google and intelligence..

Here's a article responding to Nicholas Carr's articlce asking if google is makng us stupid.


via the Pew Reasearch Centre

beyond good intentions

I found this to be an interesting piece about how we often do bad by our intent to do good.

.. belief and unbelief in Australia ...

Not so long ago, I read Tom Frame's book Losing My Religion: Unbelief in Australia. Its a fascinating look at the church and its influence in Australia. As part of the Sydney Writers Festival, ABC arranged a discussion what it is about religion which still fascinates. One point which struck me from the discussion, though perhaps its a semintic distinction, between the problem of evil - a language which highlights the possibility of a solution; to a language evoking the current reality of "evil". One of the panelists goes on to speak about the inherrant cruelness of nature (citing an example of a parastic wasp) . I'm not sure we can go this far, but it is hard to believe that we can educata towards a more moral society.

Give the olympics a home...

There's an interesting thought - should we give the olympics a [permanent] home, and stop the electioneering every four years. I'm not sure it will resolve the issues of cost, and environmental impact. I do enjoy the thought of the Olymics rotating. It was great to see parts of China in 2008, and Vancouver this year. Maybe reducing the number of sports is a way to go.

Internet ...

Here's a lovely piece written by Clifford Stoll about the internet in 1985 (via Roslyn). Maybe he's wrong on a few minor points, (online sales for one example). But some of the issues he raises, are still issues. I'm gradually warming to buying my music online, but not so keen on reading on a kindle. It is also true to the internet has added and subtract from our social communications.Like everything, there's enoromous positive and negative potential in technology. Anyway,, have a read of the artilcle here (and a reaction to the article here).