This blog will bring together my different interests into one place, mainly for my own reference but, if you are also reading this, welcome aboard!
The subjects covered will include (but probably not limited to):-
Reviews. One of the things I feel lucky to be able to do is review books for the BBC Sky at Night Magazine. An example of this can be seen online with my review of Dr. Clarke's excellent book How UFOs Conquered the World. This blog will allow me to widen that interest by reviewing anything that takes my fancy. Should any reviews be of products supplied at either reduced or no cost, this will be made clear up front. Unless it specifically states otherwise, you can rest assured that the things I choose to review are simply those that have prompted a strong response, either positive or negative.
Reviews. One of the things I feel lucky to be able to do is review books for the BBC Sky at Night Magazine. An example of this can be seen online with my review of Dr. Clarke's excellent book How UFOs Conquered the World. This blog will allow me to widen that interest by reviewing anything that takes my fancy. Should any reviews be of products supplied at either reduced or no cost, this will be made clear up front. Unless it specifically states otherwise, you can rest assured that the things I choose to review are simply those that have prompted a strong response, either positive or negative.
The Apollo Moon Landings. This is something that I've been interested in for as long as I can remember. In fact, one of my earliest memories is the tension surrounding the return of the stricken Apollo 13 mission and I clearly remember following the final three missions. More recently, I did some more in depth reading on the subject and have written a couple of articles for the BBC Sky at Night Magazine. Starting with some of the many books on the subject, (I would recommend David Woods How Apollo Flew To The Moon as a great starting point if you are interested) I moved on to some of the excellent online resources such as the Apollo flight and surface journals that contain the complete transcripts of radio chatter between the crews and mission control. They are fascinating reads for anyone with a serious interest in the subject.
Philosophy. My degree is in philosophy and my interest is still as keen as it was then. I went to university as a mature student and graduated back in the mid 1990s. My particular interest concerns the philosophy of mind and it has been amazing to see how the subject has gone from a purely philosophical debate to one informed by scientific investigations. Advances in brain imaging gives us a real chance to finally unlock some of the mysteries of the mind/brain. Science is, after all, a branch of philosophy. My interest in philosophy also leads on to the next subject.....
Religion. A hot topic that can cause even the closest friends to argue! Whether one is religious or not, it effects all our lives. From the basis of many laws and ethical points of view through the sometimes difficult relationship between science and religion to the rise of extreme viewpoints that seem to feature more in the daily news. Once again, this interest leads on to the next....
Discordianism. Described by some as a joke masquerading as a religion and by others as a religion masquerading as a joke. I first came across Discordianism through the writings of Robert Anton Wilson, who also crystallised my interest in philosophy as well as introducing me to the work of The Church of the SubGenius
And finally, for now....
Conspiracy Theories. I should, first of all, make it clear that I believe that the vastly overwhelming majority of so called conspiracy theories are complete and utter bunkum. To return to the top of this list, there are numerous claims made about the Moon landings from being hoaxed or a cover for some covert military action to claims that the astronauts found proof that alien artifacts were discovered. Most of these theories can be easily dismissed once you really start to research the subject. It serves to remind me, when reading about subjects that I am less well informed about, that a little knowledge can indeed be a dangerous thing. It's also true that some of the authors of such theories are either blinded to contradictory evidence by their desire to support a particular point of view or actively mislead their readers for either fun or profit.
Conclusion. So, this blog will attempt to cover a fair bit of ground on a variety of topics that will usually fall into one or more of the above categories. They may be rants, serious research, points of views or idle musings. They will help me in keeping things in one place online and may prove to be of some use or entertainment to some people out there. So, welcome to the Realitorium.
And finally, for now....
Conspiracy Theories. I should, first of all, make it clear that I believe that the vastly overwhelming majority of so called conspiracy theories are complete and utter bunkum. To return to the top of this list, there are numerous claims made about the Moon landings from being hoaxed or a cover for some covert military action to claims that the astronauts found proof that alien artifacts were discovered. Most of these theories can be easily dismissed once you really start to research the subject. It serves to remind me, when reading about subjects that I am less well informed about, that a little knowledge can indeed be a dangerous thing. It's also true that some of the authors of such theories are either blinded to contradictory evidence by their desire to support a particular point of view or actively mislead their readers for either fun or profit.
Conclusion. So, this blog will attempt to cover a fair bit of ground on a variety of topics that will usually fall into one or more of the above categories. They may be rants, serious research, points of views or idle musings. They will help me in keeping things in one place online and may prove to be of some use or entertainment to some people out there. So, welcome to the Realitorium.
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