Rational vs. magical thought

I watch many science podcasts by serious scientists, steeped in the scientific method. The best astound me with the rigour of their analysis, by how hard they push themselves to undermine their own hypotheses, looking for flaws in data or methodology. Only if they can't overturn their own findings do they claim they have something. I appreciate this approach; it leaves no room for cognitive bias, in particular wishful thinking.

One can only grow spiritually by understanding science as far as possible – not just science at our human scale (limited by our 0.8x10² years lifespan and our five senses), but at the subatomic and galactic scale.

Here, we can either posit that our subjective conscious experience is merely a cosmic accident, an epiphenomenon of evolution, a by-product of abiogenesis on our planet – or something deeper... something metaphysical.

I favour the latter worldview.

Building one’s own worldview, something that ought to happen spontaneously as we grow, requires its constant exposure to strong counter-arguments – ‘steel-man’ (as opposed to ‘straw-man’) arguments.

Our minds fall into two flavours – those open to the magical, and those rooted in reality.

Philosophy appeals to me because of its ability to straddle the two.

“God is dead”, declared Nietzsche in 1885. God was replaced by Matter and Reality. The reality described by classic Newtonian physics – cause and effect. ‘Every action has an opposite and equal reaction’. And so, by the early 20th century, God was no longer required to explain that which science had already explained. Physics, it was said, was only a handful of equations from solving everything.

But then along came quantum mechanics. And after two and half centuries, uncertainty returned. The Cosmos was no longer a series of billiard-balls predictably bumping into each other. 

Is an electron a particle or a wave? You need an observer to find out. When will a nucleus with a given half-life decay? It's a matter of probability, not a certainty. More and more questions began to appear as the 20th century progressed. The observable universe is made up of many galaxies, not just our Milky Way. The observable universe had a finite beginning – the Big Bang. What happened before? There’s no scientific consensus. Galaxies should be flying apart. Yet they’re not. Why not? Dark matter. What’s that? We can neither see it nor measure it. The Universe should be collapsing in upon itself. Yet it isn’t. Why not? Dark energy. What’s that? We can neither see it nor measure it.

And so we’re left with a host of questions that rational science cannot currently answer.

What’s left? Our deepest intuition. 

Should I posit that dark matter and dark energy are ‘fields of consciousness’, I would be mocked by scientists. It’s nothing more than my intuition. There's no maths involved. I have no formula to cover a blackboard. But then scientists can conjecture as much as they like, and still be as far away/or as close to the truth, as I am.

This time last year:
Dignity and ageing

This time two years ago:
Longevity, telomeres and exercise

This time three years ago:
A day of most profound sadness

This time four years ago:
Vintage aerial views of the ground

This time six years ago:
Adventures of a Young Pole in Exile - review

This time seven years ago:
Ealing in bloom

This time eight years ago:
Keeping warm in January

This time nine years ago:
If you can't measure it, you can't manage it (health, that is)

This time ten years ago:
Sten guns in Knightsbridge (well, Śródmieście Południowe, actually)

This time 12 years ago:
To The Catch - a short story (Part II)

This time 13 years ago:
Greed, fear, fight and flight - and the economy

This time 14 years ago:
Is there an economic crisis going on in Poland?

Levels of Detail Applied.

And lo! I dreamed... I was in Rickmansworth; except this Rickmansworth was a very hilly town (think San Francisco) full of beautiful Georgian architecture. I entered a lovely old pub and ordered a pint. Above the bar, all exposed beams and horse-brass, were black & white photos and illustrations, water-colours, of de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers during WW2 at a local RAF base. There were crests of the four squadrons flying from there - one of them was Polish. 

I took a close look at one of the paintings. It was not meant to be photorealistic, rather impressionistic it was - spindly light machine gun barrels poking out of the nose were a salient feature of this artwork. I started chatting to the barman and to several older blokes sat around the bar about the Mosquito mementoes, about its service with the RAF during the war (the dream felt like it was set in the 1980s, so there were folks with memories from the days). I asked them in particular if they could remember the Polish airmen...

I woke up and dozing in bed (it was only half-past six), I thought back to my childhood memories of this wartime aircraft. Along with the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster, the Mosquito was one of the most iconic British WW2 warplanes, capturing the imagination of postwar schoolboys, featuring in books, comics and films. 

My first contact with this twin-engined fighter-bomber would have been in the Airfix catalogue (I'd certainly built the kit by the time I was seven or eight - around the time the film 633 Squadron with its stirring theme-tune came out), and numerous books about WW2 aircraft borrowed from Ealing Public Libraries. I could have told you back then that the Mosquito was made out of wood, that it had two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, it could fly at 400 miles per hour, so fast that as a bomber it needed no defensive armament, that it had a crew of two (pilot and navigator), and that (as per Airfix kit), it could carry four rockets under each wing. And the undersides of this plane were painted a colour called 'duck-egg blue'. In other words, I had gathered the most basic facts. 

Facts, but not insights. Memorising data is not the same as understanding.

That would come with time; broader and deeper understanding - historical context; the notion of military doctrine - specifically, the doctrine concerning the use of twin-engined fighters/fighter-bombers/night fighters during WW2; the importance of aerial interception radar; the impact of climate on wooden construction (did Mosquitoes come unstuck in the damp heat of the Far Eastern Theatre of Operations?); the politics of war production (determining priorities, allocating resources); aeronautical engineering (how the Mosquito was continually improved over time), and of course the feats of individual aircrew in the overall struggle against Hitler's Germany. Including Polish No. 305 Bomber Sqn, which flew Mosquitos from December 1943 until the end of the war, and Polish No. 307 Night Fighter Sqn, which flew Mosquitos from December 1942 until the end of the war.

[UPDATE 29 JAN]: I am reminded of this quote by British author, Geoff Dyers: “We were the war children. Born a decade and a half after the WW2 ended, we devoted all our energy to recreating it. If the 1930s saw a period of escalating military expenditure then the 1960s saw us imaginatively rearming. Show me a picture of any Allied or German plane and I will identify it without the aid of conscious thought. We can call this condition, common to all boys of my generation, Airfixation. There were many strands to our war experience—comics, films, toys—but the core experience is represented by Airfix. Designed to reproduce the machinery of war in miniature… Airfix provides us with all the necessary parts; if we assemble them piece by piece and glue them together we will have a model of the larger experience and process by which the War was recycled.”

As I get older, my knowledge deepens through insights gained - but it also broadens. Wikipedia, YouTube and very soon ChatGPT (as soon as it gets enough server capacity to cope with demand!) make access to knowledge so much easier - as long as you are curious to want to look it up. 

I wrote last year about Levels of Detail; how we gain in understanding as we grow and learn. The world around us - the cosmos even - continually increases in definition. Curiosity is the driver, as is observation.

This time four years ago:
Dreams of birth?

[I'm listening to the Stylistics' I'm Stone in Love with You on Martyn Jansen's most excellent Yours Sinsouly show live on West Wilts Radio; and just as I wrote that I was writing about dreams four years ago (below), the lyrics go "You might say that all I do/Is dream my life away" I type the word 'Dreams' in time with the music.]

This time five years ago:
Foggy, icy, slippery day in Jeziorki

This time nine years ago:
Hannah Arendt and the banality of evil

This time ten year ago:
Snow scene into the sun

This time 11 years ago:
More winter gorgeousness

This time 12 years ago:
New winter wear - my M65 Parka

[Yet another coincidence - my M65 Parka is still my daily winter outerwear - today I wondered when I bought it. Now I know.]

This time 13 years ago:
Winter and broken-down trains

This time 14 years ago:
General Mud claims ul. Poloneza

This time 15 years ago:
Just when I thought winter was over...

Memories of Seasons

The longer pause between the first sleep and second sleep of the night can be mistaken for insomnia - it is, however, a natural phenomenon. Rather than worry that 'I can't get back to sleep', one should use this natural return to the wakeful state for quiet contemplation; sleep should naturally come. The pause could be longer if you went to bed early, had a nap during the day or slept in the previous morning.

This was the case for me last night, I went to bed at 10pm, having slept in to 9am! During the break between sleeps, I pondered upon my childhood memories of the passing of seasons and came to an interesting conclusion - I have no recollections of spring! 

My awareness of the passing of the seasons would begin with the excitement of the approaching summer holidays - six weeks off school, playing in the garden as it filled with fruit - first, the berries, then as autumn approached - apples; long evenings, playing in the street - then the family vacation (five out of ten of my childhood holidays were to Poland or France). Summer would end; then there'd be the start of the new school year, all floor-varnish and Magic Marker smells - the onset of autumn, the nature table in our class, my birthday (usually rainy); wet horse-chestnut leaves in the park; mists; the days darkening. And then excitement as Christmas drew nearer, the chance of some brief snow, New Year - and then - nothing. No more seasonally inspired emotions until the end of the school year, class outings to London or Windsor Castle - and then the long, lazy, summer holidays again.

Spring only really got to me as a teenager; leaves reappearing on branches, the gradual onset of greenery in the garden and in Cleveland Park; birdsong; longer evenings as the clocks went forward. Yet somehow, my appreciation of the waxing year, spring in bloom, didn't strike me as a child. Only the waning year; that overhanging melancholia as summers came to an end, bright days replaced by foggy, damp autumns by the black-and-white television and the orange glow of electric fires; the encroaching darkness and appearance of Christmas lights in the high street, the magic of snow. 

Other than the lilacs on the tree in the back garden, and magnolia in bloom in the front garden, I can't say I ever noticed flowers as a child. (Now as I write, I can recall lilies of the valley growing just outside the back door. But I can't even remember in which month they or the lilacs and magnolia blossomed.)

Perhaps it has something to do with the temperate climate of the British Isles; snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils can appear in February; winters are short and mild, and so the passing from winter into spring is long and not well defined. In Poland, springs tend to explode - I have experienced the change from snow on ground to T-shirt weather in one week. Here, winter, a drab, grey, damp, monotonous winter, drags on and on, right into early April.

Perhaps it has something to do with the school year, perhaps with me having been born in October, my earliest firm memories going back to Christmas 1959, when I was two years, two months and three weeks old. The Christmas tree, decorations and presents anchoring the seasons at the year's darkest point.

"Sunshine, I'm only dreaming,
Sunshine, I'm only dreaming... 

But this is England on a winter's afternoon,
There is no sun, there's just a pale and tired moon,
And shivering sparrows on the smoking chimney tops,
And all the children suffer from cold and flu and raindrops"

- from Don't Stop the Carnival by the Alan Price Set (a hit in early-1968, when I was ten)

Whatever the reason, I feel no connection with spring in childhood in the same way I can connect with memories of summer, autumn and winter. Which is strange - because right now, I crave it, knowing that spring is still 11 to 13 weeks away. I'm craving something that, as I child, I was hardly aware of. Unlike Poland, where spring can explode out of winter in a matter of days, in England it's a long, subtle process lasting from the first snowdrops (late January), to trees in full leaf (early May). Too weak to even recognise for a child.

This time last year:
Pictures in the Winter Sun
[Could do with a glimmer of some right now!]

This time two years ago:
Magic sky

This time three years ago:

Too good to skip over

This time five years ago:
The Hunt for Tony Blair
[Apologies to UK readers - the YouTube link is geo-blocked there]

This time seven years ago:
Lux Selene

This time ten years ago:
David Cameron, Conservatism and Europe

This time 11 years ago:
Citizen Action Against Rat Runners

This time 12 years ago:
Moni at 18 (and 18 months)

This time 13 years ago:
Building the S79 - Sasanki-Węzeł Lotnisko, midwinter

Into the wet snow

This is unpleasant winter. Not crisp, bright, frosty days, but damp, clammy and overcast. Temperatures were hovering just above zero C, but the humid air (94%) penetrates clothing and makes it feel significantly colder. It had been snowing all night; wet, sticky snow, blown in by a strong northerly wind, and adhering to north-facing surfaces. The outdoors has to be braved to get the food in, however the fridge and larder are nearly empty... Below: looking down the drive towards the street.

Below: close-up of chain-link fence between my działka and the forest next door. Note how the snow has settled. It's Saturday morning, the temperature has just risen above freezing, and the snow is already loosening.

Below: looking down my street towards the railway line and Chynów in the far distance (well, half a kilometre actually). Snow beaten down by car tyres is easier to walk along, but slipperier. 

Below: corner of ulica Słoneczna ('Sunny Street') and ul. Główna ('Main Street'). Note the weight of the snow bearing down on the conifers.

Making my way back with a rucksackful of shopping, I was most grateful to my neighbours for giving me a lift home - the pavement along ul. Współna was impossible to walk along because the snow plough had chucked all the snow off the road onto the footway. Pedestrians were forced to walk along the roadway. After lunch, a second walk was in order - this time, the other way, into the forest.

Below: as you can see from the fogging, my lens did not take kindly to the warming of the damp air to around +1.5C in the afternoon - I had to take the filter off before each subsequent shot to wipe the front element of the lens and both sides of the filter. This is the track from Grobice to Machcin II; just before reaching this point I was delighted to see six deer, all young females, in two groups of three, leaping across the footpath in the forest along which I was strolling. 

Below: [what a difference a clean filter makes!] the geodesic marker post on the edge of the forest. This is POLREF 2702, one of 348 such markers in the Polish network, part of the European Terrestrial Reference Frame, a geodetic control-point network, accurate to 2cm over 50km. 

On my way, I am mindful of snow falling off trees in large volumes. I can hear 'crump'... 'crump'...'crump'... in the forest on either side of me; water droplets too, dripping onto the slushy ground. My parka hood is up; I don't fancy collecting any of this on my head.

Below: on my way back home, I came across this fallen tree, brought down by the weight of wet snow on its branches. It must have fallen recently, as it hadn't toppled when I passed on the way out (two photos up, more or less the reverse angle). Note also the tyre tracks in the foreground; a pedestrian can get past here - a car can't.

Below: the forest next door to my działka. Note the 'shadow' in front of the nearest tree - it's not caused by the sun, but by lack of snow - last night's strong northerly wind making its presence visible.

I get home and find that the bottoms of my trouser legs are sopping wet; a change of trousers, a warm drink and an early night. I have no desire whatever to venture forth into the melting snow on Sunday, temperatures around 1.3C outside, wet, dismal and thoroughly unpleasant. Blue Sunday.

This time three years ago:
Minimising #Flygskam

This time four years ago:
Notes from the Arena of the Unwell II

This time six years ago:
Ice - pond - night

This time eight years ago:
Sorry, taki mamy klimat - Polish rail in winter

This time ten years ago:
Music of the Trees

This time 11 years ago:
Studniówka - a hundred days before the exams

This time 12 years ago:
It's all in the mind - but where's that?

This time 13 years ago:
Roztopy - the big melt-down

This time 14 years ago:
The year's most depressing day
[Goes for today, too!]

When to hold on, and when to let go

Letting go suggests abnegation. It's an act associated with doing nothing, passively slobbing out in front of the TV set every night. Clearly this is not how we should lead our lives. Abnegation is a waste of human potential. At the other end of the spectrum is a hyperactive determination to see through each one of your many resolutions - doing so perfectly, exactly as you had planned it.

Letting go is often seen as weakness. Hanging on, despite the effort, despite the cost, despite the pain, displays determination - which is regarded as the most laudable characteristic not just in humanity, but across all of nature. But it's not always the best option.

Knowing when to back down and when to stand and fight, when to keep investing in a lost cause and when to call it quits, is commonly thought as something that requires intelligence and fine judgment. For letting go means just that - ceasing to take any more interest in a given matter, walking away. But hanging on means work.

Consider a decision that needs to be taken. You run through several possible scenarios, each with its own alternative options; you think about each one on its strengths and weaknesses, you consider empirically how it will unfold... but then you find you have thought yourself into a standstill. Paralysis through analysis. "I don't know what to do!" 

OK - you might not know - but what do you intuit?

Decision making requires more than just intelligence alone, especially when the number of variables is too high to calculate rationally. Here, intuition is needed - intuition, not instinct. Not a gut-reaction, not a kneejerk. Not the hurrah-optimism of Brexiteers voting to screw the country's future on a whim or cheering on your army as it brutally invades your neighbour.

No, intuition is something metaphysical, beyond reductionist-materialist science. Intuition is that thought that presents itself to you unbidden, maybe as you wake, or shower, or while on a walk. Learning to heed intuition is a skill that we humans have not even begun to develop. It's not taught, it's often dismissed as a cognitive bias, as a symptom of wishful thinking.

Learning to go with the flow is not synonymous with passive fatalism, but actively wishing luck. Good fortune. By being conscious of the outcomes rather than by analysing flow-paths and critical points. Letting the optimal outcome happen neither by making a decision and then obstinately sticking with it to the end, nor by letting fate take the wheel, but by being flexible, adaptable - and willing the optimal outcome from out of the future*. 

And when that optimal outcome does happen - be grateful  for it! Experience the conscious feeling of deep gratitude. It could easily have gone the other way.

But what is the optimal outcome? It resides at the meta level, not at the material level.

And here we get into the realms of the supernatural. Letting go means placing trust in a higher order than just the cause-and-effect of rationalism. The optimal outcome should be one that elevates the whole, that stands one tiny step closer to One on the infinitely long path from Zero to One. It might not look that way from where you are right now; but with the passage of time, all becomes clearer.

Willing that outcome is more possible than simply desiring material benefits to boost the ego.

* Which, according to some physicists, has already happened, and exists co-equally with the past and present.

This time last year:
Classical and meta-classical physics

This time two years ago:
The Sun and Snow

This time three years ago:
Farewell to my father's car

This time five years ago
Notes from the Arena of the Unwell

This time six years ago:
The magic of a dawn flight

This time seven years ago:
Warsaw as a voivodship

This time nine years ago:
Around town in the snow

This time 11 years ago:
Reference books are dead

This time 12 years ago:
A winter walk to work, and wet socks

This time 15 years ago:
Blue Monday

We're all on one spectrum or another...

Once upon a time, there were the mad and the sane. These days, psychiatric medicine has defined scores of disorders, of which personality disorders are a subclass. Just as many doctors would say, "there's no such thing as a healthy person, only an undiagnosed disease", so many psychiatrists believe that most people would fit onto the spectrum of one personality disorder or another. Whether it's depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (not to be confused with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder), or hoarder disorder, there are so many to choose from.

The notion of the 'neurodiverse' as opposed to the 'neurotypical' is increasingly accepted by society - we are all slightly different, and if you consider the 'long tail' of people at the milder end of any personality disorder spectrum, the neurotypical among us are actually quite rare. This raises the question of what is 'normal' and what percentage of us can be truly classed as 'normal'.

Students of human behaviour will recognise specific characteristics and habitual behaviours associated with various personality disorders among their colleagues, family and friends. Those with greater powers of self-awareness (self-criticism indeed) will recognise these characteristics in their own behaviour and patterns of thinking.

Observing this trait or that one, we can infer that this person or that person can be placed somewhere along this or that spectrum - or indeed along overlapping spectrums. The textbook from which to compare symptoms to diagnoses is DSM-5  (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition)

We can also self-diagnose, and this process is made vastly easier these days by instant access to online knowledge (as long as you are intelligent enough to know what to look for).

Looking at myself, I'd say that I am very mildly along the Asperger's spectrum; generally I don't have any great difficulties in social interaction and communication, but I'm not naturally gregarious, I don't get on easily with strangers in social situations; I don't like small talk, preferring to get into serious discussions straight away. I lack that gift of immediate intimacy unless I've had a couple of glasses of wine. Most people abhor being lonely; I treasure solitude as a luxury - perhaps there's an element of demand-avoidance syndrome there!

However, the restricted, repetitive behaviours and interests (RRBI) element of Asperger's is clearly present. Strong interests in specific topics. I like maps, spreadsheets, railways, a small number of movies that I know inside out; interest in UFOs is another trait. I'd rather re-watch an old, much loved film than go and see something new of which I know little. And I'm often quoting from my favourite films in everyday situations. I have a massive knowledge of classic cars and 20th century aviation from childhood days. However, atypically, I also have a broad general knowledge and can says things that make sense about many subject areas - but not to any great depth. 

While I have no problems with being on stage, professionally I'm happiest in the back room - editing other people's English-language text, applying a set of rules that ensure clarity and consistency. My knowledge of the principles of house style grow from year to year; here I have a narrow but deep speciality that keeps me in bread and butter.

I have no television set; I determine what I want to watch and when I want to watch it with YouTube Premium. Here, I'll be mostly watching talks about science, philosophy and the metaphysical. No sport, no serials. No distractions.  

"The symptoms of late-onset Asperger's can be similar to those of early-onset Asperger's, but they may be less severe and more subtle," but it may also be that my symptoms were too mild to attract attention in childhood. I do recall when still in infants school, my story books were all about aeroplanes with human characteristics (half a century before Disney's Planes); my teacher told me to broaden my interests and to write stories about other subjects. Given this advice, I did.

Other Asperger's symptoms I have are around routine - especially in the mornings, and my exercises, all of which are logged in a spreadsheet maintained now for the tenth year in a row. My Lenten routine (32 years in a row). Counting - when I'm chopping fruit or vegetables, I count out loud. When my routine or my sense of how things should be gets interrupted or threatened, I can get agitated.

I can also see that my father displayed many of these traits too - he kept spreadsheets for years, logged his blood pressure daily. A curious and observant man, my father read a lot and his mind was active to the very end. Like my father I dislike waste, and have a mild hoarding tendency. (My scrupulous segregation of waste helps here!)

Personality disorders (are they even disorders at the mild end of the spectrum?) have a strong hereditary link. Engineers, accountants and (these days) IT coders are professions correlated with fathering people on the Asperger's spectrum; boys are four to five times more likely to be on this spectrum than girls.

But being able to think at the meta-level, being able to look at myself from a detached perspective, I can see these traits and work around them, self-administering cognitive behavioural therapy. And also important is masking. It's about being intelligent enough to rein back your desire to go into great detail, backed up with statistics to two decimal points, when engaged in a conversation with a more neurotypical person. Not boring someone about the minutiae of a train journey, or demonstrating your knowledge of WW2 aircraft engines to someone who's not remotely interested.

My interest in traits and habits are now focused on the life-skill question of knowing when to hold on, and when to let go - when to go with the flow. More on that soon!

This time last year:
Qualia Compilation - playing with Lego

This time two years ago:
Onto the frozen pond

This time three years ago:

A walk through lights-out London

This time four years ago:
Mid-Jan pictorial round-up

This time eight years ago:
UK migration and the NHS

This time 11 years ago:
Miserable depths of winter

This time 12 years ago:
From - a short story (Part 1)

This time 13 years ago:
A month until Lent starts

This time 14 years ago:
World's biggest airliner over Poland

This time 15 years ago:
More pre-Lenten thoughts

The King's Horse - a short story (Pt. II)

 

[Part I here]

Standing in its stall on his three good feet, the horse considered its lot. It had always just assumed that the stables in which it, and other horses, lived, had been there forever. The stables were a feature of its world, like the forests, the fields, the hills, the rivers and the distant mountains. Its mother, however, had witnessed humans building those same stables - first, there was nothing but grass in that field, then, over time, walls emerged, made from bricks, growing higher day by day; then a roof was put over those walls, and doors added. 

The old mare knew that 'stables' were part of a different group of things to that group which included hills or rivers - but she could not communicate this important insight to the foal to which she gave birth and which she nurtured. That foal, which grew up to become the King's horse, did not give any consideration as to where stables or palaces or forests or mountains came from - they were just there. 

The King's horse had woken that morning with a stabbing pain in its lower left foreleg and remembered what had happened the previous day. The stable boys came to feed it, accompanied by the Farrier, who checked the bandaged leg. The horse mused once more about its own existence - why was it so special? Why did the human fuss over it, compared to the indifference that they so often showed towards other horses? "If I were not special, I would not be," the horse reasoned. "But then, was I brought into this world to be special?"

Meanwhile far away in another part of his estate, the King, accompanied by his Equerry and Confessor, was deep in philosophical conversation that precisely echoed the horse's musings. 

"Why do horses do come into being?" asked the Confessor. "To carry us, to draw our carts and carriages - " replied the King. "And why do cattle come into being?" asked the Confessor. "To provide us with meat and milk - for butter and cheese." 

"My father would say 'No legs - no horse' whenever he looked upon a second-rate animal" the Equerry added. "A lame cow would still provide milk - in the worst case you'd slaughter it and eat it. But a horse that moves not is entirely without worth - useless."

"All true," replied the Confessor to both King and Equerry. "But now ponder this - why do bears and wolves come into being? Not only are they useless to us - they are a danger to us."

"Yes they too come into being." said the Equerry. "Not in as large numbers as horses or cattle - when you see many hundreds of horses on a battlefield, or many scores of cows grazing on a field..."

The King, who knew well how his Confessor's mind worked, cut to the chase. "Horses and cattle meet our purpose. We people meet our Maker's purpose. That is why we come into being."

"Yes!" the Confessor shouted, and then probed the King further: "If so, what is our Maker's purpose for us? Our purpose for the horse is to transport us; our purpose for the cow is food. And we? We neither carry our Maker, nor feed Him..."

"To praise Him?" suggested the Equerry.

"Consider the entirety of Creation," replied the Confessor. The Creator cannot do without our praise?"

"To advance in wisdom, in the Arts and in the Sciences," said the King, who'd heard this before. 

"So it is, so it is. Our advances make life better, richer, longer, for coming generations. That is what our Creator expects of us. And our Creator expects more from Kings than He does from the rest of us."

*************

Over the next few weeks, the King's horse felt the pain easing, it felt the joy of healing, as nature slowly returned the bone to its former strength. The King even came to see the horse a few times, bringing it parsnips and carrots. But the King would not even attempt to mount it; the Farrier and the Equerry had decided that for the King's good, a new horse would need to be found. 

But given this one's excellent characteristics - its strength, its flawless appearance, its fleetness of foot, its gentle temperament - bar this one accident which could be ascribed to blind chance - the best solution would be to turn him to stud, to sire foals with the choicest of mares; some day, one of these foals could grow into a horse fit for the King, carry him into war, parade him through the streets in front of cheering crowds.

And so, the King's horse spent the rest of its days mounting mares and siring foals - but from time to time, it felt pangs of nostalgia for the glory reflected upon it by virtue of its rider. 

This time two years ago:
On to the ice, onto the frozen ponds
[4.3C outside as I write; no frost at all so far this January]

This time three years ago:
A walk through lights-out London

This time three years ago:
Mid-Jan pictorial round-up

This time seven years ago:
UK migration and the NHS

This time ten years ago:
Miserable depths of winter

This time 11 years ago:
From - a short story (Part 1)

This time 12 years ago:
A month until Lent starts

This time 13 years ago:
World's biggest airliner over Poland

This time 14 years ago:
More pre-Lenten thoughts

The King's Horse - a short story (Pt. I)

It was a fine day in early March when the King, accompanied by a small retinue, rode forth for a morning canter. Mounted upon his favourite thoroughbred, he was keen to survey his arable lands as spring gathered force. They rode into the sun, still low in the sky; neither horse nor rider noticed the molehill - the horse's left foreleg sank deep into the soft soil, toppling the horse and throwing the rider. The King lay on the ground, his peruke and tricorn hat in a muddy puddle. Unhurt but furious, he stood up, straightened his sword belt and covered his bald pate. His first reaction was to kick the horse's head. He stopped himself, attempting to douse his fury and regain his dignity. Then he looked around at the expressions of his riding companions for any trace of a smirk.

They knew better, however, and each man managed to display a passable degree of shock - sympathy indeed - upon his visage. The King's face and clothes muddy, unable to muster a dignified pose for the occasion, he called to his Equerry. "How is my horse?"

The Equerry dismounted and ran over to the fallen animal. "I'm afraid, your Majesty," he said after the briefest of examinations, "that the leg is broken. The bone shows through." 

The horse was in agony. 

It had always been conscious of the fact that it was a special horse, a chosen horse; for the human that rode it was higher in the hierarchy than any other human. This was something the horse had intuited from all the interactions observed between the humans at the stables where it lived. And then a sudden reflection - in situations such as this which the horse had witnessed in the past, whether on a battlefield or on a hunt, when another equine fell, the unfortunate beast was more usually than not put down; a firearm put to its head - an explosion - smoke - after which the fallen horse was silent and still. Dead. Would this fate meet it too? 

Or was it too important?

A discussion between the King and the Equerry. Some waving of hands. Emotions. Some shouting. Then calm. Resolution. The King  spoke to an officer; an order was given, a man dismounted. The King took his place, and galloped back towards his palace, followed by several of his men. The Equerry remained by the animal, feeling its fetlock and shin, assessing the injury. The human's calm demeanour reassured the horse. They were not far from the palace, the ride had only begun. It would be a long and painful return, however, limping back to the stables, but the King's favourite horse managed to return home, the Equerry at his side all the way.

The King gave an order to his Bailiff: "Your men are to dig up yonder field to the depth of two feet, starting from every molehill. You are to catch as many moles as you can, and then hang them alive by their hind paws from a string tied between two poles, to be pecked to death by the kestrels." As he did so, the King could feel a sharp pain in the base of his spine that would trouble him for the rest of the day and into the night. His sleep was poor, despite a copious amount of wine with his dinner, a dispensation the King gave himself that Lenten evening.

In the stables, the horse was confined to its stall, its left foreleg bound tight with wooden splints. The Farrier had done an excellent job, doing all he could to ensure that the King's horse would be comfortable despite its injury. Throughout the process, the horse felt secure; it knew the humans tending to its injuries were caring and responsible people. It felt the pain would go away in time, that the leg would mend, but also it sensed that it would never return to galloping with the King. Life would not return to how it was.

The following day, the King decided not to go for a ride, but to walk instead. He called for his Confessor and Equerry to accompany him. The route took them to a hill from which they could look down over the field in which the previous day's accident had occurred. Gazing across, the King was pleased to see a group of labourers with spades digging the field over.

As they walked, they conversed. The day was overcast and colder; spring felt further away. The King enjoyed discussions with his Confessor, a man he could trust with his deepest secrets and whose advice was more than simply telling him what he thought he wished to hear. The Confessor was well read in philosophy, history and alchemy, and spoke in a way that forced to the King to reason more clearly.

"Tell me," said the Confessor, "How did your horse come to exist?" 

"It was born of its dam and its sire," replied the King. 

"And who chose the dam; who chose the sire, your Majesty?" 

"I was guided in my choice by my Equerry - perhaps, if my memory fails me not - by my Equerry's father, when he served in that role." 

"Yes, indeed, shortly before my father's passing, just before I stepped into his shoes," agreed the Equerry.

"So - without the stallion and mare being brought together through your father, and of course the King, this animal would not have come into this world?" The Equerry nodded. 

The King pondered too - knowing his Confessor, he knew that this line of thinking would be leading somewhere.

[Part II here]

This time last year:
Hoofing it
(Not horses - Nordic walking!)

This time four years ago:
Signals from space - what's the meaning of 187.5?

This time five years ago:
Ice - proceed with utmost care

This time six years ago: 
In which I see a wild boar crossing the frozen ponds

This time seven years ago:
Communicating the government's case in English

This time nine years ago:
Thinking big, American style. Can Poles do it?

This time ten years ago:
Inequality in an age of economic slowdown 

This time 11 years ago:
The Palace of Culture: Tear it down?

This time 13 years ago:
Conquering Warsaw's highest snow mounds

This time 14 years ago:
Flashback on way to Zielona Góra

This time 15 years ago:
Ursynów, winter, before sunrise 

Mid-Jan town-and-country pictorial catch-up

Below: I love this photo - it's showing that Poland works. We see a new train arriving at a modernised station - on time. Sułkowice, 14 January; the 15:41 service for Radom Główny is here to take me one stop down the line to Chynów after buying ingredients for cooking a large barszcz ukraiński. Fare was 2.73zł with my 30% over-60s discount. However, it's 3.90zł full price, or 74p, for the 2.8km journey. Meanwhile in England, a ticket from West Ealing to Ealing Broadway is £2.90 for a 1.3km journey, nearly eight times more expensive per km. And average wages in Poland are slightly more than half of what they are in the UK.

"A city clerk turned countryman again,
And linked to town by fast electric train"

Below: Warsaw skyline just after sunset from the new footbridge at Warsaw West (W-wa Zachodnia) station. Most of the skyscrapers you see here were built in the last 15 years. A few more will pop up - then a pause, while we figure out where we would want to work from. The station is finally catching up, although the modernisation work will be entering its third year, and much still to be done.

Below: looking west along Aleje Jerozolimskie towards W-wa Zachodnia. A stream of motorists contribute to climate change. Offices to the right, apartment blocks to the left. A brief window during which there are few clouds in the sky.

Below: Plac Zawiszy looking along ulica Grójecka. The Sobieski hotel is to the left.

Below: back in the country - walking through the forest one day last week, I could hear an incessant tapping in the trees above me and knew it must be a woodpecker - indeed it was!

Below: a drainage ditch winds through the forest between Dąbrowa Duża and Dobiecin. Just round the corner from here, I'm walking along a fire-break and two adult female deer run across my path, about 50m away. Shy, elusive, elegant beings - hunting them should be banned.

Below: the path that leads past the small settlement of Kozłów, situated in a clearing surrounded by forest. Which, I am sad to report, the villagers seem to be using as a rubbish tip.

Below: back on track - the road from Chynów station to my działka (turn right at the bottom). Note the white rectangle at the base of the telecoms mast - that's a distant office block. Can't work out whether it's in Piaseczno or further away in Warsaw.

The weather has been dull and overcast with occasional rain. As I write, Sunday 15 January at three pm, it's 6.1C outside. "Rain off and on," says my laptop.  First half of January and not so much as a snowflake, and no frost. Another two-and-half to three months to go before spring bursts on the scene.

It's now half past five and it's now 6.7C outside. Meanwhile, this time last year, it was peak winter...

This time last year:
Winter at its zenith

This time three years ago:
Signals from space

This time four years ago:
Ice - proceed with utmost care

This time five years ago: 
In which I see a wild boar crossing the frozen ponds

This time six years ago:
Communicating the government's case in English

This time eight years ago:
Thinking big, American style. Can Poles do it?

This time nine years ago:
Inequality in an age of economic slowdown 

This time ten years ago:
The Palace of Culture: Tear it down?

This time 12 years ago:
Conquering Warsaw's highest snow mounds

This time 13 years ago:
Flashback on way to Zielona Góra

This time 14 years ago:
Ursynów, winter, before sunrise 

For my brother, on the occasion of his 60th birthday

Thank you Marek!

Sixty years old today! My brother Marek has been an inspiration to me throughout my adult life and has helped me develop my thinking significantly. Here are just a few of the ideas that he introduced me to over the past 40 years – ideas that have profoundly helped shape my worldview. An idea that resonates when you first hear of it, an idea that sticks in your mind - you expand upon; subsequent experience and subsequent reading proves it to be resilient, the idea goes on to form the foundations of your personal philosophy as it grows.

So - here's the list; regular readers of this blog will recognise many of the themes.

Thinking at the meta-level: this really helped me when I was struggling a bit with life in my mid-20s; strive to get out of a rut by constantly thinking one step above, then above than, then above that.

Altered states of consciousness: whether brought about by drink or drifting in and out of sleep of a morning, the notion of consciously altering the way your mind works was new to me.

Artificial Intelligence: Marek did his postgrad studies in this back in the 1980s! He was the first person to explain to me how expert systems would work, before the AI winter...

Zen Buddhism: Eastern mysticism in all its diverse richness, including tales of the Lung gom pah

Jewish mysticism – the Kabbalah, the esoteric wisdom hidden in plain sight

Complexity and chaos theory - mathematics at the root of it all

Fractals and Mandelbrot sets - repeating patterns scaling up and down into infinity

Deferred gratification - the joys of putting off to tomorrow that which could gratify instantly

Learned dependence - in society, a way of life in where a social group learns to depend on the landowner, the , the employer, the Welfare State...

Emergence - in cosmology, physics giving rise to chemistry, giving rise to biology, evolving into ever more complex forms

The Cambrian Explosion - weird and wonderful fossils found in the Burgess Shales as animal life first emerged from more primitive organisms in a very short time

Dyson spheres and Von Neumann machines, the Oort cloud and other fascinating astronomical concepts

Bayesian inference and cognitive bias in general - bad ways of thinking (and how to avoid them by thinking more critically - and indeed thinking at the meta-level).

The Hierarchy vs the Network - the old way and the new way to run society. Connected bottom-up power replacing top-down rule. No one hierarch dominating (it usually ends up a disaster - see Putin's Russia for example).

Distinguishing ‘train of thought’ from ‘stream of consciousness’

The moral dimension of cosmology – the place of good and evil in the Universe

Agency and free will - are we only doing that which we have been programmed to do?

Demand-avoidance syndrome - some people don't like to be asked to do something - and therefore don't like asking others to do something for them.

Gut flora and the virome - we are the sum product of ourselves plus all the bacteria and viruses that dwell within us and on us.

The primacy of the subjective conscious experience - probably the most important single idea that clarified and shaped my entire way of thinking

Being obsessively tidy in one small corner of one’s life, the remainder of it being a mess - recognise any relative you know?

Consciousness as being either granular/discrete units or a seamless continuum. The big question for those who consider consciousness to be universal, rather than just a epiphenomenon of emergence.

These ideas feel like they have been inspired from a higher plane, destined for me.

Selected reading list (of books that Marek has bought me):

Stuart Kaufman’s Humanity in a Creative Universe

David Eagleman's Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlife

Fritjof Capra’s The Tao of Physics

Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance 

Daniel P. Bagge’s Unmasking Maskirovka

James Joyce's Finnegans Wake

Plus:

The paintings of Eric Ravilious

The box art of 'Revell’s Rembrandt', Jack Leynnman

The music of the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, in particular, Slip Into This House from Easter Everywhere, and early American psychedelic music in general.

In my quest for understanding, I seek neither a leader nor followers, but someone that walks alongside me and discusses ideas and helps me develop them - that person is my brother.

Marek - for this wealth of ideas and concepts, I am truly grateful. But above all, you are an inspiration to me - what it means to be a human being.

This time last year:
Walking on (thick) ice
[Five consecutive nights of frost. This year? It's +7.8C outside tonight]

This time three years ago:
Kraków in winter

This time five years ago:

Jeziorki mid-January catch-up

This time six years ago:
On ice

This time seven years ago:
Tweeting and blogging

This time nine years ago:
The sad truth about the pavement for Karczunkowska

[Update - it's due in 2026.]

This time ten years ago:
Happy 50th birthday Marek!

This time 13 years ago:
A haul of wintery wonderfulness

This time 14 years ago:
Optimal way to work?

This time 15 years ago:
Highest point in Jeziorki 
(photos of the Rampa before demolition)

Welcome to the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is here. Of course, it's been here a long time, but the launch in November of Chat GPT by Open AI, a software firm, has brought that message home with a WOW.

For me, playing with Chat GPT (note use of verb 'playing') reminded me of my first hours with an online search engine (AltaVista back in the mid 1990s) or discovering Wikipedia or Google Earth in the early 2000s or Google Map Street View in 2012 - I could see that these technologies would be life-changing. Today I think nothing of buying train tickets on my phone, using the map in the phone to navigate me from station to hotel, which was booked online. E-commerce is commonplace. Chatbots are replacing surly customer-service staff, machine translation has all but replaced humans in all but the most specialist areas. But AI has the potential to do far, far more - I hope this post will demonstrate how, and why.

Chat GPT is search taken a huge leap forward. Rather than typing in a question and being given many links to many pages, here you just type in your question and you get a concrete, detailed reply. Instantly. To demonstrate, I'll perform a live Q&A session here, an interactive dialogue between me and Chat GPT to show off its potential:

[Me:] How will Chat GPT and AI change the way we work:

[Chat GPT:] Artificial intelligence, including Chat GPT, has the potential to change the way we work in a number of ways. Some of the ways AI could change the way we work include:

• Automation of repetitive tasks: AI can be used to automate repetitive tasks, such as data entry or customer service, which would free up employees to focus on more high-value work.
  
  
• Improved decision making: AI can be used to analyze large amounts of data and provide insights that can help inform decision-making. This can lead to better, more data-driven decision-making across a wide range of industries.
  
  
• Increased efficiency: AI can be used to optimize and streamline business processes, which can lead to increased efficiency and cost savings.
  
  
• Better customer service: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide 24/7 customer service, which can help improve customer satisfaction and increase sales.
  
  
• Personalization: AI models and other tools like chatbot can be used to provide personalized experiences to customers, employees and other users, based on their behavior, interactions, feedback and other data.
  
  
• Predictive maintenance: AI can be used to analyze sensor data from equipment, predict when maintenance is needed, and schedule maintenance before a problem occurs, which can lead to reduced downtime and lower maintenance costs.

However, the adoption of AI in the workplace will also bring challenges. For example, it could lead to job displacement and require retraining of employees to be able to perform new tasks. Additionally, companies will need to address ethical and privacy concerns related to the use of AI.

[Me:] This whole 'job displacement' thing worries me. Whose jobs are most likely to be taken over by AI? (and could you answer using UK English, please?)

[ChatGPT:] It is true that the increased use of AI in the workplace has the potential to lead to job displacement, particularly for jobs that involve repetitive or predictable tasks. In the UK, jobs that are most likely to be taken over by AI include those in sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and customer service. However, AI can also create new jobs in the process of automation.

Jobs that involve tasks such as data entry, customer service, and routine financial analysis are particularly susceptible to automation. Some of the jobs which are likely to be impacted by automation include:

• Manufacturing and assembly line jobs, such as machine operators, quality control technicians, and logistics coordinators.
• Transportation and warehousing jobs, such as truck and delivery drivers, and warehouse workers
• Retail jobs, such as cashiers and shelf stockers
• Office and administrative jobs, such as data entry, routine financial analysis, and certain types of financial auditing
• Service jobs, such as fast food preparation, cleaning, and laundry service.

While some jobs may be automated, other jobs will be created in the process as new industries and technologies arise and as businesses invest in the development and maintenance of new technologies.

It's important to think about the adoption of AI in a holistic way, and consider the possibilities of re-skilling, up-skilling and creating new opportunities. While some jobs will be displaced, others will be created and requiring new set of skills and capabilities. Businesses and governments may need to work together to ensure that workers are prepared for the changes that are likely to come and that the benefits of automation are shared widely.

[Me:] So what will happen to the people who lose their jobs?

[Chat GPT:] The displacement of jobs as a result of AI and automation is a concern, and it is important to consider the potential impact on workers who may lose their jobs as a result.

When jobs are displaced by automation, some workers may need to be retrained or upskilled in order to be able to perform new tasks or work in new industries. This process of retraining and upskilling can be difficult and time-consuming, and it may not be possible for all workers to transition to new roles.

The government or other organizations may provide retraining programs or other forms of assistance to help displaced workers find new jobs or acquire new skills. Additionally, some organizations are also exploring the idea of a universal basic income (UBI) as a way of providing a safety net for workers who lose their jobs as a result of automation. UBI is a form of social security in which all citizens or residents of a country regularly receive an unconditional sum of money from the government, regardless of whether they have a job.

However, this is an ongoing debate and its implementation could have trade-offs. Transitioning to new roles will not be easy for everyone, it would require commitment and effort from both employers and employees.

Technological advancements can also lead to the creation of new job opportunities as well as increase productivity in existing jobs. New fields and industries will also arise, providing new job opportunities and requiring a new set of skills.

Overall, while the displacement of jobs is a concern, it's important to consider the broader economic and social implications of automation, as well as the potential for new job creation and increased productivity. It's also important for governments, employers and employees to work together to anticipate and prepare for the changes that are likely to come.

[Me:] Faced with the coming AI revolution, how should people prepare - in terms of skills, financially... should they invest in companies that are at the forefront of automation?

[Chat GPT:] As AI and automation continue to advance, it's important for individuals to consider ways to prepare for the changes that are likely to come. Here are a few ways that people can prepare for the impact of AI on the workforce:

Developing in-demand skills: As AI and automation take over some jobs, there will be a growing demand for workers with skills in areas such as data analysis, programming, and digital marketing. People should consider investing in their own education and training to develop these and other in-demand skills.

Continuously learning: Staying current with new technologies and updates is becoming more important than ever as the field of AI and technology is evolving rapidly. Individuals should be prepared to continue learning throughout their careers to maintain their skills and stay ahead of the curve.

Being adaptable: The future of work is uncertain and it is likely that many jobs will change, people should be open to new opportunities and be prepared to adapt to new roles and tasks.

Investing in their own business or projects: Some people may want to consider investing in their own business or project, which can provide them with more control over their career and financial future.

Investing in stocks or other assets: Investing in stocks or other assets, such as real estate or cryptocurrency, could help individuals to build wealth and prepare for the future. However, one should be mindful of the risks associated with any investment.

Building a diversified portfolio: It's also a good idea to have a diversified portfolio of assets and skills, so that you're not too reliant on any one industry or job. It will help you to be more resilient in case of any market changes.

Networking: Building a strong network of contacts in your industry and beyond can help you to stay informed about job opportunities and new developments in your field.

Note that investment carries risks and past performance does not guarantee future results. It's important to research and be informed before making any investments. Additionally, investing in stocks or other assets should be done as part of a well-diversified portfolio and under the guidance of a licensed financial advisor if needed.

Overall, the most important thing is to be aware of the changes that are likely to come and to take steps to prepare yourself for them, by developing skills and being adaptable, not just relying on one particular job or industry.

[Me:] Thank you. You failed on one question - I asked you whether you could write in UK English (rather than US English), and you though I was asking about the UK economy. What are the main differences between UK and US English?

[Chat GPT:]

I apologize for misunderstanding your question about using UK English. The main difference between UK and US English is in their spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.

Spelling: There are many words that are spelled differently in UK and US English. For example, in UK English, "colour" is spelled with a "u", while in US English, it is spelled "color." Similarly, "centre" is spelled with a "re" in UK English and "center" in US English.

Vocabulary: There are also some differences in the vocabulary used in UK and US English. For example, in UK English, "lorry" is used to refer to a truck, while in US English, it is called a "truck". Additionally, in the UK, "biscuit" refers to what Americans call a "cookie" and "trousers" refer to what Americans call "pants"

Punctuation: In American English, quotation marks are often used for direct quotations, while in British English, single quotation marks are used. Additionally, in American English, punctuation goes inside the quotation marks, whereas in British English punctuation goes outside the quotation marks.

Vocabulary and Phrasing: Some phrasing and words are more common in UK English than US English and vice versa, for example "I'm just popping out" is common in UK and "I'm heading out for a bit" common in US.

These are a few examples of the differences, but it's worth noting that there are variations within each country as well, and even within different regions and groups within those countries.

It's important to note that both versions of English are widely understood and used around the world and it's not necessary to change the language usage to communicate effectively with the audience.

[Me:] It says on the top of the page: "We're experiencing exceptionally high demand. Please hang tight as we work on scaling our systems" How many people are looking at your page right now, and by when will you have completed scaling your system?

[Chat GPT]: I am a computer-based AI program and I do not have real-time information on how many people are interacting with the website or using my services and also as a model, I don't have access to the information or updates on website or system's performance or maintenance.

Regarding the message you mentioned, it is typically used as a placeholder message to inform users that there is high traffic on the website and the systems are currently under maintenance or undergoing updates. As a language model AI, I don't have the ability to access the information on when the maintenance or updates will be completed, it will be depending on the team who is in charge of the website or the service you're interacting with.

[Me:] I wonder how our chat will look like in ten years' time - do you think you will have achieved true consciousness by then?

[Chat GPT]: As a computer-based AI system, I don't possess consciousness or self-awareness. My capabilities and performance are based on the data and algorithms that I was trained on, as well as the rules and parameters set by my creators.

The concept of true consciousness in AI is still largely a topic of research and debate in the field of AI and cognitive science. While significant progress has been made in areas such as natural language processing, image recognition, and decision-making, achieving true consciousness in AI is a very complex and difficult task.

It is possible that in the next ten years, the technology and algorithms used to create AI systems will continue to advance and improve. However, achieving true consciousness in AI systems is still a long-term goal and it is not clear when or if it will be achieved. Additionally, there are also ongoing discussions and debates around the ethical and societal implications of creating truly conscious AI systems.

It's also worth noting that as AI advances, there is a ongoing discussion around explainability, transparency and accountability on the AI models and its actions. This can help to increase the trust and transparency of the AI systems.

It's important to have realistic expectations about the capabilities of AI systems and to consider the potential implications of their development. While AI has the potential to greatly benefit society in many ways, it's important to consider its limitations and to approach its development and use with caution.

[Me:] Thank you, pleasant and informative chat - speak soon!

[Chat GPT:] You're welcome, I'm glad I could help. I'm here to provide information and help with any questions you have. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions or if there's anything else I can assist you with. Have a great day!

****************

So there we have it. Worth a try. It's free, you just need to register (give your email address and create a password to log in). Glimpse the future here: https://chat.openai.com/chat . And definitely worth using it in a work situation; get the hang of it before your office colleagues do! 

This time last year:
What's new in Jakubowizna?

This time three years ago:
Policy responses to inequality

This time four years ago:
A Royal Visit to Warsaw

This time five years ago:
Transport news

This time six days ago:
Uneasy Sunny Day - smog

This time seven years ago:
Public media? State media? Party media?
[yet another year of not watching a single second of TVP]

This time eight years ago:
Beer, consumer choice and the Meaning of Life

This time nine years ago:
What's Cameron got against us Poles?
[whatever it was, it will have turned him into a utter loser in future history books]

The time 11 years ago:
Anyone still remember the Przybyl case?

This time 12 years ago:
Wetlands midwinter meltdown

This time 13 years ago:
Jeziorki rail scenes, winter

This time 14 years ago:
Winter drivetime, Jeziorki

This time 15 years ago:
Kraków, a bit of winter sunshine