Because thinking about the world is fun…
- Why Worry?
We are aiming to cycle from Oskemen (east Kazakhstan) through Xinjiang (China) to Khovd (western Mongolia). Should we be worried? - Are cow bells cruel?
Cow bells are as intrinsic to the Swiss landscape as mountain peaks and wooden houses with steep roofs. But how would you like to have a permanently attached bell clinking and clanking as you move? And why would cows be any different? - Has Science Sold Out?
Should scientists be focused on the greater good? Or should we be realistic about scientists, like everyone else, wanting a job? - Of toilets and rubbish (mostly)
France, a land of great scenery, architecture, baking, and terrible toilets. Why does New Zealand think toilets and rubbish bins are essential to support tourism when France is full of tourists and deplete of public toilets? - Built beauty
Why do we think some buildings are particularly beautiful? And why do we think old buildings are beautiful? Especially given how uncomfortable many would be to live in?
2 thoughts on “Thoughts in Uncertain Times”
The way you connect different topics like oil prices and government policies really made me think about how these interconnected forces shape the way we live. It’s easy to forget that even the smallest decision, like a font change in diplomatic documents, can have larger consequences.
The route through Xinjiang to Khovd is genuinely fascinating — that stretch of terrain is rarely covered in English-language travel writing. The question about cowbells is a nice lighter counterpoint to the more weighty geopolitical considerations of the main journey.