tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post8139445259775549003..comments2023-10-01T09:35:35.894+02:00Comments on Antipodes: Second circus thoughtsWilliam Skyvingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10052367756561555096noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post-86163483608574320472010-02-17T11:14:17.870+01:002010-02-17T11:14:17.870+01:00In talking of IBM, I should have said that it was ...In talking of IBM, I should have said that it was IBM Australia that hired me as their first programmer. The company already employed several senior software engineers, including my lifelong friend <b>Barry de Ferranti</b>. Besides, it was another lifelong friend, <b>Michael Arbib</b> (Google his name), who arranged for me to get this job.<br /><br />In my previous comment, I spoke of "various gigantic breakthroughs of a technological and scientific nature". In the course of my humble life, it goes without saying that certain gigantic events have gone far beyond technology and science. I'm talking of Auschwitz, Hiroshima, the Gulag... Meanwhile, Marx is dead, but God, too (leaving behind countless victims such as the raped children of Ireland). Nuclear arms remain a terrifying threat (see the consternation, today, concerning Iran), whereas many citizens of the world consider that environmental issues (global warming) are our greatest challenge.<br /><br />It takes a lot of determination and effort to try to have an intelligent outlook on everything that's happening. In fact, it's almost impossible for an isolated individual to even pretend that he/she might have such an outlook. That's what I was trying to say when I suggested that we bloggers are no more than clowns... often serious and sad clowns.William Skyvingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10052367756561555096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post-17536559426803604972010-02-17T10:26:49.073+01:002010-02-17T10:26:49.073+01:00freefalling: Since my youth in Australia, I've...<b>freefalling</b>: Since my youth in Australia, I've been a humble observer of various gigantic breakthroughs of a technological and scientific nature. I often mention the IBM corporation as a kind of symbol of some of these happenings. In 1957, this company hired me as their first computer programmer. Half a century later, IBM teamed up with National Geographic to launch the Genographic Project, aimed at demonstrating that "<i>all humans today descend from a group of African ancestors who—about 60,000 years ago—began a remarkable journey</i>". Meanwhile, computers have evolved into the Internet, and the human genome has been mapped by several teams. I have been writing about such things, which interest me passionately, in an ongoing autobiographical typescript. As you've seen, I also evoke such subjects, from time to time, in my <i><b>Antipodes</b></i> blog... but this could well be a mistake, for two obvious reasons: (1) Not everybody is persuaded, like me, that these are fabulous subjects. (2) Genetics is a complex branch of science, and it takes a lot of effort to grasp the incredible notion that life and maybe even consciousness are based upon a string of chemicals. My conclusion (which I express here as an open question): Is it a futile task to tackle such subjects within a blog context? My personal answer is sometimes <i>yes</i>, sometimes <i>no</i>. I must admit that I've been happy to see that the <i><b>Antipodes</b></i> blog has never yet been invaded by Creationists or adepts of so-called "Intelligent Design". This probably suggests that not many people read my blog, and that I'm lucky. Now, concerning the fabulous affair of Inuk the Eskimo, my greatest doubt was that this story had been handled excellently by so many media throughout the world (most of whom told the earwax tale) that it was pointless for me to add my three cents worth. However, I finally decided to do so, because it was unthinkable that I should refrain from expressing the intense excitement I felt upon reading the story of Inuk. Furthermore, I was a little surprised that few media had provided a link to the basic <i><b>Nature</b></i> article. Your comment on this affair introduced erroneously the term "race", and one doesn't need to be crotchety (I love that musical adjective, which fits me like a glove) to realize that this dangerous word had to be eliminated immediately, which was an easy task. On the other hand, I was frankly taken aback by your friendly suggestion that I might be joking, which came hot on the heels of a recent suggestion from a friend that I had "blown a fuse" when I evoked the idea of DNA certificates for newborn children. In fact, the <i><b>Antipodes</b></i> blog is a mixture of serious stuff, personal anecdotes about me and my animals at Gamone, and trivial stuff, including jokes. The blog often serves as a kind of sounding-board for stuff I'm trying to write about in the above-mentioned autobiographical typescript. In any case, as long as I find time to continue the blog, I shall no doubt persist in encouraging readers to look into the fantastic but complex stories of DNA, population genetics, etc.William Skyvingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10052367756561555096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post-7291501313239727692010-02-17T00:26:31.127+01:002010-02-17T00:26:31.127+01:00It takes more than a few insulting words from a cr...It takes more than a few insulting words from a crotchety old bugger to scare me away.<br />I'm sorry I didn't respond to your post in a way you deemed appropriate.<br /><br />"undermines the very essence of your blog"<br />having a bad day?<br />a little bit of an over-reaction?<br /><br />You'd be sadly mistaken if you thought my little pea-brain could not keep up with what you obviously feel is your superior intellect.<br /><br />Perhaps it is disingenuous of me to generally express myself so simply - but I'm in the habit of dumbing it down.<br />And I do lack a certain amount of arrogance.<br /><br />Regardless of being maligned, I enjoy your blog and shall endeavour in future not to upset the great "thinker"(sorry, couldn't help myself) by being anything less than correct and humourless.<br />I promise I'll toe the subscribed line.freefallinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08863000229609701796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post-8382750198483972542010-02-16T15:25:41.034+01:002010-02-16T15:25:41.034+01:00Excellent decision - wisely made.Excellent decision - wisely made.Badgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11283813317560446754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post-40545575442043458662010-02-16T14:55:09.700+01:002010-02-16T14:55:09.700+01:00Yay to blogging, boo to quitting. Yours in anti-t...Yay to blogging, boo to quitting. Yours in anti-telephony - KristinWanderlusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12099758957492165428noreply@blogger.com