If there was ever a survey that highlights the trend away from established religion, a recent one by St Mary’s University in Twickenham, London has got to rank right up there. Trawling through 21 different European countries, the survey assessed 16-29 year olds and found that 70% identified as having no religion while 59% said they never attend religious services except […]
70% of young British identify as having no religion
The Externality of Us
In economics, an externality is a cost incurred by someone who did not choose to incur that cost. Most of the time, governments try to ‘internalise’ costs so that they are bourne by people who chose to incur them. For example, car tax is paid by the owner of the car. Someone who chooses not to drive does not incur […]
Cleaning products as bad as cigarettes
When we look back in twenty years time, we’ll see the use of cleaning products the same way we look back at the use of arsenic now. It never ceases to amaze me how chemicals, treated with gloves, body suits and breathing apparatus in factories are suddenly safe when they appear in food and the products we use. Nothing has […]
Dolphins talk to each other
A study published in the St. Petersburg Polytechnical University journal outlines how researchers believe dolphins talk to each other in much the same way as humans do, even waiting until one dolphin has finished its lines before replying. ‘Pulses’ or sounds made by the dolphins were analyzed and found to differ from each other in many respects despite initial analysis […]
Monsanto imposing will on countries
Monsanto and its soybeans – its GMO soybeans – have led the company into a spat with Argentina and threatened to suspend launching new products there until it agrees to its terms.
Shamanism on the rise
It’s interesting to see the growth of spiritual beliefs and practises when a country or region emerges from under the yoke of oppression. Shamanism is one such spiritual belief. In the west, the dominance of the Catholic Church led to a severe decline in adherents of pagan religions. Folk practices, medicine men, druids and witches were at the very least […]
Manifesting Wealth – From the Witches Book of Shadows?
Manifesting our current desires has become something of a trend lately. If we don’t have our dream job or yacht, found the perfect love or have the very best friends, it’s a case that we are not ‘manifesting’ these thing into our lives. In business, our success or failure is no longer a case of bad luck, wrong idea or […]
In the Beginning
In the beginning was a formless void. A perfect vacuum. A vacuum where nothing existed. Collapsing in on itself, the vacuum exploded into a soup of gases and liquids, temperatures searing hot and freezing cold, liquid and vapours mingling, clashing and swirling. As they did so, various combinations formed, dissipated and reformed. Millions of combinations both in an instant and […]
Dependent on the State
One thing that caught my eye in the news recently was the recent bill by the Scottish Parliament with the warm fuzzy sounding name of “Children and Young People (Scotland) Act.”. The act is a serious extension of state power into the lives of families as it gives every child in Scotland a ‘state guardian’ or as the bill calls […]
Vodafone confirms Government eavesdropping
It is no surprise that our lives are less private now than at any moment in history. We are been tracked, bagged, categorised and sifted through in ever increasing detail. Predictive modelling, where computers attempt to predict future behaviour (e.g. pregnancy, purchases in shops, holidays) is becoming more widespread and it’s not too hard to imagine a future where predictive […]