Comments on: How Much?! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:21:44 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: More Future Scientists Revealed! - Asymptotia http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16312 More Future Scientists Revealed! - Asymptotia Sun, 30 Jul 2006 00:07:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16312 [...] This year I was unable to do so due to a trip across the Atlantic concerning the birth of my sister’s son (details of the london trip here, here, here and here; Last link has a fun trip to Harrods and to the Science Museum). But my USC colleague Chris Gould -the chief organisational engine behind the fair- has prepared hundreds of photographs again, and you can go and have a look here, and see some of the project descriptions also. [...] [...] This year I was unable to do so due to a trip across the Atlantic concerning the birth of my sister’s son (details of the london trip here, here, here and here; Last link has a fun trip to Harrods and to the Science Museum). But my USC colleague Chris Gould -the chief organisational engine behind the fair- has prepared hundreds of photographs again, and you can go and have a look here, and see some of the project descriptions also. [...]

]]> By: Big Ears | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16311 Big Ears | Cosmic Variance Sat, 27 May 2006 00:16:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16311 [...] I was put in mind of it last week when I popped over to London to play the role of uncle, wander the streets for a bit, do a bit of sightseeing, and hemorrhage a bit of money. I was all prepared to be annoyed by the Guardian, which was once my favourite newspapers, since I had not seen it very often since they (lamentably) made major modifications to the format. As it turned out, I did not get annoyed too much, although I would prefer it if they took it back to the correct size for a respectable newspaper. It still has a lot of news and good writing in it, and I am led to understand that the huge amount of football-related stuff in it is a passing phase because there is some sort of contest going on in Germany of some relevance. (Um… that would be “soccer”, you folks over on the extreme left hand side with the funny shaped ball.) [...] [...] I was put in mind of it last week when I popped over to London to play the role of uncle, wander the streets for a bit, do a bit of sightseeing, and hemorrhage a bit of money. I was all prepared to be annoyed by the Guardian, which was once my favourite newspapers, since I had not seen it very often since they (lamentably) made major modifications to the format. As it turned out, I did not get annoyed too much, although I would prefer it if they took it back to the correct size for a respectable newspaper. It still has a lot of news and good writing in it, and I am led to understand that the huge amount of football-related stuff in it is a passing phase because there is some sort of contest going on in Germany of some relevance. (Um… that would be “soccer”, you folks over on the extreme left hand side with the funny shaped ball.) [...]

]]> By: Shopping, Sightseeing, Science | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16310 Shopping, Sightseeing, Science | Cosmic Variance Tue, 23 May 2006 01:18:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16310 [...] So on Sunday, for A Journey Around My People part two (see part one here), I wandered around quite a bit in my old ‘hood in the South West. No, not the South West where I live currently, but in the SW postcode district of London. Wandered the streets looking at the people: Listening to the various tones of voice, ways of speaking, turns of phrase. Looking at the hustle and bustle, the various states of dress, expressions of face, looks in the eye. Listening to the shouts, yells, laughs, cries, whispers, etc. I love doing that. This is one of the reasons I like to wander around in public areas and use public transport, in whatever city I happen to be. It is the way you really get to know a city, and then once that city is inside you -entering by your looking the people in the eye, bumping into them, talking with them, encountering accidental touches, smells, warmth, coldness- then you really know it. And you come back years later and drink that all back in, and know that the city is still there - in the people. Some buildings will change, disappear entirely sometimes, but those sounds, tastes and sights of the people last a long time, passing on through generations. Yes, they’ll last certainly a lot longer than you will, and so you can be sure that a certain essence of the city lives on, when other aspects fade. [...] [...] So on Sunday, for A Journey Around My People part two (see part one here), I wandered around quite a bit in my old ‘hood in the South West. No, not the South West where I live currently, but in the SW postcode district of London. Wandered the streets looking at the people: Listening to the various tones of voice, ways of speaking, turns of phrase. Looking at the hustle and bustle, the various states of dress, expressions of face, looks in the eye. Listening to the shouts, yells, laughs, cries, whispers, etc. I love doing that. This is one of the reasons I like to wander around in public areas and use public transport, in whatever city I happen to be. It is the way you really get to know a city, and then once that city is inside you -entering by your looking the people in the eye, bumping into them, talking with them, encountering accidental touches, smells, warmth, coldness- then you really know it. And you come back years later and drink that all back in, and know that the city is still there – in the people. Some buildings will change, disappear entirely sometimes, but those sounds, tastes and sights of the people last a long time, passing on through generations. Yes, they’ll last certainly a lot longer than you will, and so you can be sure that a certain essence of the city lives on, when other aspects fade. [...]

]]> By: Jeff Nuttall http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16309 Jeff Nuttall Mon, 22 May 2006 22:33:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16309 Speaking of "fun use of geometry" (as well as a bit of astronomy and biochemistry), have you seen <a HREF="http://www.bathsheba.com/" rel="nofollow">this site</A>? It's something I stumbled over a while back, and I decided if I ever have the income to spare on that sort of thing those are the kind of decorations I'd like to have around... Speaking of “fun use of geometry” (as well as a bit of astronomy and biochemistry), have you seen this site? It’s something I stumbled over a while back, and I decided if I ever have the income to spare on that sort of thing those are the kind of decorations I’d like to have around…

]]> By: Plato http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16291 Plato Mon, 22 May 2006 13:48:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16291 Sometimes it is about science and we don't even realize it? :) How does one think, one cannot become biased towards life, without the geometrical incursions tainting the world view? Golden Ratio tendencies....? :) Sometimes it is about science and we don’t even realize it? :)

How does one think, one cannot become biased towards life, without the geometrical incursions tainting the world view?

Golden Ratio tendencies….? :)

]]> By: adam http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16308 adam Mon, 22 May 2006 03:55:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16308 I am back in the UK in July and I am sure that it's going to be painfully expensive unless the dollar gets back to a sensible level (which isn't likely). On the matter of design on the cheap, Target do produce a Michael Graves (who has designed for, amongst other lines, Alessi, including designing Alessi's best-selling item ever) line. Some of their furniture doesn't look bad, either; it's not made fantastically well, but I remember even back in 1989 or so, Habitat selling a bookcase for a hundred quid that looked like it had been made by a mediocre 13 year old in woodwork class. And there's always IKEA, I guess. I did my PhD in London not that long ago, and survived OK on my EPSRC grant. Although I'd never catch the tube for less than 4 stops or so (I used to walk from the train at West Brompton to Imperial, which was fine unless there was a real downpour). Every time I go to NYC, I experience the 'how much' moment, too, but the weakness of the dollar has made London into a place that I just can't afford to go to that often. I am back in the UK in July and I am sure that it’s going to be painfully expensive unless the dollar gets back to a sensible level (which isn’t likely).

On the matter of design on the cheap, Target do produce a Michael Graves (who has designed for, amongst other lines, Alessi, including designing Alessi’s best-selling item ever) line. Some of their furniture doesn’t look bad, either; it’s not made fantastically well, but I remember even back in 1989 or so, Habitat selling a bookcase for a hundred quid that looked like it had been made by a mediocre 13 year old in woodwork class. And there’s always IKEA, I guess.

I did my PhD in London not that long ago, and survived OK on my EPSRC grant. Although I’d never catch the tube for less than 4 stops or so (I used to walk from the train at West Brompton to Imperial, which was fine unless there was a real downpour).

Every time I go to NYC, I experience the ‘how much’ moment, too, but the weakness of the dollar has made London into a place that I just can’t afford to go to that often.

]]> By: IrrationalPoint http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16307 IrrationalPoint Sun, 21 May 2006 22:18:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16307 Scotland is cheaper and they have good tea. You cannae climb them Highland mountains wi' nought but watery yuck -- ye need a proper cuppa and porrige. If you come visit, I shall see that you get both. --IP. Scotland is cheaper and they have good tea. You cannae climb them Highland mountains wi’ nought but watery yuck — ye need a proper cuppa and porrige. If you come visit, I shall see that you get both.

–IP.

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16306 Clifford Sun, 21 May 2006 18:42:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16306 Hi Candace.... Wait.... Notice that I did not use Liberty's and Habitat prices as example comparators. I actually pointed out that design furniture (for example) can compare pretty well to things cross the Atlantic. For price comparisons, I was using food and travel... those basic things that everyone is concerned with. I'm pretty sure that they are more expensive, once you take into account how much they are relative to the average salary, etc. I don't think it is subjective. I do agree that low-end snack food like crisps and chocolate bars can indeed be very cheap in the uk, compared to real food you would buy to eat as a meal. I don't consider this to be a good thing at all. But then I am a bit of a curmudgeon.... ;-) And don't get me started on electronics and electrical appliances, and things like music and video. I don't even bother visiting such stores in the UK any more. Even when I lived here I would wait until I was in the USA to buy such things. You basically swop the numerical amounts unchanged, and then with teh exchange rate find that they are twice as expensive...... Pretty sure I'm not making that up. Cheers, -cvj Hi Candace…. Wait…. Notice that I did not use Liberty’s and Habitat prices as example comparators. I actually pointed out that design furniture (for example) can compare pretty well to things cross the Atlantic. For price comparisons, I was using food and travel… those basic things that everyone is concerned with. I’m pretty sure that they are more expensive, once you take into account how much they are relative to the average salary, etc. I don’t think it is subjective. I do agree that low-end snack food like crisps and chocolate bars can indeed be very cheap in the uk, compared to real food you would buy to eat as a meal. I don’t consider this to be a good thing at all. But then I am a bit of a curmudgeon…. ;-)

And don’t get me started on electronics and electrical appliances, and things like music and video. I don’t even bother visiting such stores in the UK any more. Even when I lived here I would wait until I was in the USA to buy such things. You basically swop the numerical amounts unchanged, and then with teh exchange rate find that they are twice as expensive…… Pretty sure I’m not making that up.

Cheers,

-cvj

]]> By: BlogD http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16305 BlogD Sun, 21 May 2006 16:37:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16305 Ha. Try living in Tokyo. Ha. Try living in Tokyo.

]]> By: PK http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/comment-page-1/#comment-16304 PK Sun, 21 May 2006 16:01:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/20/how-much/#comment-16304 A few years ago after the introduction of the Euro I had a shock when I went back to Holland. We went in at the exchange rate of € 1 = f 2.20, but numerically the prices in restaurants (in Amsterdam and Utrecht) roughly stayed the same. A few years ago after the introduction of the Euro I had a shock when I went back to Holland. We went in at the exchange rate of € 1 = f 2.20, but numerically the prices in restaurants (in Amsterdam and Utrecht) roughly stayed the same.

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