Steve Freemand observes (We are not craftspeople yet) the poor opinion that the general public has of software development as a profession. Recently the (London) Times put the dire state of UK government IT projects on their front page. One … Continue reading →

“Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several … Continue reading →

The Sombrero Galaxy – 28 million light years from Earth – has 800 billion suns and is 50,000 light years across. and it’s very pretty.

HINT: You have to do it yourself OK, so you want an eponymous idea. Presumably you are currently below the Arbesman Limit, so that won’t be a factor. First, take your surname and append one of the following suggested terms … Continue reading →

I am impressed that the  BBC wrote a fairly technical article about the sequencing of a Neanderthal  genome. But I wish I could read the original study to see if it merits the focus on these two points: “they say … Continue reading →

Reinventing the tax system Continue reading →

Oh dear. I could watch Rowan Atkinson all day.

It’s very immature to be taking pleasure from other people’s misfortune. Embarassing even. I remember feeling embarrassed for what I felt when Grasso had to resign after his $140m a year salary became public. Embarrassed and disgusted. What difference does … Continue reading →

Early in the morning of February 2, the Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction released Hard Lessons, a summary of all that has gone wrong in postwar Iraq. Hard Lessons may be the single most dismaying state paper released by an … Continue reading →