Nine months after the release of the Chrome browser Google today announced the development of its Chrome OS. The announcement may have surprised many, but for those who watch the tech industry this was the next logical step for Google.

Google’s aim is to create an “open source, lightweight operating system” that will “get you onto the web in a few seconds”. Shipping in 2010 on netbooks and moving to desktop PCs shortly after, Chrome is built on a Linux kernel. Applications will largely be web based and Google is touting security and a minimalist interface as other benefits.

Clearly for Google this is the next step in their battle with Microsoft for dominance of the tech world and at the moment I get the feeling that most people are rooting for Google. Google is dominant in web search and has leveraged its revenues from advertising to fund a number of projects including the Chrome browser. In combination with gmail and Google Apps the company is trying to erode Microsoft’s lead in the web brower and office application market. Interestingly, nobody has taken Microsoft’s attempts to buy Yahoo, or its launch of Bing, as a serious threat to Google’s search dominance. but when Google announces an OS people are looking to Microsoft’s doom. Amazing what a bit of “do no evil” can achieve for your P.R.

A couple of articles I have read today held the notion that Apple also should be looking over its shoulder at Google. I can see how Google may take some of Microsoft’s market share away, but I can’t really see it effecting Apple to any great extent. There are many reasons people buy a Mac. Although Apple frequently tout the virus free nature of the Mac and the ease of getting things done, were you to ask most users it is OS X and the beautifully designed hardware that make the experience special. Clearly Google isn’t going after the demographic who value these things.

Apple hasn’t ventured into the netbook market where a light-weight, open source operating system focused on web applications makes maximum sense. Most of the netbooks sold run Microsoft Windows XP – although Linux was popular in the beginning. Microsoft have optimised Windows 7 to run on netbooks and is obviously looking for juicy OEM installs of that OS to bolster its flagging revenue in the wake of the disaster that was Windows Vista. It is here that Google are likely to sink the boot. None of which is going to effect Apple to any noticeable extent.

Whatever pundits like Rob Enderle say about Chrome being the first real post-web OS, it still has to perform the functions that people expect of an operating system. I wish that journalists wouldn’t talk to Enderle, but most of the mainstream press including the Telegraph and the BBC have quoted him. Although “the cloud” is becoming bigger, more accessible and more reliable all the time, people prefer to have files accessible locally. So Chrome will need to be a fully functioning OS in its own right. For Google to take down Microsoft they will need to been able to have the Google suite of productivity applications run seamlessly and on the desktop to convince the corporate world that they should abandon Windows. It is there that the real battle will be fought.

I think that this is a very exciting move by Google and the extra competition in the OS space will lead to further innovation all round, which is great for Apple who have made the challenge of out innovating Microsoft appear pretty easy. Perhaps Chrome will stimulate Microsoft into action and really propel exciting developments in operating systems. That said Microsoft are a company who show no propensity for innovation.

I don’t relish a future where Google own the whole widget, from the browser to the search engine, from the mail app to the operating system. In some ways I feel that they are achieving what Microsoft set out to do and own everything from end to end. To roll out the oft abused car/computer metaphor the wish to own the road, make and service the car, sell the petrol etc. Still it is nice to imagine Microsoft getting it in the eye. While the two behemoths are fighting it out, maybe Apple will slip by.

Anyway, the gloves are off and the fight is on.

The AVN (Australian Vaccination Network) have been a popular target of skeptical comment recently since Channel 7 produced an episode of [...]]]> It has been quite a while since I updated here. Mainly because I haven’t had anything to say, partly because I have been busy and partly because I missed the boat on a few recent issues.

The AVN (Australian Vaccination Network) have been a popular target of skeptical comment recently since Channel 7 produced an episode of their Sunday Night program exposing the dangerous nonsense that is spouted by the anti-vaccination lobby. Something that I discussed quite a while ago.

I couldn’t build up enough enthusiasm to tackle the media-hyped “Swine Flu” outbreak. The Daylight Saving referendum didn’t seem to be half as interesting as the local Perth media tried to make it and things have seemed pretty quiet on the Western Front.

I participated in the making of a film for the 48HOURS film festival in New Zealand. Not that I went to NZ, rather some NZ expats (formerly UK expats) who are friends of a friend of mine, entered and I was part of the team. The basic idea is that you are given a genre, a line of dialogue, a character and a prop and then have 48 hours to make a 1 to 7 minute film based on these. We were given real time (think 24), “It doesn’t fit”, Alex Puddle and a rock.

So we went with speed dating and wrote what I believe to be a cracking script. Filming took place at my house over the course of a Saturday and editing then took the rest of that day and night. Much fiddling with encoding and uploading later we had finished a really good film, made even better by the excellent cast. My personal contribution was Mac guru, script contributor, music and general dogsbody. It was so much fun we’re going to have a go at a short feature sometime soon.

Anyway, I have the bit between my teeth again now so you can expect to see a great deal more here soon.

Those who regularly prayed were more than three times more likely [...]]]> The BBC reports on a study completed by the University of Pitsburg into religious belief and terminal illness. It seems that the true believers are the ones least likely to accept their own death. The researchers followed 345 people with terminal cancer. According to the study:

Those who regularly prayed were more than three times more likely to receive intensive life-prolonging care than those who relied least on religion…As well as receiving resuscitation, they were much more likely to be placed on mechanical ventilation in the last few days of life.

Now to me this seems counter intuitive. Surely if you believe that you are going to live forever in heaven with God then you ought to actually be quite happy that you are on your way. It would be natural to assume that it is the heathens who are likely to do everything in their power to prolong their life.

As an atheist I certainly don’t look forward to death, but it is something that I know is inevitable and have no fear of. I like to think that when my number is up I’ll go quietly.

This study confirms something that I have thought for quite a while – that religious people use their faith as a psychological prop since they cannot accept death.

When I got home from work today waiting for me in the letter box was an envelope marked “To the householder”. I opened it and a piece of paper with the following upon it (complete with errors of grammar and punctuation) was enclosed.

Dear neighbour,

My Wife and I live in the neighbourhood. We have not been [...]]]>

Indeed!

When I got home from work today waiting for me in the letter box was an envelope marked “To the householder”. I opened it and a piece of paper with the following upon it (complete with errors of grammar and punctuation) was enclosed.

Dear neighbour,

My Wife and I live in the neighbourhood. We have not been able to speak with you personally, but we have some important information that we want to share with you.

A sample of it is contained in the enclosed tract.

It is our privilege to share in a volunteer work that is being done in over 200 lands. People are being invited to benefit from a program that helps them learn the Bible’s answer to important questions as:-

Why do we grow old and die?

What is the real purpose of life?

How can we find real happiness?

We engage in this ministry because we are genuinely interested in our neighbours. Our work is not commercial. It is our hope, that someday soon we will be able speak with you personally.

Please, feel free to get in touch with us at the obove address to obtain a copy of the 223 page book “WHAT DOES THE BIBLE Really TEACH”

As you can no doubt imagine I was delighted to receive this piece of religious nonsense in my letter box. Indeed I was sorry not to have been here to meet with them as I could have answered their questions for them and sent them on their way. However, lacking the means to speak to them personally I decided that I should pen the following response to their kind words.

Dear Ken and Leone,

Many thanks for your letter delivered unsolicited to my letter box today. I, too, am sorry that I was not here to speak with you as I too have important information that I wish to share with you.

I notice in your enclosed literature that human suffering is the result of God allowing people to rule the Earth themselves. He, if I understand correctly, is sitting back and watching humanity make a mess of things, but not for long as we are in the “last days”. Are these last days the real last days and the last days in 1925 and 1975 just rehearsals? Or is it possible that, in fact, there is no God?

Human suffering, I think you will find, is due to many different things. Most frequently other humans. Wars are often the result of conflicts over territorial rights and even more frequently religion, I draw your attention to The Crusades, for example . If you must cling to your notions of God then it would seem that he was responsible for quite a bit of suffering in places throughout the Middle East – killing off Palestinians here and there and plaguing the Egyptians. This seems to contradict the notion of God sitting back and watching the silly humans mess things up. As does God sending himself as his son to Earth.

I note the title of the enclosed tract is “All Suffering SOON TO END!” this is good news. Unfortunately it seems this can only happen when everyone dies except believers in your version of Christianity. It is good for you then that we are in the “end days”. On that note I would like to discuss your earthly possessions. I would be happy to take them off your hands when you head to heaven. If you would like sign something transferring to me all of your money and worldly goods after, say, five years I would be happy to oblige. Five years ought to be enough for the off and you won’t be needing them.

It is a shame that I missed you as I believe I would have enjoyed that discussion. Let me move on to you pressing questions. I note that you have been searching in the Bible for answers to these, perhaps if you widened your reading from a collection of Bronze Age stories written before any understanding of things like medicine, physics and biology you might have had more luck. To save you the trouble I have answered your questions below:

Why do we grow old and die?

Our bodies our composed of cells. Each of these contains a code (people who understand Science refer to this as DNA) that tells the body how to create more cells. There are many different types cells in the body, for example skin cells, liver cells and blood cells and over the course of our lives these die and are reproduced using the special code. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately from a world population perspective, every time a cell is reproduced there is a chance the code might be a little mixed up. Over time these little mistakes add up to a lot of mistakes and things go wrong with our bodies, eventually resulting in death.

What is the real purpose of life?

This question has two answers. One biological and one metaphysical. The biological answer that the purpose of life is to exist, live long enough to reproduce and then produce offspring to continue the species. The metaphysical answer stems from the fact that humans have developed consciousness. In short the purpose of life is to be happy and that means you can pursue any avenue that you wish. Stay within your moral code, don’t hurt other people and try to do some good. That is it. Simple.

How can we find real happiness?

I assume that this question is rhetorical. Your answer would be by becoming a Jehovah’s Witness I am sure. The real answer is as above. Find something that makes you happy – a hobby, a group of friends, an endeavour – and enjoy it.

I have no doubts that your interest in your neighbours is purely religious and while not commercial I am sure that the Watchtower and associated publications won’t sell themselves. Your free 223 page book notwithstanding. What does the Bible really teach? Nothing.

If you would like some information about atheism, science, reason and grammar feel free to contact me at the address above.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew

I think they may be barking up the wrong tree.

By now most people are aware that the world’s [...]]]> I have so far refrained from entering the fray of the current world financial problems but having watched, listened and read over the course of the unfolding shambles I thought that it was about time that I set everybody straight with a little bit of Atomac self-opinionated self-righteousness.

By now most people are aware that the world’s problems stem from greed by individuals and corporations in a system that was regulation poor. The stinging blow of the “sub-prime” (one of the millennium’s greatest euphemisms) mortgage market followed by the collapse of financial institutions exposed to it and the further collapse of institutions who were making money by betting that the house of cards would not fall down left the world money market running scared. With big banks calling their debts and not lending more money to smaller institutions or each other credit evaporated and the blood began to run in the streets. From what I have read there was plenty of opportunity for governments, particularly the US government to intervene and regulate, but the Bush administrations “hands-off” Republican brand of capitalism had faith that the market would regulate itself. This was like expecting the cat to look after the milk.

With companies unable to get credit their operating costs were not sustainable and they began to make losses. May companies like Toyata have shown a loss for the fist time in years. As companies fail and people lose their jobs there is less demand and therefore less profit and more closures, jobs losses and even less demand. For Australia less demand means lower prices for the minerals our one-trick pony economy relies upon.

One thing that has been thrown into stark reality is the ineptitude of the policy makers and their economic advisers. While things are sailing along on calm waters it seems that any idiot can run the ship. It seems that nobody was looking at the charts and they let the ship sail into the area marked “here be monsters”. Now that the markets are in trouble the same people who were quite happy for the “market to find its own way” are now running around in a panic trying to plug the holes in the sinking ship.

Why did the economists not see this coming? Economics is no more of a science that astrology. Like astrology economics makes predictions. If the arrows are all point up it is pretty easy to predict profits, peace and stability. Could they not see that things were overheating? To continue the ship metaphor why did they not warn the captain that we were running into shoal water? The same economists who were able to chart our course through the calm waters seem completely unable to do anything but state the obvious that we are in trouble, they can’t suggest how we might get back onto the tack we were on before.

In Western Australia as recently as six months ago we were being told that the boom that had started in 2001 would last forever. The obvious fact that a boom, by its very definition must be time-limited, was not part of most people’s realities. Those employed in the mining and construction industries saw their incomes grow exponentially while those, like public servants and, yes, teachers, who were not part of the boom suffered while house prices rose steeply. The state government that was making so much money from the royalties saw fit to raise stamp duty during that time and increase its revenues even further. With all of this money rattling around in the state coffers they spent nothing on any public works worth mentioning. They could have built new theatres, hospitals. museums, public parks, improved all of the state’s infrastructure, increased the pay of their long-suffering employees and many other things. Instead they did nothing and now the boom is over and the money has gone and that is that.

One of the most galling things to watch, now that the boom is over, is the government ready to “bail out” and help those who benefited most from the boom. They federal government, for example, plans to give every school $200,000 for new buildings in order to support the building industry. What about the teachers in those schools who have seen their pay shrink in proportion to the average way and house prices during the boom?

The state government has raced to provide $5m to those who have suffered at the closure of the BHP Nickel mine at Ravensthorpe. Surely the risk that those people took is the same that anyone else takes when they try to make a profit? Why should our money be used to prop them up? Will the government bail me out? Will they bollocks.

The stimulus package that is being offered by the Rudd government, like the previous effort, will have little impact on the financial problem. In short the government wants to give every working Australian who earns less that $80,000 per annum $950. They also intend to give people with school age children $950 per child (a fair exchange I would have thought). In addition they will give every school $200,000 for building.

The cost will be $42 billion. The effect will be a small spike in retail sales and that is it. This is a GLOBAL problem not a local one. If 15 million working Australians spend $950 each it will have no effect whatsoever. Schools don’t need $200,000 for buildings. They have buildings. They would love the $200,000 for resources, but then they ought to have had that before.

If the government wants to do something, instead of wanting to look like they are doing something, they should reduce taxes, especially for middle income earners, spend money on public works and infrastructure, pump money into public service projects and generally use the public spending to make Australia as a better place. In other words try to turn this sow’s ear into a silk purse.

We are in trouble and it is going to take serious changes to financial regulation to create the consumer and market confidence to get us out of it.

The holidays didn’t actually seem to be as long as they appear on paper. The six weeks seem to fly by and aside from getting all of the items on my optimistically long to-do list done I feel I should have achieved more. Particularly in terms of this blog. [...]]]> And so ends another spell of school holidays.

The holidays didn’t actually seem to be as long as they appear on paper. The six weeks seem to fly by and aside from getting all of the items on my optimistically long to-do list done I feel I should have achieved more. Particularly in terms of this blog. Anyway I am determined to write more this year.

It was a bit of a shock to the system to be back at work, but aside from feeling a bit worn out I think I have adjusted back into it again. It was nice to see all of the kids so fresh faced and enthusiastic on the first day and I think that we are going to have a successful year.

It is the International Year of Astronomy and I really want to get the kids thinking about the universe and our place in it.

Across the world an increasing number of parents are opting out of vaccination programs because of fears propagated by misguided, ill-informed and often exploitative individuals and groups that immunisation can cause autism and the diseases that children are being inoculated against. The result is outbreaks of diseases not seen since immunisation almost wiped them out such as measles [...]]]>

Across the world an increasing number of parents are opting out of vaccination programs because of fears propagated by misguided, ill-informed and often exploitative individuals and groups that immunisation can cause autism and the diseases that children are being inoculated against. The result is outbreaks of diseases not seen since immunisation almost wiped them out such as measles in the UK and whooping cough in Australia.

Those who would seek to dissuade parents from having their children vaccinated argue two points – vaccination causes autism and vaccines are a way for large drug companies to make money.

One of the most vocal “pro choice” vaccination groups in Australia is the Australian Vaccination Network. According to their website they are “working to help parents take back [the] right to free and informed choice”. They offer a range of “fact sheets” on vaccines including the DTP (Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis), MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) and Polio.

The Australia Vaccination Network (AVN) repeat the claims by the anti-immunisation lobby in the United States that the use of mercury in the form of thiomersal in the DTP and MMR vaccines is linked with autism. There is no scientific evidence that there is a link between mercury and autism. Small amounts of mercury were used as a preservative in vaccines to prevent fungal and bacterial growth. Mercury only has an effect on the nervous system when it reaches a certain concentration. Children are more likely to exposed to concentrated levels of mercury in the environment and in food such as fish. In addition peer reviewed scientific studies have shown no connection between autism and neurological abnormalities such as autism. Furthermore thiomersal has not been used in vaccines since 2000. Despite the original study that began the furore over autism and vaccines being discredited and further studies disproving the link the anti-vaccinationists will not give up. More bizarrely according to The Department of Health and Aging MMR has never contained thiomersal.

The AVN claims too that measles, mumps and rubella are non-threatening in childhood and that by immunising children we are risking their infection in later life when theses diseases are more dangerous since vaccination confers only temporary immunity.

To claim that measles is non-threatening in childhood is irresponsible. The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified measles as a leading cause of death among children. The WHO states that the complications of measles include ”blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia”. Children under the age of 5 are especially at risk and in 2007 197,000 deaths were caused by the disease.

The AVN also cite the oral polio vaccine as being a cause of both polio and vaccine associated paralytic polio (VAPP). There is a link between the live polio vaccine which is given orally and the disease. As recently as 2007 in Nigeria cases of polio as a result of the live oral vaccine were reported. The Department of Health and Aging reports the risk of contracting polio from the live vaccine as 1 in 2.4 million distributed and 1 in 750,000 for those receiving their first dose. However since 2005 in Australia the oral vaccine was replaced with the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) which does not have the VAPP side effect.

The WHO reports that 1 in 200 cases of polio results in irreversible paralysis of which 5-10% die when the muscles that control breathing become paralysed. Between 1988 and 2006 world wide reported cases of polio dropped from 350,000 to 1997 as a result of a world-wide vaccination program.

The truth is that in the Western world we have been lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to these diseases the incidence of which have been massively reduced by immunisation programs. The horror of high levels of infant mortality that preceded the twentieth century are thankfully part of history but organisations such as the AVN would have us return to these days.

It is easy to understand that parents are concerned about their children but pushing misinformation does not allow them to make an informed decision. It spreads fear and creates an environment where epidemics can erupt in populations where childhood diseases had been all but eradicated. People choosing not to immunise their children must rely solely on those that do to prevent their children from becoming ill.

Groups opposed to immunisation may have many motives, including a genuine concern for children based on misguided principles and misinformation. It is my opinion that some, such as the AVN, have financial gain as their motive and are certainly not altruistic. The AVN is not a registered charity (thankfully) but claim to be not for profit, have changed their registered name from Australian Council for Immunisation Information Inc. to Healthy Families…Naturally and to their current name in 2002. They are linked to homeopathy as evidenced by speakers at their national conference in 2006.

A browse through their website reveals links to a company called “Living Wisdom” a counselling service based in Brisbane that offers the usual collection of psychobabble. In fact if you click on the e-newsletter link on the AVN website it is the Living Wisdom news letter advertising pamphlet that is downloaded.

Another link of interest is labelled “Professional Members”. Expecting to find a list of medical practitioners opposed to vaccination I found a list of such professionals as acupuncturists, colon hydrotherapists, osteopathists and homeopathists. This is essentially advertising for which each of these “Professional Members” pays between $200 and $1500 per annum.

Of course you can purchase a membership, buy back issues of the “Informed Choice” magazine and copies of various New Age books. In fact the more that you look into the site and the organisation it appears to be a front for “Alternative medicine” and very little about true informed consent.

Like psychics the AVN appears to be making money from people’s fears and doubts.

It is important that people make informed choices about their health and that of their children but this needs to be based on facts and evidence derived from properly conducted scientific tests. Not ill-informed nonsense.