http://things.auditblogs.com A blog of incomprehension Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:48:47 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This comes from the BBC's description of the flights of SpaceShipTwo to take people to the edge of space, and then come back to a nice safe landing (hopefully). And all for a mere $200,000 - the world's most expensive rollercoaster. Of course, Richard Branson is a man who is extremely ... http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/10/04/richard-branson-and-bbc-science-cluelessness/ Just read this for a positive story about a young man doing an act of unselfish heroism: A "WILD-LOOKING" teenage "prankster" leapt 20 metres from a bridge into a cold river to save the life of a woman, 70, just moments after finding what was believed to be her suicide note. Corey ... http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/07/24/the-best-of-aussie-corey-warburton/ An interesting op-ed comparing the "Yellow journalism of Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer and the abuse of the scientific method by scientists promoting global warming. The reality is: over the past several decades an increasing number of scientists have shed the restraints imposed by the scientific method and begun to proclaim the ... http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/07/13/yellow-science-and-global-warming/ Object lesson #2 in our occasional series on Wikipedia's inability to write biographies is about American philosopher, writer and Revolutionary politician, Benjamin Franklin. From the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, I reproduce the first few and last few paragraphs: Franklin, Benjamin (1706–1790), natural philosopher, writer, and revolutionary politician in America, ... http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/07/07/wikipedia-on-trial-2-benjamin-franklin/ These articles could be subtitled "I knew I was right all along" and "since when did the Conservatives start producing recognizably useful and voter friendly policies?" Who would have guessed that in 2008, a pledge to give British people flushing toilets would be a shock vote winner? The Conservatives this week promised ... http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/07/03/hands-up-who-wants-to-live-in-an-eco-slum/ This is a little late as the Glastonbury festival has finished and the Wimbledon tennis tournament is still ongoing: ================================================================================= News Release for 00.00hrs Tues 3rd June For further information contact Piers Corbyn office above or +447958713320 / +44 7507426264 Weather Action June 2008 Forecast Media summary Statement ... http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/07/02/weatheraction-2-exceptional-deluges-for-glastonbury-and-wimbledon/ This just in: 16 June 2008 We received a petition asking: "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Refuse any application submitted by the 'Church' of Scientology for recognition as a Religious Organisation." Details of Petition: "Without compromise to freedom of thought or expression, the teachings and beliefs of Scientology, Dianetics and science-fiction writer ... http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/06/26/the-petition-against-scientology-was-never-a-good-idea/ Just a note as to where I found it: During the Middle Ages there were all kinds of crazy ideas, such as that a piece of of rhinoceros horn would increase potency. Then a method was discovered for separating the ideas--which was to try one to see if it worked, ... http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/06/26/richard-feynman-cargo-cult-science/ Well Piers did forecast a hurricane would form between the 18th and 22nd June, and as we can see from this Hurricane and Storm Tracking site, there are no storms at all. Nada, zip, zilch. So my verdict on Piers' first hurricane prediction is: FALSE http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/06/26/piers-corbyn-result-1/ Just a note about a review of the life of Buckminster Fuller, geodesic domes and all, in the latest edition of the New Yorker. A choice quote: Fuller’s schemes often had the hallucinatory quality associated with science fiction (or mental hospitals). It concerned him not in the least that things had always ... http://things.auditblogs.com/2008/06/23/buckminster-fuller-a-life-in-chaos/