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GentlySerious
Serious topics, gently treated.
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Recent stories, written together by Aidan Ward and Philip Hellyer
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…
Aidan Ward
Sep 24
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…
Aidan Ward
Apr 16
Am I secure?
Am I secure?
Inner defences
Aidan Ward
Feb 1
The cheese of life
The cheese of life
Henri Bortoft tells us not to seek to understand the milk via the cheese. But the cheese can take us on a most edifying journey. The…
Aidan Ward
Nov 8, 2023
Popular stories
Self-organisation and political systems
Self-organisation and political systems
The purpose of a system is what it does. Stafford Beer said, with a twinkle, that the purpose of the Jaguar spares department was to keep…
Aidan Ward
Nov 23, 2020
Education into freedom
Education into freedom
Aidan Ward and Philip Hellyer
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…
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…
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…
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…
Aidan Ward
Apr 17, 2018
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