things we noticed this week

Best writing There are different styles of writing, but we have always liked the terse reality prose which started in journalism, but was made literature by authors like Hammet and Hemmingway. Here is a marvellous example by Elliott Ackerman for The Atlantic

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/american-volunteer-foreign-fighters-ukraine-russia-war/627604/

_{we thank Mr Peter Seymour of Hertfordshire for this example}

Don’t take your eye off global warming There may be a war on, as they say but our other existential problems haven’t gone away. Hence this rather bleak assessment of the future of the great barrier reef. Great Bleaching Event… from Nature Briefings

The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its fourth mass bleaching event in the past six years. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) confirmed the event following aerial surveys that showed widespread bleaching across a representative sample of 750 reefs, despite the cooling effect of the La Niña weather system. “It is important to note that bleached coral is stressed but still alive,” said the GBRMPA in a statement. “If conditions moderate, bleached corals can recover from this stress, as was the case in 2020.” Scientists have urged the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO to declare the reef ‘in danger’ to raise awareness that it is “nearing its tipping point, beyond which the reef will lose its function as a viable ecosystem”.The Guardian | 6 min read & The Conversation | 6 min read

Development versus Biodiversity Whenever developers smash up another piece of green land they nowadays make dubious claims about how it benefits things like biodiversity and sustainability. We have always wondered how concrete can possibly capture more carbon than trees do. As this article for the Conversation by three biologists with rather long names makes clear

https://theconversation.com/biodiversity-why-new-rules-to-ensure-nature-benefits-from-building-projects-could-fail-179701?u

Batman returns-sort of The diversity and abilities of bats has always been a source of wonder, and in the UK the few remaining examples are rightly protected. But as our Australian Correspondent Mr Gary Herbert has found, you can sometimes have too much of a good thing AP for the Guardian

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/11/it-smells-so-bad-you-can-taste-it-bats-plague-australian-tourist-town

Robot Appeal We at LSS have longed for the day when robots can take away a lot of the drudgery in things like cleaning, cooking and ironing (we will defend gardening to the death however!)The problem has always been to make the pesky things clever enough and skilled enough to do microtasks. So this one about them peeling bananas,from the Mail by Shivali Best, offers real hope:

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/11/it-smells-so-bad-you-can-taste-it-bats-plague-australian-tourist-town

sorry about lack of cocktails this week-the robot broke down!

#robot #AI #global warming #climate change #bats #australia #development #ukraine

Sergiy Stakhovsky could have had it all. A fine tennis player (he once beat Federer at Wimbledon) a good income, wife, kids and lots of international connections. But Stakhovsky is Ukrainian. So when Mad Vlad Putin sent his forces smashing into Ukraine (note his forces- little Vlad didn’t go himself, it’s too dangerous) Stakhovsky had a choice. Continue with his comfortable lifestyle or go back to fight. Carefully sending his family to safety, he then went back to Ukraine, where he now carries a gun in the front line. That, gentle readers, is what we call courage. Principle. And moral imagination. All the qualities lacking in the Russian top echelons, who watch as their leader leads their great country to destruction. You can read about Sergiy Stakhovsky in our link to a piece from the Mail [1] But a lot of outlets are carrying his story.

But, you say, the media in the free world can thunder all they like, but it won’t make a blind bit of difference in Russia. Ol’Pooters has an iron grip on the media and all independent outlets have been closed down, the staff murdered or sent to slave labour camps. True, but there are still ways that ordinary Russians can find out the truth about what is being done in their name.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty not only carries a wealth of stories on Russia and other countries but also has a full guide to how you can bypass blocking [2] By careful use of VPNs and other devices, you can still get round Putin’s secret police and have the chance to make your own mind up about things.

BBC World Service Throughout the dark days of the Second World War people in occupied lands depended on the clear and objective voice of the BBC to sustain their belief in freedom. Nothing has changed. Now the BBC is to get more money, as this article from the Guardian shows. Again there is a handy guide to VPN ways of dodging the censors and getting to the truth.

Ukraine is fighting for all the values we believe in. Freedom of information and judgement. Reason. Learning. Honesty. Please support them in any way you can.

[1] https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/ukrainian-tennis-star-speaks-out-as-he-leaves-family-behind-for-war/ar-AAVbvmp?ocid=BingNewsSearch

[2] https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-censorship-vpn-reporting/31737775.html

[3] https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/mar/23/bbc-world-service-to-get-extra-41m-to-support-ukrainian-and-russian-services?

#sergiy stakhovsky #roger federer #resistance #radio liberty #vpn #bbc world service #ukraine #russia #putin #war in Ukraine

We got so many hits yesterday with our “World Government” musings that we decided to throw you some more. And written by better people. So here’s some thoughts from Margaret McMillan in the Guardian [1] and Wikipedia [2], always a standby in dark times.

It’s not that we are starry-eyed converts to the idea. We see the problems with it, and we will certainly come back to them in later posts. These texts are jumping off points and we hope you will read beyond them.

So far the nation state has served us well-there’s no denying that. Yet there are so many problems which a world government would solve so much better. From technological problems like global warming and new medicines to economic ones like chronic inequality. And medical ones, such as the case of Mr Putin. And one other thing. Many current nations grew by the fusion of what were once proud independent polities. France from the Fusion of Normandy, Anjou, Provence, Burgundy and the others. China was a set of autonomous states in the Spring and Autumn phase and then in the time of the warring Kingdoms. Yet no one would deny now it is China-and has done much better as a result.

There is so very much to think of-how a world Government could be achieved and sustained requires immense thought. But if the old model is as broken as it now seems, we should at least be casting around for alternatives.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/nov/22/the-big-idea-is-world-government-possible?msclkid=bd9cc2b8a9cb11ec94837619fdb345a2

be advised: even Wikipedia admit this has multiple issues

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_government#:~:text=World%20government%20or%20globa

#world government #nation state #china #russia #ukraine #global warming #antibiotic resistance #france

The last part in out little series on the consequences of this war

According to Tim Marshall [1] and many others, the real cause of this war is Geography. Russia can never be secure while it is surrounded by wide flat plains over which invading armies can cross with ease. And so it must push out to create buffer zones in places like Poland or the Baltic States, to ensure that a Grand Armee or Wermacht can never threaten it again. And so in turn those neighbouring lands queue up to join NATO, the EU or anything else that will save them from subjugation to the Kremlin. Russia must always try to dominate, and its neighbours to resist, until the end of time.

Nothing kills so effectively as lines drawn on maps. A glance at the origins of the First and Second World Wars will reveal their deadly presence on places like Danzig or Belgium. Millions died so some cartographer could re draw them.

Russia could never invade the Baltic States if a World Government had an army to stop them. But why should they? Northumbria no longer wars with Mercia, firstly because the UK Government stops them. Secondly because both are in a larger polity-England. And so it is with France and Germany, because both are now in the EU. And this thought is true in most places in the world. Is there an armed frontier between Victoria and New South Wales? Yet there is between the two Koreas. Compare these two observations alone and you understand much about the problem.

So far the Nation State represents the highest and best form of human organisation. It is able to command great loyalty. Yet in a world with nuclear weapons these advantages may soon become impossible to sustain. Many things which were once good in their day outlive their usefulness. Videos. Horses and carts. Stone Tools. 45rpm records. Castles. Sailing ships. Burning witches. Might it be time now for the nation state to give way to a world government which would make people like Putin irrelevant? What form such a government might take, and how it shall be achieved will require much thinking. We shall certainly return to it.[1]

[1] https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/books/prisoners-of-geography-ten-maps-that-tell-you-everything-you-need-to-know-about-global-politics-by-tim-marshall-review-a2488801.html?m

[2] https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/geopolitics/2022/03/why-russia-is-a-prisoner-of-geography

#ukraine #russia #poland #baltic states #putin #ukraine #geography

things that caught our eye in the last seven days

This war started in 1998 According to Allan Little, who was there, the roots of our present troubles lie in the botched attempts to modernise Russia in the 1990s. They failed: the economy collapsed, Putin came to power and the death certificates of thousands of innocents were effectively signed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60767454?at_campaign=KARANGA&at_medium=RSS&msclkid=e5e2c27da76311ec8eb840d1afd07bd9

Can Kitty go veggie? Probably not according to Pete Wedderburn of The Guardian. Your cat is an obligate carnivore, like many other creatures in the natural world. But read the article and judge for yourself.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/18/dog-vegan-cats-killers-plant-based-diet-pets-food?msclkid=e4e11d70a76411ec83e534344e79

Solar Power Stations in Space? Science Fiction writers from Isaac Asimov onwards have toyed with the idea of giant solar arrays in orbit beaming free energy down to earth. Jovana Radulovic of the Conversation explains how that possibility just got one step nearer:

https://theconversation.com/a-solar-power-station-in-space-heres-how-it-would-work-and-the-benefits-it-could-bring-179344?utm_medium=email&utm_ca

More shells in the Seychelles For us, turtles and kin have always been one of the true wonders of the ocean. But human ignorance and greed have driven them almost to extinction. So we liked this heart-warming success from the beautiful Seychelle islands of the Indian Ocean. (For the record it’s joint effort between our regular chums Nature Briefings and the Conversation)

To make soup for European tables, green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Seychelles were once hunted almost to extinction. Now the species is thriving, thanks to the protection of Aldabra Atoll, a favourite turtle nesting ground, in 1968. Three researchers who took on the task of analysing decades of data about nesting females, tracked by the huge tractor-like trails they leave in the sand, describe how the conservation success was achieved.The Conversation | 5 min read

Help Ukraine here We haven’t always seen eye to eye with the Daily Mail. But financially speaking, it’s a completely honest organisation, which is why we chose them for our donation to Ukraine. Whatever your background politically please could you consider their donation page foryour contribution? The money is still desperately needed.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10580683/Heres-help-Donate-Mail-Force-Ukraine-Appeal.html?msclkid=6fafd764a76711ec94822a0c6b3ed6b8

#russia #yeltsin #putin #tyranny #solar power #cat #diet #turtles #seychelles #ukraine

The days are growing longer and the long dark nights of winter are becoming a memory. Sometimes a sheltered sunny spot can feel almost warm , and you can pause to watch the daffodils at their March peak of splendour. What better way to celebrate than a specially designed spring cocktail? This week we’ve got ten for you, all from the BBC Good Food website.

You could choose a positively primaveral Pink Lady. Or mix a refreshing Rhubarb Gin. Or what about a frisky White Rabbit? Click below and try for yourself.

^{The BBC Good Food website is a treasure trove of recipes and mixes, and as such an important contribution to our civilisation. When you’ve clicked on cocktails, why not explore this amazing site further-perhaps to see a nice recipe for that Easter Sunday lunch?}

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/spring-cocktail-recipes?msclkid=c2377d71a6e411ecbf967e915064ddb9

#spring #cocktails #bbc

As terrible events unfold in Ukraine, those of us still fortunate enough to lead comfortable lives in peace are forced to ask the question “what are the causes of evil?” Quite a few thinkers have been having a go at this one since at least 600 BCE. But no question is ever entirely answered: so today we think the psychologists should have a try.

Nadja Heym and Alexander Sumich, writing for the Conversation, identify a “dark triad” of personality traits-psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism. To which, tentatively, they add sadism. They point out that some people are so bad you can sometimes see them coming. But they point to a hidden, deeper group of baddies who may be hiding in plain sight, whom they label as “dark empaths“. A chilling thought indeed! Anyway, read for yourself. And think-do I know anyone like this, perhaps at work or who has been in the news recently?

_{We thank Mr P Seymour of Hertfordshire for today’s story}

https://theconversation.com/dark-empaths-how-dangerous-are-psychopaths-and-narcissists-with-empathy-178715

#ukraine #psychology #war #evil #narcissism #sociopath #psychopath

Every schoolchild will remember Π, pi, 22/7, that curious number you get when you divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter and which works out to a series of digits which no one has ever finished. Okay, it’s good for geometry and engineering, the Ancient Greeks knew that, but- so what else? Well the odd thing is that it seems to crop up in other branches of mathematics which are completely unrelated to geometry.

In today’s El Pais, Fernando Chamizo explains how. Take a very large number-call it N. Now multiply the products of all the even numbers that lead up to N. Call it q. Now the odd numbers and call it p. Divide p/q, square it and multiply that by 2N. You will get an approximation to Π. We tried it for N=10 and got 3.302, but as Fernando explains, the bigger the value of N, the closer you get to the real value of Π. Somehow our old friend pi is nested in the deep structure of the numbers.

It’s the same for Euler’s number, e , 2.718…which crops up all over the place in mathematics, compound interest, and computing, to paint the matter with a broad brush. And other abstruse things like imaginary numbers which equals the square root of -1.

And so we ask-is this a coincidence, a random consequence of numbers and algebra? Or is it a tiny hint, a clue of a clue if you like, to some deeper structure of reality which we have barely glimpsed? The potential dividends of such research might be enormous for us all. Instead of which we must spend our time dealing with the actions of a sociopathic tyrant whose learning is confined to some half digested mystical versions of history, and mopping up the blood which flows from it. (English speakers, get those translators ready!)

https://elpais.com/ciencia/cafe-y-teoremas/2022-03-14/el-omnipresente-numero-pi.html

#mathematics #geometry #irrational numbers #imaginary number

a weekly look at stories of more than short term significance

Does Covid affect your brain? Covid-19 shows worrying signs of returning-and the effects may not be too nice. For The Conversation, Jessica Bernard considers if even a mild dose may affect your “grey matter”.

https://theconversation.com/even-mild-cases-of-covid-19-can-leave-a-mark-on-the-brain-such-as-reductions-in-gray-matter-a-neuroscientist-explains-emerging-research-178499?

Chile takes the right path The true sources of national greatness lie in building up the economy and by advancing technology. Once you turn to excessive reliance on armies and fleets you are already in decline, as history shows. It’s a lesson Chile seems to have learned. Nature Briefings has a nice summary, with a link to click if you want to know more Hope is the word for scientists in Chile

Chile’s new president is ushering in what many scientists see as a new era for the country. Gabriel Boric, who is only 36, enlisted scientists in his election campaign and has given some of them top jobs in his administration. He has promised to take strong climate action, boost stagnant science funding and fight inequality. For scientists who lived through the 17-year dictatorship that followed a coup in the countryChile in 1973, the promise of this new era is exciting — and long overdue. “Hope is the word” to describe how researchers are feeling, says neuroscientist Jacqueline Sepúlveda.Nature | 7 min read

Bionic eyes? No disability moves us more than that of the blind. We love to read stories of hope, and here’s an exciting one from Live Science’s Mark Smith, Bionic Eyes: how tech is replacing lost vision

https://www.livescience.com/bionic-eye

A song for us all Yes, the Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem of a particular state Yet the American Revolution was also a victory for the Enlightenment in general, as its protagonists knew well. For all its faults, the USA and its allies in the EU , Canada, Britain and around the world still represent the best hope for mankind. That’s why we still love this version by Lady Gaga

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?

https://www.bing.com/search?q=lady+gaga+star+spangled+banner&form=ANNTH1&refig=e642c670f1bc419489943430cae087c9

the next part of our series on the transition to a new world

We promised you, gentle readers, a series based this war. Our thoughts on how it began, what happens now, and what might yet be to come. And how we dreaded writing some of them! Especially the one about how we got here. Complicated or what?

Fortunately, we found the work of Keith Gessen. Ladies and gentlemen, this little piece he put in today’s Guardian is so remarkably fair, full and above all clear, that we recommend it wholeheartedly and without further ado.[1] And don’t be put off by the “long read” strapline, because it’s really not that long at all.

The story dates at least to that fateful coup d’etat in 1991 and has one central theme. Mistrust. The Baltics and others could never trust the Russians, and longed for NATO/EU membership as the ultimate guarantees of freedom. Russia smarted from what she saw as a humiliating defeat in 1991. Every political change in Russia, or any or any of the border republics, was seen as evidence of nefarious American purpose. This was especially true of Putin and his coterie of KGB men who seemed unable to ask a simple question “why might people prefer the West to us?”

In the end all roads lead back to Putin, who believes violence and terror are the only certain guides to human conduct. His concerns therefore cannot be with the real or imagined grievances of national minorities, or local lines on maps. They are pretexts for a bigger project: the restoration of the USSR in its entirety. And who can say with confidence that this time it will stop on the Elbe?

[1]https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/11/was-it-inevitable-a-short-history-of-russias-war-on-ukraine

#NATO #EU #USSR #Russian #Ukraine #Putin #Estonia #democracy #police state #Totalitarianism