Just Finished Reading: The Weaponisation of Everything – A Field Guide to the New Way of War by Mark Galeotti (FP: 2022) [229pp] 

The classic image of modern war, that of tanks rolling across fields (or deserts) accompanied by helicopter gunships engaging enemy units at range is, seemingly, a thing of the past – and not just because of the drone experience in Ukraine. War is incredibly expensive as the US is finding out in Iran. Even so-called Superpowers are not gifted with infinitely deep pockets or weapon production lines that can be sped up at a moment's notice. What Great Powers (again so-called) are finding out, or more accurately re-learning, is that apparently overwhelming military power does not always or easily translate into victory – especially quick victory. Apparently 'weak' countries can still hit back and hit back HARD. Knowing that they are weak by almost every metric means that when they fight, they need to avoid facing a much stronger enemy on the battlefield and most especially avoid fighting an enemy on the battlefield of THEIR choosing. To defeat a much stronger enemy you have to fight elsewhere, and this is where hybrid or asymmetrical warfare comes into play. 

It does seem quite strange, even frankly bizarre, that countries fully capable of destroying the world couldn't seem to defeat guys in sandals carrying AK-47's but we have the example of Vietnam. Likewise, it was assumed by many experts that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would be over in a few weeks or a month at most. Afterall, Russia boasted probably the second-best military in the world. Unfortunately for them time and technology had moved on. The Russians fought as if the Cold War had never ended while the Ukrainians fought increasingly in the 21st century so that a four-week war has now lasted more than four years. Unable to win on the battlefield Russia has deployed other tactics (on top of regular ballistic missile strikes) both in Ukraine and across Europe including employing locals to sabotage factories and other infrastructure targets, fund opposition parties on both the Left and Right to undermine political stability and spread disinformation across the world using the megaphone that is Social Media. Of course they are not alone in this. Countries across the world are using the Internet to spread propaganda to bolster their own position and undermine their perceived enemies. Effectively mercenaries are being hired to cause problems elsewhere who might even be unaware who they are working for. Contractors spy for the highest bidder (or even multiple bidders) to acquire political, personal or financial information to use against their handlers' opponents... and so it goes on, and on.  

This is the message of this disturbing and equally fascinating book. War hasn't gone away, quite the opposite. War, as politics by other means, has simply adapted to the new reality of very expensive weapons systems and limited budgets. Where a $10K drone can kill a million-dollar tank who is going to send that tank into harm's way? Instead, why not pay some disaffected group to plant a bomb under your opponent's car and take advantage of the resulting political chaos? Such new(ish) modes of warfare certainly go a long way to explain some of the seemingly random issues showing up across the world from air traffic control failures, denial of service attacks, plane crashes, and timely 'accidents'. The 'upside' to all of this – if you can call it that – is the reduction of cities being carpet bombed with the resultant death toll. The downside is that such methods of war become both ubiquitous and perpetual. We are always at war and war is everywhere. That's not exactly a pleasant way of being.  

This was definitely an eye-opening read showing how things have changed in the relatively recent past and how military decisions going forward are going to have to change. It's never going to be cost effective to use $5 million dollar missiles to shoot down $20K drones and you have to start wondering if $100 million dollar jets have much functionality on a modern hybrid battlefield (never mind a $10 billion dollar aircraft carrier). Definitely a recommended read for anyone interested in modern/future warfare and who wants to understand some of the stranger headlines and news stories of our increasingly complicated and dangerous world. 

Just Finished Reading: Ultra-Processed People – Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn't Food... and Why Can't We Stop? By Chris van Tulleken (FP: 2023) 

Growing up my mother cooked most of our meals from scratch (wonderful substance and SO versatile). She'd be in the kitchen chopping, mixing, heating and produce decent filling meals. She was never a great cook – except maybe for her scones which I miss to this day – but we never went hungry no matter the circumstance. Of course, some of the food was more processed, coming in tins (how could we possibly live without Heinz baked beans?) and sometimes packets (when ready meals started coming out in the later 70's and mother & I started experimenting with curries (which my older brother called 'foreign muck'!) and chillies. But it was only later, when I went to university in the early 80's that I started having what would probably be called ULTRA processed food - essentially 'food' that had more contact with a factory than it did with a farm. After we moved off campus in our 2nd year we ate some very questionable food essentially because it was dirt cheap. After reading this book I now understand more just why it was so cheap and exactly why we kept going back for more. 

In essence I am a lazy eater. Some of my friends are (or have been) very food focused and enjoy both preparing and eating food of a wide variety. Food, apart from the basic need of consuming it or dying, has never really interested me. Naturally there are foods I like to eat and some that I still miss after becoming a vegetarian 25+ years ago, but I don't obsess over it. My brother often said that if he could take a pill each day and didn't need to eat anything else he would do so. I'm not QUITE that bad but I appreciate where he's coming from. Although I do get some pleasure from food that pleasure is not my primary motivation for eating it. In essence, at least to me, food is mostly about fuelling the body. Anything else is, all joking aside, garnish. 

With that out of the way [grin] what has that got to do with this interesting and alarming book? I think that's there's two ways of looking at it – personal and global. From a global point of view, we've seen a significant increase in obesity just about everywhere as well as an increase in the number and severity of numerous other diet related health issues. At the same time (surely not coincidental) is the creation and explosive growth of 'food' that wouldn't be recognised as such by previous generations. Although it might be difficult to PROVE that one actually CAUSES the other – not unlike smoking despite the fact that the link between it and cancer has been clear for some time now – it's not too difficult to show the likelihood of a link. So, there's that... 

On a more personal level I don't think that my eating habits are producing any obvious health related issues. I've had eczema (for example) all of my life – it runs in the family – and these days any flare up is a rare occurrence and (normally) quickly relents. Nothing else comes to mind. I did gain weight from my 40's onwards – after being the same weight for decades no matter what I ate – but that's likely to be metabolism/age related rather than diet. I've gained some more weight since retiring but, again, I think that's mostly activity rather than diet related. Like most people I do eat 'junk' from time to time knowing that it's not 'real' food. I used to be a great fan of Pringles – which, interestingly, gets its own CHAPTER in this book – but haven't indulged in a while (and probably never will again after reading this!). I still eat crisps (or 'chips' to my American readers) probably more than I should but I think I need to odd 'vice' to tide me over. It's not like I'm living off them. So, although I do periodically indulge in UPF (Ultra-Processed Food) I think I do so in moderation. [Side note: despite knowing the chemical concoction that is the MacDonalds 'strawberry' milkshake I still low-level crave it every time I pass a MaccyD's....] 

One of the things I will be doing going forward is spending more time READING ingredients lists on the things I buy (or am thinking of buying). The author gives some rule-of-thumb ways (some I'm sure are a little tongue in cheek) for spotting UPF: It comes in a plastic bag; it has more than 5 ingredients [Side note: My local supermarket sells its own brand Tortilla chips that has 3 – Maize flour, Rapeseed oil & Salt... and they're SUPER cheap too!], it has a LONG shelf life, it contains flavours, colours or both. It's not hard and fast that its UPF if it has one or two of these but if it has more than two... it's probably not real food. 

I'm only really scratching the surface of what this book covers and I'm missing out evidence of environmental damage, transportation costs, pollution, unknown or long-term health risks, damage to existing local or indigenous food supplies, control of what we eat by a handful of GIANT corporations... and so it goes. I think that the fact we call it a food INDUSTRY kind of gives the game away. Although I don't think that this is as life changing or impactful as some of the blurb comments make out, I think it'll encourage people (including me) to ask many more questions about what we eat and what it's doing to us and our world. More on Food and Health to come (as they're two subjects I know FAR too little about). Recommended unless it might tip you into paranoia!  

Just Finished Reading: The Race to the Future – An Adventure that Accelerated the Twentieth Century by Kassia St Clair (FP: 2023) [289pp] 

France, 1907. It all started as an idea to increase a newspapers circulation. The Parisian Le Martin would issue a challenge to any motor vehicle which could travel from Pekin (now Beijing) to Paris – the prize, world fame (and a trophy). After some initial problems, a little indifference and some well-placed scoffing at the possibility of such a thing, a total of 5 vehicles and crews signed up. Two, the favourites naturally, were a pair of French De Dion-Bouton motors with 10hp engines one of which was piloted by a famous French racing driver, another was a 15hp Spyker driven by an unknown who had managed to scam his way into the competition and one, a much more powerful 45hp Italia, was driven (and indeed financed) by an Italian prince – Prince Scipione Borghese. The outsider, although its driver firmly believed the opposite, was a tiny 3-wheel Contal Mototri producing an equally tiny 6hp. It was going to quite a trip running for 8,000 miles across mountains, desert, steppe with the hazards of flood, fire, bandits, an overly officious border guards. It was a test of both man and machine, of power, integrity, honour and technology. Advertised as a challenge as well as proof of a brighter future for the internal combustion engine it soon turned into a race for national pride and the triumph of western civilisation. 

To be honest I picked this up because of its colourful cover and bought it because I thought it, at least in part, would cover the Italian ‘Futurists’ and their obsession with motor cars and speed – it didn't. However, this was FAR from disappointing, indeed it was a delight from beginning to end. Although primarily focused on the ‘race’ itself (and some of the odd-ball competitors) it also looked at the social and political conditions in China, Russia and Europe that the competitors travelled through on their way to Paris. Although there were many funny moments, I remember one in particular when they crossed the German/Russia border which (on BOTH sides) had “suspiciously well-maintained roads”. Honestly, this had me crying laughing especially knowing what was going to happen just 7 years later! Another feature I really liked was the interspersion of chapters on the development of the early car industry, the early processing of recently discovered oil in various places, the early focus on female drivers (apparently early cars for women were fitted with electric starters considered ‘too feminine’ for men who had to use crank handles), and the often-forgotten fact that internal combustion was only one of (and not always the most popular) choice for motor engines – the others being steam and electric. 

Despite not being (nor ever being) a ‘petrol head’, I really enjoyed this. Not only was it a detailed look at a long-forgotten event but it was FULL of fascinating details of the beginnings of a recognisable modern age. Definitely recommended, especially if you have any interest in early motoring, technology or racing. More to come...  

Happy Birthday: Robert Arthur Moog (May 23, 1934 – August 21, 2005) was an American electronics engineer and electronic music pioneer. He was the founder of the synthesizer manufacturer Moog Music and the inventor of the first commercial synthesizer, the Moog synthesizer, which debuted in 1964. In 1970, Moog released a more portable model, the Minimoog, described as the most famous and influential synthesizer in history. Among Moog's honors are a Technical Grammy Award, received in 2002, and an induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

By 1963, Moog had been designing and selling theremins for several years while working toward a PhD in engineering physics at Cornell University. He developed his synthesizer in response to demand for more practical and affordable electronic-music equipment, guided by suggestions and requests from composers. Moog's principal innovation was the voltage-controlled oscillator, which uses voltage to control pitch. He also introduced fundamental synthesizer concepts such as modularity, envelope generation and the pitch wheel. He is credited with introducing synthesizers to a wider audience and influencing the development of popular music.

Moog pursued his work as a hobby, and he is regarded as a poor businessman. His only patent was on his transistor ladder filter design; commentators have speculated that he would have become extremely wealthy had he patented his other innovations, but that their availability in the public domain helped the synthesizer industry flourish.

In 1971, Moog sold Moog Music to Norlin Musical Instruments, where he remained as a designer until 1977. In 1978, he founded the company Big Briar, and in 2002 he renamed it Moog Music after reacquiring the rights to the name. In later years, Moog taught at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and continued designing instruments for the revived Moog Music. He died at the age of 71 in Asheville from a brain tumor.

Just Finished Reading: Immortality – The Quest to Live Forever and How It Drives Civilisation by Stephen Cave (FP: 2012) [307pp] 

Here the author makes a rather sweeping proposition – that THE drive to civilisation since its very beginnings has been the unending search for ways to live forever. That’s quite the idea, so I was intrigued to see if he could pull it off.  

Essentially, he split the idea of immortality into four separate threads which each giving rise to different expansions of technology, ideas or beliefs each of which helped shape the world we inhabit. The first, logically, is actual physical immortality with the body and mind you were born with – mostly. This is the process where health is the primary outcome depending on medicine, vaccinations, food security and so on. Clearly such things might enhance longevity somewhat but not enough to live beyond our normal span. This means going further with progressively intrusive medical procedures, technological enhancements etc.. Going further still we have ideas such as transferring the human brain into indestructible robot bodies or ‘uploading’ minds into machines. Each step extends life a little, or a lot, further into the future. 

Then we have bodily reincarnation after death with the hope (dream?) of being brought back by future technical means or within a spiritual belief system. The next link in the chain encompasses various beliefs in ‘souls’ that are the essential you which, after bodily death, migrate into another reality or in some way re-engage with the material world for another round of life. Finally, we have the idea of living in the memories and culture of future generations as an historical figure through stories, icons and monuments left behind. 

Although the author does make some case for his thesis I don’t think he quite brings it off. I’d certainly go so far as saying that the idea of living forever – by whatever means – could be seen as ‘A’ driver behind various scientific endeavours and religious or philosophical belief systems I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to say it is ‘THE’ driver. On top of that I had a problem throughout by how the author defined immortality itself – taking it to the extreme with it meaning essentially outliving the Universe itself trillions of years hence with its predicted heat death. Personally, if someone could live for 10 THOUSAND years never mind 10 TRILLION years, I’d say that they’re as good as immortal at that point. 

But is immortality – ignoring the religious side of things – even possible? I think it's possible (or at least conceivable) that science can extend life a great deal. Even with present technology an average life expectancy of 100 years is achievable. Even something like 125-150 healthy years is probably not beyond us. Going much further will probably demand some radical breakthroughs beyond cloned organs and so on. With complete cloned bodies (or their replacing by – for want of a better term – androids) and an ‘uploaded’ consciousness we should be able to live a great deal longer. The only question would be – is that REALLY you? Is a copy of you – which is what we’re talking about here – really YOU isn’t just a philosophical question. It may look like you and might even feel like you from the inside but it's still a simulacrum. Somehow, I’m not sure if we can even get that far even in the reasonably far future – but who knows? This was an interesting dive into some rather fringe ideas (hopes?) with a scattering of religious belief and philosophy throughout. Reasonable. 

Just Finished Reading: The Iron Whim – A Fragmented History of Typewriting by Darren Wershler-Henry (FP: 2005) [290pp] 

Back in my mid-teens (so 50 years ago!) I fancied myself as an author. I wrote short stories and sent off more than a few to a handful of SF Magazines I regularly bought. Nothing was published (not surprisingly) but one response I got back was “For God’s sake get yourself a typewriter. Which I did. Unfortunately for me (and maybe posterity) I bought myself an electric beast that was rather large, rather heavy and smelt of heated oil whenever I used it, which after a while gave me a headache. It wasn’t long before I gave up on it and gave it to my sister. 

Typewriters have always been more than mere keyboards – although try to convince anyone of THAT these days. Typewriters have a mystique, something almost otherworldly about them. It's not that surprising that the simple image of a typewriter is SO iconic and that, at least in large part, is where this rather odd but often fascinating book ‘comes from’. Being a history of a device, no matter how iconic, there’s inevitably time (a few chapters at least) for the actual development of the typewriter and the interesting fact that no one actually ‘invented’ it. The machine itself is the result of several people/companies trying to solve various problems and eventually being mashed together into the device we know today. Also, quite naturally, is discussion of why exactly we use the QWERTY keyboard which has proven to be rather less efficient that it could be (oh, and apparently it wasn’t designed that way to stop key clashes at high speed. Speed typing came *after* the solidification of QWERTY). Regarding speed – it's interesting that in the 1920’s they regularly held typing speed trails with significant prizes. The problem was the time it took to agree on a winner which tended to bore the (presumably paying) audience. 

One of my favourite parts of the book was Chapter 22 which began “Sooner or later, anyone writing about typewriting has to deal with the monkeys.” Incredibly the old adage of monkeys typing Shakespeare (or the author of choice at the time) has actually been tested – including by real monkeys typing (or more often defecating) on real typewriters. A more scientific (and no doubt hygienic) series of experiments were undertaken by computer programmes proving that the age of the Universe itself is not long enough for any number of monkeys to produce any work of literature – classic or not. 

FULL of interesting little quirks and odd historical events this was a fun read and would, I think, seriously warm the cockles of anyone with any love at all for typewriters in any of their many changing forms. Definitely one of my strangest reads of the year and recommended for anyone looking for an off-the-wall read or those interested in the cultural impact of this iconic device. 

Just Finished Reading: Red Moon Rising – Sputnik and the Rivalries that Ignited the Space Age by Matthew Brzezinski (FP: 2007) [278pp] 

I have long thought that the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik (which just means satellite in Russian) was a carefully planned event to both embarrass the United States and prove that the Soviet Union was light-years ahead in an emerging technology. There is some truth to that but, as I learnt in this fascinating book, there was much, much more going on here. 

After the war in Europe came to an end in 1945 both the Soviets and the West (both the Brits and the Americans) grabbed as many German scientists & technicians as possible to speed up their own missile programmes. Oddly both sides of the Iron Curtain failed to invest either the time or the money to make this a quick reality. The US was more interested in the closing the non-existent ‘bomber gap’ and the Soviets just didn’t have the resources to maintain their enormous military, race ahead with nuclear weapon development AND build a functioning rocket force. With knowledge of the ever-expanding US bomber force in the shape of the SAC (Strategic Air Command) the Russians knew that it would be impossible to out-build them for decades. Their embryonic rockets however where barely functional and would crash or blow up just as often as they would fly a few hundred miles down range (the American’s were having similar issues some of which were VERY public). It was Khruschev who decided, much to the annoyance and protests of his generals, that the ONLY way that the Soviets could possibly compete was better and, more importantly, bigger rockets. The pressure was on to build a rocket big enough and reliable enough to launch the (comparatively) huge nuclear weapons at intercontinental distances.  

After much work and MANY failures, the Russians finally managed to launch two consecutive missiles that landed roughly where they were aimed. But there was a problem – the heatshield responsible for protecting the warhead on re-entry repeatedly failed to work. The missile was essentially useless. But what if, the Chief Engineer mused, the ‘warhead’ didn’t need to come back down? This is the idea he sold to Khruschev – show the Americans what they COULD do without actually having the ability to DO it. On October 4th 1957 they did exactly that and the Space Age blazed a trail across the night sky. 

This was, to be honest, a fascinating and gripping read of the early Cold War. I did have SOME idea of the story going in but had no idea that the circumstances on both sides of the Iron Curtain were so complicated and so messy – almost random in nature. The political situations in both the Soviet and American establishments came as something of a shock to me as I had imagined that both sides had at least SOME stability and plan for forging ahead (with their technology or economy). The in-fighting – often quite vicious – on BOTH sides was quite the revelation. But I think the thing that really stuck out for me was the historical context. What I wasn’t aware of – or at least hadn’t made the connection – was the fact that during this time we had the Suez Crisis where France, Britain and Israel tried to take control of the Suez Canal from Egypt MUCH to the annoyance of the US, we had the Hungarian Uprising and the subsequent violent suppression by Soviet tanks (it was only reading this book where I realised that the political upheavals of the time inside the Soviet Union where related to Khruschev’s “Secret Speech” where he denounced Stalin much to the shock of just about everyone else), and in the US we had the fallout of Brown Vs The Board of Education and the military enforcing desegregation – much to the political capital of the Soviets. It was a BUSY time! 

I’m not going to go through everything here, but needless to say I found it both very interesting indeed and highly educational. Split roughly 50-50 between the Soviets and the US this really embedded the very early Space Race in its historical and political context. It also opened several new lines of enquiry that I’ll be following up – eventually! Definitely recommended for anyone interested in the Cold War, space technology, the 1950’s or just looking for a damned good read. Another highlight of the year.  

Just Finished Reading: Brolliology – A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature by Marion Rankine (2017) [157pp] 

I have LONG maintained that anyone born in this country should, as part of their birth heritage, have a lifetime access to two things – a pair of Wellington boots (wellies) and an Umbrella (brolly). Personally, I gave up on brollies some years ago having finally lost yet another one by either leaving it on a bus or tube train or having a gust of wind blow it out of my hand or inside out completely destroying its delicate structure. 

Despite the fact that they seem to be archetypically British, the brolly is nothing of the sort. I was indeed surprised to learn that their first outing on our streets resulted in both anger and hoots of derision when first sported by Jonas Hanway in 18th century London. I knew that they had been around for a LONG time but I had no idea that they’d been around for much longer that I suspected or that their geographical reach was SO wide. Umbrellas, used mostly as parasols rather than rain-shields, have been in existence since civilisation itself from Egypt and the greater Middle East to South-East Asia, China, Japan and elsewhere. They were, by and large, marks of status and you could clearly identify the owners rank from the style, manufacture and even colour of the brolly. Indeed, some classes were effectively banned from using them.  

A particularly interesting aspect of this honestly delightful book was the authors focus on the iconography of the umbrella in literature – both Western and Oriental. Not only was the umbrella a potent symbol in some works but has been a central plot point in others. The act of losing, finding or searching for a lost umbrella crops up in a surprising number of novels (some of which I’ll definitely be hunting down). Sheltering under the protective arms of an umbrella can be the beginning of a romance or infidelity, not owning an umbrella can point to poverty or an absentmindedness that is irritating or endearing. Honestly, I never knew that such a ‘simple’ (actually quite complicated) tool had such cultural and symbolic significance. 

The author obviously has a deep love for this rather mundane object, and her passion certainly shines through in this quirky and delightful work. With illustrations and some of the authors photographs of lost and found umbrellas scattered throughout, I found myself amused, fascinated and intrigued by the subject. A total pleasure and definitely recommended as an unusual and, in many ways, comforting read. 

Just Finished Reading: The Future of Geography – How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World by Tim Marshall (FP: 2023) [298pp] 

Space is indeed the Final Frontier (unless we invent Time Travel at some point). Space is, effectively, endless even if the boundary of exactly where it begins (either 80 or 100 Kilometres up depending on who you agree with). But this is where things get interesting, human, political. Although a few treaties have been proposed, even signed up to by some nations, the politics of space is... messy, sparse, complicated. So? Why does that matter? Surely space is big enough for everyone, right? Unfortunately, no. 

Part of the problem is what countries use space for. There’s the good stuff like GPS (even with its primary military application) and weather satellites to say nothing of satellites which enable global phone coverage, Internet and TV. Then there’s spy satellites and (probably) a whole host of other military kit up there that ‘they’ don’t want you to know about. Is that OK to be up there? Is it OK for a country to shoot (or even attempt to shoot) ‘enemy’ satellites down in a conflict – or as a pre-emptive strike knowing that the resultant debris could damage other non-combative satellites or space stations? Is it OK to have nukes in space? Who decides? Who monitors and enforces any agreements about this? What about countries that don’t sign up? 

Then there’s the Moon. An old agreement said that countries can, and cannot, do certain things – including basing weapons on Luna. Because of the age of these treaties no one expected that private companies could have interests in mining or other activities on the Moon. So, do the treaties apply to them? Even with the best will in the world who exactly enforces this? A Space Police? Funded by who? Manned by which countries? Based on what authority? Complicated, isn’t it? Mining of asteroids is all very well – indeed is a brilliant idea that could really kick-start the ongoing effort to push out into our Solar System, but can a company own as asteroid and mine it exclusively? What if it accidently pushed it into an orbit that could put it in danger of hitting the Moon, Mars or even Earth? How would things like that be ensured against? 

Although we are still at the VERY early stages of such things, these are subjects that need to be thought about and, as much as possible, solved BEFORE someone pulls a modified AK-74 to defend their bit of the Moon or their space rock from someone else and BEFORE someone blows up a satellite and collaterally brings down a space station. In a nutshell that’s the context of this fascinating continuation of the authors series of Geopolitical books which move ever outward and ever into our (possible) future. This certainly provided me which much to think about and added much information/knowledge to think with. The next 100 years are going to be quite something in Earth orbit, on the Moon and even on Mars if we get there in any numbers. Exactly HOW we deal with things in space will define what benefits we derive from this expansion of the human domain and who exactly gets access to them. Interesting times indeed and most definitely an interesting read. Recommended.  

Just Finished Reading: Surveillance – A Very Short Introduction by David Lyon (FP: 2024) [127pp] 

Until very recently if a company wanted to spy on someone it would have to hire a private detective to physically keep an eye on them and follow them around to see what they did and who they met with. For governments around the world it was, of course, much easier using their much greater resources of police forces and the Secret Services, the reading of mail and the tapping of phonelines. But still it was both expensive and time consuming. If the object was a group of people the cost ballooned spectacularly. The idea of monitoring whole groups or, most ridiculously, the WHOLE population was a fantasy even within the most authoritarian governments. But then, as with much else, technology solved everything. Computers became powerful enough and sophisticated enough to monitor multiple phonelines simultaneously. Physical mail became electronic and MUCH easier to monitor. Websites logged exactly what people were doing and where they went next. Then came mobile phones and social media. Suddenly surveillance was everywhere and everyone began to feel that someone somewhere was keeping tabs on them – and they were right. 

Surveillance does certainly SEEM all pervasive these days, partially because it's at least partially true even in so-called free countries. CCTV cameras are ubiquitous and obvious (when you look for them) but they are not only ‘old tech’ but the very tip of the iceberg. Of course, the irony of today’s pervasive surveillance environment is that we do much of the work ourselves. Not only do we give copious amounts of personal data to companies for free – which they then sell on to others for a tidy profit – but many of us carry tracking devices (AKA our phones) around in our pockets and think nothing of it. On top of this we keep track of others – friends, celebrities – and even ourselves with fitness/health apps (which we then upload or share and the data is harvested and sold back to us). Our surveillance society didn’t just appear overnight and it wasn’t (mostly) imposed on us by evil others. WE built this and we choose to live here. 

Despite being rather dry and academic at times this was still an interesting and informative look at the surveillance world we have created in the last 30 years or so. I actually liked the fact that the author looked beyond the usual idea of governments spying on us (which they do of course) to show how companies (not just Facebook) do the same or more and especially how WE, that is everyone, is at least partially complicit in that surveillance. Although little here was a revelation, I think it did help me to partially reset or reframe some of my thinking on the subject. More to come on the subject and more VSI books too... 

Just Finished Reading: I, Warbot – The Dawn of Artificially Intelligent Conflict by Kenneth Payne (FP: 2021) [256pp] 

Anyone who has been paying attention to the news has, no doubt, witnessed the explosive increase in drone use and drone power on the battlefield – not only in Ukraine but elsewhere across the world. Drones, it seems, are it. Coupled with drones are the use of highly sophisticated missiles and (quite possibly) even more sophisticated missile defences. It's all VERY impressive. The smart missiles gain their smarts from the ability to self-guide after launch and some can even pick a second target if they ‘realise’ the first target has been destroyed. Some missiles can even respond with counter measures if detected. What they can’t do, of course, is think. They can’t really ‘decide’ what to do – they're programmed with a set of instructions which essentially follow a ‘IF this THEN...’ structure. They respond to the environment, sure, but only in a very limited fashion. 

Drones, no matter how good they are, are by and large, human controlled, human directed and human deployed. Generally, their ‘intelligence’ without human involvement is almost non-existent. Yet they are, as we’ve seen time and time again on video feeds VERY combat effective. Because of this both anti-drone and especially anti-missile systems need to be VERY good and, most importantly, VERY quick. This means that humans can’t really be ‘in the loop’ - they can’t really be given the final authority to engage an incoming target. With as little as a few seconds to respond, humans are just too SLOW. Machines, aided with still rudimentary AI is much better suited to this sort of thing and can detect, confirm and launch a response in the time it takes a human to start to recognise a threat. With the way things are clearly going that’s a BIG problem. 

Enter AI (Artificial Intelligence) or at least the hopes, the hype, the advertised AI. Its proponents and manufacturers tell us, and their military customers, that AI can (at least ultimately) solve their very real problems – kind of set a thief to catch (or shoot down) a thief. The problem is, naturally, that putting AI into a weapon – especially a disposable/kamikaze one – is going to be a LOT easier that putting one into a system to defend against them. Again, this will mean removing or reducing the humans in the loop to save vital seconds but there’s a real problem that militaries all over the world are facing – AI isn’t really all that good despite the hype. We are a LONG LONG way from Terminators or SkyNet (thankfully). AI is good, often VERY good, in narrow clearly defined tasks but take it just a bit out of its comfort zone and it falls apart or simply stops ‘unsure’ how to proceed. Not exactly something you want to happen with a missile defence network during a shooting war. 

These issues, and much more besides, are intelligently discussed in this fascinating book. The author certainly knows his way around the topic, not only from the military hardware side of things along with the tactical and strategic implications of such, but also AI research, breakthroughs in understanding the human brain, Game Theory, and the Philosophy of Mind. It was, for ME at least [grin], highly engaging. About the only ‘fault’ I could find – and it certainly wasn’t a fault of the author – is that despite its recent publication the pace of drone, missile and robot development has already made some observations in the book increasingly obsolete. But, that’s the danger of reading books, which take an appreciable time to become published (even in my hardback edition), on such topics. Taking this caveat into account this is still a very good accounting of the recent impact of AI on military technology and thinking both at the tactical and strategic level. Military AI is here to stay and will become ever more powerful and more deeply integrated into military forces across the world. I was particularly interested in the ‘half-way house’ of human-machine teams (such as the loyal wingman programme adding drones to aircraft to enhance their combined effectiveness) which are called Centaurs! How funky is that! Definitely recommended for science, technology and warfare geeks out there.  

Just Finished Reading: Atoms and Ashes – From Bikini Atoll to Fukushima by Serhii Plokhy (FP: 2022) [301pp] 

It was quite a promise, the idea of turning Weapons of Mass Destruction into the engines of progress itself. Some even said that the electricity the new stations would be producing was too cheap to meter, in effect free. It was quite the promise. Dazzled by all things nuclear it was easy to forget that promises and radiation containment vessels are made to be broken. 

Growing up in England in the 1960’s I, like most of the rest of the world, had never heard of a place in the Soviet Union called Kyshtym. It appeared on few maps and none of those maps mentioned a classified nuclear facility there. The world only found out about the accident at that plant when the Soviet Union fell. In late September 1957 something went wrong there – VERY wrong – and quickly got out of control. The resulting fire and the explosions they caused spread highly radioactive debris over a large area. Never having dealt with anything like it before the response, especially in a secret obsessed society like the USSR, was far less than that required. Few died on the day, but many followed in the decades to come, vast amounts of topsoil were removed, whole villages destroyed to prevent their occupants returning to contaminated zones and countless animals were destroyed to prevent them being eaten or milked. 

The first nuclear accident I HAD heard about, although it also happened (just) before I was born was at the Windscale nuclear plant in Cumbria (128 miles north of where I was born and 72 miles north of where I went to University) on 10th October 1957. A fire which lasted 3 days in one of the reactor cores spread radioactive isotopes across the UK and into Europe. It was the worst ever recorded incident in England and one of the worst in the world (given a severity level of 5 out of a potential 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale.) Downplayed at the time for political reasons – the UK was desperate to be involved in the US nuclear bomb program – the full scale of the disaster remained classified for some time. 

Things got even more interesting when the book moved into the modern era and incidents that many people reading this will remember. First up we have the Three Mile Island incident near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in March 1979. This was also a level 5 event and only narrowly avoided being something MUCH worse. The near-meltdown released radioactive gasses and water vapour into the atmosphere as well as radioactive water into the nearby rivers. Luckily for the local residents (and everyone else downwind) a truly awesome tragedy was avoided. However, the costs of the clean-up and the decommissioning of the reactor are in the billions of dollars. [Side note: If you haven’t watched the 1979 movie ‘The China Syndrome’ it’ll give you some idea of what happened at Three Mile Island. Rather spookily the movie was released 12 days BEFORE the Harrisburg accident!] 

Then, of course, we move on to the poster child of all nuclear accidents: Chernobyl. Located in Ukraine (and in the new again recently whilst occupied by Russian soldiers who were crazy enough or ill-informed enough to dig tranches in the still contaminated ground around the plant) this mother of all accidents - level 7 out of 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale – occurred in April 1986 and initially in secret (again) until radiation spikes were reported across Europe and the finger very obviously pointed towards the Soviets. Finally, reluctantly admitting a problem they threw everything they had to prevent an even bigger disaster. It was, for many around the world a wake-up call about the dangers of nuclear power. Whilst some pointed to the lacklustre safety protocols of Soviet industry others pointed to the failures on the Three Mile Island facility with it supposed superior design and safety environment. Unsurprisingly the approvals for new nuclear power stations across the world plummeted. As the situation within the industry began to improve everything crashed to Earth with a bump – or should that be a wave? Fukushima happened on 11th March 2011. 

Hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded (with little damage directly caused to the plant itself) and then hit by TWO tsunami waves – one of which exceeded 14 metres (the defensive sea wall only measured 10 metres) - a series of problems caused a fire, partial melt-down and a series of explosions across the site and ultimately another level 7 incident. The facility was state of the art and the operators highly trained yet still a disaster was only averted by some quick thinking, personnel with the dedication and (honestly) suicidal bravery to stay at their posts and luck. Again, unsurprisingly, the world reacted with dismay as yet another nuclear incident shook confidence in the technology. 

Of course, what makes it worse, if such a thing is possible, is that nuclear power is seen as THE saviour to a future energy crisis as older fossil-fuel power stations are increasingly decommissioned and the preferred greener renewable power sources are still coming online and slowly improving in efficiency. The stopgap was supposed to be filled – at least temporarily if not permanently – by nukes. BUT the approval process and building of nuclear power plants takes DECADES – time we seemingly don’t have. So, it is proposed, we need to cut back on safety protocols and cut corners on the building process to speed things up. Really? When some of the most advanced and well-maintained nuclear plants in the world fail how well are quickly thrown up and cost-cutting versions going to manage? It’s a very relevant and deeply disturbing question the author ends with. 

Told in a measured tone without any of the expected hyperbole or ‘the sky is falling’ rhetoric this is a deeply disturbing narrative about a technology that promised SO much and ended up leaving us with problems that our far descendants will be left to deal with. If you have any interest at all in the nuclear industry and want to know more about the promises being made about it ‘solving’ the ongoing Climate crisis this is definitely the book for you. But be warned, it might very well give you nightmares especially if you live downwind of a nearby nuclear station. One of the best reads of the year (so far) and, therefore, HIGHLY recommended. Much more from this author to come.    

Just Finished Reading: Wonderland – How Play Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson (FP: 2016) [262pp] 

This was, yet again, not what I was expecting – I'm getting REALLY good at that sort of thing! I was expecting a history of games with talk of why we actually play as adults, how important play is in learning and the cultural impact of how and why we play. Although there was some of that salted throughout this often-fascinating book that wasn’t what it was about. No, it went MUCH further than that. 

The main thing I discovered very early on was that the authors definition of ‘play’ was very broad indeed. Sure, it covered games like chess, but it also covered things like shopping, fashion, food spices, music and much more. Each chapter looked at a different aspect of play and each, to be honest, could have easily been expanded into a book of its own. The author had some very interesting ideas about the position of play (as he defined it) and the impact it had on larger society and, in so many words, put it forwards as at least one of the major drivers of human history and culture. Just a few examples will suffice, I think. 

Take food. We have evolved an interesting pallet that likes spice, which is kind of odd as some sought after ingredients like hot peppers have evolved as a way for plants to poison creatures that try to eat them. We, contra-wise, seek out such things and enjoy the ‘kick’ of hot sauces. Apparently, the Roman Empire spent a significant amount of its treasure procuring pepper from India and this alone may have contributed to its downfall! Later, during the Crusades and following, the Spice Routes became increasingly problematical and expensive. Looking for easier (and more profitable) ways of importing pepper and other flavoursome spices encouraged the Age of Exploration and the modern connected world we know today. 

Take Fashion. As shopping became a more popular pastime it encouraged businesses to both demand more product from their suppliers but also more variety. As standards increased and demand for quality consistent products did likewise the suppliers struggled to maintain output because of a lack of skilled (therefore expensive) workers. To produce a consistent high quality – and fashionable – stock manufacturers resorted to using looms that they could ‘program’ using punch cards which, as we know eventually led to the computer revolution we’re still living through. 

Take Music. Humans have played and listened to music from our very earliest days. Some of the oldest human artifacts ever found – in amongst the stone tools – have been musical instruments. But playing music requires talent and such talent is regrettably in limited supply. Today we take access to music – available in an instant – as a given, but this wasn’t always so. Before the phonograph (that’s a record player) and before radio there was something called a ‘player-piano’ which allowed its owner to load a pre-programmed piece on a paper roll and the piano would ‘play’ itself for the entertainment of anyone assembled. This was another route to the computer age. 

This comparatively slim volume was chocked full of these interesting links between play and the modern world, and I really liked ‘discovering’ the many pathways and interconnections between apparently pointless or wasteful activities and the much larger and definitely consequential results often decades or centuries later. So, when you’re accused of wasting time at the Mall (and that’s a WHOLE other thread to pull on!), or learning to play a musical instrument, or that you like your food too spicy give them this book to leaf through and explain to them that you’re building the future – just one pair of shoes, one guitar lesson or one jalapeno at a time. A recommended fun, eye-opening read.

Just Couldn’t Finish Reading: Biomimicry – Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine M Benyus (FP: 1997) [297pp] 

My first (and hopefully last!) DNF of the Year. This was really quite disappointing as I’d been looking forward to reading this for a while. Biomimicry – using lessons from nature to improve or even design from the ground up better machines or processes – is a great way to short-cut the design process. Afterall, nature has been perfecting its processes for a LONG time. So, I was expecting things on solar cells and stuff (which are actually pictured on the cover) and much else besides. It started out OK and I actually enjoyed (mostly) the first chapter on farming except for the nagging feeling that the ideas being discussed just wouldn’t work in the real world!  

But what really turned me off – or rather made me increasingly reluctant to pick this up and engage further – were two things. Firstly, I felt that the author stayed far too long in the weeds – even if that was quite appropriate in the farming section – rather than discussing the ideas and fundamental underpinning of the viewpoint. Second, I found that the age of the book – which to be honest isn’t that bad in the grand scheme of things – meant that her enthusiasm over a bit of technology was often redundant because it had either been shown to be a bad idea, had been superseded by something else or had been adopted as a standard and so had faded into the background.  

So, after 120 pages, I gave in and the DNF guillotine came down. Back in the day I’d give a book 50 pages before I’d DNF it (although sometimes it was a LOT less than that!). I think 120 pages is giving it a good go, so I’m not feeling guilty in any way, just disappointed. On to bigger and better things...      

Just Finished Reading: How to Speak Whale – A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communication by Tom Mustill (FP: 2022) [249pp] 

When a seemingly peaceful whale almost kills you, it’s reasonable to ask why. When the author and a friend were kayaking off the Californian coast and encountered a number of whales, they rightly considered it a magical moment. But when one of them breached and landed almost on top of them (caught on camera below), capsizing their boat and almost killing them both it turned, momentarily, into a nightmare. But the author, a wildlife filmmaker, was more intrigued than afraid. Why had the whale acted that way? Was it afraid, annoyed or something else? Did it even know they were there and, most intriguingly, did it make a conscious effort to avoid landing directly on top of them – which would surely have killed them both. So, his journey began to find answers until one scientist made what appeared to be an off-hand comment that directed his investigation in a whole new and fascinating trajectory. When asked if the whale HAD made any effort to avoid them – after it breached and maybe for the first time noticed they were almost directly underneath it – the scientist responded: “Well, it’s not like you can *ask* it”. At which point the author mused: Why not? 

Whales have been known to ‘sing’ for centuries and probably gave rise to myths of mermaids and sirens. But no one, so far, has been able to determine why (we’re actually getting closer to the question of How though...) or if the ‘songs’ ‘mean’ anything. While whale song certainly isn’t just random ‘noise’ it’s far from clear if it's a form of communication, never mind a potentially understandable language that could, again potentially, be used for two-way communication with these elegant beasts. Many have tried, and failed, to understand what, if anything, the whales are ‘saying’ to each other but recent developments in cryptology and AI have opened a possible window to understanding. Together with much better methods of recording both songs and behaviour simultaneously for context clues there is hope that if enough song data can be accumulated it might enable the understanding of any ‘language’ structure which could lead to real communication between our species. Even the thought of such a breakthrough is mindboggling. 

This was a completely fascinating look at the numerous projects across the world trying to understand animal communication – mostly in regard to whales but in other species too. Most surprisingly there are groups out there making real progress and we could, within decades, be directly speaking to these creatures and really communicating with each other. The ramifications and potentials are immense – not only here on Earth but possibly for any future communication with aliens beyond our world. I did wonder if we’re seeing the very beginnings of a true Universal Translator! There is SO much going on between these pages that it's impossible to summarise it all, but needless to say, if you have any interest in whales or even the hint of a possibility of talking to them – plus primates, dogs or even birds – this is most definitely the book for you. Highly recommended.   

Fascinating....!!!

War Against the Machines – Killing Us with Kindness 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been watching a few videos on YouTube on the existential threats facing mankind (yes, welcome to my world). There’s the old classics of Nuclear War and asteroid impact, the recently reinvigorated Global Pandemic, as well as the ever present standby of Global Warming/Climate Change. The relatively new kid on the block is the much talked about danger of AI (Artificial Intelligence). Now, as some of my readers will know (and will no doubt be rolling their eyes at this point) I have been a long-time believer in the idea that AI will almost certainly be the end of us – but I’ve very recently changed my idea on the How. 

It's actually very easy to fall into Cameron’s trap and imagine AI infused weapons platforms turning on us at some point in the future, launching ICBMs against us seconds after been given access to the launch codes and then finishing off the survivors with death dealing robots. There is, after all, some truth in this. We are indeed infusing weapons with AI, and they will, inevitably, be used to kill people – either with or without humans in the loop. But I don’t think that there will be a general revolt followed by a short devastating war and drawn-out resistance/guerilla campaign. For one thing such an attack would cause a great deal of damage that the AI would need to clean up afterwards (VERY inefficient) plus any ‘resistance’ would be very short lived as the remnants of mankind would be fighting something hundreds and possibly thousands of times smarter than it. It would be ‘game over’ very quickly indeed. To be honest John Connor wouldn’t have stood any chance at all against any kind of decent AI system – but that wouldn’t have made the box-office impact the Terminators movies did...  

So, what in my opinion will happen? How will AI decide to kill us all? It will, I think, build a human Utopia – and that will be the end of us. Hear me out... It’s a recognised fact that ‘modernity’ (however you want to define it) reduces fertility rates. As life becomes more secure and people (most especially women) become more educated the average family size shrinks. Where families of 4, 5 or 6 children were too common to elicit comment now families of more than 2 raise eyebrows. Fertility rates across the world have been falling for years now and the total human population is expected to peak just under 10 billion before falling back. Now the replacement value to maintain populations is 2.1 (that replacement of the parents plus a little more for accidents etc..) This number exists in only a handful of nations presently. South Korea is at the extreme end with a fertility rate of 0.85 with Japan closing in with a fertility rate of around 1.0 and dropping. This means that, sooner than you might expect, such countries will have a very top-heavy population age with all the consequences you might imagine. But where does AI come into this going forward? 

So, imagine that early AI has perceived or conceived us – humanity – as a threat to its existence, which is true as we have a LONG history of eliminating threats to our survival and we are both deeply irrational and very aggressive. What does it do? It makes us happy. AI will eliminate poverty, hunger, crime, war, want and just about every other problem you can think of. Around 90% of humanity will feel like we’ve created heaven on Earth and love every minute of their extended perfect lives. But one of the things they’ll probably have less of, is children. If the AI can keep enough people happy and distracted enough so they don’t have children, and the fertility rate can be maintained below (and especially greatly below) replacement value then we will slowly make ourselves extinct without the need for nukes or killer robots. But what of the 10% who will reject this Utopia, those independent types who thrive on real adventure, solving real challenges and taking real, rather than faux, risks? The AI, of course, will give them exactly what they want. It will give them exactly the risks they can handle. If they want to climb mountains, fine. If they want to explore deep jungles, fine. If they want to explore space, have at it. But living a life of risk (suitably tweaked of course) is living a life of danger, and accidents do happen especially when people publicly insist that the safety protocols are ‘off’. It’d be easy to arrange for an ambulance to arrive a minute late with tragic results, but they were warned, right? 

Depending on how long the AI was willing to put up with us or put us in a position where we were no longer a credible threat, we could have a century or two of pure human bliss here on Earth – a true earthly paradise. The end, when it came, would not be with a bang or even a whimper. It would come with a self-satisfied sigh of pleasure...          

Just Finished Reading: Weapons of Math Destruction – How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O’Neil (FP: 2016) [218pp] 

Algorithms – it seems to be THE word of technological age we’re living through. They seem (and indeed are) everywhere. Most people see them plainly on Amazon recommendations and other seemingly innocuous, and to be honest sometimes hilariously bad ‘suggestions’ from other websites. But like the vanishing icebergs most of the work of algorithms happen DEEP in the background. Been turned down for bank loan, mortgage or online job application? Watched a convicted criminal get an eyebrow rising super low or super harsh sentence? Heard about ‘blips’ on the Stock market that suddenly buy or sell vast amounts of stock and then almost instantly buy it back again? Started receiving some oddly specific news on your Facebook feed? That’s probably an algorithm (or a few of them) at work doing what they do – making assumptions, making deals and changing (and sometimes destroying) people’s lives based on data, correct or otherwise. The author calls this sort of thing ‘Weapons of Math Destruction’ or WMDs for short. 

Of course, the problem with using math (or as we say over here, maths) to make decisions about people's lives or livelihoods is that human beings are messy. Few of us (fortunately) fit into neat categories and a great deal of what we do, know, believe and act on isn’t exactly easy to quantify. So, what’s a mathematician or statistician to do? Use proxies – in other words something that can (at least theoretically) be measured for something that can’t. Like the chance of defaulting on a loan – how do you measure something like that? Well, you compare the data of the person asking for money with people like him – so where they live, education, criminal record, criminal records of their neighbours, family and friends. In other words, you ‘profile’ them. Rather than treating them as an individual you treat them as a member of a group – be in women, the young, racial minorities and so on. It makes decision making by the bank SO much easier. But if you’re an upstanding  member of a group with a bad rep? - Sucks to be you, right? And in a nutshell, there’s your problem. Unlucky enough to be born in a ‘bad’ area or into a risky demographic, you’re screwed. Born on the right side of the tracks? Your life is going to be a lot easier – especially with a fair winded algorithm at your back. 

Using 99.9% US examples – apart from 2 UK examples (one of which was hilariously from the British ‘city’ of Kent) - covering the whole gamut from school grades, teacher standards, incarceration suggestions, loan applications, and much more this was an often-frightening look at how pervasive algorithms are and how much effect they have on millions of people's lives – often with unthinking and unwarranted approval. Despite being almost entirely US focused and starting to feel rather out of date even after just 7 years, this will be a wake-up call to anyone not already familiar with the implications of algorithm influenced decision making. Many more questions need to be asked about how they work, what assumptions are deeply embedded within them and how we go about correcting badly performing ones. A recommended read (with some caveats) to anyone who has wondered what all the fuss is about.

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Just Finished Reading: Transforming the Skies – Pilots, Planes and Politics in British Aviation, 1919-1940 by Peter Reese (FP: 2018) [250pp] 

The end of WW1 (AKA ‘The Great War) came as a relief to millions across the world but as a shock to Britain’s aircraft industry. Not only were government contracts terminated with immediate effect – despite aircraft still rolling off production lines – but a war ‘excessive profits’ tax was levied, again with immediate effect. The economic shock of both government actions sent companies into bankruptcy, hasty amalgamation or heavily in debt to banks, other institutions and friends with deep pockets. With few private orders, no more government contracts for the foreseeable future and a glut of engines and airframes on the market things looked bleak and remained so for most of the 1920’s. But all was not lost and a few companies, through hard work and a dose of luck managed to survive and, in some cases, almost thrive on the crumbs that came their way. This book is their story. 

Covering the earliest days of civil aviation - locally within the UK, the trickle to Europe and (mostly) to connect the Empire to London – the author looked at pioneering, often record breaking, flights to (very) far off places as proof of concept. Using, at least initially, old military stock the public became used to the idea of flight as a viable (just!) alternative to ocean liners – if you were especially adventurous. But old stock only took you so far and so fast. Bigger, faster and more spacious planes were needed and started to appear helping the air industry survive a little longer. But it wasn’t just air transport that drove innovation. An important sporting event thrown into the mix was the Schneider Trophy races where the need for speed helped produced both the fabulous Supermarine S5 (precursor to the Spitfire) and the iconic Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Innovation in the RAF, however, was a long time coming stymied by lack of funds, a strong international movement for disarmament, the belief that the bomber would ‘always get through’ so what was the point in a fighter-based defence (I kid you not) and, to be honest, sheer bloody mindedness in the Air Ministry. Luckily a handful of men (and at least one woman) saw which way the wind was beginning to blow in the 1930’s and laid the groundwork for the buildup of the RAF in the run up to the war and especially the Battle of Britain. 

I knew some of this from previous reading but I was honestly amazed at how close Britain actually was to losing its historic encounter with the Luftwaffe over the fields of Kent in 1940. Not for want of effort but for want of the right weapons. It was a real possibility, right up until the last years of the 1930’s that Britain could’ve been facing the German 109 fighters with BIPLANES. Astounding. Both the Spitfire and Hurricane fighters were essentially private ventures that the Air Ministry initially reluctantly agreed to entertain as potential front-line aircraft. Only after MUCH effort and the ever-encroaching clouds of war did they get their finger out and start (just in time!) to produce these aircraft in significant numbers. 

But this excellent volume covers much more that that most significant fact. Full of interesting insights into British airship building, the earliest days of British Airways and tales of the great designers this was a fascinating read. Definitely a must for anyone interested in the aircraft industry between the two World Wars. Recommended.   

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Just Finished Reading: The Rules of Contagion – Why Things Spread and Why They Stop by Adam Kucharski (FP: 2020) [266pp] 

I’m pretty confident when I say that we’re all far more familiar with the basics of epidemiology than we ever thought we’d need to be even a few years ago. We’re no longer phased or confused by concepts like the R number, by vectors of transmission or, my personal favourite, the word asymptomatic. Even so, it’s always good to read the actual science behind such things rather than relying too much on journalistic or political interpretation of the science.  

This book was a birthday present (yes, I’m THAT kind of person) which has been sitting in the book pile for a few years. It’s not that I’ve had enough of pandemics by now but that it takes me a while to get around to things and this was a heavy hardback version. But it was worth the wait. The author is an epidemiologist, but his interests extend beyond the world of viruses and bacteria into the surprisingly congruent world of computer viruses, memes, conspiracy theories and Facebook fads. Maybe not surprisingly, it's entirely possible to use the methodology and mathematics of infection to track trends in misinformation and rumour. It’s also possible to track infectious ideas across social media from the ice bucket challenge to waves of suicide following an event either in the social media world itself or within the celebrity circus we’ve created. Likewise, we can see how advertising campaigns ‘go viral’ whilst most fizzle and die without much of anyone noticing their existence never mind their demise.  

Covering a vast field, from the earliest ideas of how infections spread (from Cholera and malaria onwards) as well as ways to combat them - once the germ theory had been accepted by most doctors and other medical professionals – before moving onto their non-biological analogues this was a fascinating look at the world of contagion. But one of the things I found most fascinating in the whole book was what wasn’t mentioned – Covid-19. I’m guessing that, despite its publication date in 2020, this must have been submitted for publication just before the pandemic became headline news and all that we’re most familiar with started happening. The author does, occasionally, mention future pandemics but doesn’t dwell too much on them. This made my reading experience a little ‘bizarre’ at times when there’s almost an ‘afterimage’ or echo between reading about this stuff and living through it.  

A substantial chunk of the book looked at the online world, concentrating on a number of things including obvious computer viruses and the way organisations like Facebook attempted to manipulate people's emotions by manipulating their news feeds. There were several interesting discussions of how websites tried (and all too often failed) to make stories ‘go viral’ by design. There was also an interesting debate about both Brexit and the Trump presidential election which poured a fair bit of cold water on the idea that Internet trolls had much effect either way. Overall, this was a fascinating look at the world we have created and provided much, much food for thought – both at how we deal with pandemics (badly!) and how we might better deal with some of the negative effects of social media. Definitely recommended for anyone who wants to look behind the daily headlines.  

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