Ed Dowding

Month: May 2008

Umbrella

It’s interesting to realise that neither of our two words for umbrella (umbrella and parasol) indicate that they’re actually to prevent a soaking from the rain. Umbra = shade in Latin so an umbrella is to provide shade. Similarly para (against) sol (sun). It’s only the french parapluie which reveals its true intent.

It's in the mix

Thomas Malthus predicted that we’ve have the fourt horsemen of the Apocalypse on our doorstep due to geometric rise in population levels, but arithmetic rise in our capacity to support ourselves. This has not yet come to pass. Why not? Some say that the more people you have the more ideas there will be, and ...

CCTV does not work

Well duh. CCTV boom ‘failing to cut crime’ Huge investment in closed-circuit TV technology has failed to cut UK crime, a senior police officer has warned. BBC News