Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics (or characteristics assumed to belong only to humans) to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts (wikipedia).
It is human to see human responses around us, and we have the ability for abstraction. So we apply human patterns to animals and objects. “An evil wind blows..” Continue reading “anthropomorphism – you are like me” »
I was at my sisters place over christmas, and was reminded of my grandmother by this oilpainting of her (painted by Ragnhild Thrane in 1904). Her mother and father both had unusual family names, and for a laugh I thought I should see what I could find on that grand internet of ours. Continue reading “noble genealogy” »
My next-door neighbour is the guy responsible for the bomb in Oslo and the massacre at Utøya. It is a prison. But there is an ironic twist, that he is incarcerated at Ila Landsfengsel. During the occupation of the second world war it was only known as Grini, the first concentration camp in Norway. It mainly housed political prisoners, and a large percentage was transported to the concentration camps in Nazi Germany. Continue reading “crime and punishment” »
Dear Amerikay -
You have some people camping out in your parks and squares. They are not so happy. Your middle classes are becoming the great, unemployed masses. It is quite simple really, it is the rat analogy. Corner a rat, and see what happens. Corner 2000 rats and see what gives. Continue reading “#occupy” »
Back in DC. Back to the bones, the squirrels and the schnapps. back to squirrels and bones
If you walk slowly enough, you see little things in Oslo. I came across a couple of mysteries.
Continue reading “oslo mysteries” »
2011
an inspired singers epic journey across USA, retracing old history, creating new.
I have committed my first sabrage. Using a sabre, the top of the champagne bottle is sliced off, in a show-offy manner. Continue reading “sabrage” »
what happens in black and white?
days looks different.
melbourne, australia Continue reading “black & white” »
Cleverly, the museum had a night for grown-ups. That likes to play, that likes to build with lego, drink wine, fiddle with physics, gawk at machinery, technology, history, brutal murder, musicians, stand-up’ers, bubbles and chemists. Delightful!
Continue reading “night at the (norwegian) museum (of science and technology)” »
If you ask a norwegian what s/he is most proud of, you might find a usually quiet person prattling on endlessly about natural beauty. Waxing lyrically, this norwegian might go on and on and on and on (and ON) about snow, mountains, deep forests, long rivers, rolling farmland, dramatic coastline, the mad explosion of spring. Ad infinitum. Yawn. Continue reading “norway, my stupidly beautiful country” »
self, at 21, on Fraser Island, Queensland, Oz
I travelled in South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand back in the dark ages before the internet. I remember my brother told me before I left, that in the future, I could use any computer anywhere in the world to talk to him. Back then I thought, but why would I want to?
Continue reading “travels with/out internet” »
So what was that bachelor thesis all about? I have had that question a few times, and now that I have room to breathe again, I will elaborate.
At the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C., they have a programme that’s been going on for a number of years; The Human Origins Program. This is to bring evolution and research out there, mainly via the exhibition Hall of Human Origins. In the US, this is considered politics. I venture to say that in Europe this is considered history. So as the americans need to do sensible research, they also to a certain extent need to step carefully. Interesting, bizarre and a wee bit disturbing to me; this tip-toeing.
Scientists argue. Scientists have specialities, and some are extremely specialised in very detailed, at times small and obscure fields. Sometimes they want to share, sometimes not. Sometimes they dislike other scientists definitions, sometimes the overlap of fields can be enriching or frustrating. They work on projects, and they create the tools they need. It seems that they, for all sorts of reasons, creates their own databases; gather their data and information in forms that suits them best there and then. Not necessarily very sustainable, but if you don’t want to share your findings, well, I suppose you could have it inscribed on scrolls under your bed. Continue reading “bachelor thesis: a walk in the rift valley, four million years ago” »
australopithecus africanus, approx. 2.5 million years old Continue reading “relatives and ancestors” »
Some of the best non-fiction books I have read. Some of them are not necessarily well written, and would not win prices for excellent language; at least one of them is actually annoying in that respect, but I have included them because the subject is interesting/important. I am sure I have forgotten some, but there you go. Teflon brain.
The art of looking sideways
Alan Fletcher
This is how it looks like inside my head. It a fountain of musings, facts, the odd, solid, and whimsical. It is design, doodles, unfinished thoughts, images, drawings. It is colours, shapes and wisdom. It is a delight and frustration at the same time – if I could show what goes on in my head, this is pretty much it. Continue reading “best books – non-fiction” »
I read a good deal of books, and picking out the best 10 was too difficult, so here is a handful, in no particular order. These I read and re-read over and over. I have probably forgotten some (best non-fiction and best covers coming up later). ..and please do not say the word post-modernism, social realism or stream-of-consciousness. I’ll throw up all over your tie.
Feel free to nominate other books.
The poisonwood bible
Barbra Kingsolver
A stunning story about a bible-bashing missionary, his wife and four daughters, in the last days of Belgian Congo. Impressively, the five women have distinct voices and their common story unfolds in different facets through their different viewpoints. The family and the country disintegrates, and the girls all choose different lives based on those two years in Africa.
I have been reading Design Observer on and off for a few years. Sometimes it’s desperately navel-gazing, sometimes is preaching to the already converted, sometimes it’s talking to a few insiders. Sometimes, it is good. The last time I scrolled through, though, made me feel despondent.
Continue reading “Design Observer – the pathetic dinosaur?” »
I know a lot of strange people. Some of them are the kind you might think the most ordinary figures, until.. something seeps out.
I know a guy who believes crop circles are made by creatures from outer space, the «wee folk» or «unidentified streams of energy». That is pretty off, but extraordinary coming from him. He is a great fan of science, in practicality. Continue reading “Crop circles, math and outer space” »
Today, blue is probably the most popular colour around.
We assosiate good things with it, it represents all sorts of positive things: air, sea, freshness, calm, and a few not so; feeling blue, blue monday. At least in this day and age, blue get a good deal of attention. But it was not always so- Continue reading “The colour blue – the devil, the virgin and the red dyers’ bribes” »
I admit I don’t really keep up with Northern Irish news much these days. It’s either desperately provincial – or just plain desperate. Yes, someone planted a bomb the other day, and yes, somebody got hurt. And I’m sure the obscure rural radio show is still going on without me. So. Some things never change.
But the other day, I got tangled in a BBC-infused NI-news-net. And some old skeletons dropped out of the closet. Good old names like Michael Stone and Mad Dog Adair.
Gerry Adams and Martin McGunniess nearly had their parliamentary meeting disturbed by Michael Stone, the old rascal, who wanted to slit the throats of the Shinners. Seriously. No kidding.
Michael Stone – exceptionally bad haircut and not-a-winning personality – stuck his nose out again, and this is a good wan!
Continue reading “Northern Irelands silly ghosts. Attempted murder, hahaha!” »
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