Archive for the ‘From the web’ Category
A different view of the Giza pyramids
You don’t see photos from the top of the Giza pyramids every day. Because of how many people were killed climbing up, they made it illegal. But occasionally people do it anyway. Here are some amazing photos from 3 Russian photographers: Secret Photos from Atop the Pyramids
The problem with guns in the US
Here’s an articulate article about guns in the US, with lots of charts. It’s really obvious what the problem is, what the solution is, and why they’re having trouble implementing the solution. The article is written by Matthew Speiser, and appears on the Business Insider website: DEAR AMERICA: Here’s why everyone thinks you have a […]
How to fix The Wheel of Time
My friend James has rebooted his blog. On it he’s focusing on 3 things: how to fix some broken pop culture, what he liked this week, and writing tips. Here’s his fix for The Wheel of Time, in which he suggests it be condensed from 14 books to 3: The Wheel of Time Trilogy
Controversy in this year’s Hugo awards
There’s a controversy in this year’s Hugo award nominations that seems unprecedented. Because a small number of people generally nominate, and anyone who purchases a $40 Worldcon membership can nominate, that leads to the ease with which the system can be overthrown. In other words, a group of people working together can get books they […]
Regarding science doubters
Here’s an articulate article from National Geographic about why people doubt science. It talks about climate change, difficulties with the scientific method, and the science communication problem. Why Do Many Reasonable People Doubt Science?
You’re all just jealous of my jetpack
Here’s a comic strip by Tom Gauld called “You’re all just jealous of my jetpack.” The comics often have a literary theme. Here are a few that I particularly enjoy: The Four Undramatic Plot Structures Dystopian Road Signs Complete Guide to Cricket, Chapter 8,435: Umpiring Signals Here’s the main page: You’re all just jealous of […]
Expect the unexpected in the future
Even though we can’t know what the future holds, we have some ideas about what’s to come. But at least some of those ideas might be wrong. Here’s a collection of counter-intuitive but plausible ideas about the future from the folks at io9, on such topis as authoritarian rule, privacy, and AI: 11 Ways The […]
Frustrating goings on south of the border
It’s important to know about what’s happening in the US since they’re huge and they’re our neighbour. Here are a few articulate articles that describe some of what’s wrong with the country. The more people there are who understand the situation, the likelier it is it will change. Here’s some evidence that people who watch […]
The world is getting less dangerous
If you watch the news you might be forgiven for thinking that the world has become more dangerous lately. It certainly seems like it — domestic violence, terrorism, and war are in the news daily. But the news always focuses on such things. If you look at the numbers, violence of all kinds has been […]
Lack of female soundtrack composers
With all the listening to soundtracks I do, I can only name one female soundtrack composer: Rachel Portman. She composed the music for Benny & Joon, Chocolat, The Lake House, Never Let Me Go, and One Day — among other things. I don’t have a whole lot to say on this topic, except the obvious: […]