Recently updated blogs

I'd been hoping to launch a better tool for lexical set analysis this month, but it didn't work out. Hopefully for September.I finished reading "Language vs Reality" by Nick Enfield, and I'd recommend it for anyone interested in the topic of limitations of language. I was especially interested by the idea that the purpose of language is to create different Schelling points (ways to coordinate without agreeing beforehand). By this …

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While it is true that the UK has been lagging many OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and most G7 countries in gross capital formation, the picture becomes more mixed and complex as one scrutinises national, international and regional data trends. This supplement will examine these issues from a UK context in more detail. The role of investment as an integral component of GDP and long-term economic growth is …

We’re here to make a case for black and white movies. We know our position makes us sound like a Luddite, which we are, let’s face it. The whole thing started when we saw Black Widow (1954), a mystery/thriller filmed in sumptuous DeLuxe Color. It’s a movie of dazzling wardrobe and sets, with actors to match. So it seems counterintuitive … Continue reading →

On a bus to Redmond, a passenger found a wallet and returned it to the driver. Shortly after, the owner joyfully reclaimed it at the next stop. The unexpected reunion brought a sense of wonder and positivity, showing the beauty of chance and kindness.

I had just finished last month’s AstroBlog, muchachos, when I was moved to begin the next one. The way the weather’s been this summer, and the knowledge it will likely get worse as September and October approach, impelled me to get back to work rather than take a break. One late July evening it ‘peared the sky might be good enough for the SeeStar, Suzie, to take a few of …

Chinese Physics Student in Jean Paul Gaultier in Harajuku, TokyoPhysics student (with a focus on next-generation battery technology) Stella is from China and currently attending college in London. She was visiting Tokyo when we spotted her on the street in Harajuku. Stella’s cyber-inspired style includes a cyber dots dress by legendary fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier with Gentle Monster glasses, New Rock boots, My Melody rings, Vivienne Westwood armour ring, …

David Friedman recently created a daily word puzzle called Gisnep! I’ve been hooked on it ever since I discovered it last week. As a non-coder, he created it using a form of guess-and-check programming with ChatGPT and other AI large language models. Years ago I was inspired by his 50 States in 10 Minutes game and made my own copycats.

Ready for a ribbing, Paraguayan style Warming myself at midnight by an open-air firepit over which half a cow was being slowly and expertly roasted, while 50 or so slightly drunk South American brewers sang a word-perfect rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody loudly and enthusiastically was not a direction I ever expected my beer writing career to take. Still, every opportunity for new experiences needs to be seized. I was in …

(click on the image to see the full issue) Cover: Annie Lennox Back cover: Free stickers offer Interviews: Eurythmics; Roddy Frame; Shakatak; Rod Stewart; Malcolm McLaren Lyrics: Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.; Tesla Girls O.M.D.; She Bop - Cyndi Lauper; Big In Japan - Alphaville; Sunset Now - Heaven 17; Master And Servant - Depeche Mode; Talking In Your Sleep - Bucks Fizz; You're Never Too Young - The Cool …

You probably have to be Jewish to appreciate the full and bitter irony of this sentence: Nearly 11 months into a devastating war, a serious new challenge has emerged in Gaza: polio. Growing up, there were two uncontested heroes in the Jewish-American pantheon: Sandy Koufax and Jonas Salk. If you were really in the know, you’d add a third: Albert Sabin. Salk invented the polio vaccine, Sabin invented the oral …

the problem: My main computer is a Linux/BSD desktop, but I also use a Mac laptop for recording and travel. This created a problem keeping them in sync. I don’t like that the MacOS user’s home has directories like Movies and Pictures that we can’t delete, or that ~/Library is filled with Mac-only crap I don’t want on my other computer. Also, why did Apple make it /Users/me and not …

Ugh. Drew’s blogging about Rust again. – You I promise to be nice. Two years ago, seeing the Rust-for-Linux project starting to get the ball rolling, I wrote “Does Rust belong in the Linux kernel?”, penning a conclusion consistent with Betteridge’s law of headlines. Two years on we have a lot of experience to draw on to see how Rust-for-Linux is actually playing out, and I’d like to renew my …

By: James ConnellFor many young people in the UK, the dream of owning a home has never felt more elusive. Soaring property prices, stagnant wages, and a shrinking supply of affordable housing have turned what was once a common life milestone into an increasingly unattainable goal. Being one of these young people myself, the housing crisis is a highly personal issue. As a result, I was determined to use our …

She said, I don’t think I can do this anymore. I love you but I can’t do this. I said, But if you love me, why can’t you try? She said, It’s over. I said, I know we aren’t perfect, but who is? She said, It’s over. I said it’s over. I said nothing. But later I thought about what I should have said. I should have said, But we …