What a great documentary! The idea that six degrees of separation links everyone in this mad world of ours is both an inspiring and somewhat frightening concept. This documentary, screened on ABC TV 1 (Aunty) on Tuesday 28th Oct 08, gave a fascinating insight in to the science/maths involved as well as a real example to ponder. Download the episode here (part of the Future Makers series).
40 packages were distributed around the world with participants required to send one to a Harvard Geneticist. 3 made it to him through links with 6 steps.
What the documentary didn't discuss was exactly what happened to the rest and how does that affect the theory of networking. So Aunty, please a follow-up doco.
Other sites of interest to six degrees of separation include the Oracle of Bacon and the Charity Site set up originally by Bacon following the oracle's success.
Now back to the books - Am reading the latest "Artemis Fowl" before the teenager can get his hands on it.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wall St Financial Crisis
Try this Cartoon from Live Leak re the Financial Crisis. Puts a humourous twist on the problem
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Spring Reading
I've just finished Carol Off's "Bitter chocolate" a fairly comprehensive expose of the world of cocoa growers and the multinationals who produce chocolate. Carol makes a compelling case of third world corruption and first world greed and complicity in that corruption. Child slavery in cocoa plantations, ecological wreckage of rainforest and multi-million dollar profits for the rich and powerful.
My next book is "Growing up Asian n Australia" edited by Alice Pung of "Unpolished Gem" fame. So far so good with excellent short essays on the perils of being different in Australia in the 1950's - 70's. So far my chocolate purchasing has been reduced as I read this book but I wonder how long I can go without the wonderful melt-in-the-mouth stuff. Especially after sitting in the sun whilst reading. Its a pity there isn't a fairtrade bar of chocolate to be fond in my local shopping centre.
During the dark days of winter I watched an intriguing series on DVD which is screened by PBS with regard to environmental concerns called the e2 series. Topics are as diverse as wind energy, micro loans to Bangladeshi women, Biogas digesters and sustainable living and much more. You can download them at http://www.e2-series.com/. Well worth seeing and emulating.
Now back to the weed infested garden! Time to do some work!
My next book is "Growing up Asian n Australia" edited by Alice Pung of "Unpolished Gem" fame. So far so good with excellent short essays on the perils of being different in Australia in the 1950's - 70's. So far my chocolate purchasing has been reduced as I read this book but I wonder how long I can go without the wonderful melt-in-the-mouth stuff. Especially after sitting in the sun whilst reading. Its a pity there isn't a fairtrade bar of chocolate to be fond in my local shopping centre.
During the dark days of winter I watched an intriguing series on DVD which is screened by PBS with regard to environmental concerns called the e2 series. Topics are as diverse as wind energy, micro loans to Bangladeshi women, Biogas digesters and sustainable living and much more. You can download them at http://www.e2-series.com/. Well worth seeing and emulating.
Now back to the weed infested garden! Time to do some work!
Friday, October 3, 2008
My Electricity Bill
Global meltown in credit markets. The Bush administration is bailing out private enterprise and mortgaging American taxpayers for years to come. On ABC TV's Q and A last night we saw Peter Costello talk about how much better the prudential regulation is in Australia. I remember reading, in the Financial Review I think, that when politicians tell you that the banking system is safe, then thats the time to be very careful with your money.
Lets hope the financial credit squeeze will not totally derail various governments attempts to do something about the environment and global warming. The only hope I had of any decent change process was if the governments and people of Australia were wealthy enough to manage the cost of the changes necessary.
Having just seen my electricity bill for the winter months I have seen an increased cost, and this is happening without any cost input due to carbon emissions trading.
And yet we see in the September 2008 Choice Magazine article "Solar panels: counting the real cost" how much further the electricity price must rise to make photovoltaics a real option for the average housholder like me. My house is well sited to provide
excellent solar gain for a PV system but I can't afford it just yet. I have been waiting for 14 years so will have to wait another 10 or more I would imagine.
By that time my current solar hot water system will definitely need replacing.
However, many consumers also have the ability to mange their costs a bit (say no the that new DVD for example) and spend more on their utilities. So perhaps this credit squeeze and the increasing burden of debt on households might make some people think a bit more about their spending . Perhaps pushing them into more sustainable patterns. Here's hoping.
Lets hope the financial credit squeeze will not totally derail various governments attempts to do something about the environment and global warming. The only hope I had of any decent change process was if the governments and people of Australia were wealthy enough to manage the cost of the changes necessary.
Having just seen my electricity bill for the winter months I have seen an increased cost, and this is happening without any cost input due to carbon emissions trading.
And yet we see in the September 2008 Choice Magazine article "Solar panels: counting the real cost" how much further the electricity price must rise to make photovoltaics a real option for the average housholder like me. My house is well sited to provide
excellent solar gain for a PV system but I can't afford it just yet. I have been waiting for 14 years so will have to wait another 10 or more I would imagine.By that time my current solar hot water system will definitely need replacing.
However, many consumers also have the ability to mange their costs a bit (say no the that new DVD for example) and spend more on their utilities. So perhaps this credit squeeze and the increasing burden of debt on households might make some people think a bit more about their spending . Perhaps pushing them into more sustainable patterns. Here's hoping.
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