Kenneth Grange Gets A Knighthood
The BBC has at least flagged this up on their web site. But they are not talking about it on the radio.
Kenneth Grange has created some of Britain’s most iconic designs. This from Wikipedia perhaps sums up his philosophy.
He has also said that his attitude to designing any product is that he wants it to be “a pleasure to use”
My question is why has the knighthood been so long in coming?
We may idolise some worthies and a lot of non-entities in this country, but there are few who have achieved so much and created objects for us all as Kenneth Grange.
An Aptly Named Program
I switched on the television to get the News at Six on the BBC. Instead I’ve got the most aptly named program called Pointless Celebrities.
Are they anything else?
Savile And Margaret Thatcher
The recently released papers show lots of details of meetings between Jimmy Savile and Margaret Thatcher. The details are here on the BBC.
It would appear that Margaret Thatcher did nothing untoward. In fact some of things that were suggested by Savile, were being thought of by the government anyway.
So there doesn’t seem to be much guilt by association here!
Spanish Bank Of Snow White And The Six Dwarfs Is Worthless
This headline on this article in today’s Times, gets my vote as one of the best headlines of the year.
It refers to the Spanish bank called Bankia. The BBC has the story here, but the headline isn’t as good.
And we reckon our banks were bad enough.
After reading the two articles, I will make sure, I don’t go anywhere near a branch of Santander, as I might be kidnapped to help sort out the Spanish banks. After all, I’m worth more than Bankia, which according to the BBC article has a negative value of over ten billion euros.
I suspect that everybody in the UK, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Australia and many other countries is actually worth more than Bankia. Even if they have unfortunately been declared bankrupt.
Celebrities And Science
Sense About Science, has published a article called 2012 Celebrities and Science.
There are the usual wacky ideas, but it is good to see that s0me celebrities have asked Sense About Science to help them get their facts right.
The Zopans Worked Hard Yesterday
If I look at the two loans, I chalked up on Christmas Day, both are now in my portfolio of loans. Five loans that were applied for yesterday have also been added.
It looks to me, that the Zopans worked hard yesterday.
My bank, Nationwide, is fully open today, but it won’t be again until the 3rd of January.
George Backs Graphene
This report says that the Chancellor has found £21.5 million for research into graphene.
Some of the applications of graphene are listed here on Wikipedia. This is the first paragraph.
Several potential applications for graphene are under development, and many more have been proposed. These include lightweight, thin, flexible, yet durable display screens, electric circuits, and solar cells, as well as various medical, chemical, and industrial processes enhanced or enabled by the use of new graphene materials.
Of all the possible applications they list, graphene’s properties as a filtration membrane, may lead to some of the first widespread applications. This link points to an article about research at MIT, which shows that graphene may offer new ways of water desalination.
Graphene may seem to be a wonder material and the money for research is very much to be welcomed.
In the 1960s, there were two areas of research, for which great hopes were held out.
The first was carbon fibre, which when tried as fan blades for the RB 211 helped to bankrupt Rolls-Royce. But now, it is a ubiquitous substance, that appears in many applications, from golf club shafts to almost complete aircraft, like the Boeing Dreamliner.
A scientific curiosity at the time was the laser. Every university had one and would proudly show you their expensive example, generally doing nothing, except emitting an eerie green light. But now lasers are everywhere and most homes have at least one in a CD or DVD player.
Who will accurately predict what the uses of graphene will be in fifty years?
My only questions are.
1. Are we putting enough money and resources behind the researchers?
2. What other ideas are there out there with the potential to change the world for the better, that need proper backing?
An Abuse Alert System For Hospitals
This system, which is reported on today is to be welcomed.
But why is it just to flag up child abuse?
I remember a notorious case in North Essex in the 1980s, where the wife was always being beaten up by her husband. He used to take her to different A & E units, to minimise the chance of the truth being discovered.
In the end, she was found murdered.
Farewell Gerry Anderson
Sadly.the death of Gerry Anderson has been announced.
He will always be remembered for Thunderbirds. Although, Wikipedia doesn’t mention this, I remember seeing the first episode, Trapped in the Sky, in a prime Saturday evening slot and ITV billed it as Gerry Anderson’s first adult program. Only later did it settle into being a children’s program.
That first episode is one of the best pieces of British television. If it had a problem, it was that it set a standard that was impossible to attain consistently.
An Unintended Consequence Of Guns In US Schools
The NRA’s proposal to have armed guards in every school will lead to an unintended consequence.
Teachers showed at Sandy Hook that they are prepared to do anything to protect the children in their care. And some died!
Some, and I’ve not seen any figures, will accept the armed guards and would even arm themselves if they were asked.
But a proportion would feel that guns in a school was totally unacceptable. Many of these could easily find alternative employment or perhaps would be at an age where retirement is an option.
Could the US school system cope with a loss of a proportion of its teachers?
The Anonymous Widower 