Latest Opinion
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The Case for Electric Vehicles
Only ten years ago if you wanted an electric car you would need to build one yourself. In a EV event I attended in 2008 an owner explained why they were so awesome. His arguments remain true today. Low Operational Cost Compared to petrol electricity will cost about one fifth of petrol. In fact even this can be reduced if you change your electricity…
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In Defense of Free Speech
Why are we now, in 2019 revisiting basic human rights such as the right of free expression?
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The EV Future
In November Mike Hosking published his opinion of electric cars titled ‘Environmentalists have no grasp on reality‘, concluding that “no matter how hard the media, the spin doctors, and the environmentalists tell us that EVs are here and the future, they’re not.” Before we disassemble his views in detail it would be good to discuss why fossil fuel cars have no future. Let us…
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Big Brother’s Wet Dream
In the book 1984, George Orwell explores pervasive surveillance and social control. Citizens in 1984 experience total surveillance, potentially monitored twenty four hours a day through cameras and microphones that are installed into all homes. Everything said and done could be monitored. Because of the effort required, only a small proportion of people are actually monitored at the same time within the Orwellian universe.…
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Should We Develop Autonomous Weapons?
The coupling of artificial intelligence and weapons is well under way. Any military strategist will tell you that technology is a huge tactical advantage on the battlefield. At Agincourt it was the longbow, and in World War II the nuclear weapon. Deciding not to take advantage of new technology might just be the last decision you make. We have had cruise missiles capable of…
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President’s Corner, December 2017
November was a pretty busy month. We held the annual ‘dinner’ at the Bays Club in Browns bay where we awarded Susan and Des Vize the Bertrand Russell Award for hosting a family who fled Saudi Arabia to avoid the consequences of being an atheist in that country. The Vize family hosted the refugee family for six months. Judy also has provided significant personal…
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Taking God to School: The End of Australia’s Egalitarian Education?
Book Review of ‘Taking God to School: The End of Australia’s Egalitarian Education?’ by Marion Maddox (Allen & Unwin, 2014) Book Reviewed by John Carr, Brisbane CBD Group, Sea of Faith Australia The recent publication of several books on the relationship between religion and education in Australia is timely for us in SoFiA as “Religion in Education” will be the topic for the 2015…
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Irrationality of your society’s beliefs
Mr B writes: As you’re closed off to the role of a supernatural God, I’m naturally incredulous at the ironic irrationality that is inherent in your self regarding claim to be rational humans. What proof can you put forward that you’re rational?
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Objective Morals: Do they exist? Do we need them?
Sam Harris tries to make a case for objective morals in his book “The Moral Landscape” by establishing that morality is not subjective; that it is possible to know with scientific certainty what is moral and what isn’t. How does he achieve this? The entire book rests on an assumption about the underpinnings of morality. He states that “maximizing the well-being of conscious beings…
