Monthly Archives: December 2018

Health Headlines

Posted on December 31, 2018 by the archivist

Health headlines I found on Google news today: I found all these headlines somehow rather disturbing. The idea of health checks (first headline) bothers me these days, because in the past you used to go and tell doctors that you … Continue reading →

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The Royal Society of Experts

Posted on December 30, 2018 by the archivist

I read this morning: TEMPERATURES are set to plummet on New Year’s Eve before a three-month deep freeze, according to forecasters… …experts say the deep freeze could continue for months, with below average temperatures all the way to spring. The … Continue reading →

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There’s Nothing Like Personal Experience

Posted on December 29, 2018 by the archivist

I wrote yesterday that I thought that mandatory restrictions on the size of food portions would trigger a social uprising of a kind that didn’t happen with smoking restrictions and smoking bans. And this was because, while smoking bans only … Continue reading →

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Nationalism Versus Globalism

Posted on December 28, 2018 by the archivist

Via James Delingpole (and many others): Calorie limits will be imposed on thousands of foods sold in supermarkets and restaurants in a bid to combat obesity. Draft proposals seen by The Telegraph set out detailed caps for ready meals, sandwiches and even portions … Continue reading →

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Tsunami Alerts

Posted on December 26, 2018 by the archivist

On the tsunami that killed over 400 people, from the Guardian: Why wasn’t there a warning system? In the case of tsunamis caused by earthquakes, the shaking earth can act as a warning but it’s much trickier to anticipate tsunamis … Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2018 by the archivist

Given the cultural war on smoking, I was wondering this morning whether I could find a pipe-smoking santa. I found lots: I then wondered if I could find some cigar-smoking and cigarette-smoking santas. I found quite a few of those … Continue reading →

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Lone Thinkers and Institutional Science

Posted on December 23, 2018 by the archivist

Why is it that most great discoveries are found by single individuals? People like Newton and Einstein and Copernicus and Galileo and Kepler? I think that one answer is that some people have a lot of idle time in which … Continue reading →

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The Included and The Excluded

Posted on December 22, 2018 by the archivist

Back in about 1950, lots of people smoked tobacco, and they smoked more or less everywhere, and everyone got along quite happily. British society back then consisted of a minority of non-smokers (grey), and a majority of smokers (yellow).   … Continue reading →

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New & Better Worlds

Posted on December 21, 2018 by the archivist

From the comments yesterday: Can we have 1983 back?.. How I wish we could Brigitte, but those times have gone I’m afraid. Oh, to be 21 again… I feel the same. But I would take any date prior to 1 … Continue reading →

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29 March 2019

Posted on December 20, 2018 by the archivist

I had to search online to find “the date when Britain leaves the EU”:  the UK is scheduled to leave at 11pm UK time on Friday, 29 March 2019. I wonder if pubs will stay open for the event? Perhaps they … Continue reading →

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