Observations on the world and its inhabitants
In legal circles we talk a lot about “availability of appropriate treatment” under the Mental Health Act 1983 [England & Wales] (Amended 2007). But let’s stop for a second and actually unpack what “available” is supposed to mean. Because in JB v Elysium Healthcare (2025), a Tribunal – considered to be a court of law – was served ...
For some time it has been on my mind how ‘people’ have a problem answering a question that obviously requires a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. The exchange between Jeremy Paxman and Michael Howard on BBC Newsnight in 1997 has become a defining example of what occurs when a straightforward question meets an elusive answer. During ...
Decision-making is something I’ve explored before. I go deeper this time. Everybody believes that they are making the best decisions for themselves. But how good are those decisions, actually? No psychologist is coming to tell you what’s what in the confines of your own cranium. We humans make countless decisions every day, from the trivial ...
Arguments often appear convincing when they drift away from the main point while still sounding relevant. This can give the impression that an issue has been addressed when it has not. One of the most common ways this occurs is through the fallacy of irrelevant thesis. This mistake involves offering a conclusion that may be ...
I may be alone in this sort of experience. I provide clear, complete information to a service provider, only to have them ask me to “confirm” what I’ve already meticulously provided. But here’s where things take a frustrating turn – their “confirmation” actually contains errors that weren’t in my original communication. I call this the ...
I have written about patterns many times before. Recently – as I’m located well north in the UK – I’ve been observing patterns in cultures that vary from ‘the South’. A few days ago, some ‘folk’ asked me about what’s different. People broke out in laughter when I said, “Well, the prominent thing I noticed ...
Well, some people must be laughing and so am I! Yes – I know I’m crazy. Tell me something I don’t know! 😆 This article is my ‘notes’ in case I need to refresh my memory in the future. It may help someone out there. So the backstory to this was from my previous post ...
“Honesty is the best policy.” We’ve heard this since childhood, seen it emblazoned on inspirational posters, and nodded along when it’s offered as relationship advice. It’s one of those universal virtues that nobody publicly disputes. After all, who would advocate for dishonesty? Yet in the messy reality of human relationships, honesty isn’t the straightforward virtue ...
Well you (meaning me) live and learn. I made an assumption over 40-odd years that petrol was a particular molecular compound. It turns out from my investigation that it is a mixture of compounds. Ahhh.. so somebody will be wondering, “Why the devil is he researching that, now? Has he not got anything better to ...
This is about Dinitrogen-Dioxygen Fluidic Mixtures, a previously not well recognised danger to humanity and economic systems. Without further delay, the list of risks and damage are as follows: Inhalation Dependency: Prolonged exposure to DDFM leads to severe dependence. Users have been known to seek it out constantly, with extreme cases requiring it every few ...
The internet has revolutionised the way we communicate, access information, and form communities. However, this technological advancement has also brought about unintended consequences. Over the past decade, there has been a growing concern about the rise of online tribalism, political correctness, cancel culture, and the suppression of dissenting voices. These phenomena, while seemingly disparate, are ...
This does not mean ‘sex’ – just in case. So, words like ‘sleeping’ do not mean having a shag! I don’t care who’s ‘sleeping’ with who(m). Sleep stands as one of the most time-consuming biological imperatives in human existence, second only to breathing in its demand for dedicated hours. The average adult spends approximately one-quarter ...
Well, I’m on a roll from the last post on eggs in the microwave. I had mentioned that boiling rice or anything on a stove is not very energy efficient. What a surprise I had! This exploration actually ended up showing that a gas hob uses approximately 2.55 times more actual energy but still cheaper, ...
This article is not designed to be a book review. I have not read the whole book as yet: “The Manipulated Man” by Esther Vilar. Of course, you never heard of her. Who cares! To learn less do not read Wikipedia. I have read several parts of the book and will complete it soon. This ...
Within the area of knowledge dissemination, a concerning phenomenon has occupied my mind for many years. It is characterised by the propagation of misleading information cloaked in seemingly plausible rhetoric, often endorsed by individuals perceived as authorities. This phenomenon, is now coined by me as “sophistry-veiled untruths” (SVU). It poses a significant challenge to the ...
As I was saying…people are stupid and lazy! This is in a doctor’s forum, so the balance of probability is that the person making the OP is a doctor. Most lay persons do not know of the PANSS and won’t be seeking it. It is a highly specialised instrument. Do I give flying banana flamingo ...
This article is not to say that Christopher Langan – a man supposedly with an IQ of close to 200 – is a personal hoax. His IQ between 195 to 200 as widely reported over the years, has never been properly validated. I did not know of Langan until 48 hours ago. Something popped up ...
What?!! Some have never heard of Sigmas, obviously. This is not going to be a lecture on the topic. To learn more do your own reading! Sigma is not a validated personality type. The researchers are yet to find it. Some may recall that the cure for scurvy was found 50 years before the research ...
Situations where authority trumps logic continue to weigh on my mind. As a doctor, I often find myself in situations where I need to break down complex concepts into simple, digestible pieces of information for patients and staff. Despite my best efforts to avoid medical jargon and make these explanations as clear as possible, I ...
I’m becoming more aware based on a series of observations in the last 10 years that there is a serious shift in the way people think and react to things. The main issue is that perception seems to become reality for individuals, and as a result of ease of electronic communications groups of people sharing ...
I pointed out my evidence for concern about the reading ability of ‘some’ UK doctors at 16/07/2024 in Reading ability of UK doctors could be stuck at UK Year 9. As ‘some’ will be aware, I like to have evidence – when I can find it – to support what am saying. And – I ...
Some will be going ‘That has to be the stupidest question yet on your blog!‘ – as if I would give a flying flamingo. The question came up in passing, on a forum somewhere when someone referred to water being wet as a way to say ‘naturally so and so is the case’ on some ...
In September 1990, Marilyn vos Savant, known for her “Ask Marilyn” column in Parade magazine and her record-high IQ, received an intriguing question from reader Craig F. Whitaker about the now-famous Monty Hall problem. The problem The question was something like: Suppose you’re on a game show, and you’re given the choice of three doors: ...
In our quest to make the most of our personal time, we often find ourselves gravitating towards activities that bring us pleasure, satisfaction, and a sense of purpose. Whether it’s indulging in leisure pursuits, exploring creative outlets, or engaging in community service, the ways we choose to spend our free time are deeply intertwined with ...
Well, I do spend time on forums as some know to wrestle with parts of human nature that some totally avoid. Today I am led to infer that the reading ability of doctors in some significant proportion could be stuck at around UK year 9, based on the captioned encounter below. This post is not ...
Love between two hearts is a symphony of feelings, a dance that transforms the world around us. This journey we embark upon explores the tender bonds between a man and a woman, though the essence of love’s beauty may resonate in many forms. This blog and video cannot cover every different kind of love, nor ...
The craze surrounding the site Onemillioncheckboxes (OMCB) reflects an interesting intersection of collaborative and competitive online behaviour. The concept of one million checkboxes, initially designed to be checked off collectively, has evolved into a platform for users to express creativity, engage in community-driven projects, and even participate in virtual tug-of-war scenarios. The NHS could learn ...
The fallacy of misplaced concreteness, also known as reification, is a logical fallacy where an abstract concept is treated as if it were a concrete, tangible object. This error involves attributing a physical reality or concrete qualities to something that is abstract. Alfred North Whitehead introduced the term to critique the way certain abstract scientific ...
I’ve written before on justification. If you don’t like thinking, then what on earth are you doing surfing this site. You are a disgrace to the human race. I couldn’t give a flying flamingo if you don’t like thinking right now because you have a zillion other things on your busy agenda.
The question “If a tree fell in a forest but no one saw or heard it fall, did it fall?” is a philosophical thought experiment that explores the nature of reality and our perception of it. I approach this problem from the angle of logic and reasoning: Based on these logical arguments, some would argue ...
