2013 Nobel Prize – Literature

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While the written word can often be mundane, there are works that are truly profound because they express new and unique ideas, insights and thoughts, or craft an image in the mind that truly entrances us. While it is of course appropriate to grant scientific awards to those that push forward our understanding of who … Read more

2013 Nobel Prize – Chemistry

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And so now it is the turn of the alchemists, oops sorry, I mean Chemists, to receive an award. What is interesting about this category is that if you look down the list of past winners, you will at best only recognise a few names such as Ernest Rutherford, Marie Curie, and Linus Pauling. Check the rest and … Read more

2013 Nobel Prize – Physics

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  For myself, today is perhaps a highlight day for this year’s Nobel Prize – it is time for the Physics prize, and that perhaps betrays a slight bias on my part, because the other categories are just as appropriate (apart from “peace”, but I’ll save that rant until later in the week). So why … Read more

Where do you draw the line between Freedom of expression and valid censorship?

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Sometimes attempts to censor go very wrong, and something it is spot on, so lets look at two examples that illustrate where the line is when it comes to freedom of expression. First case – Getting it wrong over at the London School of Economics Carrying on from my Saturday posting about the students at … Read more

Aviation authority issues warning about Flying Witches … for real, not as a joke.

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Leo Igwe , a Nigerian human rights advocate and humanist who I’ve had the deep privilege of meeting, has a nicely written and truly skeptical article within New Zimbabwe all about the daft belief in flying witches. He writes about the rather bizarre claim issued by officials in Swaziland … Some months ago, the aviation authorities in Swaziland issued … Read more