Ed Dowding

Category: Society

Market failures: bridges vs tunnels

There are some areas of major importance to human beings: air & water, food, security, shelter, energy, ethics, and economy. In all except shelter, and that one is debatable, there are huge market failures. The economic models that we use do not satisfactorily regulate supply and demand for these good. Take a moment to think ...

There's AT BEST an 80% chance that humanity will see the next century

Did you know of the major studies in the last few years, none of them give us a greater than 80% chance of surviving the next century? Watch the whole thing, or jump to 3m50s in Nick Bostrom’s TED talk

Cambridge, Mass. City Council has voted 9-0 to remove security camera

Citing privacy concerns, the Cambridge, Mass. City Council has voted 9-0 to remove security cameras scattered throughout the city. ‘Because of the slow erosion of our civil liberties since 9/11, it is important to raise questions regarding these cameras,’ said Marjorie Decker, a Cambridge city councilor. Rather than citing privacy, WCBVTV is running the story ...

I might have called this all wrong

I’ve just woken from a dream wherein technology saves mankind. But, like Africans and AIDS drugs, I can’t afford it; because I’ve chosen the subsistence solution.

Obama on #MPExpenses

And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/obama_inauguration/7840646.stm

STILL not going to America

Visitors To US Now Required To Register Online Starting today, visitors to the US from 35 visa-waiver countries will be required to register online with the Department of Homeland Security in advance. The DHS is asking people to go online for the ESTA program 72 hours before traveling, but they can register any amount of ...

Biggest news of the decade: Body repair 'could be ramped up'

Quite amazing. “A combination of drugs could trick the body into sending its repair mechanisms into overdrive, say scientists. The technique could be used to speed the healing of heart or bone damage, they claim. The bone marrow of treated mice released 100 times as many stem cells – which help to regenerate tissue. ” ...

It's all fucking fucked

As the chaps at Global Dashboard point out, this graph really does not require much comment. It sure as hell requires an explanation though. It’s really enough to make me cry and be thoroughly depressed. The positive side is that we have proved we can get it together to act fast and spend lots of ...

DNA / Europe rocks the free world!

DNA database ‘breach of rights’ — Two British men should not have had their DNA and fingerprints retained by police, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7764069.stm

Monbiot has the answer.

Seriously everyone, what’s stopping this? Are we worried that the implications of destroying the entire world aren’t really large enough to make it worth it? http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/02/climate-change-lord-turner

Peace breaks out

I watched a very good Horizon from 1986 a few nights ago which, whilst not saying anything particularly new (not least because it’s 22 years old..), was a good reminder and layered on one or two details, about cooperation and its biological imperatives. I knew, for example, that tit-for-tat is always the best strategy for ...

Darwin spins again

Life seems to keep favouring everyone who is silly or unlucky, and I’m getting quite upset about it, because I’m smart and lucky and so not getting anything. I deliberately didn’t invest in property because I saw the evident bubble. I sold all my shares in January because this was clearly unsustainable. But it turns ...

I'm stunned, or 'Why I'm outta here #874'

It’s tough to know how to react to the two headlines which appeared adjacent on the BBC News website today. Downs’ Syndrome screening seems to be a technology which has backfired. The well meaning people who developed it thought that people would see the quality of life experienced by those with Downs’ Syndrome vs those ...

Happy people dont watch TV

“We looked at 8 to 10 activities that happy people engage in, and for each one, the people who did the activities more — visiting others, going to church, all those things — were more happy,” Dr. Robinson said. “TV was the one activity that showed a negative relationship. Unhappy people did it more, and ...

The slippery slope of evil

7 social processes that great the slippery slope of evil: 1. Mindlessly taking the first small step. 2. Dehumanisation of others. 3. De-individualisation of self (anonymity / being part of a crowd). 4. Diffusion of personal responsibility. 5. Blind obedience to authority. 6. Uncritical conformity to group norms. 7. Passive tolerance of evil through inaction, ...

No free papers

A small victory for audiobooks and podcasts, and against free papers: http://www.pledgebank.com/no2freepapers

Happiness Hypothesis

I guess it’s not illegal to link to this if someone else is hosting it: http://pathfindercoaching.org/Documents/happiness_hypothesis_haidt_e.pdf I’ve recommended this book before, and will do again, so take the opportunity to grab the summary whilst you can.