Oversharing

I’m part of a generation used to living their life in full view – our collective adolescence measured in a succession of messaging apps and social networks. Each of them encouraged increasing levels of openness and entrenched the message: sharing prompts caring or, better yet, attention… More here. By this point in time I would […]

What is the purpose of this government?

Just stepping back from the constant crisis a moment. What is the purpose of this government? What is its vision for Britain’s future? For our society? What are its values? What does it believe in? What does it want for our children? Its just a chaotic, entitled free-for-all… tweeted here. Such a simple and impressive […]

How are they still in power?

But could Sunak have done more? Those on Universal Credit are losing 9 per cent of their income until benefits are increased in line with inflation later this year, pushing many into poverty. That poverty is, ultimately, a government choice. We could pay to prevent poverty, through higher taxes, more borrowing or a reallocation of […]

The Shape Of Walking

In those early days of the pandemic, classes moved online, and my partner and I no longer spent hours commuting to our respective universities to teach. Instead, we took turns pushing the stroller around our neighborhood. At each intersection we chose our direction based on whichever road seemed more deserted. We zig-zagged down blocks, crossing […]

Why Japan returns almost everything

With an inner-city population fast approaching 14 million people, millions of items go missing here each year. But a staggering number of them find their way home. In 2018, over 545,000 ID cards were returned to their owners by Tokyo Metropolitan Police – 73% of the total number of lost IDs. Likewise, 130,000 mobile phones […]

Living in a Simulation

In other words, yes, and with sincere apologies to Tonelli and most of his fellow physicists, who hate it when anybody suggests this: The only explanation for life, the universe, and everything that makes any sense, in light of quantum mechanics, in light of observation, in light of light and something faster than light, is […]

Garmin Epix (gen 2) and a bunch of phantom steps

I thought this problem had gone away with the older Fitbit devices, but it appear to not be the case. My wife and I were driving back from Norfolk today and I noticed something strange happening. When we left I only had 550 steps according to the Epix, but then I noticed a big change, […]

A story about a dog who is better than a human

Six years ago my wife, Joanne, decided that she wanted a dog. She said it would be good for our children and that she has always missed having a dog since she lived at home with her parents. I did not want a dog. All I could see was money, lots of money, time and […]

Long Live the Photographer

His is an exceptional story. One of learning the art, science, and craft of photography back in the days when there were no digital cameras, no in-built light meters, and no way of knowing if you got a good, in focus, correctly exposed photo, until you took the film and developed it (yourself) in the […]

She Tracked Her Husband’s Every Move

When my colleague and I reported on this, experts we spoke with were of two minds about Apple’s attempts to prevent nefarious use, with some saying the alerts were inadequate and others praising the company for unearthing a larger problem: widespread surreptitious tracking, usually done with devices that don’t notify a person of their presence… […]