Game Theory, Rational Acting, Politics and Nature

Neoclassical economics perceives nature in terms of commodities: farm the land, trawl the sea, mine the crust; sell the stuff. Win. We’ve even calibrated economics to look at “winners” and ignore “losers”, so we are constantly selecting false stories of promise to continue selling the promise of economics. We often look at a hydroelectric dam…

Life, Non-Life and Nature (Science has made a lot of progress)

Stephen Fry, Religious Nihilism and the Tyrannical God

As everyone knows, Stephen Fry would be angry with a God that openly manages the natural world exactly as it is, red in tooth and claw, and still maintains that It is good and moral. That is basically what Fry said in this interview. Blakodeel of Deal of Theology posts their disagreement here. Blakodeel's objections…

God Vs the Universe: which is more worthy of our admiration?

God and the Universe have quite a lot in common. There is ambiguity about both their beginnings, their nature and their definition. A quick look: This universe is thought to have a finite beginning 13.8 billion years ago. But that depends on your definition of "universe". If you maintain that "universe" refers to this bubble…

The Social Cost of Ignorance

It is not uncommon to be asked why I feel critical thinking and research are important. There are two key reasons: one is that I do not like the idea of middle-minded conservative people with antiquated ideas feeling they have a right to run a country without reason; second is the fact one needs to…

God: the inflated ego of nature and reason

A steadfast opposition to natural or rational claims (particularly ones that impinge on the domains of religion) is that a natural perspective somehow removes the grandeur and the value of the thing. The argument then seems to follow that the grandeur is a transcendent and objectively real thing, hence God. I once held a similar view;…

Pandas are awkward; let them die

As humans, we have killed a lot of stuff. And for that reason we should feel responsible for looking after what is left. We’ve destroyed habitats and hunted and polluted things, and so we should consider our job as their stewards. The Biblical document, Genesis, agrees with me (and I do like to find my…

The Warehouse

I have found some 'creative' writing. It's a non-fiction piece that I wrote during a lunch break while I was working in an aluminium factory. Enjoy. He walks across the expanse of car park to find somewhere to take his mandatory ten minute break and comes across what looks like a school chair facing the…