tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82905248896578238052024-03-06T01:26:06.009+01:00For the promotion of rigour and rationalityTakis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.comBlogger368125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-88120244451803128592018-04-07T16:30:00.003+02:002018-04-15T13:39:09.069+02:00How to force a cash-free numismatic policy to people, part II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have not blogged in ages, but I felled compelled to touch upon a topic I <a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/how-to-force-cash-free-numismatic.html">wrote on some time ago</a>. This is the insistence of Swedish government to get rid of cash entirely. When I first wrote about it, two years ago, I outlined the steps that a government must take in order to enforce this. And I was right. I also wrote<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And so, little by little, there will be no cash in the country.
Everybody, regardless of whether they want it or not, must use a credit
card (or some form of electronic transaction). Unlike the US or the UK,
credit cards are not free. I am charged something like 50 US dollars per
year for a credit card. (The cost is 0 for my US credit card.)</blockquote>
and commented on the fact that if anything goes wrong with electronic cash then it is the individual's responsibility in Sweden. <br />
<br />
What I did not anticipate was that there would be some voices, in Sweden, that would be against such a change. I read about this <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43645676">yesterday on BBC</a>. It is an interesting article but, <span class="byline__name">Maddy Savage, the BBC business reporter, doesn't seem to know all the facts or understand the severity of the situation. I don't blame her. It's hard to know when the policy to design a cash-free society is hidden. Therefore, any inference on what is going on can only be made by observations of the consequences and changes that can be witnessed by living in Sweden and seeing the difference between now and, say, four years ago.</span><br />
<br />
Here are then some further comments:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Responsibility</b>. If you only use cash and lose your wallet, then you just lose your cash. But worse, much worse things can happen if you use electronic cash. The question is who is responsible. If you lose your cash then, clearly, you are responsible. If someone steals money from you electronically by compromising the electronic banking system then, rationally speaking, it should be the bank that should bear responsibility. But not in Sweden. It is almost always the case that the responsibility is upon the individual. </li>
<li><b>Vulnerable group</b>s: The BBC article says <i>"Some worry about the challenges it poses for vulnerable groups, especially the elderly."</i> In fact, this is very true. I know elderly people who do not use smart phones or computers. Are these people considered undesired citizens in Sweden? At Uppsala, a town/big village, with no traffic and plenty of parking, it was decided that parking fees be imposed almost everywhere, 24 hours a day. What is worse, is that you can't pay with cash or even credit card. You are forced to have a "smart" phone with an app. A Swedish elderly lady I know used to visit her friend several times a week and drive to her because she can't walk. The increase in the cost and the inconvenience of the payment method forced her to cancel her visits and she now stays home all the time. Does anyone care about her mental health?</li>
<li><b>Foreigners/visitors</b>: What about people visiting Sweden from abroad? How can they pay if you must have a Swedish phone, a Swedish ID, a Swedish app? Well, again, Sweden does not care. This happened to me several times when I was a newcomer to Sweden. I would try to pay, with, say, my mobile phone, but it was impossible.</li>
<li><b>Data leaks</b>: The aforementioned BBC article states "<i>Swedes are very trusting but I think that is changing. For example the recent <a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43649018">Cambridge Analytica scandal</a> has made people more aware of how their data is being used." </i>But they don't mention what is worse: the huge scandal that took place a few months ago because Sweden outsourced al<u>most all</u> details of nearly everyone in Sweden to some private company and then all data leaked to unknown sources, leading to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/world/europe/ibm-sweden-data-outsourcing.html"><u>biggest data leak in history</u></a>. Yes, Swedes are trusting but they shouldn't blindly trust their government. However, since trusting the government in Sweden is, for now, much strongert than a religious dogma, this will not be easily reversed. </li>
</ol>
If a cashless society is desired then this should be designed carefully, by revealing all steps of the process, by being frank about the goals, by talking about responsibilities (in case of data breach), by making everything very clear to everyone.<br />
<br />
I believe that the cashless design will be successful, not because the steps above will take place, but because it is happening under the carpet, and in ways that nobody can ever voice any disagreement. In the end, it will be triumphantly announced that "the people wanted a cash-free society, the people got it, long live the people!"<br />
<br />
I shall conclude this posting with three images, giving a very partial glimpse of what the future is like, not just in Sweden, but even in your country. Sweden simply represents the future.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/11/23/business/international/23cashless-slideshow-slide-R508/23cashless-slideshow-slide-R508-slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5G0nHghKZ8o/WsjT6YiHu0I/AAAAAAAAEKs/pM9pAWYohW4HVQNyuD_rqCET4fJups4qACLcBGAs/s320/payinggodwithcreditcard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/11/23/business/international/23cashless-slideshow-slide-R508/23cashless-slideshow-slide-R508-slide.jpg"><span style="font-size: small;">Faithful believers giving money to their church using electronic means</span></a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/iUf_rMZsUoJQ/v1/800x-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0yqwPjhinE/WsjUR0XpOzI/AAAAAAAAEKw/a55mTODv-kwAzRdSoXgZoA8P5hCBZNJkACLcBGAs/s320/homelesscardreader.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/iUf_rMZsUoJQ/v1/800x-1.jpg"><span style="font-size: small;">Homeless person accepting </span><span class="byline__name"><span style="font-size: small;">monetary alms via electronic means</span></span></a></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/590/cpsprodpb/B612/production/_100701664_cashfreesign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V8Y-NG_eiVE/WsjU6oKjvUI/AAAAAAAAELA/g3KVuaMDBsQoEGmqJrk_6lLgiN0Jyu0nQCLcBGAs/s320/nosorry.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/590/cpsprodpb/B612/production/_100701664_cashfreesign.jpg"><span style="font-size: small;">Swedish title says: We only take cards; no cash. Notice that the "sorry for any inconvenience" is mentioned only in English. This is actually a very common phenomenon. The words "sorry" and "apology" are meant to be only for English speakers who still believe that the words are not obsolete.</span></a></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/590/cpsprodpb/B612/production/_100701664_cashfreesign.jpg"><br /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-66832906937142261282016-07-04T19:41:00.003+02:002016-07-04T19:41:55.648+02:00What is the EU?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Brits voted in the referendum whose question was clear: should the UK stay in the EU or leave?<br />
<br />
After they voted, many went to the Internet and typed on Google:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/06/24/the-british-are-frantically-googling-what-the-eu-is-hours-after-voting-to-leave-it/">"What it the EU?"</a> </blockquote>
That is to say, they had no clue what they were voting for. And then they typed: "What will happen if we leave the EU?"<br />
<br />
Are we surprised? No. Many voters, far more than the small margin between the leave/stay outcome, have no clue what they're voting for. They're just following, like sheep, someone who's shouting. They listen to the one who's shouting louder. They only thing they don't do is think.<br />
<br />
So, whoever says that the people of the UK decided that UK should leave the EU is wrong. Many of them didn't decide. They just voted at random, influenced by demagogues. Nothing special with the UK, of course. It would have been the same in many countries. Many people vote for reasons unrelated to what the actual vote is for. Unless we take into account these random, uninformed, votes, the result is not correct. We need to allow for the probability that a voter acted under the influence, some influence.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="credit-caption">
<div class="caption">
<span style="font-size: small;">Searches for "<b><span style="color: blue;">what is the eu</span></b>" and "<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">what is brexit</span></b>" spiked in the U.K. after polls closed [<a href="http://www.google.com/trends/explore?hl=en-US#q=what+is+the+eu,+what+is+brexit&geo=GB&date=now+1-d&cmpt=q&tz=Europe/Belfast&tz=Europe/Belfast&tz=Europe/Belfast">Google Trends</a> via <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/06/24/480949383/britains-google-searches-for-what-is-the-eu-spike-after-brexit-vote">NPR</a>]</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="credit"></span></div>
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Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-32572176216905441702016-06-05T02:32:00.000+02:002016-06-05T02:57:49.881+02:00Paris, critically flooded<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Paris hasn't seen so much rain for a century. I'm visiting Université Paris Sud for a couple of weeks but I'm staying centrally, in the cinquième arrondissement. It's been raining like crazy. It feels more like February than June. Gray skies and temperatures hovering around 13C. Many places have been closed. The Orsay museum is closed. The basement of the Louvre is closed. Nôtre Dame is closed. The walkways at the Seine are flooded. The Seine boats are not operating. Water has gone through the walls of parts of the métro. The University Paris Sud was closed for a few days because of floods that affected electricity. Here are some photos from central Paris.<br />
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Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-19630495036071539192016-05-23T00:50:00.000+02:002016-05-26T01:34:53.935+02:00Tatoo obsession in Sweden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Swedes have a huge obsession with tatoos:<br />
Tatoos have become so commonplace in Sweden that Stockholm is now believed to be home to the world's most inked population outside of tribal societies. [<a href="http://www.thelocal.se/20141209/why-do-so-many-swedes-have-tattoos">Source</a>]<br />
<br />
I wrote about this in an earlier post because one of the first things I noticed in Sweden was that shops that carry magazines and newspapers have many more publications devoted to tatoos than to news. Sometimes one cannot find newspapers (other than trash tabloids) but there are surely several (sometimes dozens) tatoos magazines always available. I tested this today at the main airport in Stockholm. I asked, at Pressbyrån, if they have any newspapers. They pointed out Expressen to me. I said, "that's a tabloid, do you have any regular newspaper?" They pointed out Aftonbladet to me. I replied that this is also junk press. "Any serious newspapers?" No. None. And yet they had several magazines on tattoo.<br />
<br />
It's very hard to find newspapers at the main airport of Stockholm. As for foreign press, forget it, there is none. But tatoos are everywhere. There is even a tatoo parlor at the Stockholm airport:<br />
<a href="http://www.swedavia.com/arlanda/about-stockholm-arlanda-airport/about-stockholm-arlanda-airport/news/worlds-first-tattoo-studio-at-an-airport/">http://www.swedavia.com/arlanda/about-stockholm-arlanda-airport/about-stockholm-arlanda-airport/news/worlds-first-tattoo-studio-at-an-airport/</a><br />
And they're proud about it: it's the first airport in the world to have a tatoo shop. (Caveat: there's nothing decent to eat at Stockholm airport, but there's a place where you can get a tatoo.) I guess it's important to some to get their tattoo before they fly. <br />
<br />
I observed these peculiarities long time ago. But I didn't know that Sweden has as many tatoos per capita as in tribal societies.<br />
<br />
N.B. See my old posting on 3 Swedish fetishes:<br />
<a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.fr/2011/09/three-swedish-fetishes.html?m=0">http://randomprocessed.blogspot.fr/2011/09/three-swedish-fetishes.html?m=0</a><br />
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Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-7366594957655152262016-02-15T13:14:00.000+01:002016-02-15T13:28:56.723+01:00Maps lie more than one usually thinks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I performed the following experiment with students of mathematics. I showed them a map of Russia on google and took a point very far to the east (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uelen">Uelen</a>, a village in the Chukotsky District next to the Bering Sea) and a point very far to the west (Venekyulya, a region in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leningrad_Oblast">Leningrad Oblast</a>, at the border with Estonia). The distance between Uelen and Venekyulya is, roughly, the largest distance between two points in Russia, which is about 6000 km. I asked the students to draw a path between Uelen and Venekyulya whose length is 6000 km. Some drew the path P1 shown below which is a straight line between Uelen and Venekyulya on the google map. Others, realizing that the map is a projection of a sphere, drew path P2, slightly curved upwards.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbLpxdxSB6bOKHYp_Q3e2n2nMBeoAr6OqeOOxye5KDMO_dzRw5_yy0AYDlNyGFCqEa8VcLHDtsBVdcilLlq_Dxeaq4_Wt4rOPJiLKpXJDayYPRDrGLMP0CkNdn-ODDFJhiEdjzhk-SZw/s1600/s1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbLpxdxSB6bOKHYp_Q3e2n2nMBeoAr6OqeOOxye5KDMO_dzRw5_yy0AYDlNyGFCqEa8VcLHDtsBVdcilLlq_Dxeaq4_Wt4rOPJiLKpXJDayYPRDrGLMP0CkNdn-ODDFJhiEdjzhk-SZw/s320/s1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
When I showed them the actual path (see below), they were all surprised. They thought it was wrong. How can it be that the "straight line path" is so much curved upwards? Well, that's because the distortion of the map increases very rapidly when we move away from the equator.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--z3WIGeWQfE/VsHAHb8YgUI/AAAAAAAADsE/zx88PW8G2k4/s1600/s2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--z3WIGeWQfE/VsHAHb8YgUI/AAAAAAAADsE/zx88PW8G2k4/s320/s2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
If I had shown them the actual map, on a sphere, then they would have known what to do: they would have drawn an arc between Uelen and Venekyulya that is part of the unique great circle between them, that is, the circle centered at the Earth's center and containing Uelen and Venekyulya. This arc almost (but not quite) passes from the North Pole. To see this, we need to look at the Earth downwards from the North Pole. The picture then becomes clear and the apparent contradiction is resolved.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Credits for this image go to <a href="https://www.jasondavies.com/maps/rotate/">https://www.jasondavies.com/maps/rotate/</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The moral of this is that we should never believe what we see. (In fact, we should never believe in anything.) Only when we have further evidence, provided by experiment, measurements, or mathematical proof should we "believe" what we see. But then the verb "believe" becomes irrelevant; at this point, we know, we do not believe. We may believe something, temporarily, until further evidence, or we may believe something because someone else we trust has done the work for us. But we should never believe something because our eyes saw it, or because a teacher once told us, or because the government or administration says so, or because a religious, for example, book writes.<br />
<br />
One thing that bothers me with some students (and some teachers) of mathematics is that they may be comfortable with the geometry of a 5-dimensional hyperbolic space because they may have seen it in class, passed an exam on it, or doing research on it, but may be uncomfortable with down-to-Earth [sic] geometry, including knowing 2-3 proofs of the Pythagorean theorem. <i>O tempora o mores!</i></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-696180097594703362016-02-01T22:55:00.000+01:002016-02-01T23:00:10.409+01:00Nobel peace prize for Greek islanders<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Earlier this year, Vanessa Redgrave <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qhPQwRZ7K4">praised Greek islanders</a> for helping refugees arriving en masse in Aegean islands such as Kos. It was suggested that the Nobel peace prize be given to Greek islanders who "since the very beginning of the refugee crisis, fishermen, housewives, pensioners, teachers -- ordinary residents of the Greek islands and other volunteers have opened their homes and hearts to save refugee children, men and women fleeing war and terror."<br />
<br />
And now, there is a <a href="https://secure.avaaz.org/en/nobel_prize_greek_islanders_21/?pv=75&rc=fb">petition</a> on the internet about this. A petition launched by a Avaaz is asking for the Nobel Peace Prize to be awarded to these unsung heroes<br />
<br />
Greece does not have the means to police its borders. It's in a deep financial crisis, instigated by previous corrupt governments in cooperation with the European Union lenders who turned the blind eye when "checking" obviously fake balance sheets. Nevertheless, at the individual level, and despite the rise of neo-Nazis, many Greek islanders are indeed doing as much as they can--and more--to aid the refugees, at least those who arrive alive.<br />
<br />
In the opposite direction, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-greece-eu-idUSKCN0V51JK">EU gives Greece warning to fix border 'neglect'</a>. Easier said than done, of course. There is no money. Greece is cutting down on police forces because they can't pay them.<br />
<br />
The Nobel peace prize would be a good gesture but we should keep in mind that this prize is quite controversial: it has been given to people and organizations supporting violence, to others who have been directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds or thousands, to corrupt people, and has been largely politically motivated, i.e., a Nobel peace prize award is often given as a statement of whom the world should consider as proponent of peace, not the one who actually is. Here are some very controversial Nobel peace prizes:<br />
2012: European Union (really?)<br />
2010: Liu Xiaobo (who, basically, is a voice of American-style democracy, including support of US-initiated wars)<br />
2009: Barack Obama (who me? he said, but he accepted it)<br />
2004: Wangari Maathai (who claims that AIDS was invented by first-world scientist in order to depopulate Africa)<br />
1997: Jody Williams (for her work in banning anti-personnel landmines but isn't it <a href="https://books.google.se/books?id=hiwJHi8Pa2IC&pg=PA636&lpg=PA636&dq=dyno-nobel+landmines&source=bl&ots=bAo7TIjnWL&sig=bPLtfKja2HxsXuaWGsltOYtQ89k&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiG7p7wxdfKAhWEWSwKHRK_DDkQ6AEIIzAA#v=onepage&q=dyno-nobel%20landmines&f=false">Dyno-Nobel</a> who makes <a href="https://books.google.se/books?id=EqWsbzQh0g4C&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=landmines+nobel+company&source=bl&ots=Vy2hnOoX2x&sig=Qr0BMiWpMlXPvy2NHsgmeHPT8nI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj_24S_vdfKAhWFCywKHYvVB1IQ6AEIOTAE#v=snippet&q=sweden&f=false">landmines</a>?)<br />
1994: Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin (could that be a political statement? duh!)<br />
1989: The Dalai Lama (paid directly by the CIA in the 60s)<br />
1979: Mother Teresa (who let people die as they would go faster to paradise; read Hitchen's "The Missionary Position")<br />
1973: Henry Kissinger (probably, the most ridulous peace prize ever given; again, read Hitchen's "Trial of Henry Kissinger")<br />
<br />
To summarize, Greek islanders will welcome the prize even though it's a controversial thing. At the same time, EU should make up its mind: support the islanders get the prize or punish them for not doing enough. At the minimum, they should be helped. Those people in Kos who risk their lives to help half-dead immigrants are not the ones who stole public money and led to the crisis. Those who did are still enjoying their loot.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-15843706936919132902016-01-31T14:31:00.004+01:002016-01-31T14:35:13.518+01:00Quotes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A well-designed quote conveys interesting and often powerful ideas and makes one think for a time disproportionately longer than the length of the quote.<br />
<br />
I have decided to add a <a href="http://www2.math.uu.se/~takis/quotes.html">quotes</a> collection on my page. I try to restrict to quotes pertaining to Academia, but I can't promise I won't divert.<br />
<br />
Anyway, here is a quote that impressed me today:<br />
<ul>
<li>
<i>Most [people] discover that they have often be working in the affine plane
without realizing that it could be so designated. (H.S.M. Coxeter)</i></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Scott_MacDonald_Coxeter">Coxeter</a> is the Grand Man of classical geometry who lived in the 20th century. Some of his books should be compulsory in middle/high school education. Alas, exactly the opposite is happening: to my total dismay I learned that Swedish schoolchildren never learn why the angle bisectors of a triangle pass through the same point. Instead, I was told, a Stockholm school made <a href="http://www.thelocal.se/20130109/45514">computer games a mandatory course</a>. Not designing computer games, mind you, but playing them. No wonder that university students have no clue that there is a proof of the Pythagorean theorem. Yes, they can state it (and so can the greengrocer) but not only do they not know a proof, but--what's worse--they're not even aware that a proof is needed.<br />
<br />
Back to the affine plane, however, even under ideal schooling circumstances, what makes the affine plane so elusive is the quick passage from Euclidean geometry to coordinate geometry (thanks Descartes!). Typically (I guess not any more), a schoolchild would learn a lot of Euclidean geometry in school but then pass on quickly to linear algebra in his/her first-year university course. The affine (and so goes for the projective) plane, responsible for a lot of elementary mathematics, would go by very quickly, if at all.<br />
<br />
Pondering the Coxeter quote carefully is, perhaps, all is needed in order that the affine plane be re-surfaced from the stack of one's toolset. <br />
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-6680005239530713942016-01-30T18:56:00.000+01:002016-01-30T19:33:11.862+01:00Violence in Sweden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are a lot of things happening in Sweden that makes everyone who is not Swedish feel very uncomfortable.<br />
<br />
The most recent of them is the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35451080">attack to immigrants</a> by about 100 masked people in central Stockholm. Although it appears that Sweden is welcoming immigrants it is rather clear to someone who lives here that a large fraction of people do not like them. The attacks that took place today are not the first. They happen, perhaps at a smaller scale, almost weekly. But it is a policy in Sweden that violence should not be reported. Central Stockholm and Uppsala, as well as many other Swedish towns, are accommodating immigrants from many countries, including Syria, Afghanistan, Romania, etc. One sees them on the streets. You can't go to a supermarket without seeing beggars often staying outside in the cold. Many people "help" them by giving them tips but even this is hard because the Swedish government adopted the policy of discouraging people from using cash, the intention being to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/business/international/in-sweden-a-cash-free-future-nears.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0">force everyone use credit cards</a>. Some beggars are now carrying credit card readers so they can accept credit card donations from people. But many people would rather not see anyone who looks darker than them. And since they cannot express their opinion openly, they put on a mask and beat street people up.<br />
<br />
I know some people who work for the Uppsala city council who tell me that the phenomenon of attacking Syrian refuges camps is not uncommon. "I've never heard anything about it", I said. "You won't", they replied, "because the attacks are not reported." Apparently, only when something leaks out one finds out officially. Otherwise, it's hard to know what's going on. A few weeks ago there was this mass sexual attack in Cologne, Germany, from the other side: that is, by migrant people. Someone I know in Uppsala told me, around the beginning of the year, that similar things have been taking place in Sweden. "I can't believe it", I said. Again, the answer was "they are not reported". And, indeed, 2 weeks ago something <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35300266">leaked out</a>. There were sexual attacks, by migrant youths but police did not make the information public. When the BBC found out they questioned the chief of the Swedish police who admitted that information is not released.<br />
<br />
It happens both ways. Regardless of whether Swedes attack immigrants or the other way around, one cannot always find out: these attacks often don't make the news. Not by negligence; but by design.<br />
<br />
In 2013, the now infamous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Stockholm_riots">Stockholm riots</a> took place. A relatively high proportion of immigrants and second-generation
immigrant residents, including a substantial number from Somalia,
Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iraq instigated a mini-revolution by burning cars, throwing bricks, vandalizing, etc. Somehow, this was thought to be against the image that Sweden is portraying towards the outside world so it was not reported. When it leaked out, police declared it was terrorist groups. Although one may call such acts terrorism, it's not the kind that take place elsewhere. Apparently, the revolting migrants were expressing their frustration for their segregation and attacked innocent, of course, people. Just like in Paris suburbs a few years ago, at a smaller scale. As for segregation, it is rather obvious that many people who don't like typical Swedes are being kept apart. There is a neighborhood in Uppsala, Gottsunda, where they put immigrants. When we first moved to Sweden and were looking to buy a house we were explicitly warned not to go to Gottsunda. Such racist comments I thought existed only in Texas (and had experienced them). But Sweden, in some sense, is even more racist.<br />
<br />
Back in 2011, when we had just moved to Sweden, there was this infamous mass killing in Norway by that human monster called Anders Breivik. The day after the killings, several people in Sweden started posting on Swedish newspaper sites, anonymously, their support for Breivik. I remember I got a call from Stockholm and was told to take a look at what they were saying. With the help of Google Translate, I read several of their comments and was appalled and scared. Good to know, however, I thought, that many people around me in Sweden support Breivik and would kill those whom they consider responsible for supporting immigrants. But my thought was quickly overturned: the Swedish newspapers decided to censor the readers' comments by deleting them and by closing their sites for a couple of days. They also created filters and other gadgets so that readers can't post anonymously (and, who knows, censor those who expressed their sympathy for Breivik).<br />
<br />
Taking the train to and from Stockholm, one encounters some sad angry youth in neo-Nazi uniforms and tattoos: SS tattoos on their shaved heads. The reaction of passengers is to ignore them. I think they are scared, but I can't tell because they don't discuss it. I met Nazi demonstrations in Uppsala a few times. In 2010 or 11 there was this riot at the center of Uppsala by a bunch of angry young Nazis with pictures of blond men chasing black people. I approached one of them and asked him what's up. He said "we're against immigrants because they steal our jobs". I replied that "I'm an immigrant too and have the job of a professor in the University." I think I was aggressive and the young Nazi got scared. He replied "it's only black immigrants we don't like. White Europeans are OK." "But I'm American", I said. He looks at me and says "It's OK, Americans are white Europeans." I didn't finish my sentence when a cop approached me and told me to get away.<br />
<br />
And then, sometime later, we saw more riots of neo-Nazis, probably from the so-called <a href="http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/dokument/har-ar-sds-morka-bakgrund-i-nazism/">"sverige demokraterna</a>" party. The funny thing was that they had asked support of Greek Nazis from the equivalent "golden dawn" Nazi party. They brought them to Sweden for support!<br />
<br />
The times are very fearsome. There is violence from all sides and it's rather clear that violence will escalate. I'd rather know than be in darkness. So I don't appreciate the censorship of information in Sweden. The Police view is that they should not "disturb" people by revealing that there was violence, rapes, murders, etc. But not all agree. It is silly and irrational not to know the truth. Take, for instance, the pre-war Jewry in Germany. Many of them were in denial that something bad would happen to them. Would it not have been better if they knew so they could get out while the could? When they finally found out what the true intentions of the Nazis were it was too late.<br />
<br />
P.S. The latest response by Swedish government: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/01/28/sweden-to-deport-up-to-80000-refugees.html">Deport 80 thousand immigrants</a>. Previous response (4 weeks ago: fence borders.)<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-49834721144932976802016-01-11T09:48:00.000+01:002016-01-15T10:49:28.594+01:00Between sunrise and sunset in Uppsala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
People ask me how much daylight do we get in Uppsala these days. The official answer is that the sun rises at 8:42 am today, 16 January 2016, and sets at 3:12 pm. But the real answer is in the video clip here. In it, you can see what the sun looks like between "sunrise" and "sunset.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxK58PARjwJAT419X6W1QFFjj8KrbEf6kmlgdP5ap-3dDbSVte5P0ssBXU_38MFzOETOsybAiYF9Qv3SBqPnQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
What is rather peculiar here is that people don't like lights. Restaurants, for instance, turn their lights down during darkness, so much so that one needs a flashlight in order to read the menu. I find this practice extremely irrational and peculiar. (See also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y92uFg4NrjY">here</a> for a related story.)<br />
<br />
P.S. Walking on the streets, you see people whose sole purpose is to walk towards their death, or so it seems. They never speak, they don't respond to a "hello", they are miserable-looking. It looks like they are walking straight to their grave.</div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-64532475083230659102016-01-02T08:37:00.000+01:002016-01-02T08:43:52.230+01:00How to force a cash-free numismatic policy to people<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Say you are a government that wants to control every single transaction done in your country. How can you achieve this? Here are the steps.<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>You make sure that subdivisions of your basic coin (cents, say) become rarer and rarer until they vanish completely.</li>
<li>You instill the idea that money is counted only in terms of integers. There is no 38.51 units, but 39. In the US, for instance, there are still pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters and they still have a certain value. But, you should convince people that your country is more progressive than the US and that there is no value to decimals</li>
<li>You make sure that banks in your country carry no coins.</li>
<li>Ditto for cash of any denomination. Banks become cash-free organizations.</li>
<li>You punish those who still want to use cash. For example, those who want have cash for their businesses must pay a fee of 20%.</li>
<li>If someone insists in storing cash in a bank, then you make sure that he has to file a monthly report of how much cash he has. </li>
</ol>
All these steps have been taken by Sweden. And so, little by little, there will be no cash in the country. Everybody, regardless of whether they want it or not, must use a credit card (or some form of electronic transaction). Unlike the US or the UK, credit cards are not free. I am charged something like 50 US dollars per year for a credit card. (The cost is 0 for my US credit card.)<br />
<br />
What about security, some ask. Surely, electronic transactions are not 100% trustworthy. But no problem: in Sweden, there is no such thing as consumers' rights. If, say, your credit card is stolen and used by someone else then it is <b>your</b> fault. The bank or credit organization carries no responsibility. So, it's a great system for those who issue the cards, bad news for those who use them. <br />
<br />
But why would anybody want such a system? Who benefits? Again, the answer is simple. You, as a government, will have full control of even the tiniest transaction. You know who gives what to whom at any point of time. And that, at no cost and no responsibility: you have transferred all responsibility to individuals: they are responsible if something goes wrong, not you, the government.<br />
<br />
But your governmental psychologists warn you that this system will not work if people realize your motives. So, how do you make sure that this will not happen? Again, very simple. (The solution has been found and implemented by Sweden.) You make people want this change by convincing them that they are a society of the future. And that it's the smart thing to do. You know, more than anything else in the world, individuals want to be smart. If they are convinced that they're smarter if they use electronic cash, then the job is done. And they have. Everyone goes around chanting the mantra "we are the most smart people, because we will soon have no cash (not like those idiots in Japan who still use small coins-ha ha)".<br />
<br />
Some examples of what is going on. (References available upon request, but <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/business/international/in-sweden-a-cash-free-future-nears.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0">here</a> is an account of the story as picked up by the Dec. 26 2015 issue of the New York Times. <br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cafe owner in Uppsala gets penalized for having cash deposits. </li>
<li>Church-worshippers pay money to their gods via a machine called <a href="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/12/23/business/00cashless-web1/00cashless-web1-blog427.jpg">kollektomat</a>.</li>
<li>Some homeless people carry credit card readers.</li>
<li>There is no way to get coins from a bank.</li>
<li>There is a way to get coins from a private company, but they charge money for that. </li>
</ol>
The most scary thing of all of this is that individuals will apparently carry full responsibility for any fault in the system.<br />
<br />
The brave new world?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/11/23/business/international/23cashless-slideshow-slide-R508/23cashless-slideshow-slide-R508-slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/11/23/business/international/23cashless-slideshow-slide-R508/23cashless-slideshow-slide-R508-slide.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church worshippers send money to their god via mobile phones or similar electronic gadgets. This reminds me that Greek priests already <a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.com/2008/10/religion-greek-orthodox-style-via.html">communicate with god</a> via mobile phones.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
P.S. The system is not fully functional yet. In Sweden, public toilets cost. In order to urinate, for example, at the Stockholm Central Station you must use a10 SEK (about 1.20 USD) coin. But if you only have a 20 SEK note, how do you get change? The bank? No, the bank will not make change. You need coins in order to urinate (or defecate). I've seen people desperately going around trying to hold their bladder and I secretly smile: "You, foreigners, don't you know that you never go out without a couple of 10 SEK coins? You never need them for anything else, except for going to the toilet."</div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-51293765077729874602015-11-24T23:51:00.001+01:002015-11-24T23:51:43.804+01:00Sans titre<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.courrierinternational.com/sites/ci_master/files/assets/images/18chappatte-master675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.courrierinternational.com/sites/ci_master/files/assets/images/18chappatte-master675.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-64630022852915639602015-11-14T14:07:00.000+01:002015-11-14T14:14:53.088+01:00Are all neurosurgeons crazy?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Reposted from <a href="http://recursed.blogspot.se/2015/11/are-all-neurosurgeons-crazy.html"><span id="goog_1458469873"></span><span id="goog_1458469876"></span>http://recursed.blogspot.com</a><br />
<span id="goog_1458469877"></span><span id="goog_1458469874"></span><br />
I'm beginning to think so, what with Ben Carson claiming that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/05/ben-carson-egyptian-pyramids-were-grain-stores-not-pharoahs-tombs">the pyramids were used to store grain, not to bury rulers</a> and that he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/11/06/ben-carsons-stories-of-violence-in-his-past-questioned/">had a violent past</a>.<br />
<br />
So it's not really a surprise to see that walking Dunning-Kruger effect-man, Michael Egnor, claiming that <a href="http://www.evolutionnews.org/2015/11/the_fundamental_2100661.html">humans can't be apes</a>
because "Human beings have mental powers that include the material
mental powers of animals but in addition entail a profoundly different
kind of thinking" and "Human beings think abstractly, and nonhuman
animals do not".<br />
<br />
I'm really curious to know how Dr. Egnor knows with certainty that
nonhuman animals cannot think abstractly. I guess he is just egnoring <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/many-animals-can-think-abstractly/">all</a> the <a href="http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2001/10/baboon-thought.aspx">research</a> that suggests just the <a href="http://phys.org/news/2011-06-chimps-capable-insightful-ability.html">opposite</a>. It's not like this is hidden stuff; Egnor could read, for example, the books of Dutch primatologist Frans de Waal.
<br />
Maybe not all neurosurgeons are this batshit loony. After all, another
thing that Carson and Egnor have in common is that they are both
creationists. Maybe that's the real problem. Maybe you have to be
immersed in jeebus-juice to believe, like Egnor does, that "Human
rationality is different because it is immaterial." I guess our
thinking powers are just magic; all that neurocircuitry is just there
for show.
<br />
<span id="goog_1458469874"></span><br />
<i><span id="goog_1458469874">Footnotes:</span></i><br />
<span id="goog_1458469874">1. </span><span id="goog_1458469874">Egypt’s pyramids were built by the biblical Joseph to store grain and
were not, as archaeologists believe, tombs for pharaohs, Republican
presidential hopeful Ben Carson, a neuroscientist, has said.</span><br />
<span id="goog_1458469874">2. </span><span id="goog_1458469874">Michael Egnor is a neurosurgeon and <a href="http://egnorance.blogspot.com/">creationist</a>. He writes articles for the Discovery Institute (also known as Dishonesty Institute). </span></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-35506854000472997302015-10-22T00:59:00.002+02:002015-10-24T12:26:45.062+02:00Harassment and dissemination of pornography in a scientific conference? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I just became aware of an astronomy conference organized at Uppsala whose topic is Cool Stars. The <a href="http://coolstars19.com/index.html" target="_blank">home page</a> looks pretty nice<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kthaq7Dz_M8/VigQUot957I/AAAAAAAADkc/i7aVndF7kI0/s1600/cs0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="109" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kthaq7Dz_M8/VigQUot957I/AAAAAAAADkc/i7aVndF7kI0/s200/cs0.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
but once we click on "<a href="http://coolstars19.com/about.html" target="_blank">about</a>" we find a page that has two parts. The first part describes the subject of the conference. But the second part, which is more lengthy, is very strange.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UtDeRHHD6gI/VigS_snC-eI/AAAAAAAADko/RT9qotgd-cM/s1600/cs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UtDeRHHD6gI/VigS_snC-eI/AAAAAAAADko/RT9qotgd-cM/s200/cs.JPG" width="169" /></a></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>ABOUT COOL STARS</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Cool Stars gathers approximately 400 international experts on brown dwarfs, low-mass stars (from the pre-main-sequence through the asymptotic giant branch), solar physics, circumstellar environments, extrasolar planets, and astrobiology....</blockquote>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> CODE OF CONDUCT</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Cool Stars 19 is dedicated to a harassment-free workshop experience for everyone regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of workshop participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate in any workshop venue, including talks, poster sessions, and organized social activities. Workshop participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the workshop without refund at the discretion of the workshop organizers. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Le18RDEEUPPdkoI02Gmoab5XqlRLtTr3C6p8LjtAbE/edit?usp=sharing">Click here to read our full anti-harassment policy</a>.
</blockquote>
What? Is this a conference in astronomy or on harassment/gender/sexual issues? Are they expecting participants to harass and be harassed? Are they expecting participants who insult others? Participants going around using sexual language? Sexual imagery? (Really? Are they expecting dissemination of pornographic material?) Something very very fishy is going on, otherwise why, on the front page of the conference, spend more space to talk about possible offenses rather than the topic per se.<br />
<br />
But the situation becomes even worse. If we click on the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Le18RDEEUPPdkoI02Gmoab5XqlRLtTr3C6p8LjtAbE/edit?usp=sharing">anti-harassment policy</a> we find a 3 page document that is clearly prepared in anticipation of a lot of trouble. Here are some excerpts.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Harassment </b>includes, but is not limited to: <b>Verbal comments</b> that reinforce social <b>structures of domination</b> related to gender, gender identity and expression, <b>sexual orientation,</b> disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion <b>Sexual images in public spaces</b> <b>Deliberate intimidation, stalking</b>, or following <b>Harassing photography or recording</b> <b>Sustained disruption</b> of talks or other events <b>Inappropriate physical contact </b> <b>Unwelcome sexual attention</b> Advocating for, or encourage, any of the above behavior.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.<br />
<br />
Exhibitors should not use <b>sexualized images</b>, activities, or other material. Booth staff, including volunteers, should not use <b>sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes</b> or otherwise create a <b>sexualized environment</b>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-7d3891d3-8c8f-e2ea-7b06-5aab1dc8e66c" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You can file an anonymous report using this form: </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://goo.gl/forms/03OCO6CGMq" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://goo.gl/forms/03OCO6CGMq</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You can make a personal report by: Calling or messaging this number: (TBA). This phone number will be continuously monitored for the duration of the event. Contacting a staff member identified by colored LOC badges and workshop t-shirts labeled STAFF or LOC.</span></div>
</blockquote>
This report is clearly prepared with the mindset that there will be lots of trouble. Conference people are probably going to harass and be harassed, exhibit sexual imagery, insult, etc. What KIND of conference is this, I wonder? Filing anonymous reports is something that was done during some dark times, like the McCarthyist era, or during Hitler's reign, among others. I'm really surprised that some people are encouraging this. Of course, if there is, indeed, a problem, then actions should be taken.<br />
<br />
But I wonder: Is there a problem? If yes, again I ask: what KIND of conference is this? Why do they expect so much trouble?<br />
<br />
I'm closing this posting with a screenshot showing the format of the anonymous report:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F-SaDZKR_PA/VigWaeHjQPI/AAAAAAAADk0/RENvPlfDZn0/s1600/anrep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F-SaDZKR_PA/VigWaeHjQPI/AAAAAAAADk0/RENvPlfDZn0/s400/anrep.JPG" width="276" /></a></div>
In summary, there are three alternatives:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Either this is a practical joke.</li>
<li>Or this is a conference where lots of trouble (harassment, sexual abuse, pornography) is expected.</li>
<li>Or this is just a normal conference and these pages were created amidst paranoia. </li>
</ol>
Options 1 and 3 seem unlikely because they both (especially 3) convey extreme irrationality and we're in a university so we don't expect this. So option 2 seems to be the more likely one.<br />
<br />
Or is it not?<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-37198842719568258492015-10-01T02:19:00.000+02:002015-10-01T21:59:59.651+02:00Christmas is already in the air: the funeral office magazine and julmust are here!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The summer vacations are barely over, but Christmas is already in the air. Quite early this year in fact. But how do I know that Christmas has already arrived in Sweden? Well, there are two things that give it away:<br />
<br />
<b>First, it's the Julmust.</b><br />
The other day I went to the supermarket and saw that they were already selling Julmust, i.e., "Christmas Sap" or Christmas Drink. Basically, it's like coca cola, but much sweeter. Like coca cola, it also comes in diet version, with nutra sweet. Wikipedia thinks that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julmust" target="_blank">"Julmust is mainly consumed in Sweden around Christmas"</a>. So, this is indication no. 1 that Christmas is already here.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Tag6ikkAJs/Vgx1GS0l7KI/AAAAAAAADgU/EhOvrhqbeSU/s1600/icajulmust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Tag6ikkAJs/Vgx1GS0l7KI/AAAAAAAADgU/EhOvrhqbeSU/s320/icajulmust.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Second, it's the funeral office magazine.</b><br />
Around Christmas time, the Funeral Office Association of Sweden sends us their magazine called "Memento". As I wrote before, several <a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.se/2011/11/funeral-office-windows-in-sweden.html" target="_blank">funeral offices in Sweden are uniquely interesting</a> because they advertise their funeral products. <a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.se/2014/12/funeral-office-magazine-sent-to-us-for.html" target="_blank">Last year</a>, the magazine came around Christmas time. This year it came to us a week ago. Summer vacations are barely over, but Christmas has began. Dying in Sweden is also quite unique. First of all, <a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.se/2014/12/dying-in-sweden-is-not-allowed-during.html" target="_blank">dying during the summer should be avoided at all costs</a>. Second, people like to talk about death. Third, committing suicide is fine, people won't talk about it anyway. Nobody cares.<br />
<br />
The magazine is promoting death and death culture. Let's look at some its contents a bit more closely.<br />
<br />
Here is the cover. Below the title <i>"Memento"</i> you see the subject of its main article: <i>"When sick children die"</i>. You can also see that the magazine is not free. It costs 70 Swedish crowns (about 8.50 US dollars)--it's not cheap! It is sent to us for free (lucky us!) well in advance the festive season. Come to think of it, however, there must be people who do buy the magazine!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mOr4gotculI/Vgx1FB3Zo6I/AAAAAAAADgM/7zfDGHSb5fw/s1600/MEMENTO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mOr4gotculI/Vgx1FB3Zo6I/AAAAAAAADgM/7zfDGHSb5fw/s400/MEMENTO.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
On page 4 we see the photo of a luxurious coffin surrounded by flowers. The caption below says <i>"<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">the feeling of</span> <span class="hps">a summer</span> <span class="hps">meadow".</span></span></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aEa07OKw-qU/Vgx0myUTh2I/AAAAAAAADfc/IznxvtXb2Uo/s1600/20150930_232528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aEa07OKw-qU/Vgx0myUTh2I/AAAAAAAADfc/IznxvtXb2Uo/s320/20150930_232528.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">Page 6 has the photo of a Mohammedan cleric with spooky looks and then a vast graveyard full of Christian crosses. I guess this says that the magazine is politically correct. It's ok for both Mohammedans and Christians to but the magazine.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BpYwIssYuTQ/Vgx0wgeUIQI/AAAAAAAADfs/pSPD46zz_4Y/s1600/20150930_232603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BpYwIssYuTQ/Vgx0wgeUIQI/AAAAAAAADfs/pSPD46zz_4Y/s320/20150930_232603.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">On page 7, here is again <i>"Eulogica"</i>, a death management operations software. We also saw it in last year's issue. <i>"A new generation program and services for the funeral industry".</i> I wonder if it exists as an app so I can download it on my mobile and have some fun.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scpLsbbWpMg/Vgx57xoPlZI/AAAAAAAADh4/e08dHcYxDRc/s1600/20150930_234214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scpLsbbWpMg/Vgx57xoPlZI/AAAAAAAADh4/e08dHcYxDRc/s320/20150930_234214.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"><br /></span></span>
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">The article on page 8 is titled <i>"S</i></span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><i><span class="hps">ome</span> <span class="hps">children may</span> <span class="hps">die</span> </i><span class="hps"><i>but not mine"</i>. </span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">"In</span> <span class="hps">barely</span> <span class="hps">six months a </span> <span class="hps">four-year</span> old developed<span class="hps"> cancer</span>.<span class="hps"> Not until</span> <span class="hps">the very end</span> could <span class="hps"></span> <span class="hps">Jenny</span> believe <span class="hps">that</span> <span class="hps">her daughter</span> <span class="hps">could actually</span> <span class="hps">die". In this way, I guess, the magazine tells parents to support the funeral office industry financially because their children may die. Makes sense, in a business world.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kBg3TU_9MNg/Vgx0pTGRRhI/AAAAAAAADfk/QHFpZeAMO9A/s1600/20150930_232928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kBg3TU_9MNg/Vgx0pTGRRhI/AAAAAAAADfk/QHFpZeAMO9A/s320/20150930_232928.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"><br /></span></span>
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">Pages 14-15 are devoted to a <i>"Graveyard for dreamers and cat lovers"</i>. It talks about a cemetery that you can visit when you're feeling romantic. And if you're a cat (not a dog!) lover, take your cat along, and have fun thinking about your burial place.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbHtzdYUDiXsfttfQ4PSycxwNC_Zt6HNxXlUAzDrBlOF45wrUTLeMy9mRxJiO5wPZ_-lgMy1fn6hX_WoHrq65Yxk9HwJXFg6TMDF2fLtdnjNZfVzlJvLFqzFCj9YTCHsXurzBGtuO69w/s1600/20150930_233029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbHtzdYUDiXsfttfQ4PSycxwNC_Zt6HNxXlUAzDrBlOF45wrUTLeMy9mRxJiO5wPZ_-lgMy1fn6hX_WoHrq65Yxk9HwJXFg6TMDF2fLtdnjNZfVzlJvLFqzFCj9YTCHsXurzBGtuO69w/s320/20150930_233029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">The article on pages 18-19 is an impressively original idea. It's an idea for a party. A party where you invite your friends to talk about death and how they would like to be buried. The article's author asks:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">Isn't it a good idea to invite people to a party and talk about death and how they like to have their funeral?</span></span></i></blockquote>
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">What a great idea indeed! How come nobody had thought about it before? This magazine is a real treasure. This is why I can't find people to come to my parties. My themes are not good enough. But if we talk about death then I'll get many people over. A caption of a photo in the article says:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"><i>Sandwich with herring is good, but we would like to have real food for our funerals.</i></span></span></blockquote>
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Would you like to be buried with only a sandwich? I have a further idea for the party! We could rent coffins and play dead. For example, we could place a bottle of vodka in a coffin and wait for one of our guests to be lured. When he/she (or it) gets in, we slam the cover down and nail them inside. We then enjoy having the person beg for his/her release. It's a real simulation of what a burial is. In the very spirit of the magazine!</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ol3i2GItfMo/Vg1vDESW7SI/AAAAAAAADiI/0k6xkon0JO0/s1600/fff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ol3i2GItfMo/Vg1vDESW7SI/AAAAAAAADiI/0k6xkon0JO0/s640/fff.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">Page 24 has a full-page picture of urns in many colors. An urn is a vase where you stuff the ashes after you bury a dead body. But these urns advertised here are called <i>"NatureUrns"</i> and they are approved by the <i>"Green Burial Council"</i>. That is, they are ecological urns, they're good for the environment. Good to know, eh?</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jesTlg1NZLQ/Vgxly4KMSqI/AAAAAAAADes/TGYZSUB-wGg/s1600/20150930_233253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jesTlg1NZLQ/Vgxly4KMSqI/AAAAAAAADes/TGYZSUB-wGg/s400/20150930_233253.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"><br /></span></span>
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">Page 26. Article about the burial of an 8-year old girl. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6k3T0yFU7BM/Vgx1AGMNd-I/AAAAAAAADgE/mPDOGsIKKi8/s1600/20150930_233309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6k3T0yFU7BM/Vgx1AGMNd-I/AAAAAAAADgE/mPDOGsIKKi8/s320/20150930_233309.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">Pages 13 and 29 contain advertisements of the hearses of Mr. Nilsson. Their unique feature is that they are environmentally friendly. We are informed that they emit only <i>117 grams of Carbon Dioxide per Kilometer </i>and so they are Europe's best. But Page 28 advertises the hearses of Mr. Eriksson that are classified as <i>"extra long"</i>. They burn <i>149 grams </i></span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps"><i>of Carbon Dioxide per Kilometer</i>. That's bad. Sorry Mr. Eriksson, you lose.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RJba7KVQTwY/Vgx4ELdmHLI/AAAAAAAADg0/sZvQnEVP_s0/s1600/20150930_233355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RJba7KVQTwY/Vgx4ELdmHLI/AAAAAAAADg0/sZvQnEVP_s0/s320/20150930_233355.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iC1fam8yUpg/Vgx4HLJ0JUI/AAAAAAAADhQ/UBzdJrnbnTc/s1600/20150930_233341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iC1fam8yUpg/Vgx4HLJ0JUI/AAAAAAAADhQ/UBzdJrnbnTc/s320/20150930_233341.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">Then there is a cartoon about various characters talking about their death wishes.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EpRd7EaNGi8/Vgx48pgdlaI/AAAAAAAADhw/HUOrUC-ZV8Y/s1600/20150930_233632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EpRd7EaNGi8/Vgx48pgdlaI/AAAAAAAADhw/HUOrUC-ZV8Y/s320/20150930_233632.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="hps">All in all, an excellent magazine, given to us for free, just in time for Christmas. I will enjoy reading it while drinking Julmust.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-50083412182682731812015-09-27T11:55:00.001+02:002015-09-27T11:55:35.384+02:00Saudi Arabia's new law says that atheists are terrorists<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Article one of the new law defines terrorism as "calling for atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based".<br />
<br />
Domestic “terrorism” is defined in the decree as “any act” (expressly including non-violent acts) which among other things is intended to “insult the reputation of the state,” “harm public order,” or “shake the security of society”. The terms are very broad, and and could be used to prosecute any criticism of the state, its king or officials, or the state conception of Islam.<br />
<br />
Another article prohibits all protest, without qualification as to its message or
intent, by outlawing “calling, participating, promoting, or inciting
sit-ins, protests, meetings, or group statements in any form”.<br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://iheu.org/saudi-arabias-new-law-defines-atheism-as-terrorism-bans-all-criticism-of-government/" target="_blank">IHEU</a><br />
<br />
Recall that Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy and laws are whatever the king or the Sharia dictates.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz whose decrees equate atheism with "terrorism" and ban criticism of the state" class="size-full wp-image-16632" height="240" src="http://iheu.org/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/abdullah-saudi-arabia.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="360" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz whose royal decrees equate atheism with “terrorism” and ban all criticism of the state</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-77091734827051996592015-07-26T12:39:00.000+02:002015-09-26T12:25:44.000+02:00Grooming tribal monarchs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When institutions (states, businesses, etc.) need cash they forget their principles. My French friends are upset at the recent decision of the state to forget the principle of equality of all citizens and close a beach in Vallauris for the pleasure of a tribal king and his entourage of 1000 people. They've even constructed a lift (=elevator) for the use of the monarch. <br />
● Story in French <a href="http://www.liberation.fr/societe/2015/07/19/a-vallauris-des-usagers-prives-de-plage-a-cause-du-roi-d-arabie-saoudite_1350340" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
● Story in English <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33667046" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Sucking up to Arabs has been around for a while. But, now, financial circumstances will make the presence of oil money (and private beaches and elevators) welcome in tourist areas, in businesses, in education, and many other sectors. And if women have to walk a meter behind men or not allowed to drive cars or stoned in case they do something "bad", well, Europe will temporarily forget its principles because money, be it tribal or not, is above principles or laws. <br />
<br />
P.S. 100 thousand people have complained in writing against this. But the income brought by the tribal king will be greater than 100 thousand euro. So the complaints don't count.<br />
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-30817985953117543252015-07-08T20:45:00.002+02:002015-07-28T19:06:45.159+02:00Tabloids in Sweden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One thing that upsets me in Sweden is the kind of "newspapers" around. The two most popular "newspapers" are called Expressen and Aftonbladet. Typically, they are the only ones that can be found in small shops. Why do I care? For two reasons. First and foremost is because the sight of them hurts my eyes. They are so awful looking that it causes me distress. Sometimes I feel like vomiting. Second because I can't imagine why would anyone look at this total nonsense. Aren't people offended? (Look at the 7 July 2015 issue: the front page announces that the American actor Cosby was involved in sex scandals. This isn't even Swedish news! Why would anyone care?) The situation is similar in the UK. The most horrible tabloid there is called the Sun. The difference is that small shops in the UK also carry the serious newspapers. But I live in Sweden. So what I have to face, each and every time I go to the supermarket or to the petrol station, is disgusting. Like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_95Ojz3l7aE/VZ1uRabME1I/AAAAAAAADY0/N4lc3UBEJUw/s1600/expressenshit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_95Ojz3l7aE/VZ1uRabME1I/AAAAAAAADY0/N4lc3UBEJUw/s400/expressenshit.JPG" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front pages of the "newspaper" Expressen are a visual pollution and a source of disgust</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
------
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i_D6TSVHvEI/VZ1ugalMUUI/AAAAAAAADZE/EMVjXkiqiNg/s1600/aftonbladetshit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i_D6TSVHvEI/VZ1ugalMUUI/AAAAAAAADZE/EMVjXkiqiNg/s320/aftonbladetshit.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front pages of the "newspaper" Aftonbladet make my eyes hurt and my bowels move</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-41681843635880757782015-06-18T15:04:00.001+02:002015-06-18T15:04:03.895+02:00Citation nonsense<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We're at the era of the Internet. So, for many, knowledge and research evaluation has been translated to counting citations: the more citations you have, the better you are. So they think.<br />
<br />
But, of course, they're wrong. I won't insult anybody's intelligence by presenting obvious arguments that show how faulty the process above is. I leave it as an exercise for the reader.<br />
<br />
<i>Cui bono, </i>however, one should ask<i>.</i> Well, again the answer is obvious.<br />
<br />
But something worse is happening now. Publishers don't leave me alone. They *force* me to look at every instance a paper of mine is cited.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><b>From:</b> Elsevier CiteAlert [citealert@mail.elsevier.com]<br />
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, June 17, 2015 5:48 PM<br />
<b>To:</b> Takis Konstantopoulos<br />
<b>Subject:</b> Dr. T. Konstantopoulos, your work has been cited.</span></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Dear
T. Konstantopoulos,<br />It is our pleasure to inform you that your
publication has been cited in a journal published by<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Elsevier.<br />Through this unique service we hope we can offer
you valuable information, and make you aware of publications in your
research area.<br />Best regards,
</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
The
Cite<span style="color: #f1592a;">Alert</span> team</span></blockquote>
Damn Internet and email. I don't care to be reminded. I'll look it up myself if and when I need to. I don't need some robot telling me my cited papers. Cui bono, in this case? Well, obviously Elsevier. They want me to click at the paper citing my paper and then, in return cite their paper, etc. This is beneficial for the profits of Elsevier and they think that this is beneficial for me too. I don't care Elsevier. Leave me alone.<br />
<br />
And, yes, I did try to unsubscribe, but it didn't work.<br />
<br />
Lately, I published a paper in an Elsevier journal. I must have received 100 emails or so related to that paper: "Your paper is about to appear" "One week before the appearance of your paper." "Your paper appeared on out site." "Your paper is about to appear in the printed version." "Your paper appeared in the printed version, send us money and we'll send you hard copies." And then: "Someone clicked and checked your paper" "Here are some new papers that are related to your work." And so on.<br />
<br />
I don't want to be misunderstood: of course I'm interested for further research but not when a robot decides, on the basis of some stupid algorithm, that someone's work is close to mine. I want to talk to human beings, not to your spamming robots Elsevier!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-36392705373043567012015-06-16T15:27:00.001+02:002015-06-16T15:28:00.856+02:00Ramadan in places where the sun does not set<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ramadan is a period, around this time of the year, when Muslims are supposed to fast during daylight and eat when the sun sets. (And fasting means eating nothing and drinking nothing, not even water or beer.) That's supposed to be a religious duty commanded by god. The issue is this however: In Uppsala, the sun hardly sets these days and further north it does not set at all.<br />
<br />
So there is a problem. Clearly, if they eat nothing at all they'll get sick or die. So they came up with new rules. See <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ramadan-2015--as-ramadan-approaches-an-argument-over-how-long-northern-european-muslims-should-fast-springs-up-10318852.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.thelocal.se/20150612/new-ramadan-rules-to-help-nordic-muslims-in-midnight-sun" target="_blank">here</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mohammed Kharaki, a spokesman for Sweden's Islamic Association, said the organisation had this week issued guidelines that said Muslims should fast between the times that the sun was last clearly seen to rise and fall - despite this concession, this could well amount to a 19-hour fast.</blockquote>
Sure, one would argue, they <i>had </i>to come up with something. But could they not come up with the obvious fact that there is a contradiction?<br />
<br />
Clearly, the author of the "holy" books that tell people to fast during daylight and eat when it's dark did not know that there were places on the planet where the sun does not set. (For all I know, he could very well be under the impression that the Earth was flat.) The claim is that the author of these books is supposed to be god, who, by the way, is <a href="https://www.google.se/search?q=omniscient&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=lyKAVaasCernywOyiKvQBQ" target="_blank">omniscient</a>. So we have a contradiction.<br />
<br />
So, instead of realizing that this contradiction leads to the <u>obvious</u> conclusion that the author of the books is not omniscient, they decided to change the rules.<br />
<br />
But this is the nature of religion: regardless of the amount of evidence against its tenets, religion will not accept any contradictions. <i>In fact, the larger the amount of contradictions religious folk are faced with, the stronger their belief.</i> This, in my opinion, is the most fundamental aspect (perhaps the defining aspect) of religion.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article10318961.ece/alternates/w460/4429873920_bd29c2aabc_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article10318961.ece/alternates/w460/4429873920_bd29c2aabc_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Uppsala mosque, picture taken from <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ramadan-2015--as-ramadan-approaches-an-argument-over-how-long-northern-european-muslims-should-fast-springs-up-10318852.html" target="_blank">the Independent</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-34229080123579349602015-06-15T17:19:00.000+02:002015-06-15T23:26:23.805+02:00Vatican priest abuses children<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Is this news, you'd ask. No, of course not. It is well-known that off a guy had a desire to molest children then all he had to do was to become a priest in the Catholic church. But, here we are again:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://vatican%20ex-envoy%20wesolowski%20faces%20child%20sex%20abuse%20trial/" target="_blank">Vatican ex-envoy Wesolowski faces child sex abuse trial</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jozef Wesolowski is accused of sexually abusing children in the Dominican Republic from 2008 to 2013. He is under house arrest in the Vatican. The trial is to begin on 11 July. Wesolowski, 66, is also charged with possession of child pornography, dating from his return to Rome in 2013. Last year, the Pope compared the actions of those who commit such crimes to a "satanic mass".</blockquote>
What's the difference between a "satanic mass" and a "regular mass"? Well, in the former case everyone recognizes it as evil; but in the latter case, it takes several decades for the evil to come out. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Vatican also accepted the resignations of an archbishop in the United States and his deputy following accusations that their archdiocese covered up the sexual abuse of children. They are Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Anthony Piche from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
John Nienstedt said in a statement that his leadership had drawn attention away from the good works of the church but stressed he was leaving "with a clear conscience".</blockquote>
Bullshit, of course. The previous pope, Joseph Ratzinger, and the Vatican, and the whole establishment called Catholic church <a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.se/2013/09/ex-pope-benedict-xvi-and-piergiorgio.html" target="_blank">have been covering up</a>, for decades, their pedophile priests. For them, it was more important to save face rather than face reality. When the shit hit the fan, they had to do something. And, very very reluctantly, they started the process of sending some of their holy priests to justice. <br />
<br />
Read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Case-Pope-Vatican-Accountability/dp/0241953847">The Case of the Pope</a>, by the distinguished human rights lawyer and judge <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Robertson">Geoffrey Robertson</a> to find out what real evil means.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Their resignation [of the US Catholic priests mentioned above] comes after prosecutors charged their archdiocese with "turning a blind eye" to repeated reports of inappropriate behaviour by a priest who was later convicted of molesting two boys.<br />
Neither man was named in the indictment.<br />
Prosecutors accuse the archdiocese of failing to respond to "numerous and repeated reports of troubling conduct" by Curtis Wehmeyer, a former priest currently serving a five-year prison sentence for molesting two boys.</blockquote>
Five years for molesting two boys? What about Joseph Ratzinger who knowingly supported and helped hide others who molested dozens and dozens of children? The usual reply is that he cannot be indicted because he was the head of a State.<br />
<br />
Bullshit, again. According to international law, <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/publicEvents/events/2010/20100908t1830vSZT.aspx" target="_blank">Vatican is not a state</a>.<br />
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-58314394420742730142015-06-08T12:20:00.001+02:002015-06-12T15:58:02.346+02:00Guns laws: from bad to worse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back in the 90's when Dubya (George W Bush) was running for governor of Texas he promised to pass a law stating that people can carry guns as long as they were hidden inside their jacket or trousers or skirts. It was the so-called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Texas" target="_blank">concealed weapons law</a>. Soon after he became governor, the law was passed and everybody rejoiced. Now you could have a pistol or two as long as you kept it out of sight. <br />
<br />
My ex-colleague <a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.jp/search?q=gary+wise" target="_blank">Gary Wise</a>, for instance, had a dozen or more guns so well-concealed that the police failed to find them when we reported that he was threatening to shoot us (faculty members at the University of Texas, Austin). Perhaps they did not want to find them because he was a man of faith: he was conducting Bible study classes and, according to the Texas mentality, this automatically meant that everything he said was true. When he used his guns against University administrators he was arrested and put to prison.<br />
<br />
And then there was the following debate: Should guns be allowed in churches or not? It was soon decided that, yes, guns should be allowed in churches, as long as the church is ok with it, because, <a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.jp/2014/01/guns-in-churches-protect-against-satan.html" target="_blank">guns protect against the Satan</a>.<br />
<br />
And recently, a new law was proposed and is about to be signed: <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/05/29/its-official-texas-legislature-passes-open-carry/" target="_blank">anyone can now carry guns openly and in full view</a>. In fact, the ex-governor of Texas (successor of Dubya), Rick Perry, has been exhibiting guns for long time now:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://bobhiggins.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/perry-6gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://bobhiggins.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/perry-6gun.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>
The current law will prohibit police for stopping anyone carrying guns openly. Now Texas will be added to the list of the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonard-steinhorn/armed-locked-loaded-gun-control_b_5002847.html" target="_blank">worst and most intimidating gun states</a>. Congratulations Texas!<br />
<br />
Over the last 30 years or so, guns have been spreading fast in the US. It looks like the US is going back to that it was 200 years ago, when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Luke" target="_blank">Lucky Luke</a> was roaming... The following animated gif map shows the spread of the epidemic.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.gun-nuttery.com/rtc.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gun-nuttery.com/rtc.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And let's see an incident of guns use by the police: yesterday, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33044412" target="_blank">police raided a teens party</a> and stopped the loud teens by the use of guns. Sweet, isn't it?<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R46-XTqXkzE" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-66260204471839890892015-05-10T20:06:00.002+02:002015-05-10T20:09:00.841+02:00Japanese cinema<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I lived in other places, e.g., in Edinburgh, I used to go to the cinema regularly, actually mostly to the legendary <a href="http://www.filmhousecinema.com/" target="_blank">Filmhouse</a> and to the <a href="https://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Cameo_Picturehouse" target="_blank">Cameo</a>. Unfortunately, around here (Uppsala, Sweden) most cinemas, besides being very expensive, just show very low quality films. This restriction forced me to seek alternative venues. And so I discovered Japanese cinema. For long time now, I've been watching free Japanese films of bygone times, those films that are, of course, available for free on the Internet. And so I compiled a list which I would like to share:<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB2b31DiTLItvscRCvYImw2b-ce8wx-af" target="_blank">My Japanese cinema list</a></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In it, one can find films by Kenji Mizoguchi (such as <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ugetsu_monogatari/" target="_blank">Ugetsu Monogatari</a>, <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sansho_the_bailiff/" target="_blank">Sansho the Bailiff</a> and the <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chikamatsu_monogatari/" target="_blank">Crucified Lovers</a>, all highly recommended), by Hiroshi Simizu (such as <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mr_thank_you/" target="_blank">Mr Thank You</a>, a real must) and by Yasujiro Ozu (such as <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/late_spring/" target="_blank">Late Spring</a>, <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/good_morning/" target="_blank">Ohayo [Good Morning]</a>, which one should watch at least twice). Unfortunately, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Story" target="_blank">Tokyo Story</a>, one of the greatest films ever made, is not available with English subtitles.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Japan has a long history in film, starting from 1897. Most people know Akira Kurosawa and, more recently, Takeshi Kitano, but the films in my list go back to the roots of the Japanese cinema. Perhaps the reason that Japan has had such a stunning cinematic production can be traced to its long tradition in theatre that produced the genres of Gagaku, Noh, Bunraku and Kabuki. But I can't say for sure because I'm neither an expert nor I have much knowledge about the these genres other than a cursory one. Nevertheless, last year, I did manage to visit the great exhibition of 19th-century Japanese <a href="http://www.edinburghspotlight.com/2013/10/exhibition-kabuki-japanese-theatre-prints-national-museum-of-scotland/" target="_blank">Kabuki theatre woodblock prints</a> at the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Odori_Keiy%C5%8D_Edo-e_no_sakae_by_Toyokuni_III.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Odori_Keiy%C5%8D_Edo-e_no_sakae_by_Toyokuni_III.jpg" height="289" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-26284270700588877162015-05-07T22:57:00.000+02:002015-05-07T22:57:01.844+02:00John Lennox at Waterloo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://randomprocessed.blogspot.se/search?q=john+lennox" target="_blank">John Lennox</a> strikes again! This time at the University of Waterloo. I'm reblogging comments of Jeff Shallit who, having had the patience to attend his lectures, only found out that they are void of content. And I found out that Lennox keeps saying the same thing, month after month, year after year, supporting irrational beliefs and preaching to those who are impressed by the fact that he has a PhD and that he is a mathematician. (Wow!)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://recursed.blogspot.se/2015/03/its-pascal-lecture-time-again-john.html" target="_blank">It's Pascal Lecture Time Again -- John Lennox at Waterloo </a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://recursed.blogspot.se/2015/03/john-lennox-talk-1.html" target="_blank">John Lennox - Talk #1: "Do Science and God Mix?" </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://recursed.blogspot.se/2015/03/john-lennox-hoist-by-his-own-petard.html" target="_blank">John Lennox Hoist by His Own Petard</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://recursed.blogspot.se/2015/03/john-lennox-talk-2-miracles.html" target="_blank">John Lennox Talk #2: Miracles</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-47851142347000275832015-05-06T23:02:00.001+02:002015-05-06T23:14:23.858+02:00Japanese monkeys<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-32608553" target="_blank">From BBC news</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="story-body__introduction">
A Japanese zoo has apologised after naming a baby monkey Charlotte in honour of the newborn British princess, it's reported.</div>
The
Takasakiyama Zoo, in southern Japan, was inundated with complaints
after announcing the female macaque monkey's name on Wednesday, <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/06/national/zoo-backpedals-from-naming-baby-monkey-after-u-k-princess/#.VUowbY5Viko">the Kyodo news agency reports</a>.
The zoo says the name was chosen after a public vote, a tradition for
their first newborn macaque <br />
monkey each year. Charlotte received the
most votes, although it wasn't exactly a runaway winner, with 59 out of
853 people choosing it. <br />
But other members of the public felt that
it was disrespectful to the British royal family to name a monkey after
a princess. The zoo faced a "barrage" of complaints from people wanting
them to re-name the macaque, with some noting that the Japanese people
might not be best pleased if a British monkey were named after one of
their own royal family, Kyodo reports. The zoo has <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://www.takasakiyama.jp/takasakiyama/topics/detail.php?id=110">apologised in a statement on its website</a>. It says it takes people's concerns seriously and is discussing a potential name change for the newborn animal.</blockquote>
Well, I just came back from Japan, and did have encounters with some Japanese monkeys out in the wild, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamik%C5%8Dchi" target="_blank">Kamikochi</a>. I didn't know that one of their relatives would be named in honour of a British princess and neither that this would be considered scandalous. The question is why? Why should a princess' name not be useable by a monkey? Is a princess better than a monkey? On what grounds? Just because she happened to be born in a so-to-speak royal family? This is one of the irrationalities/absurdities of humans, a mere remnant of eras when people thought of royals as representatives of their gods. In any case, I find the monkeys more attractive than the princess. To wit, take a look:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz81-zquVotRbHBi6W_365q8QOip_c0m7Zlok-qBMz4M-DsJQ2kj7Tb6It2TeNpeWcLonVHTDnLSDHlskPoig' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290524889657823805.post-24316832180607951732015-04-11T01:59:00.002+02:002015-04-11T01:59:42.708+02:00The Armenian genocide<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I was driving on the Bay Bridge from Oakland to San Francisco, I saw the following<br />
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So I clicked on <a href="http://www.rememberanddemand.org/">http://www.rememberanddemand.org/</a> and saw the announcement of a variety of events for April 2015, in commemoration of the genocide.<br />
<br />
Between 1915 and 1923, over 1.5 million Christian Armenians were
forcibly uprooted from their homeland and systematically slaughtered by
the Ottoman Turkish government under the cover of World War I. <br />
This mass murder is considered the first documented genocide of
modern times and included crucifixions, torture of women and children,
sexual slavery, mass executions, forced labor, enslavement of children
and purposeful starvation.<br />
To this day, the Turkish government denies the truth about the
Armenian Genocide. It has criminalized discussion of it by its own
citizens and built a powerful coalition of lobbyists who use political
influence all over the world to prevent international recognition of
this crime. <br />
In 2015, Armenian Americans and the international community will
unite to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and
to honor its victims by demanding the proper recognition of this
horrendous event.<br />
<br />
More on this, to follow... <br />
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Takis Konstantopouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14675216467783238403noreply@blogger.com0