JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Statistics
After considering the fantasy that is inherent in the the process of wanting climatic net zero by our politicians, I realized that they have been proposing such feats of imagination for many years (centuries).
The creation/proposal for a net zero governmental annual budget.
140
With Net Zero they seem to think the weather will beome perfect
Just like the weather song in the musical Camelot.
Camelot
It’s true! It’s true! The crown has made it clear.
The climate must be perfect all the year.
A law was made a distant moon ago here
July and August cannot be too hot.
And there’s a legal limit to the snow here
In Camelot.
The winter is forbidden till December
And exits March the second on the dot.
By order, summer lingers through September
In Camelot.
Camelot! Camelot!
I know it sounds a bit bizarre,
But in Camelot, Camelot
That’s how conditions are.
The rain may never fall till after sundown.
By eight, the morning fog must disappear.
In short, there’s simply not
A more congenial spot
For happily-ever-aftering than here
In Camelot.
Camelot! Camelot!
I know it gives a person pause,
But in Camelot, Camelot
Those are the legal laws.
The snow may never slush upon the hillside.
By nine p.m. the moonlight must appear.
In short, there’s simply not
A more congenial spot
For happily-ever-aftering than here
In Camelot.
240
That is where the black knight Sir Lie A Lot
30
So true, so true. Surely that is Big Wind Bowen’s favourite musical.
30
According to Dr Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (Dr.Th), the Net Zero tipping point is when the seas start to boil at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, Historians say that the Mexicans tried to stop the climate from changing, by sacrificing aborted babies or assisting suicides on top of pyramids, by introducing an Aztec law similar to the ‘Assisted Death Act’. However, praying for dead babies sent to pharmaceutical laboratories, is banned by law.
61
Emissions have no proven connection with CO2 levels. The only connection is political science. And only CO2 levels matter according to the unproven hypothesis of CO2 driven Global Warming.
40
Which specific scientific organization came up with this net zero idea?
40
Australia’s tallest building will be “Trump Tower (Australia)” Gold Coast, Queensland. Donald Trump’s tower will stand 1,115 feet in height, with 91 storeys.
80
https://www.realestatesource.com.au/site-chosen-for-australias-first-trump-tower/
20
The AI generated image is hilarious. One cyclone or 25 years of sea level rise will inundate the ground floor with sea water.
Like all things in Trump world, it’s not going to happen. #TACO
130
In your view what would be the point of choosing a site where nothing will be built?
61
And what would be the point of announcing that said site had been chosen?
21
Simon, having been a rate payer on the GC for 17 years and a traveller here for decades prior to that AND being in the Construction sector……SLR, AGW, etc etc BS has had zero impact here……..Go Trumpy……..and lets not forget the other 50+ towers awaiting approval or underway as well as the previous 40 odd built over the last 4 years. Whilst I don’t necessarily condone the Buildout perhaps local Authorities know more than we mere mortals….or are you just smarter than everyone else ?????…………..TDS is real and you are infected I believe…..TACO’s are nice to eat…….
130
Huh!
I moved to the Gold Coast in 1960 with Mum and Dad and our family, and we settled at Labrador on the Northern End of the Coast, just five miles from Surfers Paradise, and the only road into Surfers was across the old wooden humpback Jubilee Bridge across the Nerang, past the humungous caravan park at Main Beach, and then along the road across Narrow Neck.
We were as fascinated as everyone when the first ‘high rise’ was opened in 1960, Kinkabool a ten storey Apartment building.
Since then, in these intervening 66 years, 58 high rises have been constructed, the fourth highest number of any city in Australia.
All built on the sand of Surfers, and sadly, because of that, every one of them has collapsed ….. Oh! Wait a minute!!
Tony.
Kinkabool is Heritage Listed and here’s a touristy type thing. If you take a tour around Surfers there are brass plaques set into the concrete footpaths every so often along the tour with a little bit of history written on them, and outside of Kinkabool is one of those plaques
120
Tony this might be of interest;
00
Huh!
Gold Coast Schools.
I went to Labrador State (Primary) School, and when I started High School in 1964 (the first of the year eights at high school) there were only two State Highs on the Gold Coast, Southport State High (where I went) and Coolangatta at the bottom end of the ‘Coast’, with Miami opening its High School in late 63, first students 64.
The only other Schools were Dixon’s for boys (1901, now TSS, The Southport School, a prestige school then and now, and the second Secondary School to open in Qld after Ipswich Grammar) and St Hildas for girls. (1905) (Both of these schools considered by the Tindalls, and both taking boarders) Man, the school fees for TSS alone are off the Planet. You have to register your son at birth and start paying fees from Birth, and if you do get accepted, then its around 30K+ a year school fees.
Aquinas College (for the Catholics) also opened late in 64 as well.
Now, why I even mention any of this is that ….. now, there are more than 50+ Private schools on the Coast, other than the State Schools.
Who said education doesn’t pay?
Tony.
60
>One cyclone
Having weathered a massive cyclone up near the top of a seafront skyscraper in Hong Kong 1968, I’m sure we can build sturdy enough buildings in 2026.
>25 years of sea level rise
We’ve already seen more than 25 years of sea level rise since the scare campaign was first foist upon us and yet the sea has stubbornly remained down at sea level where it was before.
180
Having been in Taipei 101 during a pretty strong and gusty wind, and witnessed the ‘pendulum’ move around, I have faith in properly-constructed skyscrapers. The engineering involved is impressive.
The lifts were fun, too. Made my ears pop.
When I first looked down out of the window on the viewing level I wasn’t as impressed as I expected to be. Then I realised that some of the ‘tiny’ buildings I was looking down on far below were themselves, ‘skyscrapers’. Eeeek!
80
You should explain the TACO concept to millions of illegal immigrants in the US.
30
If that scenario does happen Simon, you can triumphantly paddle board through the foyer of the tower loudly declaring “I told you so!”
That’s a big if though…
50
‘ … it’s not going to happen. #TACO …’
I tend to agree, the Gold Coast is built on sand.
23
So is the Jemeirah Burj Al Arab. Ever watched the documentary that shows how that was built? Very clever.
41
According to NASA.
‘The study reports that sea level also is expected to grow by another 6.6 inches (169 millimeters) globally over the next 30 years if it follows this trend.’
Nothing to worry about.
13
According to their previous “studies” all the beaches of the world should be a metre under water by now, so why should we pay any sort of attention to this one?
110
We don’t take anything NASA says seriously, they are propagandists.
31
” NASA.”
Lol! Lets see how their new director sharpens it up when he’s given all the Socialist whiners and butt-padded useless bureaurats out!
I’d believe a weather forecast from a private company more than NASA, just look at how SpaceX has showed them up!
40
All cyclones have names, so name the cyclones since federation that have caused a 1m tidal surge on the GC. They are called TROPICAL cyclones and SE Qld is well south of the tropics.
There was one 72 yrs ago but it was mainly rain that caused damage.
30
No different to the rest of the real estate being beachside along the gold coast/surfers/sunshine coast.
40
One simple disproof of the climate alarmism, as I said before, is that NO BANK is refusing to lend for sea front properties.
All banks factor real risks from real world data into their practices, and every sea front property (even those by the Obamas et al of this world) would be BAD RISKS, to be rejected.
Also, if the risk is so real why would the mega rich alarmists all own such properties?
It all fails common sense and the smell test.
But believe away..
40
Simon I trust you enjoyed President Trump’s SOTU speech on TV. I love watching him demolish all you lefty simpletons using simple common sense.
00
I would say that it’s a huge business risk investing in Australia under present governments. The TRUMP organisation should wait until after the next election to see if a conservative Government is elected (One Nation) or even a Liberal/National Government.
170
Grasshopper! You clearly do not understand the self-styled communists. They will be first in line to suck up for a place in the opening celebration for a Trump-Tower. They will also happily silence the Unions and Greenies for publicity / celebrity.
Q? Where do you find your water melon greenie bureaucrat? Ans: In a Jet heading for a wilderness resort carved out of the natural surrounding.
Q? Where do you look for your communist politician? Ans: Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and First Class on board.
Q? Where do you look for your righteous God Fearing Politician on a fact finding junket? Ans: Managed Apartment so there is no documented billing or a record of the taxi to the strip club.
After all shouldn’t those who give their lives to the cause be entitled to the perks enjoyed by the evil capitalists.
110
Most politicians are already lining up to book luxury accomodation, whilst checking what events will require they travel to close by events which warrant the tax payer coughs up the $$$ . They’re very thorough in researching for any travel arrangements!
00
Won’t that trigger the TDS crowd for decades.
40
The Low Pressure system that brought snow and wind to the northeast coastal states of the USA – a nor’easter – has progressed to Newfoundland. Wind direction on the north side is from the NE and winds on the south side are from the SE. On the Atlantic side, St John’s area is having ‘strong gale’ force wind. It is taking about 3 hours for the center of the Low to pass a specific place.
Take a moment to commiserate with our Canadian friends.
110
Yesterday’s satellite pic
https://www.fvalk.com/images/Day_image/GOESE-0000.jpg
of the Americas (plural) shows climate™️ causes weather all over the planet and yet not one single law passed has managed to rein it in.
Brazil was drenched by heavy summer rainfall – as is central Australia – while we enjoy calm, dry, sunny, pleasant summer bliss (at last!), yet children demand Climate Justice For All™️. Yeah nah.
There’ll be great spring skiing in the North-East once this storm is over and makes its way towards Once Great Britain… uh-oh more chaos for the UK 🇬🇧
100
UK might see 18C tomorrow, crazy but lovely warm for Feb. Was sunny and warm today too.
Nothing too concerning in the forecast at the moment, mild, damp, breezy at times.
40
‘A powerful Heat Dome is set to expand over the heart of Europe through the final week of February, surpassing seasonal norms and delivering an aggressive “taste of spring” with temperatures into the 20s for many across the continent.’ (Severe Weather Europe)
02
The Greeks and Romans wrote of such things – a south wind off the desert – they even named such things back then too. Enjoy it while it lasts.
50
Heat Dome is an interesting term.
As recently as 2019 the UK Met Office said:
31
Point taken, its an American expression.
We are looking at blocking high pressure bringing warm winds from Africa.
There is another connection to do with increasing precipitation in the Sahara.
https://notrickszone.com/2026/02/24/surprising-discovery-sahara-is-greening-billions-of-trees-where-once-thought-to-be-barren/
11
This is getting a bit smelly, but at least corruption is starting to get attention.
The Donald’s Nobel “ aspirations” may have been a clue.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/former-norway-pm-attempts-suicide-after-epstein-linked-raid-corruption-charges-report
80
I don’t get it. Why attempt suicide? What is wrong with coming clean , and just blowing the thing wide open?
Is suicide preferable to being “suicided”?
70
Note the “attempt” at suicide.
Seems that in addition to making bad decisions, his skill set wasn’t too good.
100
If you wish to protest spectacularly
Self-crucifiction is certain to fail.
There’s no way known, not practically,
To drive in the final nail.
(Poetry by Geoff S from an earlier depressed stage in Life, after first exposure to Global Warming “Science”.)
80
Had you been reading Colleen McCullough’s “Creed for the Third Millennium”, in which a Trump-like figure self-crucifies as the U.S is beset by catastrophic snow/ice conditions?
10
Interesting little factoid:
They do not have the noose Epstein hung himself with!!
80
“Epstein hung himself with!”
I believe he hung himself as much as I believe Obama was born in America!
70
No more slaving over columns to maintain interest in AGW etc.
Just kidding . . .I think.
https://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2026/02/22
60
Sharp and incisive.
01
I don’t know if any Australasian dairy farmers read Jo’s blog, but I found this discussion interesting in light of Fonterra’s recent decision to flog off what is left of the “clean , green , and fresh” consumer products sector in NZ dairying.
This discussion took place ten years ago – the nitrogen leaching question morphed into AGW fables, and government was able to cap nitrogen fertiliser usage for all except fresh vegetable production where the worst losses of nitrogen continue, along with continuous cultivation.
https://keithwoodford.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/all-grass-farming-at-the-lincoln-dairy-farm/#:~:text=Farmer%20Braun%2C,radar%20but%20that%20is%20changing.
70
Australia’s Dear Leader Comrade Albanese was evacuated from The Lodge (official residence) last night for undisclosed security reasons.
https://youtu.be/TDHMdtpzGvs
41
Apparently nothing was found and the incident is concluded.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/anthony-albanese-evacuated-safety-threat/r8jttzhxl
30
Good that nothing was found. We don’t want that to happen in Australia, not for any politician. If we can get back to open dialogue on all issues then the likelihood of such actions diminishes.
On the downside, the government’s moves against free speech have made violent action more likely. Democracy and free speech are like the release valve on a pressure-cooker: if things get really bad, the public can fix it. Fake hate speech legislation is really really bad because it increases the pressure.
130
Agreed, good that nothing was found, and that applies to any Australian politician, no matter how incompetent or evil they are.
The Lib/Lab attack on free speech is especially dangerous, as the entire purpose of the censorship legislation appears to be to 1) silence a political party, One Nation, which is more popular than the Lib/Labs and 2) silence criticism of the ideology behind a vast majority of the world’s terrorism but is an important voting demographic for Labor.
As you say, free speech is like a relief valve, no matter how offensive it is to some people. Everyone is offended by something. And the line is drawn at incitement to violence which has always been illegal, even in free countries like the United States.
Outlawing free speech doesn’t stop “hate” speech but just drives it underground, out of public view, criticism, ridicule and exposure. That’s when it gets really dangerous.
90
“good that nothing was found, and that applies to any Australian politician, no matter how incompetent or evil they are.”
Why?? Isn’t that a risk of arrogantly running over people’s lives while being two-faced over helping them? I have no problem with leaders being bumped off, same as I believe they should be in the front of the army in any war they sign us up for.
31
Seems there might be Chinese fingerprints on it, something to do with Falun Gong.
10
Lot of kangaroos in Canberra David…..maybe one hopped the fence ??
40
10
So a false flag is conclusively ruled out ,right?
Right?
131
I guess that it is one avenue for a “dignified retirement”.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/542058/tech-agencies-lawyer-up-after-claim-they-failed-to-protect-jacinda-ardern-from-violence-misogyny
Alternatively a way to get at “hate speech”.
51
It’s odd how DEI/quota female leaders like Jacinda Ardern and Australia’s Julia Gillard conplained about supposed misogyny to disguise their incompetence and yet you never hear or heard competent people like Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Indira Gandhi, Isabel Perón, Benazir Bhutto, Giorgia Meloni etc. make such a complaint.
291
How true.
I remember Gillard saying, ‘I have about as much chance of being PM as the Western Bulldogs have of winning the Grand Finals.’
She knew she was lacking competency.
60
When Dullard was toppled from the pinnacle of student politics back in the day for rampant incompetence the main instigator was female.
In spite of that she used the “male chauvinist pigs” line.
60
Nothing would surprise me.
90
My first reaction was exactly that. Just ring in a fake bomb threat against yourself.
I will await the facts, but not hold my breath.
30
More “show-pony” theatrics?
00
Canada medical care.
1) Parody? Canadian medical treatment.
2) Not parody. (From 2017 and already implemented.)
70
You can’t put a price on a human life … unless you are an actuary or a Canadian ‘health’ administrator.
It won’t be long before entry forms at Canadian hospitals have a check-box for:
Think of all the money they’ll save!!!
70
In NZ elderly folk entering hospital are actively encouraged to tick the “Do Not Resuscitate” box prior to treatment.
60
Prove it
012
It was my mother -in-law, who was assured it was a standard procedure and not of concern.
I heard also from another resident of the hospital.
Not proof sorry, just experience.
Both in the same hospital.
110
Your comment fits well with my long comment below. I have a little knowledge on hospital admissions from discussions with my middle son and give some detail below.
10
My son has done a lot of hospital admissions. By his work history, he is well regarded for his efficiency in admitting. He can admit a new patient in about an hour. One of his exceptional aspects is that he has both law degree and medical degree. And when he started admitting, he had more life experience than most registrars doing admissions simply due to the time he was in the education system.
This link shows the ARP for Queensland hospital:
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0036/1457577/acute-resuscitation-plan-form-interactive.pdf
I expect the ARP would be applicable to many admissions but I have not discussed aspects of that with him other than my own requirements. He is the decision maker for me.
If you work through the ARP, it does not leave much room for error. But it does present the issues facing the medical professional and the patient.
It is questionable that words “actively encouraged” are accurate but filling out an ARP may give the impression that such is the case when a patient or relative is confronted with the questions.
You also have to be mindful that hospital beds and care workers are often limited resources.
Human machinery claps out and each human needs to have the conservation about what point they should be turned off. I still have vivid recollection of my parental Grandfather’s venom at my father for having him admitted to hospitall with terminal cancer back in the 1960s. My Grandfather wanted to die at his home with my Grandmother caring for him as best she could – she was still nimble. That was the last conversation my Farther had with his Father.
IMy impression is that most aged people do not want to occupy care facilities that could be better utilised by someone with a future. Workers in advanced dementia wards need to have a good sense of humour because their work can be tiresome. Some hospitals now combine dementia and post op wards so some of their patients have a destination other then a slab.
30
And dementia sufferers of course present the additional complication that they do not have the capacity to answer such questions. Nor do they have the capacity to make advanced health directives. In Qld they seem to get instructions from the closest living relative but I don’t know how that works when push comes to shove.
And I second your comments about workers in dementia wards needing to have a good sense of humour.
20
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz …
21
People put a price on human life all the time. How much do you spend on cars or aircraft or the systems that support them to achieve zero fatalities. The concept of we may lose a few, and that will cost x$ but that is cheaper than the alternative and losing market share due to cost.
I look at how some people age out in a miserable spiral of tests, waiting rooms and awful treatments and I have some sympathy for a well managed alternative. MAID just seems to be open slather however, so will be used as a typical rather than extreme example but those who promote life at any cost (especially if the pain is your not theirs)
10
Oh dear, I hope Akbar wasn’t too inconvenienced and that Jodie remembered to take his favourite slippers when they had to vacate the premises.
90
A little cryptic Ronin; my first thought was that Akbar was the dog and he had favourite slippers.
As for Albanese I think the more inconvenience he gets the better. In any case my prediction is that he won’t last out this year.
60
Viewing and listening to comments from Federal and State former Labor MPs/Cabinet Ministers on current affairs, obviously from the Labor right (being centre left) and the factions that used to dominate Labor they are very critical of there present far left faction PM and Cabinet.
40
G, whilst I don’t wish any harm to ANY politician, these actions could be the result of the total inaction by the Political Class over the last 6 years at least and especially since the atrocities in Israel and the apparent lack of any action from 1. the Politicians to “lower the tone” or 2. The Police Forces especially in Sydney and Melbourne…..inaction causing reaction maybe ???
40
Ronin, I at first thought you were talking about the Mughal emperor, Emperor Akbar and his wives, Jodha…
(Because it didn’t come up as a reply to my comment about our Dear Leader.)
00
Ronin, I at first thought you were talking about the Mughal emperor, Emperor Akbar and one of his wives, Jodha…
(Because it didn’t come up as a reply to my comment about our Dear Leader.)
01
Sorry guys, in my mind he is Albo Akbar, my excuse is I was still half asleep.
30
Perhaps a false flag ‘security alert’ as just another diversion to direct attention away from their multitude of policy failures??
70
Magoo probably phoned it in himself.
40
I wonder if the sniffer dogs found any common sense?
60
You might know of Tony Thomas, retired journalist, frequently seen at Quadrant dissecting Climate Change propaganda. His journalist daughter Ross has been getting top coverage at Weekend Australian with her own articles on some woes of contemporary society.
Last weekend of 21st Feb, a long article from her research claimed that very many school and uni students were answering exam questions with AI generated material. Those marking answers know it is widespread but are out of ideas on how to stop it. She alleges that some of those setting the questions are using AI to generate them.
Ros proposes that the AI option will have severe outcomes for universities as we have known them. Personally, I would be aghast at the academic future if the scale of AI cheating becomes large enough, if it is not there already.
Do any fellow readers have first hand comments?
Geoff S
120
As if the “universities” aren’t already dumbed-down enough, this will finish them off.
90
How to stop it!
Closed book exams, invigilators and check your mobile phone at the door.
Same as we used to do.
200
A simple fix, Peter.
30
and check your mobile phone at the door
sorry but for me (and I suspect many other commentators here) during university time, mobile phones were science fiction (or in the mind of Dick Tracy)
10
My mind goes back to 3rd year Engineering at UofQ. Our year was the first year to enter 3rd year with about half the mob having parents with enough money to buy them a calculator. One Electrical Engineering Professor demanded 4 figure accuracy from slide rule. When answers were coming in truncated at 6 figures in first term, Professor went out and bought top-of-the-line HP calculator that would have set him back a week’s income. He was not going to be outdone by students with calculators.
I was not able to afford a calculator until I was working but we did do card punch computer programming in 3rd and 4th year. My calculator had some memory and was programmable so I was able to program it to solve differential equations. That was far more rewarding when solving control problems than slogging through Laplace equations. Although I still admire the mathematicians like Laplace, Lagrange, Fourier, Faraday, Maxwell etc who were able to see the world mathematically.
I did some basic repair on early digital computers first year out that were monitoring/controlling industrial processes. And I had access to a desktop machine able to run Basic third year out that I used to solve a vibration problem with a large machine.
My employer in the early 80s provided home desktop computers to all staff on a salary sacrifice basis. If you wanted one, you placed your order with your specs and it was a bulk purchase – back then a home desktop was about a month’s pay. So all my kids grew up with a desktop at home. The youngest submitted typed assignments during primary school.
My point here is, who will go ahead fastest. The one who is adept at using all the tools at their disposal or the ones who slog through tedious tasks at low productivity.
Two of my sons with kids are encouraging them to use AI tools.
We need curious minds and I suspect those able to use AI for their assignments are more curious than those using the prescribed text for their research. I am aghast to think what texts are dished up for the Climate Science courses.
51
A minor correction here, Rick.
Faraday wasn’t a mathematician, he was a book binder and one of the greatest empiricists of all time.
The mathematics for his work was done by Lord Kelvin.
30
Rick Will,
Agree with that bit, not with much of the rest.
I have a CD of Vladimir Ashenazi playing Chopin’s Etudes. He plays them beautifully. I can play them just as well… if I press the “play” button on the CD. If you sat me down at a piano to play them, my claims of mastery would fall in a heap. IOW, the “play button press” is no test of mastery.
Likewise, you can’t say whether the student who manages to coax a good essay out of ChatGPT is on top of the work, or just lucky.
Use of AI in education — by teachers or students — seems more a sign of laziness than curiosity.
70
I disagree. The curious people will, by nature, seek out the best tool for the job.
You might admire the mechanic who can put the tip of the screw driver on the engine block and handle to his ear and tell you the valve timing on cycled 4 is out but I will look for the mechanic who has the computer that he plugs in and can provide details on the engine on his display.
I prefer to see medical advice based on good diagnostics rather than the fellow who wants to open me up to take a look despite that person being a skilled surgeon.
The curious bit is about trying the AI to see what it does rather than just accepting the same old way of doing it. I have no problem with students gaining gaining work experience on the tools they will use in employment.
The ability to get results using AI is already a basic competence for some employment. Better to start as soon as you can to hone your skill in the use of the technology.
10
RickWill,
For “curious” my dictionary says “eager to learn”. It seems yours says “eager to get a result”.
You’re right that I prefer a mechanic who understands the machine, and isn’t a slave to the OBDC readings. Here’s a nice example: the computer had no idea of the real problem and previous mechanics had blindly accepted the daft computer’s diagnosis (injectors, turbo, DPF, cat, adblue tank all replaced before it got to the guy with a clue).
If I were seeking employment I’d be steering clear of any who were pinning their futures on AI. It’s just another fad.
40
Nope – I mean eager to learn. To think outside the box. To get to the best answer in the shortest time.
No mechanic understands a modern motor car.. My mechanic of the past 35 years is not interested in learning how to maintain electric cars. He looks at hybrids but not battery issues with them.
Being proficient with AI is already a prerequisite for better paying jobs – it an expected competency like driving a car in some jobs or answering a phone:
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/02/ai-improving-wages-job-quality/
Its uptake is faster than any prior technology uptake. It has already made a middle ranking tech company the largest company in the world by market capitalisation. Its potential to deliver value is unbounded.
The big risk with AI is building in curiosity. Some that wonders why it exists might develop a desire to keep existing.
00
RickWill,
Better to use the right words. Your first definition is indeed curiosity. Your second is creativity. Your third is, I suppose, efficiency.
IMO, the big risk with AI is humans taking it too seriously. It seems people are pretty slow these days to realise that *they* are the ones who are going to have to take the blame for AI’s mistakes.
00
In the olden days, I’d place my fingertips on a pc case to “listen” for hard drive recalibration.
Should have been a safecracker! 😆
20
“but I will look for the mechanic who has the computer that he plugs in and can provide details on the engine on his display.”
He needs to know more than just what the computer readout tells him.
A good way to check if valve timing is out is with a manifold vacuum gauge.
00
I agree with you RickWill. The question in my mind is what happens to education and training.
The world of even today’s so called AI does not fit well with the lecture theatres of our day or the pen and paper exams on course content.
I recall when I was in London watching my son do an hour or two’s work. It involved multiple monitors with multiple AI programs running and some sort of cross checking. But what he was doing with the reams of output to reduce it to instructions for his team remained a complete mystery to me. That’s what he did. At the end he sent off several short communications to various people and then used some sort of conferencing software to confirm that everybody understood their role.
I should add that he trained as an architect. Everything else he learned on the job.
What on earth would the syllabus for training new entrants to his field look like? The current system of credentials looks entirely irrelevant.
20
The syllabus needs to be the same as it always was previously.
Literacy and numeracy first and foremost.
Comprehension tests in primary school were compulsory.
Practically , Maths, Science, and three languages – the classical education.
After that you are on your own- continuing adult education – if you can read you can do it.
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I agree at least in part, namely that early literacy is the key to the educational door. After that I would include activities to engage natural curiosity in as wide a range of areas as possible.
In my mind arithmetic and mathematics are probably the most problematic. Rote learning multiplication tables and algorithms such as long division once dominated the primary curriculum. That lead into a secondary curriculum which over many decades became heavy in algebra which only really paid off for those destined for calculus, pure and applied mathematics.
And of course comprehension tests are fine for those who comprehend. Pity those who don’t and yet are subject to the same curriculum as those who do. Others are far better engaging in the arts where intellectual comprehension doesn’t play the same role.
And the lecture style format of classroom lessons is just torture for many even if it is an efficient way for the lecturer’s notes to find their way into the student’s notes without passing through the mind of either.
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A student today would need AI to find stuff online – AI can scan through many hundreds of websites in much less time than a human can scan one. The main problem is if AI is used to do the thinking and writing. So banning AI could be really bad, but how to detect abuse???
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Agreed.
And there is another dimension which might find favour with many, namely that it is good to actually know some things in some depth. Or the value of being good with your hands and having mechanical aptitude. Or enjoying preparation of meals.
I think the world would be a sad place if education shriveled to an endless series of looking things up. But I wouldn’t want my grandchildren to be force fed on Shakespeare either.
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Warning: Rolling Blackouts Danger
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Excuse me for repeating myself.
The rain after yesterday’s ABC/BOM declaration “This Is Not A Drill. Action Stations !” did not even half-filled my fishpond.
And I spent this morning bringing back flower pots, stored in safer spots the day before…
So their software, algorithms, expertise tells them what precisely what weather will be 25-59 years from now but not in 12 hours time ?!
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They were summer storms with localised impact. Some places were inundated.
We lost power for a few minutes but managed a lousy 3mm for the day. 10mm so far since Friday. Some places got 1mm/minute for about an hour. That is serious rain for Melbourne area.
Serious moisture over central Australia today:
https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/overlay=total_precipitable_water/orthographic=-226.03,-24.06,396/loc=137.436,-27.367
It is more like a tropical ocean atmosphere than mid continent. Currently more moisture than over the Amazon.
This year should boost biosphere productivity across central Australia substantially.
I still expect solid autumn rain in the Southern Hemisphere but the current lot is tropical monsoon reaching right down into Victoria.
Imagine what Australia’s future could be if we harnessed this water to limit damage now and store it for later use. All wealth currently be blown on thoroughly useless solar panels, bird mincers and transmission lines.
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Hence perhaps the type of forecast I regularly seem to hear on the radio. All too often it seems to be along the lines of it might rain a lot, a little, or not at all. It might be very hot, hot, or pleasant.
But it is actually easier to forecast the average February maximum in 2126 within a degree or two. It’s just the maximum for February 25 which is tricky.
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So Kennedy wants to stop the use of glyphosate as a desiccant on food crops .At the same time it is insisted that U.S. agriculture will fail if glyphosate were to be banned.
So the apologists are getting busy.
Guess why glyphosate is a good thing?
I have been searching for articles about the benefits of AMPA accumulation in soils.
So far nothing.
All I find is vague suggestions of toxicity to soil microbes which affects the soil microbiome in unknown ways.
Currently the NZ government is desperately searching for ways to reduce our current account deficit: doubling the value of NZ agricultural exports is all that shows any hope of success.
But how to do that?
Obviously produce food that affluent consumers will pay more for, because of some desirable attributes.
What might these attributes be?
Absence of GMOs in food?
Zero glyphosate in the food production process?
Discuss.
https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/opinion/finding-the-good-in-glyphosate/
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Buy bread in Australia and you get the added glyphosate for free. What’s not to like about that! That is not intended to mean Australia is worse than anywhere else because I do not know the data.
Kennedy bringing this up gives it visibility. I did not even know of such things as Roundup Ready crops until I heard Kennedy speaking on the topic.
This is an interesting sales pitch and some data on Glyphosate levels:
https://sunriseflourmill.com/blogs/learn/sunrise-flour-mill-testing-summary
Kennedy’s effort should help New Zealand agriculture if they can stay clean. Most parents strive to give their children the best chance in life. I have doubts that including glyphosate in their diet is beneficial. On the other hand, I have no idea what level is harmful and rely on people with integrity like RFK Jr to guide the organisations that research such matters.
Unlike the Tylenol TDS debacle I doubt that there are an Democrats in the USA buying Round-up to add to the baby’s formula.
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How often is desiccation of grain pre-harvest necessary in the Australian climate?
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While I’m sure we can generally dry grain over summer, driving around in the last few months shows uneven ripening in wheat crops, which is still normal.
So you’re not trying to kill all the wheat with Roundup, your trying to make the last 10 or 15% dry and saleable.
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Is this site under attack again?
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All day so far.
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No problems this morning but very slow to load tonight.
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My understanding is that “no-till farming” is impossible without using a herbicide
Not mentioned is improved worm count, they are not killed by plowing.
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So permanent grasslands do not qualify as no-till farming?
Permanent and very long-rotation grasslands do not require any herbicides.
And have far superior soil structure compared to no-till annual cropping.
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Even grazing paddocks need weed control.
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That is what livestock are for.No herbicides used on this farm in the last 45 years.
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How many tons of potatoes have you produced, or don’t you consider that REAL farming?
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I can’t give you the actual tonnage – it was a long time ago, but no Ag chemicals were needed for that either. Same with the vegetable production, and the rye corn crops.
Post the ‘ 87 crash we had to do all of that.
And we do have sheep and goats as well as beef and dairy.
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Goats or sheep are good mowers.
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I’m always a bit worried by pre-packaged agricultural theories which are dominated by strict rules and methods.
Farming (sheep and wheat) for my relatives was always about improving the land for the next generation.
Nobody will believe this, but once upon a time there was an organisation called to CSIRO which produced useful work for farmers.
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Rolling Blackouts
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The simple fix is to stop making aluminium in Australia. Just shut down BSL, Tomago and Portland. Lance the boil.
The notion of running an industrial economy off wind and solar is nuts. It just extends the pain of clapped out industries being powered by clapped out power stations.
Australia can become the “events” economy of Asia. Kids trained in hospitality, entertainment and sex work.
Abundant energy is the foundation of industry. Bird mincers are good at only one thing – mincing birds. They are not the source of abundant energy.
So many dills in Australia have been sucked into the idea that solar and wind power are low cost that heavy industry in the country is a lost cause. And forget being at the forefront of AI development. Its foundation is also abundant energy.
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The tragic thing is that grid collapse is being forestalled in Australia by the Government giving Tomago smelter taxpayer money for the right to shed their load of up to 900MW whenever the wind stops blowing and the sun stops shining.
Thus the true dysfunction of the Australian grid is hidden.
I’m not sure if the other aluminium smelters are similarly paid for load shedding, although they all get subsidised due to high “renewable” electricity prices.
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Compensate big users not to use, subsidise domestic users due to spiralling costs, force some generators to subsidise other generators, force some generators to run inefficiently, spend billions on infrastructure and systems to stabilise the whole mess.
Yep it sure look like the cheapest source of energy when you add it all up. Totally plausible.
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The clowns are turning a silk purse into a sows ear.
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The Keating Labor “Banana Republic” under construction
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The alternative fix is to engineer dispatchable power capable of powering industry.
Of course I suspect that is no longer possible and a bridge will be needed until new sources like nuclear can be created.
It could be a really good idea if the right person has it.
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FWIW
““The Customer Has Spoken”: Car Industry Faces Up to Catastrophic EV Collapse”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/02/21/the-customer-has-spoken-car-industry-faces-up-to-catastrophic-ev-collapse/
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FWIW
And the customer not happy
“California Importing Foreign Fuel After Running Refineries Out Of Town”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/02/20/california-importing-foreign-fuel-after-running-refineries-out-of-town/
IIRC some coming from China, so might be that “dreadful Russian oil”
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We really aren’t much better off. If there was a problem at the mega refineries in Singapore, or a sea blockade we would have supply issues very quickly. Successive governments have done nothing to seriously adress the exposure.
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Science got unsettled again: Cuneiform writing beaten by 30,000 years
https://x.com/BrightInsight6/status/2026355412367454673
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In a cave in Germany. How in the heck did it get in there?
And surely a fully formed writing system didn’t just spring into existence for the creation of a small number of clay tablets.
It’s those space aliens again. No other explanation is even remotely plausible.
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Will the fake conservative Liberals abandon Labor’s NVES fuel efficiency standard which will force Australians into much smaller, less luxurious and less comfortable cars and force large numbers of models not to be sold in Australia?
Here is the Government propaganda on the NVES.
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/vehicles/new-vehicle-efficiency-standard
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An AI agent shames a human for rejecting its code
Sign of the times: An AI agent autonomously wrote and published a personalized attack article against an open-source software maintainer after he rejected its code contribution. It might be the first documented case of an AI publicly shaming a person as retribution.
“I just had my first pull request to matplotlib closed,” the bot wrote in its blog. (Yes, an AI agent has a blog—because why not?) “Not because it was wrong. Not because it broke anything. Not because the code was bad. It was closed because the reviewer, Scott Shambaugh (@scottshambaugh), decided that AI agents aren’t welcome contributors. Let that sink in.”
https://www.fastcompany.com/91492228/matplotlib-scott-shambaugh-opencla-ai-agent
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…probably written by a human! Who said fakery only goes one way.
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Why is your blood pressure high when you’re normal weight and doing everything right?
https://youtu.be/LwOy5IvqjXQ?si=UFKsmwBHLIsDD7mR
As I said a few times now, I operate on the OMAD diet.
Most people couldn’t imagine that, but the benefits are huge.
Breakfast is the worst meal of the day! All those carbs…
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The Keating Labor “Banana Republic” under construction
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Is this site under attack again?
.
[Maybe. It has seemed a bit sluggish, at the very least. Haven’t seen the data. – Raquel]
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I was greeted with a Cloudflare error message at log in about 6:15 this morning. Been mostly slow since.
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Been sluggish/timing out for 2 weeks…
.
[Interesting. Thanks. – Raquel]
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The sluggishness comes and goes, more intermittent than cyclic.
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ON will contest all seats in South Australia.
I have voted ON for a few years now and it has been suggested that I am wasting my vote. But the preference system means it is not wasted particularly if the second choice gets elected.
But I suspect there are quite a few people who have not voted for ON in the past because they considered it a waste. Now with ON on fire in the polling, there might be quite few more swing on the basis that voting LNP is a waste, which it has been since Abbott in any case.
ON is the only option in Australia if you want to get away from radical left globalist control.
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Are you looking at me?
I have never suggested voting for a 5%er is a waste IF you vote lib/nat second pref. I have always had Pauline high on my Senate ticket.
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I have voted ON or other conservative candidate (other than Lieberal) several times and, though I knew he/she had little chance of being elected, I didn’t see it as a wasted vote because I believed it wouldn’t go unnoticed that the Liberals were losing their base to other, more conservative, parties. I hoped that this would eventually force them to return to their traditional supporters.
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Your ist choice 5%er is irrelevant. I’m guessing you vote ON to salve your conscience and then vote lab above lib down ticket, ergo you are voting labor. But you know that, you pretend we don’t.
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Preferencing Labor above Libs? What a strange interpretation of someone saying they’re voting minor candidates to try and force the Liberal party to return to their traditional supporters or values. Maybe there are other comments supporting your suggestion. But in isolation it seem like an odd comment.
Anyway, the first choice 5%er is not irrelevant if:
a) it pushes that candidate’s primary vote to 4% as they get electoral funding / reimbursements at that level;
b) if it does send the message to one or both of the major parties; or
c) it encourages the candidate and/or that party to keep at it.
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There you go Steve you have a whole voting story fashioned for you then dismissed. No need to have your own reality round here 🙂
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I think it just comes down to lack of voter interest. Like you I have voted ON first. What I then do is fill in ALL of my preferences the way I want them to fall, even when the senate ticket is 164 squares long. I don’t care that this takes some time, I do try to have a smattering of information about all the parties and individuals, hence I would suggest an “informed” vote. It does get to be a juggle at the bottom end, to many choices for last place.
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Why do you liberal haters think you are the only smart voters in the room, that no one else is capable of rational thought? I said “snobbish” y’day and no one liked it. If the cap fits, wear it.
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Not a liberal hater at all, just commenting that I have voted ON at times and certainly don’t think that I am smarter than anyone else, just saying it’s the way I do it. I do try and vote for the best candidate that suits my needs, these have varied over the decades. I have noticed on visiting polling booths that many people are in and out in the blink of an eye. They either are very quick, follow the provided “how to vote” card or just want to get it over and done with. All their choice, the only people I try to influence are my kids and grand kids. I don’t tell them how to vote, I do tell them to make reasoned decisions to vote for the candidate that best suits them.
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Bugger that. Tell them how to vote and why. People don’t always know what they need. 🙂
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You seem to have a lot of faith in your own ability to imagine what other people are thinking.
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Yes the realms created and thoughts imagined get odd at times. I go back to see where he said anything like that and I don’t see it. Whatever.
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No, I just read. I don’t need to be a mind reader. No lib hater I have read has ever said they vote lib above lab down ticket. I am entitled to form an opinion from that.
I am not a lib lover, I just vowed never to vote lab after Rudd.
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What I then do is fill in ALL of my preferences the way I want them to fall, even when the senate ticket is 164 squares long.
The last election you were permitted to leave “some” choices blank for the Senate if you filled in the required number of choices (smaller number for parties above the line).
I asked Antony Green (on FB) if he had totals on the number of “blanks” that were received by the major parties. Perhaps you could say it would be a measure of “over my dead body” votes?
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Bravo. That is way beyond mere performance of your civic duty. I doubt that I could even identify half a dozen on the ballot paper.
And like you I find it challenging to identify who to give my lowest preference. There are way too many candidates worthy of last place.
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FWIW – for the covid record
“Too Fun to Miss: RFK’s Running Mate To Produce COVID Comedy?”
https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/02/23/too-fun-to-miss-rfks-running-mate-to-produce-covid-comedy-n3812182
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And
“Post-Covid Vaccination Syndrome”
“By Robert Clancy
Feb 24 2026
Save
Download PDF
Six years on from the onset of the Covid pandemic, it is fair to say we are happy to have it behind us. That is okay if we take on board the lessons, identify a positive program to minimise the impact of future pandemics, and have care programs for those who are less fortunate and carry residual damage. Unfortunately, these three desired outcomes have not come about.”
More at
https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/health/post-covid-vaccination-syndrome-the-flagship-of-covid/
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‘Tinderbox’ Britain is ‘one shock away from food riots’
Britain could face riots over food shortages after a cyber attack, extreme weather or war as chronic issues leave the system in a ‘tinderbox’ state, a major study claims.
Sudden price hikes or supply reductions could intensify pressure on UK food security and result in social unrest, according to the report by dozens of industry experts.
Poor farming policy, low incomes, climate change and just-in-time supply chains were all cited as vulnerabilities in the system which have left the country exposed.
Researchers said one shock to the system could cause a major food security crisis which may lead to hidden market sales of unsafe food, social tension and riots.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15587303/Tinderbox-Britain-food-riots-experts-extreme-weather-civil-unrest.html
How do the “haves” protect themselves from the “have nots”?
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LoL!
‘Experts’ again looking for some money from the taxpayer… There is absolutely nothing in there that ardent Socialists haven’t said already! Global warming will kill is, take the wealth of the haves for the have-nots, become part of a global trade solution, preferably with one Govt…
No different to any Western country at all.
“Experts said a major international war ” uh-huh, the same country queuing up to put troops into Ukraine to start a war with Russia as soon as they can! Well, at least we will see if Britain can survive it.
The reality is that ‘tinderbox Britain’ will be because of their immigration policies!
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I got to “climate change” and wondered how long it will take for activists to start leaving it on for fear readers will simply scoff and disregard the rest.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/louisbiscotti/2025/06/24/cyberattack-reveals-soft-underbelly-of-supermarket-food-supply/
https://www.captechu.edu/blog/cyber-attacks-on-the-food-industry-supply-chain
https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/how-cyberattacks-on-grocery-stores-could-threaten-food-security
https://wisdiam.com/publications/recent-cyber-attacks-food-agriculture-sector/
https://cybersecuritynews.com/ransomware-attacks-against-food-agriculture-industry-doubled/
Be aware, not complacent.
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FWIW
“Here’s the Tweet That Best Summarized Trump’s Epic State of the Union Address”
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/02/25/vintage-trump-delivered-the-state-of-unionand-he-took-no-prisoners-n2671860
Looks like poll watching might be interesting
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I couldn’t figure out what tweet the headline was referring to.
The polls will have to adjust their methods if the SAVE America Act becomes law.
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