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There’s something about the image in this news story of the Mars Orbiter encountering Phobos – “Stunning” – the caption says it. The “real” thing, in all its simplicity – not one of those ubiquitous computer simulated graphics. You just get the sense that it is exactly what it is – a lump of rock hurtling through the darkness. The scarring of both new, fresh and old, abraided impacts tells its story.

Couldn’t help smiling and thinking of the “Loggin’s Spoof” on MoQ when I saw this news story.  It’s mainly about the physical exercise aspects of the activity, rather than the involvement in the task itself, but who nows ? Many a true word.

Post Note 2020:
How Cleanliness Can Affect Your Mental Health

Noticed this “news” story about MoND – “Modified Newtonian Dynamics” the same week as “In Our Time” had Newtons Laws of Motion as its subject matter – no idea if there is any connection – I’ve not listened to the edition yet, but I’ve noticed several different plugs for it on different philosophical discussion fora.

[Post Note – this quote from Melvyn’s newsletter …]

One thing that still intrigues me is the idea that you can derive the laws of motion without experimental evidence.  In this regard there was a lovely quotation from Descartes speaking of Galileo: “he builds without foundations”.  Galileo, so I believe Raymond Flood said, declared that whatever causes gravity isn’t worth worrying about. 

What matters is getting the measurements right and understanding how it works.  As long as you get the measurements right, what happens happens. 

Not unlike the American Indian idea of the Great Mystery in the sky.

News story with UK opposition bemoaning government “stranglehold” on science funding – “Return control of science funding to the scientists” calls Osborne.

[Post Note – the opinion that follows is in response to the implicit suggestion in the reporting of that quote that, because scientists are concerned with science, they are somehow specially qualified not just to be involved in science funding, but even in control of it.]

Science funding decisions are simply not scientific decisions. They depend on values and objectives. They are at least a philosophy of science issue, and depending how narrow or enlightened that is, a lot more philosophy besides – existence, knowledge and ethics too – wisdom for short.

This is Nick Maxwell’s agenda for Aim-Oriented-Empiricism and Wisdom-Enquiry.

Until I experienced a few transit flights through Heathrow. Truly the worst airport experience ever. Like so much UK infrastructure it shows its age and the effect of NIMBY’s and anti-central-planning free-marketers.

This comparison is useful. Schiphol’s single integrated terminal always seemed so vast and the distances so great, but in fact the total distance between connecting flights cannot be any greater, whereas the security checking and queuing in and out of transfers between secure and external areas makes the ordeal so much worse at LHR. Gimme Schiphol, or Atlanta, or HK, or Changi any day. Of course the (BA) plan to maximise connections that minimise inter-(separate)-terminal transfers helps those funding such airlines as can justify their own integrated terminal. Come on T5, get it together.

In an age of carbon-footprint-consciousness I guess it’s non-PC to complain about the pains of air-travel, but I am.

Sad and uplifting all at the same time. Best wishes for Robert Maltby’s future. Noticed the original crime story when it happened. How to learn something from even the most desparate of experiences.

But I guess the key word here is “offer”.

I my time a faith-based-assembly was optional and conscientious objection was accepted, though few did. Quite rightly distinct from Religious Education. Trouble is who chooses to accept such an offer, child or guardian ?

Couldn’t help thinking of Dirk Gently’s Electric Monk (Douglas Adams) when I saw this news story – even down to the mono-colour photographic evidence (orange rather than pink it has to be said.)

Thanks to David Gurteen for bringing this to my attention. The punchline is a bit lame, or perhaps understated, but if 20% of these stats turn out to be 80% true, then the situation is mind-boggling – scary and/or inspiring at the same time.

Interesting comment thread(s) on YouTube – there are several different versions ShiftHappens, ShiftHappens2.0, ShiftHappensUK, ShiftHappensNarrated, etc – apart from the naive nationalistic (ostrich-head-in-sand) reactions, all the threads run very quickly in three directions.

(1) Where are values and wisdom in all of this – can there be anyone who sets priorities for what (shit) happens ?

(2) The processing power, inter-connectivity and bandwidth equals AI vs Ai is just fiction debate ? But there are so many options and opportunities of course before we get to that one – worth keeping an eye on the ball(s).

(3) The faith debate, which could be the “ostrich” debate depending on your perspective. Shit happens then you die, but it’s OK, God’s in charge. The first cause / teleology debate gets everywhere – see (1).

Though provoking at the very least.

 [Post Note : David’s newsletter makes a reference to Thoreau’s “Walden”.]

[Post Note : Also a predictable US vs India / China debate in the threads. I call this the “pedestal” debate – whichever nation is currently on the pedestal should expect to be the target for being knocked-off by those in pole position – expect that is, where a view on life is a competitive either/or rather than collaborative outlook.]

[Post Note : Also David has a summary of the KM worlds of work …. several interesting points – context preserved through first person stories, thinking out loud and transparent workings, and the world recognized as complex with many overlapping approaches and mechanisms, rather than simple netwonian cause / effect model.]

A whole collection here from Dave Pollard. Particularly like the first two.

Generalists / consultants shouldn’t worry (feel guilty / stressed) about not getting things done, it’s not the point of their work – the point is to figure out and pass that information along to someone who can do something with it. In fact delivering less is better. Doing is about learning, not about delivering.

Stress wastes / causes a lack of time, not the other way around. Time pressure is not a cause of stress, but the result.

Too easy “excuses” ? Well yes if your aim is excuses, but worth thinking about anyway.