MetaFilter posts tagged with progress

George Soros on the Way Forward

kliuless — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:42:21 -0800

Soros lectures
You can slog through the video, but I preferred the transcripts 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 + to me, it started off rather abstract* (admittedly on his part) and slow (covered ground; note soros tag) and doesn't really get interesting until 3 -- "The event that forced me to thoroughly reconsider the concept of open society was the re-election of President Bush..." [altho he can get a bit arrogant ("even I, who discovered—or invented—reflexivity, failed to recognize...")] -- and gets better from there... so i'd skip to that if you're so inclined :P kinda previously... and btw, as a bonus, also see... - Why Do We Hate? - What Makes a Nation Rich? - How Much Is Enough? - What the U.S. Long Bond Market Is Telling Us (cf.) - The G20 in 2050 (viz.) - Rare earth: The New Great Game [1,2,3,4,5,6] --- *in fleshing out his concept of reflexivity he goes thru (among other things and in other words) descriptive vs. prescriptive (or normative) theories, instrumental rationality and empiricism, false thinking and truthiness, the law of unintended consequences, &c. so if you're into that sort of stuff... have at it!

Cost of a dozen eggs: $5.29

caddis — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:38:25 -0800

Evolution of the household 1950s to today, with values adjusted for inflation. (via Geek Press)

We are defined by those parts of the earth that we haven’t changed.

1f2frfbf — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:58:06 -0800

The New Road. A photo essay by Rob Amberg on the building of I-26 through Madison County in the mountains of North Carolina. via

"It is very dangerous to try picking and choosing which truths we dare acknowledge."

tybeet — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:37:20 -0800

"The more we understand why we demonise certain scientific advances, the better we will be able to decide whether some areas of research are so sensitive they should always remain off limits to science." Is Science Out of Control?

The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904

dhammond — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:31:29 -0800

"To suppose that the spirit of our people will not rise to the occasion is to suppose that our people are not genuine Americans. We shall make the fire of 1904 a landmark not of decline but of progress."

The Happy Planet Index: a Better Way to Measure Well-Being?

shivohum — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 09:00:33 -0800

The Happy Planet Index presents an alternative to GDP for measuring standard of living. It ranks countries by measuring life expectancy and self-reported life satisfaction against an "ecological footprint" needed to support that country's lifestyle. The press release claims that well-being is not based on high levels of consumption, but many don't agree. Full report in PDF here. Vanuatu tops the charts, while Zimbabwe and Swaziland lie at bottom. Critiques here, here, here, and here. A critique of happiness indices generally here.

I'm looking at YOU, Anderson Cooper

John Kenneth Fisher — Thu, 31 May 2007 21:09:49 -0800

As Wolfdaddy put it last time we did this: "Yeah, like we didn't know that already." - So as the Glass Closet gets a tad smaller, might we be rapidly approaching that long hoped-for "tipping point" where those inside the glass no longer feel the need to play word games and dance around who they are, instead of standing up to be counted?

GATTACA

Gyan — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 04:15:19 -0800

The Promise and Perils of Synthetic Biology

new hope for a vaccine or cure?

amberglow — Thu, 25 May 2006 17:00:10 -0800

AIDS really did come from chimps in the 1950s --..."We're 25 years into this pandemic," Hahn said. "We don't have a cure. We don't have a vaccine. But we know where it came from. At least we can make a check mark on one of those." ... ...Identifying the source of the HIV pandemic is more than filling in a missing link in the disease's progression. ...

“British Muslims welcome working with everyone including members of the Lesbian and Gay community against a common enemy, fascism.”

amberglow — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 19:23:09 -0800

Gay and Muslim groups getting together in the UK? plans are to look at homophobia in the Muslim community and Islamophobia in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The Muslim Council of Britain is also admitting that if you have nothing positive to say keep your mouth shut, which is a very good first step. Can two groups often on the receiving end of hatred work together ? “British Muslims welcome working with everyone including members of the Lesbian and Gay community against a common enemy, fascism.” I don't know if they have the likes of Michael Savage there (or the many many others), who rail against (and call for the death of) both Muslims and gays on the airwaves daily, but it seems hopeful, no?

matteo — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 11:51:10 -0800

“Jewish Women and the Feminist Revolution” -- an online exhibit

What's up with US science these days??

Fozzie — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 17:56:31 -0800

So yesterday I posted the story about how researchers had discovered that both sexes cared about appearance when selecting dates. Today Stanford (!!) releases the startling discovery that cars get hot when parked in the sun. Meanwhile K State learns that women feel better about their bodies when complemented, and the other shocker story is that problem gamblers share traits with substance abusers. And how about that New Scientist story about the fact we're entering a dark age? So what's up with science lately, particularly in America?

Big Questions of Science

Gyan — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 18:57:47 -0800

Science explores 125 big questions that face scientific inquiry over the next quarter-century. [via]

What the hell is 'foo-fooey?

amberglow — Tue, 03 May 2005 11:22:00 -0800

Joe Valentine has Two Mommies --..."It's no different than having a mother and father," he said. "These are the two women who raised me, and they are wonderful people. It's just not a big deal to me. Why should it be?" In an enlightened world, it shouldn't. But major league baseball is to enlightenment what Pauly Shore is to career longevity. ... Meet the Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher--"...a baseball player who was raised by two wonderful, loving mothers. How can anyone criticize that?"

move over, Mass!

amberglow — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 15:53:49 -0800

Wedding Bells in NYC?? -- with a beautifully-written ruling, NY Supreme Ct. Justice Doris Ling-Cohan states that denying marriage to gay and lesbian New Yorkers is unconstitutional: ... There has been a steady evolution of the institution of marriage throughout history which belies the concept of a static traditional definition. Marriage, as it is understood today, is both a partnership of two loving equals who choose to commit themselves to each other and a State institution designed to promote stability for the couple and their children. The relationships of plaintiffs fit within this definition of marriage. Similar to opposite-sex couples, same-sex couples are entitled to the same fundamental right to follow their hearts and publicly commit to a lifetime partnership with the person of their choosing. The recognition that this fundamental right applies equally to same-sex couples cannot legitimately be said to harm anyone. ...
More here

All Our Yesterday's Tomorrows

y2karl — Thu, 03 Jul 2003 06:07:11 -0800

Miracles You Will See In The Next 50 Years From Popular Mechanics, February 1950, Page 112. Ah, yes, I remember Yesterday's Tomorrows. Hey! Where's my robot slave? Why, I oughta... I'll Futurama you! Hey everybody--let's all sing There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow! Mmm... The Future In Song

moz — Mon, 31 Dec 2001 11:28:05 -0800

By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA. From the website at the Library of Congress, the posters consist of 908 boldly colored and graphically diverse original posters produced from 1936 to 1943 as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal. Of the 2,000 WPA posters known to exist, the Library of Congress's collection of more than 900 is the largest. These striking silkscreen, lithograph, and woodcut posters were designed to publicize health and safety programs; cultural programs including art exhibitions, theatrical, and musical performances; travel and tourism; educational programs; and community activities in seventeen states and the District of Columbia. For examples, see a poster on the health dangers of Syphilis and one for the play Alison's House: A Poetic Romance.

baylink — Thu, 22 Mar 2001 21:25:05 -0800

A era comes, as they like to say, to a end. The final burn of the Progress cargo ship attached to MIR is underway; she's a comin' down. Obvious CNN link attached; NASA likely swamped; other good links welcome...