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We’ve all heard about online romance scams. Heartless frauds who wreck lives, and finances, by preying on people who are terrifyingly lonely, bereaved, or deeply lacking on street sense.

Now Bristol woman Suzanne Parker is using her computer to take them on. In an excellent article in today’s Daily Mail by Jenny Johnstone, she lists her Scammer Warning Signs, which help you to decide if the new Love of Your Life is a bit dodgy. * Read it for yourself, but here are a few:

Something odd in their story conflicts with regulations like Health and safety (who works alone on an oil rig?)

They have an amazing job-astronaut, MI5 agent , astronaut. Businessman is a good one, asit hides a multitude of sins.

They are doing amazingly well, but just right now are short of money. Lots of it.

Their grammar and spelling are odd, and even inconsistent. Are two people writing these messages?

We recommend that you read the full storyin the article below. The question for us is-why does Suzanne have to do this on her own. Scammers have two advantages. Firstly the isolation of their victims. In our modern, atomised society, the lonely individual is always going to get less of the breaks when they are up against an organised gang. Secondly, the scammers can operate across national boundaries. There is currently no single jurisdiction, nor intelligence network, nor co-ordinated operation against them.

It’s an international crime, and it won’t go away until an international agency is tasked to deal with it. How about Suzanne Parker to head it up?

* https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8246315/Sleuth-turned-tables-lonely-hearts-scammers.html

#SuzanneParker #JennyJohnston #Datefraud #RomanceFraud #onlinescam

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Everyone’s experience is important to us here. We want to know about how your life is going during the Coronavirus Emergency. How you are coping. The people you meet and talk with. Or not. The aim is to collect and publish the daily lives of people around the world. Tell us what it’s like for you

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The sudden drops in oil prices should ring a bell with those of us who remember the wild fluctuations of the past. Older readers will recall the crisis of the winter of 1973-74. Crude pumped mineral oil has been central to our civilisation since at least 1900. Victory in the Second World War ultimately depended on who controlled oil resources, as both sides knew well. Oil has sat at the heart of car culture, shopping mall culture and holiday culture, and lots more, ever since 1945.

This is why price fluctuations in it are so important. Along with a few other things like the Dollar, US Treasury Bonds, Gold and certain metals futures, it is a key indicator of the speed and direction of travel of the world economy. Like one of the key indicators on your car (no joke intended)-the speedometer perhaps. The recent wild drops (as I write US prices are negative and Brent at $16) indicate that something very strange is happening.

It could of course be supply and demand clearing to find a price, the classic expression of a healthy market economy, and just another economic calculation. But if we are going to talk calculation, we should remember the advice of the great Viennese economist Ludwig von Mises, whose paper on this subject appeared in 1920.* It was, he said, the central feature of a capitalist economy that it has a price mechanism, particularly in capital goods. Planners in a socialist economy could never find a rational price, and so would never be able to allocate resources in an efficient manner. So far, History has proved Mises right, confirming his thesis by the fall of the Soviet planned economy in 1991.

But what happens in a capitalist economy if all of these price signals start to fluctuate wildly at once?

Fortunately it has not happened yet. But anyone would be advised to keep an eye on the forward prices of things like US bonds, metals futures, and Euro spreads in the next few months. It might be a very bumpy ride indeed.

*

https://wiki.mises.org/wiki/Economic_calculation_problem

#mises #economiccalculation #oilpricefall

In an article which is so clearly written that I could never hope to match it, Guardian writer Jim Al-Khalil shows you how to distinguish between the three types of people whom you will meet during this crisis. Which one are YOU?

The Scientist: Making mistakes is the cornerstone of knowledge. As new data emerges, you change your mind and opinions. Doubt is at the centre of your mental processes, because it opens the door to new knowledge, but you are never completely certain.

The Politician: You are in command at all times, You have no doubts. New data and questions are to be avoided or dodged where possible, as they threaten your authority.

The Conspiracy Theorist You claim to be a sceptic. But you are always certain. So you interpret any new data whatsoever in a way that confirms your existing belief.

The results

The Scientist: You can come across as a bit odd, but you can be pleased to have given us electricity, medicines, powered transport and safe foods, without which the other two would be stuffed. Take quiet satisfaction.

The Politician: You are charismatic and intelligent and your sex life is often very colourful indeed. (we are too polite to ask about your financial affairs) You give us rules, wars, schools and things to talk about. Be pleased with that, instead of always looking in the mirror.

The Conspiracy Theorist: Okay, your accommodation can be a little small and cramped, and the least said about your hair and teeth, the better. But you bravely battle on in the face of all adversity and common sense, showing that there is nothing so odd as folk, as the old saying has it. Oh-and don’t look in the mirror.

The question is: from being a tiny unformed new–born infant, how did all three of you end up like that?

Jim Al Khalil Guardian Doubt is essential for scientists, but for politicians it’s a sign of weakness

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/21/doubt-essential-science-politicians-coronavirus

#Conspiracy #Politician #Science #JimAlKhalil

You thought that Coronavirus was bad. Well maybe “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” as Ronald Reagan once famously remarked. In this first of an occasional series, we’ll be looking at some of the other threats, large and small, which may yet assail us after ol’Charlie Corona virus has toddled off.

And we’re going to start with THE POLAR MAGNETIC FLIP

As some of you will recall, the earth’s core is made of liquid iron, slowly oozing around itself like a giant pot of raspberry jam. This sets up a huge magnetic field, with North at the top and south down at the bottom. This has advantages, like giving us auroral displays and protecting us from truly harmful doses of solar radiation. The bad side is- we have tuned all our compasses, navigation systems and satellites etc to it. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

So what’s the problem? Well, the magnetic field seems to “flip” every so often, so that north is south and south is north. It has done it 19 times in the last 5 million years, giving us an average of 263,157.8947368 years. That last bit after the decimal would take you to the middle of October, so you’d probably get your summer holidays in. Trouble is, the last flip was 780 000 years ago, and all experts agree they are totally unpredictable. Should we be worried?

According to the experts, the field is starting to weaken much faster than in the past-and it’s starting to move faster, too. (check out my references below) So something is happening, it’s just a question of what.

One thing known is that the flips are not sudden; they seem to need a chaotic period of between 1000 and 8000 years to settle down. During that time there may be up to eight magnetic poles. Or none at all. Nobody knows.

What would be the consequences of all this? Well if solar radiation starts leaking through, you must expect an increase in things like skin cancer and other disease, and presumably increased mutation rates in living things. Could that mean more bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics?

The real damage would be to our infrastructure. There could be enormous outages in power systems, with loss of mass transit and the ability to store and distribute food. All of our navigation systems for ships, planes and GPS satellites would have to be recalibrated, to say the very least. The effects on animal migration-things like birds, whales, etc. could lead to the collapse of whole ecosystems.

I shall leave you with two bits of good news. At least it hasn’t happened during the coronavirus crisis. And there is no evidence that magnetic flips lead to mass extinctions.

Drink, anyone?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_reversal

https://www.iflscience.com/environment/so-are-earths-magnetic-poles-about-to-flip-or-not/

https://www.livescience.com/18426-earth-magnetic-poles-flip.html

https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-north-south-poles-flip-magnetic-field-2018-4?r=US&IR=T

#geomagneticreversal #geomagneticflip #solarradiation

I know what you’re thinking- we’ve gone mad! Bacteria are bacteria, proper little creatures with cell walls, and you treat them with antibiotics. A virus is something quite different, and certainly will not respond to antibiotics. Any schoolchild knows that. So, how can SARS-Cov-2 cause us to run out of antibiotics?

The answer is secondary infections. As you become ill from coronavirus, your body becomes vulnerable to the attacks of all sorts of nasty bacteria. Which want to eat you every bit as much as the coronavirus does. So the medical teams have to start pumping large quantities of antibiotics into you. They are a wasting asset. Resistance is going to build up.

But it’s better explained here by the staff at Antibiotics Research UK. Get reading. And please, please please, get donating.

COVID-19 and secondary bacterial infections: find out what the technical terms and acronyms in the news really mean

#Antibiotics #coronavirus #antibioticresistance

Those of you who may have been following the Covid 19 outbreak will have observed that the response of the United States of America has been, ah-shall we say, patchy- to say the least. Heroism and hard work on part of medical professionals. A great deal of squabbling among political leaders and news organisations. It seems to be another expression of the deep hyperpartisan mania which seemed to settle into US politics around a quarter of a century ago. Everything, and we mean everything, seems to be about winning the next election. Matters such as the economy, external threats, and the well being of the people seem to be secondary at best. And all this in a nation whose technical and administrative excellence once seem so assured. Think Second World War, Liberty ships and so much else. The Apollo project. Harvard, Hollywood ..stop me before I drown in a sea of H’s.

Fans of History will note an immediate parallel. The Roman Empire in the Third Century AD was racked by endless civil wars, and every last one over who was going to be Emperor. The details of every candidate who rose and fell need not concern us here. What matters is that the attention of every general and Emperor was on the succession, not on the formidable external threats-such as Persia and the German tribes. The result was devastated provinces, sacked cities and an all pervasive cynicism and loss of confidence from which they never truly recovered.

Assertions of American Decline, and theories of Roman decline, are common-and many. Perhaps more fruitful might be to investigate the point at which a society suddenly tips into this acute psychological crisis, when winning power becomes more important than the existential threat.

But Rome in AD 200 was very like America in AD 2000. Supreme, confident, the envy of all-and with problems that could be managed. The position was very different only a short while later. And-get this-both of them had eagles as the company logo!

#AmericanDecline #Roman Empire #Covid19

Is a questions researchers may well have asked as they investigated the following question: where did the virus get its start? Was it in Wuhan?

In this piece in the Daily Mail, Ariel Zilber looks at the fascinating work done by Dr Peter Forster and his team at the University of Cambridge. Get that, conspiracy theorists: the University of Cambridge. How many of you could get a job there, unless it has something to do with Mops, buckets, and Rooms of Convenience?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8231753/Coronavirus-started-spreading-early-September-not-originated-Wuhan.html

#Hasanybodyseenmygel #ArielZilber #OriginsofCoronavirus #Wuhan #SARSCov2

We at Learning, Science and Society earnestly believe in the old saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. It was a sentiment forcefully expressed by the Jack Nicholson character in the old Stanley Kubrick film The Shining.

Therefore, what better way to relax after a hard week of lock downs, virology, and economic gloom, than a good cocktail? Although today we have some much needed rain in Sussex, I think it’s high time to talk about summery, fruity cocktails, that fit so beautifully with lawns, birdsong and the blue, blue sky of the halcyon season.

We would welcome your ideas! But, to start the ball rolling, here is an old favourite to accompany any summer night .

THE SINGAPORE SLING

Properly called the “Singapore Gin Sling”, it’s a fruity mix of colours and flavours, but that doesn’t mean you can use it as part of your five a day.

What you ‘ll need: I measure fresh orange juice. 1 measure fresh lemon juice. 3 measures ordinary gin. 1 measure of cherry brandy. 3-5 drops of angostura bitters (small but vital!)

How to do it: put at least six biggish ice cubes in a shaker and give them a good shake first, to break the ice a little. Now add the ingredients one by one and shake again.

The glass: Hurricane glass, and let the cubes go in. Decorate with 2 straws, slices from the orange and lemon, and maybe a pair of cherries. A paper umbrella, if you want to add the common touch. Many people like to top up a bit with fizzy water, but it had better be icy cold!

What did the Giraffe say when he walked into the hotel Bar?

-The Highballs are on me

#Cocktails #gin #cherrybrandy #SingaporeSling #giraffe

During the dark days of the Second World War, the Allies found they were losing unacceptable numbers of planes to radar directed guns and fighters. So they came up with a solution, called Window. It involved sending some bombers to drop thousands of aluminium strips to deceive and blind German radar. When the main force attacked, the enemy fighters had locked on to the window, or were utterly unable to “see” past it.

Deception is as old as war. Now, in the war against the corona virus, a team of researchers at Leicester University is going to try the same idea. By now, we all know the virus makes its entry by hooking on to the ACE-2 receptors in our cell membranes. Their idea is to flood the blood with proteins which will be even more attractive to the SARS-Cov-2 virus, making it go for these in preference.

The whole thing is described by Vanessa Chalmers in the Daily Mail, and so I post a link for you, gentle reader, below.

It’s early days yet, but it’s so nice to see someone thinking in a new but feasible way. The chief weapon of SARS-Cov- 2 is its reproduction rate. Ours is our intelligence.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8226899/Injection-decoy-proteins-stop-coronavirus-infecting-cells-body.html

#VanessaChalmers #Universityof Leicester #DecoyProtein #SARS-Cov-2