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GentlySerious

Serious topics, gently treated.

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  • Recent stories, written together by Aidan Ward and Philip Hellyer
    The veil of numbers

    The veil of numbers

    Numbers are now mostly used to mislead. They form a veil across our reality. They obscure the translation of what we perceive directly into…
    Go to the profile of Aidan Ward
    Aidan Ward
    Jan 8
    Nature’s way

    Nature’s way

    Bio-mimicry is our guide. If we think we can do a thing better than nature does it, we will find to our cost that we are mistaken. If we…
    Go to the profile of Aidan Ward
    Aidan Ward
    Sep 24, 2024
    Do you believe your own senses?

    Do you believe your own senses?

    In 1984 George Orwell said the ultimate aim of the Party is that you don’t believe your own eyes and ears. When this occurs, and it does…
    Go to the profile of Aidan Ward
    Aidan Ward
    Apr 16, 2024
    Am I secure?

    Am I secure?

    Inner defences
    Go to the profile of Aidan Ward
    Aidan Ward
    Feb 1, 2024
    Popular stories
    Education into freedom

    Education into freedom

    Aidan Ward and Philip Hellyer
    Go to the profile of Aidan Ward
    Aidan Ward
    Jan 28, 2018
    Staying sharp in the food wars

    Staying sharp in the food wars

    Dream other dreams, and better. Strange, indeed, that you should not have suspected that your universe and its contents were only dreams…
    Go to the profile of Aidan Ward
    Aidan Ward
    Dec 22, 2017
    Axiomatic Nonsense

    Axiomatic Nonsense

    Last week we wrote about consciousness and the underpinnings of symbols. This week we look at some symbols that stubbornly fail to degrade…
    Go to the profile of Aidan Ward
    Aidan Ward
    Jan 8, 2019
    Risk Aversion in Ecosystems

    Risk Aversion in Ecosystems

    Risk aversion leads to increased risk — we need to take risks actively if we are to navigate between possible harms. Odysseus’ perilous…
    Go to the profile of Aidan Ward
    Aidan Ward
    Dec 18, 2019
    What Really Matters

    What Really Matters

    As the world darkens we can see our connections glow. All the smart people talk about context, context, context: about how meaning is lost…
    Go to the profile of Aidan Ward
    Aidan Ward
    Apr 17, 2018
    Perpetual Chicken Feed

    Perpetual Chicken Feed

    How do you feel about flies? Do you think we depend on them? Would the world be better with less flies? We can have a look at this…
    Go to the profile of Philip Hellyer
    Philip Hellyer
    Aug 22, 2019
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