Lars and the Real Girl

Moving, emotional, satisfying. I particularly like taking ideas seriously, and this film does that with the protagonist's outwardly odd behaviour. I know I always refer back to The Fabric of Reality, but Lars acts as if he's applying the approach of David Deutsch. I'll explain. Lars' mind has come up …

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Science Cafe: Feilden Clegg

'Exceeding expectations' is one of those new phrases. The architect from Feilden Clegg exceeded my expectations in his Science Cafe talk. He spoke with great intelligence, wit and depth. Here are the points that particularly interested me:

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Rising food prices

Food prices are rising, the poor risk hunger, what should governments do?

Some advocate price controls. The problem is that if prices are kept artificially low, the food business won't be so profitable and supply will decrease.

Some say that if your country's people are going hungry, it's madness to …

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This is very interesting... I agree with you Tony....

This is very interesting... I agree with you Tony. Matt

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Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation

According to Greenpeace:

[...] the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) will force fuel companies to include biofuels as part of their fuel mix. [...] 2.5 per cent of all petrol and diesel sold in the UK will come from crops such as palm oil and maize.

Here's why RTFO is a …

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The Star Fraction

Before I'd read The Star Fraction, I recognized the name Ken Macleod as a friend of Iain Banks. Reading the book, one can tell they might be friends. Birds of a feather one might say. Macleod goes in a bit more for clever word play. Banks' work has a more …

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Ogg Vorbis

'Why oh why BBC, must we continually...', thus it seemed all letters to the BBC began when I watched TV in the 80s. Now I too have reached the required level of exasperation to write to the BBC: here's my message.

Dear BBC,

Why oh why BBC, must you continue …

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House Manual

Recycling

There are 3 rubbish containers:

Black Box

This is in the cupboard under the stairs and there's a list of what can be put in it. For tin cans, bottles etc, make sure they've been cleaned in the dishwasher before you put them in.

Green Bin

This is the …
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Identica

Identica

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Haskell

An aide memoire.

l = [1, 2, 3]

All elements must be of same type. Length doesn't affect the type.

areaCirc r = pi * r^2

Type names always start with a capital letter.

Parametric polymorphism (generics)

length :: [a] -> Int

Type constraint after :: and before => 
(+) :: (Num a) => a -> a -> a

Num is …
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