Lord Carey the ex-Archbishop of Canterbury is at the centre of a censorship controversy concerning his views on homosexual marriage. London's Kings College is considering to remove his photograph from an array of Alumni because student activists have opined that his views on gay marriage are offensive.
I am not a Christian and I am not opposed to homosexuals being married. I also believe that the church's views on this matter are wrong. However, it is not my church and church members should be allowed to express their opinion. In fact I believe that their opinions should be welcomed; the Church of England is not advocating that homosexuals should be imprisoned or sanctioned and it has not opposed the laws allowing secular homosexual marriage. I am prepared to debate the liberal and secular view with church members; there is no need to try to brow beat them into acquiescence.
Expressing an opinion about social values should not be condemned. There are no doubt some people who believe that 16 should not be the age of consent to marriage and that it should be raised to the age of 18 or whatever. Should they be condemned for expressing such and opinion? Some people believe that any sort of sex outside of marriage is sinful - should they be condemned too?
We have become an intolerant society which has been become too quick to condemn un-conventional opinions and too quick to stifle free speech. It seems that none of this is government inspired but it comes from a general shift of social mores. This is dangerous. Free speech is important and there is no need to stifle it by insulting someone or organising demonstrations against it. It is the job of a University to encourage free debate about social values.
Doctor Carey has been accused of being a hypocrite because he condemns racism but does not support homosexual marriage as if the two stances are equivalent. Well they are not. Racism stems from ignorance. There is no such thing as race when applied to human beings as all of us are members of the same sub-species. A University is perfectly entitled and in fact has a duty not to promote ignorance, therefore "racists" should be allowed a platform. Opinion about social behaviour and social values is a completely different matter; Christians and Muslims are perfectly entitled to their views as long as they do not try to impose their values on a secular society by force or sanction.
In my opinion there few forms of censorship which are justified excepting child pornography and incitement to hatred and violence. Where national security is at stake then censorship could also be justified but subject to judicial review. In most other cases censorship is not justified not matter how offensive the views are.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11434880/Kings-College-London-facing-censorship-claims-amid-Lord-Carey-gay-marriage-row.html
Lord Carey or the present Archbishop of Canterbury cannot be accused of this below. It is preposterous to think that the Church of England is still a part of the middle ages.
http://www.petertatchell.net/religion/2000.htm.
This week we have seen the leader, Nigel Farage, of the UKIP party, being harassed when taking lunch with his family at a local pub.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32009961
Once again this reflects intolerance that has gone too far. I do not support Mr Farage's views about most things and I have no intention of ever voting for him. I support his right to express his opinions, however. He is not supporting the use of violence or inciting hatred and his party is a legitimate one which commands the support of a substantial minority of the electorate.
Mr Farage is entitled to eat his lunch in a pub in peace without being harassed by a mob. He is just as entitled to this as the Prime Minister or the Leader of the Opposition.
I regularly go to this pub for a Sunday lunch; the bar staff and the clientele are all reasonable and friendly people and country ramblers are welcome. Why should they have to put up with mob rule as well? If Mr Farage comes into the pub while I am there I will gladly leave him in peace to get on with family business or political business for that matter.
The best way to oppose his opinions is to vote for a party that does not share his views and there are plenty to choose from.
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Partial Eclipse of The Sun
Last Friday I saw the partial eclipse of the Sun in Northern France. My special eye protection was completely useless. When I looked at the Sun through them I saw nothing. It was cloudy and the clouds were sufficiently dense to obscure the Sun so that I could view the eclipse safely without the use of special equipment. At times the clouds obscured the Sun completely. Towards the end of the eclipse the clouds thinned out and even a direct glance would probably have been dangerous. My instincts kicked in, in any case, and I averted my eyes without even thinking about it.
At one point 80% of the Sun was covered by the Moon. I could swear that I perceived the Moon as a sphere rather than a flat object. The Sun appeared three dimensional too; a little bit like an ice cream scoop. I cannot for the life of me understand why ancient man, and indeed some modern humans, could have ever believed that the Earth, Sun and Moon were flat.
To those Head Teachers, in the UK, who prevented their pupils from observing the eclipse, either directly through specially approved glasses or indirectly via a pin hole projection onto a white card, I say shame on you.
From where I was it was perfectly safe to look at the Sun with the naked eye but assisted by quite thick clouds. Had my young son or daughter been with me then I would gladly have allowed them to see this wonderful sight in this way too.
It is far better to educate our children how to observe the Sun safely rather than deny them the opportunity because of misguided and silly views on safety. An ill educated child could quite easily and mistakenly look at the Sun through binoculars because they are not aware dangers through the actions of over protective teachers and parents.
At one point 80% of the Sun was covered by the Moon. I could swear that I perceived the Moon as a sphere rather than a flat object. The Sun appeared three dimensional too; a little bit like an ice cream scoop. I cannot for the life of me understand why ancient man, and indeed some modern humans, could have ever believed that the Earth, Sun and Moon were flat.
To those Head Teachers, in the UK, who prevented their pupils from observing the eclipse, either directly through specially approved glasses or indirectly via a pin hole projection onto a white card, I say shame on you.
From where I was it was perfectly safe to look at the Sun with the naked eye but assisted by quite thick clouds. Had my young son or daughter been with me then I would gladly have allowed them to see this wonderful sight in this way too.
It is far better to educate our children how to observe the Sun safely rather than deny them the opportunity because of misguided and silly views on safety. An ill educated child could quite easily and mistakenly look at the Sun through binoculars because they are not aware dangers through the actions of over protective teachers and parents.
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Eclipse of the Sun madness
Two schools in the UK are going to prevent their pupils form going out to see the partial eclipse of the sun this coming Friday morning for fear of eye damage. This is quite silly. Young children should not be denied seeing a rare astronomical phenomenon of learning from it.
There are plenty of ways of observing a partial eclipse safely. But, first let it be said that you should not gaze at the sun in its partial or annular eclipse phase. You will damage your eyes even if you look for just a second or so. You must use protection. It is also risky to look at the full phase of a solar eclipse when the moon completely obscures the sun as a full eclipse can quickly become a partial eclipse.
Here are some ways to look at a partial or full eclipse of the sun.
Use a mirror to reflect the sun onto a white card.
Put the mirror a white envelop with a 1 mm hole in it . The hole will make the image of the sun appear in better focus.
Use a pin hole in a piece of white card to project an image of the sun and the moon onto a piece of white card or a white wall.
Look at the shadow of the sun through some tree leaves as the leaves can act as a form of pin-hole.
Use "Mylar" film which is a form of Aluminumised polyester. You must check , however, that there are no holes whatsoever in the film.
Use special black polymer film. I shall be using this.
Never look at the sun through binoculars or a telescope without a professional filter even when there is a full eclipse. You are almost certain to damage your eyes. Always be careful when scanning the sky with binoculars not to look at the sun.
If you take the right precautions it should be perfectly safe to view the eclipse.
When I was a kid in the early sixties we used a glass plate held over a candle, which smoked up the plate to make it very dark or black. We did this at school; no-one's eyes were damaged. I do not recommend this and you do so as an adult at your own risk. Children should not be encouraged to do this.
When I have not had professional equipment available, at my own risk I have used photographic black and white film which has been exposed to the light to go almost completely black. Medium format film is best and you should use several layers to make sure any hole is covered up by an alternative layer. This worked for me but I did not look at the sun for more than a couple of seconds; I did not damage my eyes. Once again you do so at your own risk as an adult; this is not recommended for children.
In London the sun will be obscured by 84% at its maximum. You will not notice much diminution of the light. Do not look directly at the sun at anytime during the partial eclipse. I do not expect many accidents to be caused in London despite all the scaremongering. You are obliged to keep your eyes on the road at all times when driving. In the North of Scotland the sun will be obscured more but there will not be a total eclipse but motorists will probably need to put their lights on as they would for a thunderstorm.
http://www.solareclipse2015.org.uk/london/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131102-solar-eclipse-safe-viewing-science-sun-space/
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety2.html
Happy viewing and stay safe and commiserations for the young children who are denied to opportunity to see this event. When you are older you will be free to make your own mind up about your safety.
There are plenty of ways of observing a partial eclipse safely. But, first let it be said that you should not gaze at the sun in its partial or annular eclipse phase. You will damage your eyes even if you look for just a second or so. You must use protection. It is also risky to look at the full phase of a solar eclipse when the moon completely obscures the sun as a full eclipse can quickly become a partial eclipse.
Here are some ways to look at a partial or full eclipse of the sun.
Use a mirror to reflect the sun onto a white card.
Put the mirror a white envelop with a 1 mm hole in it . The hole will make the image of the sun appear in better focus.
Use a pin hole in a piece of white card to project an image of the sun and the moon onto a piece of white card or a white wall.
Look at the shadow of the sun through some tree leaves as the leaves can act as a form of pin-hole.
Use "Mylar" film which is a form of Aluminumised polyester. You must check , however, that there are no holes whatsoever in the film.
Use special black polymer film. I shall be using this.
Never look at the sun through binoculars or a telescope without a professional filter even when there is a full eclipse. You are almost certain to damage your eyes. Always be careful when scanning the sky with binoculars not to look at the sun.
If you take the right precautions it should be perfectly safe to view the eclipse.
When I was a kid in the early sixties we used a glass plate held over a candle, which smoked up the plate to make it very dark or black. We did this at school; no-one's eyes were damaged. I do not recommend this and you do so as an adult at your own risk. Children should not be encouraged to do this.
When I have not had professional equipment available, at my own risk I have used photographic black and white film which has been exposed to the light to go almost completely black. Medium format film is best and you should use several layers to make sure any hole is covered up by an alternative layer. This worked for me but I did not look at the sun for more than a couple of seconds; I did not damage my eyes. Once again you do so at your own risk as an adult; this is not recommended for children.
In London the sun will be obscured by 84% at its maximum. You will not notice much diminution of the light. Do not look directly at the sun at anytime during the partial eclipse. I do not expect many accidents to be caused in London despite all the scaremongering. You are obliged to keep your eyes on the road at all times when driving. In the North of Scotland the sun will be obscured more but there will not be a total eclipse but motorists will probably need to put their lights on as they would for a thunderstorm.
http://www.solareclipse2015.org.uk/london/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131102-solar-eclipse-safe-viewing-science-sun-space/
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety2.html
Happy viewing and stay safe and commiserations for the young children who are denied to opportunity to see this event. When you are older you will be free to make your own mind up about your safety.
Western Irregulars fight on both sides of the conflict with Isis
British irregular soldiers are now fighting against Isis in Syria with Kurdish fighters. We now have the possibility of British fighters shooting at one another because of the war against Isis.
It would be better if irregular soldiers kept out of the conflict. There is no guarantee that guerrillas from either side will not torture or kill non-combatants or prisoners of war. There is no guarantee that the Geneva convention will be respected. The Geneva convention is the only means of controlling misdeeds resulting from war. Irregular soldiers could easily find themselves being tried at the Hague for war crimes.
We cannot allow a proxy "civil war" between supporters and opponents of Isis to be fought out in Syria. The backlash from this could spill over to Britain.
It seems to me that the fighters joining the Kurds have not been radicalised but are motivated by a sense of injustice when they read that Isis is performing misdeeds against civilians. We should also consider that Isis supporters may not have been radicalised by propaganda but were also motivated by what they see as injustice towards Muslims as a result of the wars in Iraq, North Africa and Gaza.
A sense of injustice is difficult to oppose especially when that injustice is in fact a reality.
I appeal to all British citizens not to get involved in violence in the Middle East as part of irregular forces as our State is not under direct or existential threat. The best way to fight injustice is via the ballot box. There is also another way and that is by passive resistance which was proven to be most successful by one of the World's greatest and peaceful political leaders - Gandhi.
It would be better if irregular soldiers kept out of the conflict. There is no guarantee that guerrillas from either side will not torture or kill non-combatants or prisoners of war. There is no guarantee that the Geneva convention will be respected. The Geneva convention is the only means of controlling misdeeds resulting from war. Irregular soldiers could easily find themselves being tried at the Hague for war crimes.
We cannot allow a proxy "civil war" between supporters and opponents of Isis to be fought out in Syria. The backlash from this could spill over to Britain.
It seems to me that the fighters joining the Kurds have not been radicalised but are motivated by a sense of injustice when they read that Isis is performing misdeeds against civilians. We should also consider that Isis supporters may not have been radicalised by propaganda but were also motivated by what they see as injustice towards Muslims as a result of the wars in Iraq, North Africa and Gaza.
A sense of injustice is difficult to oppose especially when that injustice is in fact a reality.
I appeal to all British citizens not to get involved in violence in the Middle East as part of irregular forces as our State is not under direct or existential threat. The best way to fight injustice is via the ballot box. There is also another way and that is by passive resistance which was proven to be most successful by one of the World's greatest and peaceful political leaders - Gandhi.
Obama recognises Iraq war mistake
Yesterday, President Obama claimed that the rise in ISIS was an unexpected outcome of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
This seems to me to be a reasonable analysis. The power vacuum in Iraq is being filled by ISIS whether we like it or not. Similarly, the power vacuum in Syria is being filled by ISIS and the same can be said for Libya.
The time has come for a change in policy by the West, it seems that everything we touch in the Middle East and North Africa leads to disintegration. Our politicians have not learnt from history and we are faced with endless wars. Who knows which country will be affected next - Egypt ?
The west should allow the United Nations to broker solutions based on the needs of the countries which are in conflict rather than colonial dominance.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/iraq-isis-george-w-bush-obama/2015/03/17/id/630545/
This seems to me to be a reasonable analysis. The power vacuum in Iraq is being filled by ISIS whether we like it or not. Similarly, the power vacuum in Syria is being filled by ISIS and the same can be said for Libya.
The time has come for a change in policy by the West, it seems that everything we touch in the Middle East and North Africa leads to disintegration. Our politicians have not learnt from history and we are faced with endless wars. Who knows which country will be affected next - Egypt ?
The west should allow the United Nations to broker solutions based on the needs of the countries which are in conflict rather than colonial dominance.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/iraq-isis-george-w-bush-obama/2015/03/17/id/630545/
Thursday, 5 March 2015
A Suicide trip to Mars
The Mars One project is planning to send its first crew on a one way mission to Mars in 2024 with a landing in 2025. There is much work and fund raising to be done before the project gets off the ground.
http://www.mars-one.com/mission/roadmap
I am hoping that the project fails to raise the funds for a number of reasons:
It is unrealistic to plan a mission to go anywhere if the explorers have no chance of coming back to tell us in person about their experiences,
It is immoral to persuade young people to accept that they are going on a one way journey from which there is no return and no rescue if something goes wrong,
It is immoral to persuade someone to accept isolation which could lead to a lonely existence millions of miles from their home planet and their family, friends and fellow human beings,
It is immoral to bring children into being in a completely alien world,
The purpose of the colonisation of another planet is of debateable if not dubious benefit to humanity.
All astronauts and cosmonauts are brave people and they accept that their lives are at risk but all missions into space are based on the hope that the explorers will return home safely. When Yuri Gagarin first went into space he did so on the basis that he had a fair chance of returning even though rescue if something went wrong was not possible.
The same applied to Aldrin, Armstrong and Collins when they first travelled to the moon. The pioneers accepted that a rescue mission to the moon was not possible if they became stranded but they always maintained the hope that the mission would succeed and they would return to their families.
When Apollo 13 got into difficulties strenuous and ingenious efforts were made to bring back the pilots safely. It is part of our humanity not to give up hope and we owe it to our fellow humans to try to rescue them when they get into difficulty.
One of the justifications for the Mars One mission is that many people, in the past, have emigrated knowing that they will never see their relatives and friends again and survived. However, there was still hope that fortunes might change and a return would be possible or their friends and relatives could come and join the pioneers in their new country.
Many people in the past have been banished form their country and sent to new continents and survived but this was cruel punishment for what might have been petty crime.
Some explorers got into severe difficulties: the Shackleton Endurance expedition to the South Pole in 1914 saw the team of explorers being marooned in the Antarctic for over a year. In the end Shackleton made strenuous and brave efforts to rescue all his men. It was probably the most valiant rescue mission in history. Where there is life there is hope. Perhaps where there is no hope there can be no life. Read this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/shackleton_ernest.shtml
At its closest, when both planets are in opposition to the Sun, Mars is 54.6 million km from the Earth. This is a colossal distance. A radio signal would take 3 minutes to reach earth so a reply signal could not be received within 6 minutes. When the Earth and Mars are both at aphelion the distance from each other is 401 million km so a radio signal and its reply would take considerably longer than 6 minutes. No-one has been trained to experience such isolation in terms of distance; we have no knowledge how explorers would react to such a one way trip.
W e have no real knowledge of how anyone would react when they are prevented from seeing and touching their family and friends for such a long time when they are also living in a totally alien environment.
The gravity on Mars is 38% that of the Earth. We have no idea of the really long term effect of reduced gravity on the human anatomy and psychology.
The explorers will be living in a totally artificial environment: apart from the reduced gravity they will be forced to breathe recycled air, drink recycled water and eat recycled food for a very extended period. We have no idea how this will affect their morale and physical and mental well being.
The explorers will have to wear a spacesuit when they leave their habitation. The atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide at 1% of the pressure of the Earth. Any accident or tear to the spacesuit will probably result in death. The average temperature of the planet is minus 60 degrees Celsius.
The planet's surface is like a desert and dust storms can last for months.
The Mars year is 687 Earth days but the length of day is just over 24 Earth hours - so there is some familiarity on a daily basis.
On Mars there will be no sound of a river or a breeze rustling the leaves of trees. There will be no smell of a wild flower. You will not be able to feel the sun on your skin. You will not be able to taste wild fruits. As Mars is much smaller than the Earth the horizon will be closer.
The outside light will be completely different. The sky will not be blue and there will be no clouds. There will be no rain to sense.
Could virtual reality make up for what you are missing?
In this completely alien world how long would your sanity last when you are completely isolated from your friends and family as well? You might become so homesick that your mental health would really suffer.
Your opportunity to find a lover might be really restricted; you could end up having very little physical contact with your fellow humans. If you do find a lover then what happens if you split up? There maybe nowhere to hide.
What right do you have to have a baby which will be forced to grow up in a totally alien environment? From an evolutionary point of view, a baby will be totally ill adapted to live in such an alien world. What would happen to its physical development when exposed to considerably reduced gravity?
On Mars there will be no enforceable laws so what happens if someone becomes violent or murders someone? Will there be rough justice?
Mental difficulties could easily arise because of the isolation, the alien environment and poor interpersonal relations. There is no hope of relief or even rescue. Is there provision for a mental hospital?
I can see such a mission quickly becoming a disaster when there is no hope of return. This coupled with the chance of something going wrong with the equipment could lead to a complete catastrophe.
I can see the point of a manned mission to Mars but only for a scientific purpose and only if the explorers have a fair chance of returning home. To persuade young persons to go on a one way trip which they might completely regret is simply immoral.
We do not need to colonise Mars; where are the long term benefits? It is best to make the best of the good Earth and cherish what it has to offer for as long as we are alive.
http://www.mars-one.com/mission/roadmap
I am hoping that the project fails to raise the funds for a number of reasons:
It is unrealistic to plan a mission to go anywhere if the explorers have no chance of coming back to tell us in person about their experiences,
It is immoral to persuade young people to accept that they are going on a one way journey from which there is no return and no rescue if something goes wrong,
It is immoral to persuade someone to accept isolation which could lead to a lonely existence millions of miles from their home planet and their family, friends and fellow human beings,
It is immoral to bring children into being in a completely alien world,
The purpose of the colonisation of another planet is of debateable if not dubious benefit to humanity.
All astronauts and cosmonauts are brave people and they accept that their lives are at risk but all missions into space are based on the hope that the explorers will return home safely. When Yuri Gagarin first went into space he did so on the basis that he had a fair chance of returning even though rescue if something went wrong was not possible.
The same applied to Aldrin, Armstrong and Collins when they first travelled to the moon. The pioneers accepted that a rescue mission to the moon was not possible if they became stranded but they always maintained the hope that the mission would succeed and they would return to their families.
When Apollo 13 got into difficulties strenuous and ingenious efforts were made to bring back the pilots safely. It is part of our humanity not to give up hope and we owe it to our fellow humans to try to rescue them when they get into difficulty.
One of the justifications for the Mars One mission is that many people, in the past, have emigrated knowing that they will never see their relatives and friends again and survived. However, there was still hope that fortunes might change and a return would be possible or their friends and relatives could come and join the pioneers in their new country.
Many people in the past have been banished form their country and sent to new continents and survived but this was cruel punishment for what might have been petty crime.
Some explorers got into severe difficulties: the Shackleton Endurance expedition to the South Pole in 1914 saw the team of explorers being marooned in the Antarctic for over a year. In the end Shackleton made strenuous and brave efforts to rescue all his men. It was probably the most valiant rescue mission in history. Where there is life there is hope. Perhaps where there is no hope there can be no life. Read this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/shackleton_ernest.shtml
At its closest, when both planets are in opposition to the Sun, Mars is 54.6 million km from the Earth. This is a colossal distance. A radio signal would take 3 minutes to reach earth so a reply signal could not be received within 6 minutes. When the Earth and Mars are both at aphelion the distance from each other is 401 million km so a radio signal and its reply would take considerably longer than 6 minutes. No-one has been trained to experience such isolation in terms of distance; we have no knowledge how explorers would react to such a one way trip.
W e have no real knowledge of how anyone would react when they are prevented from seeing and touching their family and friends for such a long time when they are also living in a totally alien environment.
The gravity on Mars is 38% that of the Earth. We have no idea of the really long term effect of reduced gravity on the human anatomy and psychology.
The explorers will be living in a totally artificial environment: apart from the reduced gravity they will be forced to breathe recycled air, drink recycled water and eat recycled food for a very extended period. We have no idea how this will affect their morale and physical and mental well being.
The explorers will have to wear a spacesuit when they leave their habitation. The atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide at 1% of the pressure of the Earth. Any accident or tear to the spacesuit will probably result in death. The average temperature of the planet is minus 60 degrees Celsius.
The planet's surface is like a desert and dust storms can last for months.
The Mars year is 687 Earth days but the length of day is just over 24 Earth hours - so there is some familiarity on a daily basis.
On Mars there will be no sound of a river or a breeze rustling the leaves of trees. There will be no smell of a wild flower. You will not be able to feel the sun on your skin. You will not be able to taste wild fruits. As Mars is much smaller than the Earth the horizon will be closer.
The outside light will be completely different. The sky will not be blue and there will be no clouds. There will be no rain to sense.
Could virtual reality make up for what you are missing?
In this completely alien world how long would your sanity last when you are completely isolated from your friends and family as well? You might become so homesick that your mental health would really suffer.
Your opportunity to find a lover might be really restricted; you could end up having very little physical contact with your fellow humans. If you do find a lover then what happens if you split up? There maybe nowhere to hide.
What right do you have to have a baby which will be forced to grow up in a totally alien environment? From an evolutionary point of view, a baby will be totally ill adapted to live in such an alien world. What would happen to its physical development when exposed to considerably reduced gravity?
On Mars there will be no enforceable laws so what happens if someone becomes violent or murders someone? Will there be rough justice?
Mental difficulties could easily arise because of the isolation, the alien environment and poor interpersonal relations. There is no hope of relief or even rescue. Is there provision for a mental hospital?
I can see such a mission quickly becoming a disaster when there is no hope of return. This coupled with the chance of something going wrong with the equipment could lead to a complete catastrophe.
I can see the point of a manned mission to Mars but only for a scientific purpose and only if the explorers have a fair chance of returning home. To persuade young persons to go on a one way trip which they might completely regret is simply immoral.
We do not need to colonise Mars; where are the long term benefits? It is best to make the best of the good Earth and cherish what it has to offer for as long as we are alive.
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