D A B S O F
Dave Robinson, Clifton Beach, Queensland |
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TRAVEL & PLACES: Australasia Fiji Rest of world PHILOSOPHY HUMANISM LOGIC MATHEMATICAL THEORY MUSIC, POETRY & ART RELIGION, POLITICS & SOCIAL COMMENT ENVIRONMENT & POPULATION COMPUTER KEY- BOARDS - “RICK” EPIGRAMS OTHER ODDMENTS ABOUT THE WRITER |
“Grue” is a very strange colour word, coined in 1955 by the philosopher Nelson Goodman. An object may be called "grue" if it looks green up to some future point in time, and an object (not necessarily the same one) may also be called "grue" if it looks blue after that time. Goodman invented grue to help to explain (or create?) a problem in the theory of inductive thinking now known as Goodman's paradox, but in these webpages, grue is symbolic of optimism – in particular, the hope that if we act greenly today, the skies will look blue tomorrow. But acting greenly entails much more than applying stop-gap measures to limit global warming! It demands a serious reality check and radical changes in outlook by all of humanity. The number one priority is to get world population growth under control. Grue also relates to the colours of the Far North Queensland coast (my current home), where the deep green rainforest meets the azure sea, alongside the Great Barrier Reef, and where the air shimmers with the brilliant emerald and turquoise flashes of our two famous butterflies, the Cairns Birdwing and the Ulysses. Likewise it is the colour of my childhood memories, the lush green fields and (sometimes!) blue skies of Devonshire, UK. Grue also reflects the background colour of these webpages - mostly pale aqua, sometimes lime-green, though many of them, out of character, are liberally splashed with sand, the colour of our never-ending sun-drenched beaches. Again, while I normally steer clear of all things political, believing that most politics is way off track, given the condition of Australian politics at the present time greenish blue represents my allegiances quite accurately. Finally, in sharp contrast to these colour-happy sentiments, "grue" is an abbreviation for "grudges", of which these pages contain a liberal sprinkling, aimed at no-one in particular. The purpose of this page is to serve as a launching pad for future articles and links, mainly on various philosophical topics, travel, music, social issues and the promotion of a rationalist "open society" ethics (see Humanism). Although this site has been around for several years, in some form or other, so far it hasn't kept up very well with these intentions. Knowledge has no end, they say, but there comes a time in life when the ability to acquire new information slows down and you feel a need – even a duty – to consolidate your thoughts and let others know a little of what you’ve learnt. These pages – dabs, splashes, splurges and patterns of grue, in a wide range of styles – are supposed to contribute in some small way towards that end. The tone is often critical, if not derisive, as one of my chief aims is to attack (what I consider to be) patent absurdities in popular thinking and behaviour. Always remember: Not every creature that walks upright on two legs is human |
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