Just Finished Reading: The Holy Roman Empire – A Very Short Introduction by Joachim Whaley (FP: 2018)

Even hundreds of years after The Fall it was impossible to ignore the Roman Empire. With Western Europe a patchwork quilt of kingships and tribal areas in a state of almost constant conflict it was hard to ignore anyone who aim at some kind of unification. Many tried and many failed until around 800AD with the triumph of Charlemagne. Holding together an area around present day Eastern France and into Germany he managed to impose peace and return a significant piece of Europe to some kind of settled and civilised status. But such things tended to last as long as their ruler and when Charlemagne died the empire he created divided into three each ruled by a son. Inevitably such a divided kingdom could not last and war broke out. Over the next 1000 years until the Holy Roman Empire dissolved itself in 1806 a significant portion of central Europe – mostly centred on Germany, Austria and northern Italy – remained under the control of the Holy Roman Emperors who were generally elected from a small number of German families and often crowned by the Pope of the time. On rare occasions – for example when multiple Popes (up to three for one short period) fought over who would crown which imperial wannabee or the powerful Electors couldn’t make up their minds or find anyone suitable – the Empire soldiered on without an Emperor at the helm but few seemed to mind or notice. But almost whatever the situation the Holy Roman Empire was a force to be reckoned with – especially when the disparate elements could agree on a common policy, a common leader or a common enemy (like the Turks). Any history of Europe in general or either Germany or Italy in particular cannot ignore the place and role of the Holy Roman Empire as a significant formative influence.

The Holy Roman Empire was something I had come across on multiple occasions whenever I dipped into European history so I know of it but not all that much about it. Although I’m sure that the author tried his best it’s still rather difficult to produce even an overview of 1000 years of history in less than 130 pages. Most of the time I was drowning in names and places (mostly German) that had little resonance with me. It was only after the half way mark that my interest perked up with the Thirty Years War and beyond. Before that I was having serious flashbacks to Game of Thrones except for the dragons and White Walkers. As a basic introduction this was fine if a bit dull in places. I think my future reading on the regions in question will generally be a bit more focused on the last 2-300 years rather on the last 1000. We’ll see where that leads in future. If you’re looking for somewhere to start researching the Holy Roman Empire this isn’t a bad place.   

Cartoon Time.

Maybe it was the whole 'Greenland' thing...??

The Book Snob Tag

I’ve been tagged (OK, everyone who watched the YouTube video was ‘tagged’) by Book Olive to find out if I’m a Book Snob. So here goes….

1) Do you always read the book before the movie?

No. I’m reading fiction only around 20-25% of the time presently so there’s no way really to ensure I’m reading the book before the film. Actually I’m much more likely to read the book after the movie as seeing it on screen makes me want to know more etc.. That was definitely the case with The Martian and even things like Divergent and even The Hunger Games.

2) If you could only choose one format for the rest of your life would it be print, electronic or audio?

That’s EASY. Print, every time. To be honest I don’t really regard electronic books as *books* and I certainly wouldn’t say that listening to an audio book is *reading* it. It could be argued that it’s like having someone read the book to you – OK – but that’s still not reading the book yourself. It’s a whole different experience. I can certainly see advantages of audio books – you can listen in the car on a long drive (I know people who do that) or on headphones during working or just walking around and still do stuff. Likewise the great advantage of electronic books is simple portability. You can carry hundreds of books around with you and have them all at your fingertips. But neither really feels like a real book to me.

3) Would you date or marry a non-reader?

Marry? No. But then again I wouldn’t marry someone who OWNED a bookstore – even my favourite bookstore. Marriage is really not my thing! I have briefly dated non-readers or low-volume readers in the past. Talking about books was never really part of the relationship and, to be honest, only one really lasted long enough for it to have possibly become an issue. I would certainly miss the opportunity to talk about books, share books and share book experiences. How much of a drag it would be on any relationship is unknown. It’d definitely be a problem if she had a problem with my reading which it might if I couldn’t shut up about the novel or whatever I was reading at the time. It would probably become a point of friction if things lasted that long. All things considered it’d be safer to date a reader, non-smoker, vegetarian who doesn’t mind being a gaming widow 2 hours a night most nights…. [lol]

4) If you had to ditch one genre and never read it again what would it be?

I had to think about this for a while and I’d have to say Fantasy or more particularly Urban Fantasy. I’ve read some good book in both genres but generally they’ve been a very poor second to SF and other genres like Crime or historical fiction. I could cheat and say something like Romance (which I almost never read) or religious non-fiction (practically ditto) but that wouldn’t be fair to the spirit of the question.

5) If you could only read one genre for the rest of your life what would it be?

Ask me that question 20+ years ago and it would be a resounding SCIENCE FICTION. Not so today. Although I would probably miss reading SF a great deal I’d miss one genre much more – History. I was only thinking a few days ago that you could spend an entire life (and not just the years I have left) just reading about World War Two. History naturally covers the globe and the entirety of human existence. No matter how fast you read you’d never run out of new things to discover. Really there’s no other sensible choice – although SF comes close I admit!

6) What genre do you think receives the most snobbery from the bookish community?

As I’m not really part of the bookish community (per se) I wasn’t going to comment much – if anything – on this subject. But then I thought about all the flack I’ve heard about Young Adult lit. Now as a genre-type I can see its utility. After all there’s children’s lit and adult lit so why not Young Adult lit, right? But what I do see if denigration of adults who read YA lit extensively or even exclusively. To be honest I can understand that. Generally speaking I’d find it strange if someone wasn’t reading age appropriate books most of the time. Naturally I’ve read some children’s classics in my adult years (mostly because I’d failed to read them as a child) and have also read – and enjoyed – some books classified as YA but I wouldn’t read them exclusively. I’m an adult and need adult stimulation through adult subjects and adult situations. Candyfloss is OK from time to time but you wouldn’t want to live on it.

7) Have you ever been snubbed for reading something or for reading in general?

As I’ve said before, people think it strange that I read so much (as if 60 books a year was a lot), that I read such a varied range of topics or that I read at all. It makes me suspect but I’m not generally snubbed because of it. I’ve got some very funny looks from people when they catch what I’m reading. My favourite strange looks were some years ago when I was reading a book called ‘Shoot the Women First’ on public transport. Lately the two that raised eyebrows were ‘How to Stage a Military Coup’ and most recently ‘The Female Eunuch’.

So, Am I a Book Snob? Pretty much – yes! [lol]     

Cartoon Time.

Data regulator probes King's Cross facial recognition tech

From The BBC

15 August 2019

The facial-recognition system at King's Cross is to be investigated by the UK's data-protection watchdog. Media exposure of live facial recognition at the site prompted the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to look into how it was being used. The ICO will inspect the technology in place and how it is operated to ensure it does not break data protection laws. The regulator said it was "deeply concerned" about the growing use of facial-recognition technology.

The Financial Times was the first to report a live face-scanning system was being used across the 67-acre (0.3-sq-km) site around King's Cross station in London. Developer Argent said it used the technology to "ensure public safety" and it was just one of "a number of detection and tracking methods" in place at the site. But the use of cameras and databases to work out who is passing through and using the site has proved controversial. So far, Argent has not said how long it has been using facial-recognition cameras, what is the legal basis for their use, or what systems it has in place to protect the data it collects. In its statement, the ICO said: "Scanning people's faces as they lawfully go about their daily lives, in order to identify them, is a potential threat to privacy that should concern us all." The regulator said it was keen to ensure that King's Cross developer was using the technology in accordance with UK laws governing the use of data.

"Put simply, any organisations wanting to use facial recognition technology must comply with the law - and they must do so in a fair, transparent and accountable way," said the ICO. It must have documented how and why it believed its use of the technology was legal, proportionate and justified, it added. Argent has not yet responded to a request for comment by BBC News. The mayor of London is also quizzing developer Argent about its use of facial-recognition systems. Sadiq Khan wrote to the company and said there was "serious and widespread concern" about the legality of facial recognition.

[Time to invest in a fashionable mask – or one for each occasion – plus some cosy body armour….. It’s a future trend I think. You heard it here first! Oh, and interestingly an out of town shopping centre has just admitted to 'trialing a similar system there too...... Where's George Orwell when you need him?]

The Art of Resistance?

Kinda cute.... Kinda....

Just Finished Reading: The Roman Empire – A Very Short Introduction by Christopher Kelly (FP: 2006)

If you asked the average person to name an empire chances are they’ve either name the British or the Roman one. The Roman Empire – the focus here was mainly on the Western bit – at its height covered the entire Mediterranean region, up to the Scottish border in the north, France, Spain and a good chunk of Germany, Egypt and points East, Greece and beyond. No wonder its inhabitants thought they controlled ‘the known world’. Certainly nothing like it had been seen in Europe before (or for long afterwards).

Naturally much has been written about the Romans and the author was very conscious of not following down that, largely chronological, route. His approach was a rather different one looking at how the empire began and grew to the extent it did (conquest pretty much), what it meant for both Romans and their enemies to have and to use imperial power, how elites in the occupied territories colluded with the Empire for good reasons – resistance to Rome was shown again and again until the fall to be essentially futile. A revolt against Rome was a suicidal proposition as tribes, peoples and nations found to their cost. He then looked at how the Empire had been treated throughout history by scholars from Roman commentators themselves to the Middle Ages and on to today where arguments still rage about Roman brutality and their civilising mission (purely on Roman terms of course). Naturally the rise of Christianity cannot be ignored as it is inexorably tied to the Roman Empire and its response to a subversive sect in its midst. Then there is the lived experience in the Empire where the author probably most surprised me – I’m no expert on all things Roman but did think I had a pretty good handle on things – as it seems that most of my mental image of Rome comes from (generally historically inaccurate) movies. For one thing – not unlike ‘3rd World’ countries in the all too recent past – infant mortality was extremely high which resulted in the average age of Roman citizens to be 25. What’s more about 60% of Romans at age 17 served in the military and not just for a 2 year tour. Military spending in the Empire was staggering. It really was a fully militarised society with spending being the equivalent of 10 times the present US military expenditure. Now considering the US outspends the next 30 countries combined you can imagine the cost of running the Roman military machine. Another interesting fact the author brought to my attention was the lack of anything like a Civil Service. For an imperial population of 60 million the Empire had around 10,000 bureaucrats to run things. The UK with a similar population has about 500,000 bureaucrats.

Finally (naturally) the author ended with Rome’s representation in movies and print as well its cultural highlights (and low lights) being presented in everything from bubble bath to boxer shorts. Images and echoes of Rome are everywhere from our language, laws, architecture, forms of government, philosophy, religion and much else besides. Rome is all things to all people and still 2,000 years after it fell resounds in western culture probably unlike anything else. This is a fascinating little book full of interesting aspects of the Empire that is either loved or reviled but hardly ever ignored. Definitely recommended for a quick and fun read.

Cartoon Time.

Just Finished Reading: Empire – A Very Short Introduction by Stephen Howe (FP: 2002)

Not unlike the poor, Empires have always been with us. Indeed, as the author points out in this fascinating short book, it could be argued that the history of Empire is the history of humanity. Even before the iconic Roman Empire reached the height of its powers other Empires emerged, expanded and died across the globe from the Middle East, China and South America. Some lasted only as long as their Emperor (and sometimes the rarer Empress) lived. Others lasted generations whilst the self-styled inheritor of Rome – the Holy Roman Empire – lasted 1000 years. Some Empires where comparatively tiny whilst others, such as the British Empire spanned the globe over a landmass where the sun literally never set. Empires had a power base on land and expanded outwards from the edges. Empires also had their power based at sea and produced colonies or protectorates wherever conditions allowed access to the interior from coastal acquisitions. Empires grew organically or by deliberate conquest. It is only in the present lifetime of a single generation that we live in a world without an Empire somewhere. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolving of the British Empire with the loss of Hong Kong we are living in unique times. But, as the news coming out of Hong Kong attests, we are still experiencing the echoes of Empires and will continue to do so for many years (or indeed generations) to come.

Empires shaped the world, moved millions of people across the globe – some voluntary, some not – literally moved mountains, changed environments, changed languages, made species (and civilisations) extinct, instituted global trade, made war, enforced people, enabled slavery, fought to stop slavery, expanded religions, transplanted religions, spread disease, plants and animals across the world both by design and by accident, and much else besides. Empires may be vilified by some and (cautiously) praised by others but they certainly cannot be ignored if any understanding of global history is to be achieved. The history of Empires, taught as dispassionately as possible considering the understandable controversy around so much of its activities, allows us to understand the histories of entire cultures as well as ‘hot button’ topics such as colonialism (in all its aspects), race, development, power, cultural imperialism (and cultural appropriation) and other areas so exercising the world today. This book is an excellent entry point into that whole (rather messy but very interesting) area for discussion and doesn’t shy away from areas hotly debated by the various groups – historians, indigenous peoples, politicians – which we still see almost every days on news sites and papers. The echo of Empire still exists around the world – softly in some places but almost deafening in others. It is difficult to understand the world without any reference to it. Reading this recommended book would be a good first step for anyone unfamiliar with, or simply misinformed about, an idea that shaped the world since before the historical record began.     

3 more books in this Empire 'book blitz' to come.....

Cartoon Time.

So...... NOT Video Games then.....

UK power cut: National Grid promises to learn lessons from blackout

From The BBC

10th August 2019

National Grid has said it will "learn the lessons" after nearly one million people across England and Wales lost power on Friday. But director of operations Duncan Burt told the BBC that its systems "worked well" after the "incredibly rare event" of two power stations disconnecting. He said he did not believe that a cyber-attack or unpredictable wind power generation was to blame. Regulator Ofgem has demanded an "urgent detailed report" into what went wrong. It said it could take enforcement action, including a fine, after train passengers were stranded, traffic lights failed to work and thousands of homes lost power during the blackout. An energy department spokesperson said National Grid must "urgently review" what happened. National Grid power was restored by 17:40 BST on Friday but some train services continued to be disrupted on Saturday.

The power cut happened at about 17:00 BST on Friday, National Grid said, with blackouts across the midlands, the south east, south west, north west and north east of England, and Wales. National Grid said its systems were not to blame. Industry experts said a gas-fired power station at Little Barford, Bedfordshire, failed at 16:58 followed, two minutes later, by the Hornsea offshore wind farm disconnecting from the grid. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Burt acknowledged the "immense disruption" the blackout had caused. He said the near-simultaneous loss of two generators was more than the grid was routinely prepared for, prompting automatic safety systems to shut off power to some places.

"We think that worked well; we think the safety protection systems across the industry, on generators and on the network, worked well to secure and keep the grid safe, to make sure that we preserved power to the vast proportion of the country," he said. But he said the industry needed to examine whether these safety systems were set up correctly to have "minimal impact" on people's daily lives. RWE, owner of the Little Barford power station, said it shut down temporarily on Friday as a routine response to a technical issue, and called for National Grid and Ofgem to investigate the "wider system issues". And Orsted, the owner of the Hornsea offshore wind farm, said automatic systems on Hornsea One "significantly reduced" power around the same time others failed. A spokesperson added: "We are investigating the cause, working closely with National Grid System Operator, which balances the UK's electricity system."

Police were called to help travellers during the huge disruption on the railways on Friday, with delayed passengers stranded for hours. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, says it is investigating why the power cut had such a severe effect on its trains. Thameslink trains were particularly badly impacted as GTR had to deploy technicians to manually restart trains north of London. Shadow business and energy secretary Rebecca Long Bailey said the impact of the power cut was "unacceptable" at a time when National Grid reported £1.8bn in profits and increased dividends to shareholders.  King's Cross was one of the worst-hit stations, with all trains suspended for several hours. Passenger Dayna McAlpine told BBC Radio 5 Live her train took nearly 13 hours to reach London King's Cross from Edinburgh - a journey which would normally take less than five hours. "By hour seven things were starting to get pretty tense," she said. "People were threatening to self-evacuate off the train... Food ran out about five hours ago." Others on social media reported having travelled for 12 hours, while some rail passengers were stuck on trains until the early hours of the morning.

[We weren’t directly affected by these rather bizarre events – although one of my gaming buddies said they lost power for about 2 hours before he came on-line. We did have some game connection drops (two in around 20 minutes) but that was probably various companies resetting their systems post-outage. It’s weird though how two systems went off-line practically simultaneously. Either it was a (successful) cyber-attack [possible] or it might have been a systemic cascade failure caused by how their system is set up. I guess we’ll find out when the report comes out. It does show the lack of resilience though. I know it (mostly) only lasted for a few hours but still….. rather worrying!]

Just Finished Reading: Utopia for Realists and How We Can Get There by Rutger Bregman (FP: 2014)

The Poor, so it is said, are always with us. Throughout the entirety of human history some have been rich, some have been comfortable and many have been poor. It seems that such a state of affairs is inevitable no matter what the economic system is in place (poverty existed LONG before Capitalism so it might be partially responsible for prolonging or enabling it but it certainly didn’t create it). But what if something COULD be done about it. Something that hasn’t been tried before? After all what is the REAL cause of Poverty? Actually, when the think about it the cause is kind of obvious. Poverty is caused by a lack of money. That’s it. So the solution is also kind of obvious. Give poor people money. But not in the way we usually do – through a begrudging slight redistribution of wealth with countless conditions attached, forms to fill in, investigations to be put up with, rules to follow, sanctions to apply and everything that follows in a so-called Welfare State. No, none of that. You just give poor people a regular amount of money to bring them above the poverty line in whatever country they live in – no strings, no forms, no rules, no intrusive monitoring. That is the radical idea the author proposes. Ludicrous I hear you say. How could that possibly work? How can it be afforded? What about people taking the money and spending the rest of their lives with their feet up stoned or drunk or watching daytime TV (which is essentially the same thing)? All good questions but, apparently, only a very small percentage (around 4-6%) actually reduce their working hours. The rest work as much or more. But what about costs? How on earth do you pay for it?

Well, there have been small scale studies across the world from Canada to India to Africa and they all come back with the same results. Raising people out of poverty lowers crime levels, health levels increase, children stay longer in school, drug consumption – both legal and illegal – drops, law courts are used less, welfare agencies see a significant drop in case referrals and so on. When all of this is taken into account a lot of the cost of a basic income actual starts to pay for itself. That’s not just its advocates making things up out of thin air. They have the stats to prove it. It sounds crazy, it might actually BE crazy, but it seems to work. Imagine the fallout…. The END of Poverty….. It’s almost too bizarre to think about. To be honest I did struggle with the idea even with the facts staring me in the face. From the micro studies carried out so far it works. Of course it would take a HUGE leap of faith for any government on the planet to put it into action but imagine 50 years ago proposing the idea of Gay Marriage or 200 years ago proposing Universal Suffrage – including WOMEN. You’d be called mad, delusional, and UTOPIAN. Then, when it actually happens, everyone looks around and wonders what all the fuss was about…..

About half the book looks at the issue of poverty and backs up the idea of basic income. But not just to eliminate the scourge of poverty. The author recognises that, if automation continues on its present track, that true mass unemployment is coming for our children and especially our grandchildren. We can do something about that too – we can slow down the march of the machines (highly unlikely), we can create new jobs that machines can’t do (yet), we can create bullshit jobs just to employ people (and perpetuate the angst so many people feel at the end of a pointless working week) or we can pay people not to work – without pointless rules and penalties. We’re going to have to do something…. And soon. Just as you’re getting used to that idea the author drops another bomb of an idea – open borders. As you can imagine – especially in this age of walls – that’s even more controversial than basic income. But, rather surprisingly he manages to sell it quite well indeed. Did you know, for instance, that there was serious opposition to the very idea of passports before the First World War….? Weird, huh? Something I’m going to have to investigate I think!

I haven’t really done this highly provocative book the justice it deserves. I went into it a confirmed sceptic but now I’m not so sure. It’s definitely made me think about things differently and has most definitely made me challenged some of my assumptions which I discovered are not as ‘obvious’ as I thought. Definitely one for those who aren’t afraid of truly radical ideas whose time might just be around the corner. Highly recommended.   

Translated from the Dutch by Elizabeth Manton.

Cartoon Time.

...and the same with books!

My Favourite TV: Stargate – Atlantis

When a new series hits our screens it must spend at least sometime laying the groundwork for the story (or stories) being unfolded as well as for characters complete with development arcs and much else besides. World (or Universe!) building takes time though and some effort from the viewers who need to accumulate details that will (hopefully) come in handy later. Stargate: Atlantis (running from 2004-2009) had all of these issues but it did have several built-in advantages too. Atlantis was a spin-off from the highly successful Stargate: SG-1 (more later) which was still running I think so a lot of the Universe building was already in place. We knew about ‘the Ancients’ who were the original gate-builders (large circular devices for travelling between planets/stars using ‘wormhole technology) so the techno-babble about these was kept to a minimum but pretty much everything else was new. After all the show was based in a different GALAXY – the Pegasus galaxy so we’d need to expect different things to be in play.

Much like its predecessor Atlantis started off with a planet/alien of the week approach. Their excuse – apart from being natural explorers – was the search for ZPM’s (Zero Point Modules) needed to power the lost city of Atlantis. Naturally this allowed a soft introduction to their new reality and introduced us to the new threat – the Wraith. Now the Wraith are very interesting bad guys. They’re kind of vampires living off the life force of humans living in Pegasus (yes, humans in a far flung galaxy and all speaking 21st century English without the need for universal translators. It’s just a lazy – if necessary plot device so we’ll go with that) by periodically culling them back to primitive levels before hibernating again for hundreds of years in their ‘hive ships’. Unfortunately the arrival of the humans in Pegasus has awoken them ‘early’ and subsequent all hell is let loose. That’s essentially the main plot line in series one: exploration (of the city and the larger galaxy) and survival. The fun, as always, is in the detail.

Probably half of the episodes in series one are bog standard SF fare their primarily to show off the main characters and flesh them out a bit. They’re good (generally) but not exactly memorable. Some however, even in a first series, are damned good. Early on we are introduced to a people called the Genii who are at a 1930’s level of technology after hiding their scientists underground over the centuries to avoid Wraith culling. They’re on the verge of producing atomic bombs to destroy Wraith hive ships on the ground (unaware that the new arrivals have already woken them) and the SG teams help them complete their work – only to be attacked and held hostage to provide both technology and C4 explosives for the Genii to continue their struggle for survival. Although the ‘baddies’ in a series of episodes we can see the desperation in their methods to rid themselves of the Wraith once and for all. Another planet has decided on another method to rid themselves of Wraith predation by making themselves ‘unpalatable’ to them. The downside? It kills 50% of the planets population – which is a toll they’re willing to take. Desperate times and desperate methods most definitely come to mind. That’s the galaxy the SG teams have just walked into – NASTY.

Of course with a lot of these shows the thing that does it for me is the characters involved in these often weird plots. The continuity character from SG-1 is Dr Rodney McKay played by David Hewlett as the unlikable and all too arrogant head scientist on the expedition. Even in series 1 you can see the change in him though when he, ever thinking of himself, instinctively steps in front of a gun to save Elizabeth Weir, the head of the expedition, played by Torri Higginson who is certainly one of my favourite SF characters of recent years. My favourite in this series though has to be the military lead Major John Sheppard played by Joe Flanigan who plays up his ‘hero’ status superbly even jokingly being called ‘Captain Kirk’ by Rodney at one point (totally hilarious). Lastly but not least is the local guide and ‘amazon’ warrior Teyla Emmagan played by Rachel Luttrell. Her character can be a little clunky in places but is a lot of fun to watch grow into her role.

Naturally there’s lots of combat – both on the ground and in space – but there’s a lot more exploration both of the surrounding stars and a fair share of philosophical, political and moral questions: interference in other cultures, exploitation, ends justifying means and much else. The show is far from easy light entertainment. It’s the best kind of SF – dramatic character driven content that leaves you wondering about things. Although series 1 was aired in 2004 it’s just as entertaining as anything on TV today and hasn’t lost any of its fun or its power. If you’re a SF buff and didn’t see this the first time around I’d recommend you change that. 

Cartoon Time.

Milky Way galaxy is warped and twisted, not flat

By Pallab Ghosh, Science correspondent for BBC News

1 August 2019

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is "warped and twisted" and not flat as previously thought, new research shows. Analysis of the brightest stars in the galaxy shows that they do not lie on a flat plane as shown in academic texts and popular science books. Astronomers from Warsaw University speculate that it might have been bent out of shape by past interactions with nearby galaxies. The new three dimensional map has been published in the journal Science. The popular picture of the Milky Way as a flat disc is based on the observation of 2.5 million stars out of a possible 2.5 billion. The artists' impressions are therefore rough approximations of the truer shape of our galaxy, according to Dr Dorota Skowron of Warsaw University. "The internal structure and history of the Milky Way is still far from being understood, in part because it is extremely difficult to measure distances to stars at the outer regions of our galaxy," she said.

To gain a more accurate picture, Dr Skowron and her colleagues measured the distances of some of the brightest stars in the Milky Way, called Cepheid variable stars. These are massive young stars that burn hundreds, if not thousands, of times brighter than our own Sun. They can be so bright that they can be observed at the very edge of the galaxy. Not only that, they also pulsate at regular intervals at a rate that is directly related to their brightness. This enables astronomers to calculate their distance with great precision. Most of the stars were identified by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) at Las Campanas Observatory (LCO) in Chile's southern Atacama Desert. Przemek Mroz, a member of the OGLE team, said that the results were surprising.

"Our results show that the Milky Way Galaxy is not flat. It is warped and twisted far away from the galactic centre. Warping may have happened through past interactions with satellite galaxies, intergalactic gas or dark matter (invisible material present in galaxies about which little in known)." The Polish results support an analysis of Cepheid variable stars published in February in Nature Astronomy journal by astronomers from Macquarie University in Australia and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

[I remember the flat Galaxy images in various books I’ve perused over the years. It made sense – spinning discs flatten out as they spin – right? Well, apparently the universe isn’t really as ‘neat and tidy’ as we think it is…. Which is COOL because that gives it more room for interesting surprises!]

N00b.....

Just Finished Reading: Migraine by Oliver Sacks (FP: 1970)

I’ve had headaches for as long as I can remember – way back into my childhood. Looking back on them I think that a goodly proportion were probably eye-strain related. They were always worse in the summer with the heat, dryness and strong light. Getting glasses in my late teens was probably more than a few years too late. But growing up the headaches were the least of my worries. From time to time, apparently randomly, the headaches would develop into something altogether more painful and disturbing – a migraine. For those of you lucky enough never to have experienced such a thing a migraine is not just a bad headache – even a very bad headache. A migraine is something much worse. Imagine the worst hangover you’ve ever had…. Now double it and double it again. Then extend it for 24-36 hours followed by another 24-36 hours of a brain filled with cotton wool. That’s the kind of migraines I used to get. But reading this book I realise that I’m one of the lucky ones.

My migraines were intermittent. I have no real idea what caused them – something I ate, weird summer weather, stress – but I could go months or more without one. In this interesting if difficult read I was appalled to discover than some people experience migraines weekly – or even more often. To me that sounds like Hell. Likewise I discovered that my symptoms are towards the milder kind – pounding head pain, nausea, and (sometimes) visual pyrotechnics. I could always feel one coming hours ahead of time. The quality of the light changed and things became hyper-real. There was a sense of unreality about things and an almost hushed anticipation. If I was lucky I could head things off with some serious pain killers (a codeine based pill was best I discovered) but too often the only solution was to go to bed and suffer through it. Often, after 24 hours, the storm would have (largely) passed and I could function again. A day after that and it was like it never happened. My brother, unfortunately, is usually flat on his back for 3 days before recovering and that’s with the strongest pain killers on the market. Again, compared to some poor brutes mentioned in the book, we both get off pretty lightly. Not only do some people need sedating during an attack but the after effect can last long enough to melt into the start of another attack. Heavy duty drugs are the only way to deal with it. I honestly hadn’t realised just how complex migraines are. Although the book was rather dated (although it did contain some postscripts from later editions) it did make a fair fist at trying to understand how migraines appear and how they progress through their leisurely development so unlike the lightening surge of epilepsy.

What I found both bizarre and fascinating were the visual effects of a migraine episode. I sometimes experienced flashing lights of brilliant intensity like star-shells going off on the edge of my visual field. Even in the last 6 weeks or so I experienced vivid zig-zag patterns marching across my visual field that failed to develop into anything further (edged off screen by a quick pair of Ibuprofen tablets I always carry with me). But these are very minor events compared to some who suddenly see things in black and white, in 2 dimensions, pixelated or with visual experiences not dissimilar to painting by Picasso. I couldn’t help wondering how many artists throughout the 20th century – especially after the physical and psychological shocks of WW1 – suffered from some type of migraine symptoms which gave rise to whole new art forms like Cubism. More research needed I feel.

Probably the only real downside to this book (apart from its age) is the fact that it felt like (and I believe it was true) that the book was written by a doctor for other doctors – in this case from a professor of neuroscience to a General Practitioner audience. The book is peppered with medical terminology none of which is explained and pointers about patient care are constantly brought up. I did find myself softly skimming some areas of dense language once I got the gist of things which was manageable after some effort and concentration. Most of the book naturally revolved around the biology and neurology of migraines with only a small section at the end offering some advice on particular drugs and other techniques to reduce the severity of the attack or to head it off at the pass completely. I’m not sure how useful this was but I’m going to try a few things if I ever suffer another migraine event. Presently (apart from the recent light show) I’m migraine free and have been for several years – probably in the region of 3-4 I think. If you are a sufferer or know/care for someone who is I think this book might be of some limited value but I’d look for something a bit more modern as well as something a bit more non-medical professional friendly. Interesting over all but definitely hard going in places.