Dork Scratchings

Bio-Energy Carbon Capture & Storage I've been reading a lot about climate change recently.  I'd like to help move this issue further up the political and news agenda, but the problem is that any claim can easily be dismissed as coming from a fringe source and countered with a claim from another source.  So it really helps that the IPCC exists and makes regular reports to the UN.  No one can dismiss the IPCC as "fringe".  Many scientists believe they take a too conservative line for political reasons.  But this too is quite handy as it means that when the IPCC say "we need to do at least this", then everyone(*) agrees we need to do at least that. I've been reading the IPCC's Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5 ºC Summary for Policymakers .  The UN asked the IPCC to report on the differences between a +1.5ºC future and a +2ºC one, and in 2018 they did.  A lot of the report consists of bland qualitative statements along the lines of ...

I got into a debate with a flat-earther the other day.  After a while I grew to respect the position.  After all, not taking anything on trust is a cornerstone of science.  I pointed out that I've verified the Round Earth theory personally, by creating a sundial that tells both the time and the date .  My sundial was created using a mathematical model that assumes Earth is spherical, spinning about it's axis, and orbiting the sun.  And I've tested it works.  (I also had a job writing code for transceivers that talk to satellites, so you could say I'm a fully signed up round-earther!) Unfortunately my argument did not convince because it required either That the flat-earther trusted me, or That he was willing and able to follow the maths behind the model This led to to wonder what's the simplest way to demonstrate the Earth is round?  It has to involve no maths, and be easy to reproduce by skeptics anywhere.  The video is my answer to th...

UBI stands for: Universal Basic Income The idea is pretty simple - it's a benefit$^*$ that is given to everyone (hence Universal) and provides enough to live on (hence Basic Income).  It's very much en vogue with economists at the moment but it tends to be received badly by voters .  "Why should millionaires get benefits?" they ask.  In this post I'll explain why I think they should! Imagine a country in which benefits are means tested, so that a citizen with no income receives £10K, but loses 50p of it for each extra £1 of income up to £20K.  After that they receive no benefits and start to pay tax.  The tax rate is a smooth curve that starts at zero, grows to 25% of a £40K income, 30% of a 50K income, and 40% of a 100K income.  That sounds fair. In the country next door there's a flat 50% tax rate on all income, and a £10K universal basic income.  Taxing people with barely any income at the same rate as higher earners and giving millionai...