judge. Yet according to allegations reported by Harriet Sherwood of the Guardian, Smyth was implicated in lurid abuse scandals at a whole series of summer camps run for the education of young men from Britain’s elite schools. Remember Bleeding for Jesus is the case for the prosecution, and we have yet to hear from the Smyth family (Smyth died in 2018), Whatever the final truth, it’s a sobering reminder of the psychological currents that flow through the more exclusive and righteous organisations.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/21/bleeding-for-jesus-book-tells-story-of-qc-who-pitilessly-abused-young-men

Bleeding for Jesus: John Smyth and the Cult of Iwerne Camps by Andrew Graystone will be published on 2 September.

Rifts in the family According to our more nervous and excitable commentators the Fall of Kabul is a triumph for the forces of Islam over a morally decadent, cowardly West. Except that the truth is never that simple. For one thing the Taliban are militant Sunnis with strong links to Saudi Arabia, while their huge neighbour Iran is staunchly Shi’ite. it gets even more complicated, as Jason Burke Why not all Islamists Extremists are buoyed by the Taliban’s victory for the Guardian, shows. Jason takes you through a lot of names and groups, so you’ll learn a lot. Let this be a taster:

……the Islamic State (Isis), which considers the Taliban “apostates” because of their willingness to negotiate with the US, their apparent pragmatism and their failure to apply Islamic law with sufficient rigour.

Seems that however hard you try, there’s always someone who thinks you could be doing better!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/20/why-not-all-islamist-extremists-buoyed-by-taliban-victory-afghanistan

Biodiversity: it’s not all gloom. On the better theme, the media are full of declining habitats, dead animals and burning forests. But herculean efforts are being made to resore the wounds somewhere, as Nature Briefings reminds us Seeking Biodiversity winners and losers

Globally, we are experiencing a biodiversity crisis: a landmark report shows that some one million animal and plant species face extinction. But in some locations, the variety of species is increasing. In others, some types of plant and animal are thriving while others struggle. Scientists are scrambling for data that will help them to better understand the well-being of rapidly changing ecosystems and where conservation efforts can best be targeted. At the forefront is a European network, called EuropaBON, that will combine research plots, community scientists, satellite sensors, models and other methods to generate a continuous stream of biodiversity data for the continent.Nature | 14 min read
Reference: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IBPES) Global Assessment report

We are ourselves busy reporting on biodiversity projects on the south coast of England, and hope to bring you more news soon. In the meantime, have a good weekend

#christianity #islam #taliban #johnsmyth #biodiversity

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Tonight LSS bids a sad farewell to one of the greats in his field-Douglas Ankrah, inventor of the Pornstar Martini. We cannot improve on Katie Feehan’s piece for the Mail [1] below. Suffice to say

The Ghanaian-born entrepreneur invented the Pornstar Martini in 2003 while he was working at his cocktail bar Townhouse, in Knightsbridge, west London. The cocktail features a mix of vanilla vodka, fresh passion fruit, passion fruit liqueur, vanilla syrup and lime juice, plus a shot of Prosecco on the side.

Douglas, who was always a gentleman was inspired to invent the concoction while visiting a gentlemen’s club in Cape Town and went on to pioneer it at the famous Town House in London in 2003. To maintain the purity of his art he went on to produce it at his own bar, LAB. If our research is correct, it was right on the site of a former independent music-and-dance theatre which some will remember well.

Everyone can enjoy a good martini if you click on link [2] where Kathryn Maier of Liquour.com has no less than 11 variations: that’s enough for everyone, surely. And let them raise a glass to Douglas, a true entrepreneur, creator and citizen of the world.

[1]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9908331/Creator-Pornstar-Martini-Douglas-Ankrah-invented-worlds-favourite-cocktail-dies.html

[2]https://www.liquor.com/articles/martinis-at-home/

#cocktails #fridaynight #pornstarmartini

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Everyone remembers the promise of the White Queen to Alice in Through the Looking Glass: “…..the rule is: jam tomorrow and jam yesterday-but never jam today.” Children of the nineteen sixties and every subsequent decade will remember the same promise for nuclear fusion: it’s just around the corner, it’ll be an endless supply of cheap clean energy, the living standards of the world will step change……..” and so on, and so on.

So news of yet another exciting breakthrough [1] US Lab stands on the threshold of key nuclear fusion goal” by Paul Rincon for the BBC has once again caused us to utter the hackneyed words “oh yeah?” It’s not that we don’t want controlled nuclear fusion. It’s just that we’ve sat around wanting it since 1973 (really, some of go back that far) Good luck to the hard working experts who are still plugging away at it. But they may be missing a trick.

Because sitting close to us is a free source of illimitable controlled nuclear fusion. It’s called the Sun. It already provides abundant power, as anyone with a solar panel will tell you. It drives the winds which turn all those lovely turbines. God help us, it even put the energy in all that filthy coal and oil which ignorant people so love to burn. Wouldn’t a little money poured into tapping that pay better dividends, at least in the medium term?

One day controlled fusion will arrive. But we think the timescale is so long that there is more chance of the White Queen redeeming her pledge to Alice first. Meanwhile, let’s use what we’ve got. It’s so much easier.

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58252784

#nuclearfusion #renewables #solarpower #cleanenergy #globalwarming #thesun

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You may be fed up with us saying so, but we think that the most pressing issue of our time is the appearance of so many people who defy reason and have become allergic to evidence. We alluded to it recently (LSS 9 august) and we are always open to anyone with any new idea at all on how to solve this depressing conundrum.

Far wiser minds than our own share our concerns, however. Nature Briefings has an intriguing piece by scientist Lee McIntyre on how he goes into hornets’ nests full of science deniers and flat earthers and actually tries to reason and convince. Brave man. Noble soul. Surprisingly he does seem to get results-sometimes. [1] [2] Ultimately the key to all this seems to be respect-and that’s not a bad way to treat anyone!

^{If we have got this right, both links should lead to the same piece, but we think it’s so important you should have every possible chance}

[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02152-y?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=13115e4795-briefing-dy-20210816&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9

[2] Talking to science deniers is not hopeless, says philosopher of science Lee McIntyre — if you’re willing to build trust and listen. (Nature | 5 min read)

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Something much much bigger than the Taliban is taking place on the dusty plains of Central Asia. News that Russia and China have formally commenced joint military exercises should fill all of us with deep disquiet. Brad Lendon of CNN [1] tries to put an optimistic gloss on things. He says that the interests of the two counties do not converge. China has no interest in Crimea, nor Russia in the South China Sea. Perhaps. But by the same token, analysts of the 1930s would have alleged that Imperial Japan had no interest in Belgium, nor Nazi Germany in Hong Kong. Power finds its own reasons nonetheless.

It is easy to see what China gains from this for they are the overwhelmingly superior partner. But Russia? No one can penetrate the inner workings of the Kremlin. But someone there must have looked at the map and seen the enormous, resource-rich lands of Siberia and how vulnerable they are to a thrust from below. Better perhaps to make friends and supply the resources peacefully, before they are taken by force. It was the thinking followed by Joseph Stalin between 1939 and 1941, and it did not end well.

Western nations, where a flicker of freedom is still alive, have much to fear. We cannot wait in the hope of others falling out. However disastrous the loss of Afghanistan, at least it frees up money and resources to be better deployed elsewhere. Above all it shows how self-defeating our own little quarrels over borders and tariffs really are, when vaster issues are at stake.

[1]https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/16/asia/chinese-russian-military-ties-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

#afghanistan #russia #china #taliban #usa #eu #australia