Thought Lateral » viewpoint

What will the future hold? Think about it.

Denver — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:05:49 +0000

Time has three dimensions, the past, the present, and the future.
The first of these, our past, is recorded in videos, photographs, print, inscriptions, and memory.
The second, the present, is a constantly flowing flux that is being played out to, and absorbed by, our senses.
What about the third, the future? What does the future hold? What will the world look like in say five, or ten years time?

If we could take a mental snapshot of humanity, a photo of our minds’ thoughts we’d see what is yet to unfold. For the thoughts of our mind now will become actions of the future.

For the thoughts of our mind now will become actions of the future.

Wide angle lens anyone? Just don’t think about cheese when the ‘photo’ is taken!

Hayfever? Where’s the hay?

Denver — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:03:37 +0000

Increasingly people in cities are succumbing to the symptoms of hayfever. My question is “Where is the hay?” There is less and less greenery in the city with each passing year as front gardens turn into driveways and rear gardens are decked. Granted, hayfever is not caused by hay and is attributed to the effects of pollen, but the point remains. The number of hayfever sufferers appears to be inversely proportional to the amount of greenery, which suggests to me that hayfever would be better called “pollution fever”.

I hypothesize that increased pollution is either directly causing the symptoms of hayfever, or accentuating the sensitivity to pollen.

Hayfever? Pollution fever more likely!

Road safety?

Denver — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:43:35 +0000

Can any road really be "safe"?

“Road safety” is a term used to represent “Road traffic safety”. However, I feel it to be a misnomer as it suggests the possibility of a ‘safe road’, which is non-existent.

A road of itself is neither safe nor unsafe. It is the manner in which the road is used that creates danger, or lack of safety.

For example, a road with a particularly sharp bend is neither safe nor unsafe. If however a driver decides to navigate such a road at high velocity, they are likely to come a cropper, almost certainly in fact. This is not due to any fault with the road, but the driver choosing the incorrect velocity to get around the bend.

A road is neither good or bad. It just is. It is up to the driver to accept it, and drive accordingly to the road conditions.

Surely an icy road is unsafe?

No. An icy road is simply less tolerant of driver error. A vehicle with the correct tyres driven with good skill would have no difficulty, but an uprepared driver with unprepared vehicle would be a different matter.