Since my car radio started playing up and I also started using my MP3 in the gym, I've been listening to lots of podcasts. Here's my top 10
1. Skeptics Guide to The Universe from the New England Skeptical Society
2. Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from US National Public Radio
3. Answer Me This
4. Freethought Radio
5. Skeptoid
6. Guardian Science Weekly
7. Real Time With Bill Maher
8. Point of Inquiry
9. Golf Better @ Edwin Watts Golf
10. Fighting Talk
Probably the best podcasts I ever listened to were the Danny Baker shows that appeared last year. The All Day Breakfast Show and the Baker & Kelly football shows were amazing and I even managed to get some of my stories onto their shows. Unfotunately, there were some contractual problems with Wippit which resulted in the shows being pulled. There's always hope that he will be back one day.
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Some people really are sick
An 11 year old from Wisconsin died last week from diabetic ketoacidosis after her parents decided not to get medical attention, but instead 'prayed for healing. The autopsy stated that she had probably been ill for about 30 days. The full story is here.
Some people shouldn't be allowed to keep pets, never mind children. Probably the worst part about the story was the comment from the local police chief, concerning the dead girl's three siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 16. "They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see."
If denying medical help to a sick child is not abuse, then what is?
Some people shouldn't be allowed to keep pets, never mind children. Probably the worst part about the story was the comment from the local police chief, concerning the dead girl's three siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 16. "They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see."
If denying medical help to a sick child is not abuse, then what is?
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
More interesting than Plato
Another podcast pointed me in the direction of a fantastic website. It's huge, but I've only just found out about it...
http://icanhascheezburger.com
and it has genius pictures like this
see more crazy cat pics
http://icanhascheezburger.com
and it has genius pictures like this
see more crazy cat pics
Plato v Popper
I was listening to one of my many podcasts on the way home from work yesterday and actually found something that was genuinely thought-provoking rather than just interesting. The podcast was Philosophy Bites and it was an interview with Melissa Lane discussing Karl Popper's views on Plato's Republic. I read the Republic a few years back, but I think I must have forgotten most of it.
Anyway, Popper's view was that Plato's ideal city state was totalitarian (I'm assuming he thought this was a bad idea). I guess that, technically it was based on state control of people's lives. However, the rulers in this state would be the philosopher guardians who the intellectual elite of the state. I think Plato tended to refer to philosopher as someone who was generally intelligent and was competent to govern the lesser plebs, rather than the narrow way we use the term today.
The view at the time seemed to be that democracy couldn't ever work because the lower orders would inevitably vote to satisfy their crude base instincts. Perhaps we ought to take on some of his ideas - I wouldn't care to give up on democracy completely and lose my right to vote for my representative, but maybe we could have an entrance exam for MPs. Give them all a test on world affairs, economics and throw in some science and maths questions too. Probably worth doing some personality tests to make sure we weed out the egomaniacs. Only those who pass the test would be allowed to stand.
Anyway, Popper's view was that Plato's ideal city state was totalitarian (I'm assuming he thought this was a bad idea). I guess that, technically it was based on state control of people's lives. However, the rulers in this state would be the philosopher guardians who the intellectual elite of the state. I think Plato tended to refer to philosopher as someone who was generally intelligent and was competent to govern the lesser plebs, rather than the narrow way we use the term today.
The view at the time seemed to be that democracy couldn't ever work because the lower orders would inevitably vote to satisfy their crude base instincts. Perhaps we ought to take on some of his ideas - I wouldn't care to give up on democracy completely and lose my right to vote for my representative, but maybe we could have an entrance exam for MPs. Give them all a test on world affairs, economics and throw in some science and maths questions too. Probably worth doing some personality tests to make sure we weed out the egomaniacs. Only those who pass the test would be allowed to stand.
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
Does religion make you happier?
There was a report on the BBC today on a study by the Paris School of Economics that people who have a religious belief lead a more contented life. I think I'll wait to read the full details of their survey before I can really understand what they are getting at. A lot of these surveys don't factor out other effects and correlations. The implication is that suddenly switching to a religious outlook on life would make you happier, although Pascal's Wager never did look like a good bet to me! It could be that the sort of people who are naturally attracted to religion are less likely to think too much about their philosophy on life, morality, fairness, justice, etc. and are happier because they don't have to worry about these things.
On a superficial level, it's quite obvious that, if someone really believes that there is a supernatual force looking out for them, then they will be more contented. (As long as they try to ignore studies that prove them wrong). On the other hand, if I really believed that Spiderman and Captain America were out there battling Evil, I'd probably sleep easier too...
As George Bernard Shaw said "The fact that a believer is happier than a sceptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one"
On a superficial level, it's quite obvious that, if someone really believes that there is a supernatual force looking out for them, then they will be more contented. (As long as they try to ignore studies that prove them wrong). On the other hand, if I really believed that Spiderman and Captain America were out there battling Evil, I'd probably sleep easier too...
As George Bernard Shaw said "The fact that a believer is happier than a sceptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one"
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Your Knicked
Here is something that always bugs me...
My son went to Beavers last week and the local police turned up give them some safety advice and help them get their Safety badges. Here's the certificate:
Maybe attention to detail isn't so important in the police these days
My son went to Beavers last week and the local police turned up give them some safety advice and help them get their Safety badges. Here's the certificate:
Maybe attention to detail isn't so important in the police these days
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Grand Slam
I wanted to check that I could embed links in my posts, so this is as good a one as any.
It's always nerve-wracking watching Wales, but they deserved this one.
It's always nerve-wracking watching Wales, but they deserved this one.
First post on my new blog
Well, well, well. Who would have thought that I would eventually get round to putting something on my website? Not only the start of some content, but something using PHP and MySQL. Just working out how to set the thing up is quite enough for one day.
I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon watching Wales try to win the Grand Slam and worry about Swansea throwing away even more of their lead at the top of League One.
I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon watching Wales try to win the Grand Slam and worry about Swansea throwing away even more of their lead at the top of League One.
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