The history of science is discontinuous. It is punctuated with new discoveries and changes of direction. These produce new frameworks which Thomas S Kuhn in his fabulous book, “On the Nature of Scientific Revolutions”, called paradigms. One of the first was the dramatic Copernican Revolution, when scientists first realised that the earth was not the […]

Joseph was a devout man. He prayed regularly to his God and worshipped frequently at the little neighbourhood church. His religious devotion was such that he had installed an altar in his living room. He surrounded it with various religious icons and inspirational pictures. His wife, Maria, always tried to ensure that there was a […]

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an essay on “The Art of Deception” in which I pointed out the seeming paradox that not only do we seek to deceive others but we often engage in acts of self-deception when we find reality difficult to live with. Most of our self-deception is built on an […]

As a young engineer I had a boss who often chose to berate me for the fact that my desk was rather disorderly. “A cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind,” he would say. Some of my peers, who were more concerned about winning his approval than I was, would spend a half […]

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!” Sir Walter Scott (no relation of course!) We often attribute deception to those of our own species that have the intelligence and the guile to mislead us. However deception is widely practised by living organisms throughout the world. It no doubt provides […]

We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality. – Seneca the Elder It was interesting to read in the paper the other day that there was some reputable research and loads of anecdotal evidence to suggest outdoor adventure programs are very beneficial to our adolescents. They have […]

I have on a number of occasions referred to the following quote by Anais Nin: “We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” It is such an insightful observation about how our minds shape our perception of the world. It suggests poignantly that there is no reality other than what […]

The Italian scholar and poet, Francesca Petrarcha (1304-1374) was known in English as Petrarch. He was a contemporary and friend of Dante and Boccacio. He popularized the works of the Roman poet Cicero. Some of his own poems were later put to music by Franz Liszt. Petrarch is sometimes given the credit for instituting the […]

When I sit down to write my weekly blog essay I often feel a little uncomfortable. I write about disparate things of which I have little knowledge and I suspect I am indulged by a readership who on many occasions is more well-versed in the subject matter than I am. As I get older I […]

During a discussion with one of my friends recently, he related how he had seen a journal (at the airport I think) advertising an article on its front cover titled something to the effect “Does a Gorilla Have a Soul?” This is an intriguing question. It may of course be unanswerable. (Remember my reference in […]