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Snippets is not quite a diary and not quite a blog. It is where you can read about various things that come up and need something posted about them. Here are some older snippets…
Creatives can grow by receiving constructive criticism. The world, and especially online, can be a harsh place where destructive criticism and even outright attacks abound. Just look at a few threads on StackOverflow or most other (tech) support forums… you need thick armour to go there.
There is a right way to critique work, one that builds up and promotes growth. There is an old saying: "A good manager can step on your toes without ruining your shine." The #1 worst comment / feedback I ever heard was (driven by gear envy?) "Your photography is shit."
Jordan McChesney wrote some articles that can be found on PetaPixel. These are of course about photography, but this can be equally applied to any creative work - painting, writing, music.
23 Sep 2022 (equinox)
»Phys.org report that:
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has detected its highest concentrations
yet of organic molecules, in a potential signal of ancient microbes that
scientists are eager to confirm when the rock samples are eventually brought
to Earth.
While organic matter has been found on the Red Planet before, the new
discovery is seen as especially promising because it came from an area where
sediment and salts were deposited into a lake — conditions where life could
have arisen.
Life is endemic to the Universe, senient life not so much. -- JK 23/9/2022
And now for the Long Version:
God created the Universe, and the basic building blocks for Life basically
exist everywhere. Why? Because He is creative and IS life. The Universe
reflects the nature of the Creator.
There are most likely bacteria and algae happily existing in the "vacuum" of space. You will find amino acids or their crisped remains almost anyplace you care to send a probe. Silicon-sulphur based insects on some exo-planet with a stormy cyanide gas atmosphere - likely. Iron-based bacteria that 'breathe' gold on some volcanic rock hurtling through space - why not? Or maybe bacteria that live an in icy liquid nitrogen ocean - completely feasible.
But senient life, the higher life forms, are rare. And then there are
the jokes about intelligent life (not on this planet) or intelligence being
a constant but the population keeps rising.
Jokes aside, sentient life capable of social organisation, languages, art,
music, religious belief, medicine, technology, etc - is very, very rare
indeed. I would say virtually unique.
Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. -- Albert Einstein 1954
What is Science? Is it the political agenda-filtered echo of the campus police de jeur, or actual enquiry and proper research using the Scientific Method?
The ecologist Allan Savory talks about »What is Science? on Youtube.
People should swap social media for social values.
And when you have "an agenda" determining which "science" can even get »published, we are starting into dangerous territory. Especially the way the journal 'defended' their position by turning to attack the author.
If you get people to think they are thinking, they will love you. If you get them to actually think, they will hate you.