NWR new zero tolerance covid thread

[Po-yu Sung]

I hope that we can get it fixed before brilliant people like you get so demotivated they leave science and go and do something more personally rewarding.

I am not that brilliant, at least not brilliant enough to get lectureship.... but even I can, it's still probably not going to be rewarding enough. So yes, I would like to move on to somewhere, probably not going to be non-science, it's a bit too late for me to learn marketing I guess!
And I have to say, learning to drink fine wine from this forum doesn't help me to be contented in scientific pay....

 

[Leon Marks]

I'm loving your optimism (as always) Leon... Where do you get it from? I think we're kind of in agreement, but just looking at it from different angles. As far as I am concerned, MSM represents a huge chunk of reality.

Well - in the end, everything gets better, and in the end, we are all dead. It's all a matter of timing really.

With regard to the media - it’s interesting how small a section of the world it is. Money isn’t everything…but by my googling…it is just over a trillion dollar industry - about a fifth of travel and tourism, a twelfth of construction, a twentieth of financial services. Unlike those industries, however, it is uniquely placed to tell us how important it is.

Anyway - I have certainly had my happiness increase considerably since stopping watching or listening to any form of broadcast news, and deliberately minimising my exposure to news websites.

 

[Joel Hopwood]

I'm rather heartened that people want to know what really happened in their history (including the vicious and sordid elements) and that they don't like slavery. What's not to like?

In your statement, there is nothing whatever not to like, Richard. You can sign me up for that any time.

 

[Jeremy Caan]

Well - in the end, everything gets better, and in the end, we are all dead. It's all a matter of timing really.

Couldn't have put it better myself. Dead nicely put.

 

[Joel Hopwood]

It seems every other person I know now either has Covid or has had a ping to self-isolate from the app. Fair few deleted it

 

[Alex Lake]

It seems every other person I know now either has Covid or has had a ping to self-isolate from the app. Fair few deleted it

That's a shame. I think there's a compromise to be had (bearing in mind the non-legal requirement) - which is to retain the app, but if it "pings" you, take a test or two instead.

 

[Alex Lake]

Well - in the end, everything gets better,

Not what I was taught in physics! (But I like your thinking)

 

[Richard Zambuni]

Not what I was taught in physics! (But I like your thinking)

I think entropy trumps optimism in the long term. But I won’t be here to see the universe go cold and dark.

 

[Eric Burch]

Depends on if you insist on waiting for your old Faiveley to come round, Richard.

 

[Mark Palmer]

Well - in the end, everything gets better, and in the end, we are all dead. It's all a matter of timing really.

With regard to the media - it’s interesting how small a section of the world it is. Money isn’t everything…but by my googling…it is just over a trillion dollar industry - about a fifth of travel and tourism, a twelfth of construction, a twentieth of financial services. Unlike those industries, however, it is uniquely placed to tell us how important it is.

Anyway - I have certainly had my happiness increase considerably since stopping watching or listening to any form of broadcast news, and deliberately minimising my exposure to news websites.

Ah the “ignorance is bliss” approach.

It’s all well and good until someone in power pulls a fast one on you and you are unaware.

 

[Joel Hopwood]

I read Leon's remarks as being not that he is happy to be uninformed, rather that he takes his information from 'other places' ie. not the "mainstream media".

 

[David Pope]

I sense this might be getting political and probably not worthy of debate on a forum where many would probably be happy to burn all textbooks & replace them with daily copies of The Guardian ;-).

Are only Guardian readers opposed to slavery, then?

 

[Dom Shepherd]

Are only Guardian readers opposed to slavery, then?

I would imagine everybody is opposed to slavery David, but that doesn’t mean everybody would support the tearing down of all statues & monuments linked to our colonial past. And not supporting them being torn down wouldn’t mean that they are pro slavery either. I find the idea that anybody in modern day Britain would be pro-slavery utterly ridiculous to be honest, and in my experience it’s an argument only used by those who think they are morally superior by saying it.

Anyway I certainly don’t want to get political - it was just a bit of tongue in cheek fun and I couldn’t care less what anybody’s political views are to be honest. Each to their own, and especially here on a wine forum.

 

[Eric Burch]

Ah the “ignorance is bliss” approach.

It’s all well and good until someone in power pulls a fast one on you and you are unaware.

Completely true, but equally true that one can waste one's life in overly exhausting attempts at always staying up-to-date with current affairs.

Someone - and it's entirely appropriate that I've forgotten who - said that culture begins at the point where you realise there are certain things in life you can let slide past without needing to know about. The Rhone Septentrionale being a notable recent counterexample of an event I'd rather hadn't slid past without me.

 

[Phil David]

Depends on if you insist on waiting for your old Faiveley to come round, Richard.

They'll come around soon enough - right after Godot arrives.

 

[Alex Lake]

Ah the “ignorance is bliss” approach.

It’s all well and good until someone in power pulls a fast one on you and you are unaware.

I think that by getting his news here and elsewhere (eg theinsight.org), Leon's actually doing better than most!

 

[Alex Lake]

Did/does Godot like Faiveley?

 

[Stefan Bogdanski]

He’s a chatty guy, Alex, just ask him when he gets here.

 

[Alex Lake]

He’s a chatty guy, Alex, just ask him when he gets here.

I'm sure when I saw you yesterday, you said he wasn't coming? Maybe I'll just open it now. His loss.

 

[Thom Blach]

Did/does Godot like Faiveley?

Poor old Faiveley. It really was only the Clos des Cortons which takes forever; and though I like it it seems far the least interesting of their smart wines.

 

[Thom Blach]

Completely true, but equally true that one can waste one's life in overly exhausting attempts at always staying up-to-date with current affairs.

Someone - and it's entirely appropriate that I've forgotten who - said that culture begins at the point where you realise there are certain things in life you can let slide past without needing to know about. The Rhone Septentrionale being a notable recent counterexample of an event I'd rather hadn't slid past without me.

In that case I am very cultured indeed. I had a conversation the other week with a friend who maintained that I ought to have a basic understanding of Einstein's theory of relativity. He was unable to understand that while I am entirely in favour of both it and its comprehension I feel for myselfno desire whatever to know about it; it does perfectly well without me.
Probably the best reason to stay up to date with current affairs is because one enjoys it; I don't enjoy it nowadays but I like being well-informed, while realising entirely that it is more or less pointless.

 

[Alex Lake]

In that case I am very cultured indeed. I had a conversation the other week with a friend who maintained that I ought to have a basic understanding of Einstein's theory of relativity. He was unable to understand that while I am entirely in favour of both it and its comprehension I feel for myselfno desire whatever to know about it; it does perfectly well without me.
Probably the best reason to stay up to date with current affairs is because one enjoys it; I don't enjoy it nowadays but I like being well-informed, while realising entirely that it is more or less pointless.

So what IS your excuse? Morbid fascination? If you find a cure, do let me know!

 

[Steve Slatcher]

I had a conversation the other week with a friend who maintained that I ought to have a basic understanding of Einstein's theory of relativity.

I think gaining a basic understanding is the difficult bit. I learned enough about special relativity to do calculations and answer exam questions, but would hesitate to say I actually understood it.

I think it is the same in many areas of knowledge - not least with wine.

 

[Geordie Torr]

In that case I am very cultured indeed. I had a conversation the other week with a friend who maintained that I ought to have a basic understanding of Einstein's theory of relativity. He was unable to understand that while I am entirely in favour of both it and its comprehension I feel for myselfno desire whatever to know about it; it does perfectly well without me.
Probably the best reason to stay up to date with current affairs is because one enjoys it; I don't enjoy it nowadays but I like being well-informed, while realising entirely that it is more or less pointless.

Happy to explain the basics to you should you ever so desire Thom, but equally happy to leave you happy in your ignorance.

 

[Mark Palmer]

I read Leon's remarks as being not that he is happy to be uninformed, rather that he takes his information from 'other places' ie. not the "mainstream media".

He probably did, but I couldn’t resist Joel. Sorry!