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Tag Archives: idle theory
A New Theory of Cell Growth and Division
A little mathematical excursion. I have both a theoretical and practical interest in biology. The little tobacco plants growing on my window sill represent the practical side of the interest. But persistent readers will be aware that I also grow … Continue reading
Chapter 1
Ten years or so ago, I produced my Idle Theory website, which didn’t attract very much interest. I’ve begun to think that the problem is that it’s made up of lots of disconnected essays, and that what’s needed is a … Continue reading
Richard Webster
I learned today, quite by accident, that the author Richard Webster had died in June last year, aged 60. He wasn’t someone I’d heard of until he emailed me back in 2002 with one or two kind remarks about Idle … Continue reading
Don’t
One of the problems that smokers face in fighting against righteous antismokers is that these opponents are all so darn righteous. And many smokers themselves think that “you really ought not” to smoke. Or drink. And that if you do, it’s … Continue reading
The Triumph of the Will
Antismokers generally regard smokers as “lacking will power”. As “addicts” of the fearsome weed, they are regarded as powerless “slaves” to their addiction. They tell us that 70% of smokers want to give up smoking, but simply don’t have the … Continue reading
Obese Leaves and Phantom Bones
Veteran readers of mine will know that I’ve been spending a while this summer growing theoretical plant cells in a theoretical pond. It’s quite a lot easier than growing real ones, and getting covered in mud, or stung by nettles, … Continue reading
Naomi Klein, Profit and Freedom
James Delingpole and Bella Gerens have both been taking shots at Naomi Klein’s recent article in The Nation, Capitalism vs. the Climate, in which she wrote, among other things: It means that a green-left worldview, which rejects mere reformism and … Continue reading
The Cutting Edge
I occasionally wonder why it was that when ‘advanced’ human civilisations started to appear, they were nearly all in the 20° – 40° North latitudes: Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, and in the New World, Mexico. My best theory goes something … Continue reading
Absolute Value
I came across this yesterday: Consider the difference between the market price of an apple and the “worth” of an apple. You can’t demand that we pay an amount for apples that reflects “what they are worth”, because the amount … Continue reading
Wants and Needs
I’ve mentioned before on my blog that I used to be a bit left wing. In fact, I often think that I’m still a bit left wing. However, I’m increasingly unsure what ‘left wing’ actually means. And what ‘right wing’ … Continue reading
