When you’re studying the behaviour of animals, it’s pointless to look for motives like “truth-seeking” and “compassion.” Animals aren’t interested in discovering the truth and Making the World a Better Place. They’re interested in survival — in eating and not being eaten. “All white women are only good for one thing…” Something similar applies when […]
In one of the most famous passages of his Summa Theologica, the great Catholic philosopher Thomas Aquinas (1225–74) considers this delicate question: “Whether the blessed rejoice in the punishment of the damned?” He concludes that, yes, they do: “the saints will rejoice in the punishment of the wicked, by considering therein the order of Divine […]
“You can never be too rich or too thin.” That’s a memorable line from Wallis Simpson, the American divorcée who turned Edward VIII into an ex-king. It’s a self-aware joke about female psychology, but its humour also comes from the incongruity of the adjectives it uses. Wealth and weight are different kinds of variable. It’s […]
The basis of science is the same as the basis of life: pattern-recognition. Even plants recognize patterns in the weather and the attacks of insects. The difference between scientists and trees, or scientists and sharks, is that scientists use reason and method, not instinct and other forms of biological automation. Mathemodels of reality Scientists try […]
“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. This crisis provides the opportunity for us to do things that you could not before.” The patriotic Israeli Rahm Emanual didn’t actually say that, but it perfectly reflects his Machiavellian character. It also describes how free speech in Britain is now going to be attacked […]
“Diversity is indeed a strength, not a threat.” That’s a line from the Queen’s Christmas message in 2004. “I love the diversity of London — I just feel comfortable.” That’s a line from the former immigration minister Barbara Roche in 2011. “Our priority as a government must always be to keep people safe.” That’s a […]
