Monthly Archives: May 2014

The Future: Problems are Guaranteed; Doom Isn’t

Posted on 31 May, 2014 by alfin2101

We are living in an apocalyptic age. We have been living in the apocalyptic age for many decades — even centuries and more. Humans are strangely attracted to the apocalyptic mindset. Perhaps the doomer mentality is an intentional but subconscious … Continue reading →

Posted in Doom, Environment, Natural Resources, Optimism | 6 Comments

Saving the Earth for Adventure, Fun, and Profit: Earth Warriors

Posted on 30 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Attention: The article below is a piece of mildly satirical fiction. To Save the Earth, Wind Turbines Must Come Down Al Fin operatives have known about the native plains Earth Warriors for over 15 years. Angered by wind-turbine deaths of … Continue reading →

Posted in Electrical Power Grid, Energy, Green Quagmire, satire, Technology | Tagged | Comments Off on Saving the Earth for Adventure, Fun, and Profit: Earth Warriors

Bigger Brains & IQ; Sex-Related Differences in Emotional Regulation

Posted on 29 May, 2014 by alfin2101

The fact that brain size correlates with intelligence between species, is fairly uncontroversial. We expect chimps to be more intelligent than monkeys, and humans to be more intelligent than chimps. It is only when we start looking at comparisons of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cognition, emotions, Genetics and Gene Expression, Human Brain, IQ, Sex Differences | Tagged | Comments Off on Bigger Brains & IQ; Sex-Related Differences in Emotional Regulation

Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, Contribution, Coping, and Control

Posted on 28 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Dangerous Children learn a lot more than how to be dangerous, and how to support themselves financially at least three different ways by age 18. By age 18, some of them have finished college, while others will find their ways … Continue reading →

Posted in Competence, Dangerous Child, Education, Maintenance | 1 Comment

Russia Rushes to Develop Its Shale Oil Resource

Posted on 27 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Update — Other than energy exports, Russia’s economy is disintegrating: The Russian central bank last month said $63.7 billion left Russia in the first quarter, equal to all capital lost in 2013. The World Bank estimates this year’s total could … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Russia, Shale Oil & Gas Revolution, Siberia | Comments Off on Russia Rushes to Develop Its Shale Oil Resource

What We Should Learn from the Lack of Maintenance in Africa & the Rest of the Perennial Third World

Posted on 23 May, 2014 by alfin2101

All technology requires maintenance. When technology is not maintained, it eventually stops working as designed. This is a problem everywhere, but particularly in third world countries — especially Africa. White rule in South Africa ended in 1994. It was about … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Demographics, Maintenance | Tagged | 12 Comments

China & Russia: Recapitulating the Hitler : Stalin Pact?

Posted on 22 May, 2014 by alfin2101

In an agreement that is likely to become known as “A Pact Between Back-Stabbers Version II,” the presidents of China and Russia signed a 30 year energy deal, and began laying out plans for a division of power over Asia … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Russia, Siberia | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Africa’s Day in the Sun

Posted on 20 May, 2014 by alfin2101

A recent survey compiled by “the African Development Bank, the United Nations Development Program and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,” paints a generally sunny view of Africa’s near-term economic future. Economic output for the whole of the continent … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, China, Fertility | Tagged | 1 Comment

What Do Greens Really Want, Poor People to Freeze to Death?

Posted on 19 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Do greens want poor people to freeze to death? They say they want to eliminate “fossil fuel subsidies,” but what does that really mean? … the reason [anger against fossil fuel] subsidies persist is that people don’t understand the sorts … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Green Quagmire, Science | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The 21st Century Will Belong to Those Who Do the Work

Posted on 18 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Finding skilled workers who are willing to do the work is becoming a challenge in the 21st century. Outside of the homeschooled, it is becoming more and more difficult to find disciplined and conscientious learners and workers. Everyone wants to … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood Development, Education, Learning Theory, Sensitive and Critical Periods of Development | Comments Off on The 21st Century Will Belong to Those Who Do the Work

Home Firearm Manufacturing and the Dangerous Child

Posted on 16 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Dangerous Children master the use and maintenance of a wide range of modern and primitive weapons, generally before puberty. But they also learn to design and build many of their own weapons, sometimes including firearms. With the rapid development of … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, Weapons | Tagged , | 2 Comments

African People are Not Just White People with Dark Skin

Posted on 15 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Bonus Update: How Africans May Differ From Westerners : An on-the-scenes report from a western philosophy professor who taught in African universities for 12 years, and resides in South Africa. One of the first things that young pediatricians-to-be are taught, … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Blacks and crime, Racial Myths | Tagged | 4 Comments

Burn the Corrupt Politicians

Posted on 14 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Consider, if you will, the amount of energy contained within the body of a corrupt politician. Crematoriums are beginning to work out ways of modifying their procedures in order to generate more energy than they consume from the burning of … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, satire | Comments Off on Burn the Corrupt Politicians

Ongoing US Shale Boom and the Dangerous Child

Posted on 13 May, 2014 by alfin2101

The surprising US shale boom continues to confound peak oil doomers and Russian neo-imperialists. At the same time, this energy revolution is fueling renewed manufacturing and other industrial development in the US — and fueling hope for similar renewal in … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Energy | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Comparing Global Net Immigration to Global Net Emigration

Posted on 11 May, 2014 by alfin2101

It would be more instructive to show maps of net immigration and net emigration flow for upper and middle class persons. I could not find such maps for this entry. But comparing overall global net emigration and immigration allows one … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Comparing Global Net Immigration to Global Net Emigration

10,000 Found, Millions More to Go: Death From Above

Posted on 10 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Is it safe? Of the millions of asteroids that routinely fly by Earth, astronomers have so far detected only 10,000. __ Source The chances are, we will not see it coming until it is right on top of us. “This … Continue reading →

Posted in Asteroids, Discontinuities, Space Future | Tagged | 3 Comments

Obama’s Dark Ages Dreamscape and the Dangerous Child

Posted on 8 May, 2014 by alfin2101

US President Obama has a dream where the United States gets none of its energy from coal, oil, or gas — and all of its energy from wind and solar. In 2008, candidate Barack Obama infamously said that as president … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Energy, Obama | Tagged , | 2 Comments

What is Brain Porn-Popcorn?

Posted on 7 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Brain porn-popcorn is anything that captures the attention entirely, then leaves the brain with something to chew on. It could be an image, a moving musical phrase, a catchy slogan, a teasing tactile sensation, a joke, an entrancing fragrance or … Continue reading →

Posted in Cognition, Metaphor, Philosophy | Tagged | Comments Off on What is Brain Porn-Popcorn?

The Metaphorical Animal in His Natural Habitat

Posted on 5 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Metaphors are more than a way to talk about an experience. Metaphors are our experience. They set the filters through which we perceive and make sense out of the world. Because of this fact, metaphors serve as powerful levers capable … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood Development, Cognition | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Metaphorical Animal in His Natural Habitat

Human Biodiversity: A Troublesome and Inconvenient Inheritance

Posted on 3 May, 2014 by alfin2101

Update: No one should be surprised that the NYT is unable to live with a reporter who can handle the truth. After more than 30 years of solid science reporting, the NY Times is forcing Nicholas Wade to leave the … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Genetics and Gene Expression | Tagged , | 2 Comments