Open Systems and Rapid Change - Climate on the edge

This article highlights a major problem with all modelling of climate data. When confronted with an open system like the climate there is an inherent unpredictability that is non-computable. That is, we can never fully anticipate the effects of human behavior upon the climate. We can make reasonable assumptions about what to expect but we never with the certainty we desire. This is becoming all the more important because the failure of Copenhagen to produce binding commitments means that most nations will continue to emit Greenhouse Gases at rates which are guaranteed to further perturb climate dynamics in ways which we can never fully anticipate.

Marijuana Protective Against Alzheimers - Null Result

The wider community is typically unaware of the positive aspects emerging from cannabinoid research. The headline that reports this science news is an example of why that occurs, a matter I will address later in this post. For now I'll focus on this piece of research and other research into the medical use of cannabinoids.

Complexity and Co-operation

Lynn Marguilis was the bod who championed the idea that mitochondria were originally a cell that took up residence inside other cells. Being a woman she had to work extra hard to make her argument stick. The story is that as the early earth environment became more oxygen rich from all those plant like cells absorbing CO2 and emitting O2, cells mutated to take advantage of the considerable energy potential in using oxygen. Not sure, I think primarily because of its electron sharing and transport potential. As one bod quipped: Life is just an electron looking for a home. My iconoclastic propensity led me to be very suspicious of the Theory of Evolution but not the fact of evolution. This naturally left me in a difficult position. I couldn't tolerate this "given enough time x will mutate to y" jazz because was a huge assumption that was not justified on the current data. In the last decade however that assumption is increasingly finding support from primary data.

The Dumbest Generation Ever?

Once again someone is asserting that the upcoming generation will bring about the downfall of civilisation. To the best of my knowledge this refrain has been occurring since time immemorial. In this case the author is arguing that the internet age is breeding a generation of idiots. What the author fails to acknowledge is that our generation created the culture that has turned the upcoming generation away from learning about the world in general. There is no doubt education standards have markedly declined in recent decades but laying the blame at the current generation is a wonderful exercise in blame shifting. The problem lies not with THEM but US.

A Little Overweight - don't sweat it.

Another study challenging the conventional wisdom regarding nutrition and health. 


I've previously mentioned my distrust of the BMI metric. This study is consistent with other recent studies. The medical profession needs a huge kick up the ass because they rely too much on meta analyses which appear oh so authoritative but if you know how these studies are done you realise there is plenty of fudge room. Too many numbers and not enough thinking. In the last week there were also studies claiming that having fat on the thighs and hips may actually be good for you and that too many antioxidants may be bad for you. Then there was that continual tirade against the Aitken's diet but if you looked at the data it was perfectly clear that there can be value in this diet, though I still have concerns about the continual adherence to such a diet. Another study released this week found that a low carb diet decreased blood pressure, going against all conventional advice. And just today I read a doctor who stated that even the linkage between saturated fat and heart disease is up for grabs. Not to mention now numerous studies suggesting pill popping is largely a waste of time. 

How To Not Get That Job