What I Learnt Today

Scientists and researchers are often criticized for not letting people know about their work in an understandable way.

You may be surprised to know that academics are not evaluated by the impact that their work has on public debate, nor by the extent that they influence good public policy. They do not score ‘points’ for giving people a greater understanding of the world, nor for helping people make better decisions about their lives and health. They do not even get judged by their excellence in passing on their knowledge to university students.

In fact, academics are evaluated by the extent that their work and ideas can be commercialised, and by the number of ‘papers’ that they can get published in academic journals. These published papers are not judged on their content, but by the grading of the journal (A,B,C or D) in which they appear.

If that seems somewhat strange to you, it does to me also.

Anyway, the new web based newspaper ‘The Conversation‘ is an ambitious attempt to start the conversation between academia and the rest of us.

“The Conversation is an independent source of information, analysis and commentary from the university and research sector – written by acknowledged experts and delivered directly to the public. As professional journalists, we aim to make this wealth of knowledge and expertise accessible to all.”

Authors for the Conversation are sourced from the so-called  Australian Group of Eight universities (Adelaide, ANU, Melbourne, Monash, NSW, Queensland, Sydney, Western Australia) plus University of Technology Sydney, CSIRO, and the Australian Science Media Centre. The credentials of the authors are impeccable.

Articles range across the faculties : business and the economy. the environment and energy, health and medicine, politics and society, science and technology. 

We use the Conversation as a regular source for Emaildig and I recommend you add it to ‘your daily office’.

http://theconversation.edu.au/

Over Easter, with everyone home, we had more more computers in the house than people – not to mention a gaggle of iPhone, and iPads, and internet connected game consoles. It didn’t quite get to the point we only communicated by email and emoticons, but, in the words of the great philosopher Justin Bieber, ‘never say never’.

So today, by unanimous vote (!), was ‘no tech Sunday’. All screens off (till 8pm). The ‘Big Screen’ was allowed – the kids went to the aforementioned Justin Bieber ‘3D Bio-pic concert’ movie.

Susan Maushart, columnist for the Australian, conducted what she called ‘the experiment’ with her family for 6 months. She describes the experience in her book ‘The Winter of Our Disconnect – How three totally wired teenagers (and a mother who slept with her iPhone) pulled the plug on their technology and lived to tell the tale.’

It appears they all turned into cello-playing book-reading braniacs. You can hear Richard Fidler quiz her about ‘the experiement’ in the Conversation Hour.

So we all survived ‘no tech Sunday’, and the lawns are mown, and the car clean. Will we do it again next Sunday? Baby, never say never  🙂

What I Learnt On 1st May in other years

1st May 2014 Strange But True – Vintage Medical Procedures and Weird Looking Equipment

Macworld today has a do it yourself guide to making ‘high perceived value’ Mother’s Day cards using iPhoto11.

You can print them yourself, or have Apple do it for you.

You need to supply your own cold tea and soggy toast.

What I Learnt On 30th April in other years

30th April 2014 Mediterranean Diet wins again!

My mates Ged and Mul insist that we start every trip with a Fact Finder.

Given a couple of hours to kill this week, Oliver and I went to the The Oaks at Neutral Bay to maintain this tradition.

The Oaks Hotel has been a landmark on Military Rd since 1885, although the eponymous Oak Tree that now dominates the enormous beer garden was not planted until 1935. Kathleen Furlong, the daughter of the publican, received it as a free bonus from Anthony Horden’s Dept Store for spending more than 10 pounds in one purchase. As Paul Kelly says, ‘From little things………’.

Apparently it is good luck to be hit by a falling acorn.

Upstairs we discovered a hidden gem. What would have previously been the accommodation floor has been renovated in 1930s style, with twelve restored rooms that each contain a pool table. It is all serviced by a magnificent art deco bar.

A perfect place for a quiet factfinder or two.

Guerilla Gardeners have declared war on the urban landscape. In disguise, under cover, armed with specialised equipment, they are laying un-waste to desolate plots and barren corners in our cities.

Guerrilla gardening – gardening without permission.

Richard Reynolds is the godfather of Guerilla Gardening in London, and his site guerillagardening.org has lots of tips and resources.

Pothole gardening is a speciality sub-craft. There are no shortage of potential pothole plots to decorate – as the potholegardnener.com demonstrates in his blog.

You may like to note two big days coming up in the Guerilla Gardening World.

Tomorrow, April 29th is a public holiday in the UK. It is a day for celebration – Royal Weeding Day.

Then May1st is International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day. 

Do your bit to add some colour to your neighbourhood.

(Any guerilla gardeners who are at a loss for things to do are welcome to visit our garden to participate in the Royal Weeding)

What I Learnt On 28th April in other years

28th April 2012 Some reading without charge – from Seth

Here at WILT we have acquired an underground copy of a secret video of the dress rehearsal for the Royal Wedding.
We believe it is our duty to do the Julian Assange thing and make it available to all.