Cities

      I might have already done a post on cities, but I'm unable to find one, so let's assume not. Anyway, I'm currently posting from London, where I'm staying for some of the half term, so I figured I might as well do a post on cities. I'm not sure I really fit in in London, as when I got a ticket for the tube I nearly said "Thank you." This wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for the fact that I was using a self-service machine.

      For the most part I enjoy large cities for the very reason you might think I would hate them: people. I've never been a huge fan of interacting with lots of people, although I will when necessary, so it might seem strange that I don't feel uncomfortable in places where there are many people. But the key factor here is the interaction; in cities people have a tendency to avoid any sort of communication with strangers. This is most easily seen on the underground, where you could have a mariachi band performing covers of Snoop Dogg without anyone batting an eyelid. For this reason cities are great places for the socially incompetent.

      However there is still an uneasiness when I'm in a city as I perpetually feel like I'm just a visitor. This is largely due to the fact that I'm always just a visitor, but there is more to it. I feel like I'm visiting the real world, where real people are. I become an anthropologist studying my own culture.

      But even ignoring the people, cities fascinate me. The scale of them, the intricacies of their streets and the complexities of their infrastructures. They're places where the constancy of structure is matched only by the changeability of people. (N.B. the constancy of structure does not include anything connected to the London Underground, which has more "improvement work" done on it than an ageing celebrity's face.)

      So, to summarise, cities are quite nice. That's some cutting edge journalism right there.

Potentially changing this title. (But if you're reading this, I guess not)

      Okay, I have a vague idea for a post, but it's not really developed yet, so we'll see where it goes. Also, I don't have a title yet. Anyway, remember how I said I wasn't going to post about finishing school? Well, I lied. Kind of. I'm not actually going to write about leaving school, but it's going to be relevant to it. I think you're just going to have to bear with me for this one.

      So it recently dawned on me that as you go through life you lose contact with a lot of people, but you know about the same amount of people throughout. So this means that at some point there will be more people who remember you than people who still know you. Now this would probably be a mildly passable post if I had actually thought of a reason why this is significant, but alas I haven't, so I'll just throw together some rubbish.

      The significance of this is clear, as we exist as a collective conscious entity the way we are perceived to exist is connected to how we actually exist. In much the same way someone who has died is often considered to still live in the minds of those they knew, we live in the minds of those who knew us, even when we are actually still alive.

      Okay, that was just poor. It sounds a little like I'm trying to start a cult. Anyway, it's summer now and I have nothing to do for six weeks, so I might be able to write some good posts. I wouldn't hold your breath though.

Society. Kind of.

      So I kind of have an idea about what I'm going to write, but I've kind of forgotten it. You really should find a different blog to follow, because I'm evidently not that good at it.
      Anyway, people often say "it's easier to destroy than to create" and this is usually true. But when you consider human society you have to wonder. The more you think about society the less its existence makes sense; people are stupid, aggressive animals and yet we live in an incredibly complex system that we created. The fact that you can read this post is the result of about 15 years of internet development; 150 years of computer science development and between 50,000 and 2,000,000 years of language development. That's a lot of development and it doesn't even take into consideration the myriad of scientific breakthroughs that had to happen. But even greater than this is the stability of our society. Sure, we have wars that threaten to destroy us all, we let poverty kill thousands a day, but through it all we survive. Against all odds we haven't killed ourselves. The fact that we, a group of hunter-gatherers, have a complete system that allows us to live without once eating something we saw before it was food is a testament to both the ingenuity of humans and the apathy that ingenuity allows. And the really amazing thing is that most people never notice the system, even  though they're a part of it.
      This isn't to say we are perfect or more than animals, just that as a species we have accomplished more than we will ever comprehend and if we could just put aside out differences we could do anything.

      Well this post just kind of went on about nothing for a while, didn't it? I really should start planning these things in advance.

If civilisation was a person

Today I'm going to give you an insight into what I do with my time. Here is what I decided to do with several hours of my life, before deciding I might as well post it as a blog. Basically I scaled the life of civilisation, starting with the control of fire, to the length of the average life of someone in the UK. I did it in notepad, so there are quite a few spelling and formatting mistakes.

If civilisation was a person:

Born in 500,000BC with the control of fire and shelter

At 15 creates spears and pigments

Wastes most of the middle of life doing not much, then at 57 creates bone tools.

With 70th birthday approaching starts making up for lost time, inventing the bow, flute and boat, as well as mining and cloth, all before their 75th birthday. Also gets first pet when they domesticate the dog.

At 77 starts farming and making alcohol as well as more complex buildings. Develops metalworking, lead, dentistry and maps. Domesticates sheep, goats, cattle, chicken and the cat.

After their 78th birthday, and start of the last whole year they'll live, starts working hard. Creates irrigation, milking, beer, plough, ice skates, paved streets, carts, learns to write for the first time, creates drainage, comb, cement, soap, the button, the bathroom and toilet, chariot, oven, shipyard and dock, ruler, currency, dice, candles, ink.

Near their 79th and final birthday they create the umbrella, glass, perfume, the spoked wheel, rubber, the fork, central heating and the lens.

They now have about 174 days left alive. In the first 60 days the Latin alphabet is created, as is the anchor, plastic surgery, the catapult, the wheelbarrow, the compass, the suspension bridge, the horseshoe, clockwork, the toothbrush and the encyclopedia. During this time Jesus is born and dies the next day.

In the next 30 days steam power is invented, as is paper and the combination lock.

In the next 20 days toilet paper is finally invented and to write on it they create the quill pen. They even create the psychiatric hospital for people writing on their toilet paper. More importantly, alcohol is distilled for the first time. Under-arm deodorant, the gas mask, the mechanical musical instument, the first programmable machine, the metronome, artifical weather simulation, erectile dysfunction treatment, university, chemotherapy and kerosene are invented. Then they go and ruin it all by inventing something stupid like a gun.

In the following 20 days the double piston flamethrower is made, as well as many less destructive things such as sherbert, street lamps, libraries, the novel, magnifying glasses, fireworks, sunglasses, glass mirrors, condoms and the buttonhole. I'm not sure what they were using buttons for before they had holes for them.

For the start of the next 20 days virtually everything is guns with the matchlock, bombard, multistage rocket, naval mine, round shot, shell and wheellock all being invented by the same couple of Chinese guys, as well as the katana and musket by some other people. But it wasn't all bad, as soon after this vodka is created, causing world peace to spread through the lands, at least until the morning after when all the leaders got up grouchier than ever and started some more wars. The steam turbine and pencil are invented.

So they're left with 24 days, less than a month to live. They're about to enter the begining of the modern era. With less than a month to go, they haven't even invented half the things in modern use. In the next week the telescope, barometer, vacuum pump, pressure cooker, steam engine powered water pump, piano, decimal currency, tuning fork, steam piston engine and mercury thermometer are all invented. During this time tea and coffee becomes popular in Europe, Fermat's Last Theorem is formulated (which will be solved about 20 days later) and calculus is developed by both Leibnitz and Newton, at the same time.

During the next week stuff really starts heating up. The cast iron dome, marine chronometer, ice palace, lightning rod, electrometer, model helicopter, spinning jenny, two-cylinder engine, carbonated water, steam road vehicle, steamboat, watt steam engine, circular saw, iron cased rocket, hot air balloon, bifocals, power loom, automatic flour mill, threshing machine, artificial teeth, vaccination, gas stove, morphine, steam locomotive, bandsaw, sailor cap, electric mine, stethoscope, kaleidoscope, bicycle, monorail, electric motor, photography, electromagnet, lighter, internal combustion engine, friction match, fountain-pen, thermostat, multiple coil magnet, electrical generator, hansom cab, braille, refrigerator, combine harvester, revolver, incadesescent light bulb, sewing machine, electric printing press, stell plow, camera zoom lens, electric boat and the vulcanization of rubber are all invented or developed. The century on which Wikipedia has a subsection of 'Important people' entitled 'Pirates' ends, followed by the start of the industrial revolution.

In the next 2 days everything really starts happening. The artificial fertilizer, saxophone, steam hammer, anaesthesia, typewriter, fax machine, ice cream maker, safety match, rubber band, pneumatic trye, sewing machine, modern oil well, safety pin, airship, elevator, Bunsen burner, celluloid, condensed milk, heating radiator, undersea telegraph cable, oul drill, lead acid battery, repeating rifle, self-propelled torpedo, vacuum cleaner, revolving machine gun, mechanical submarine, pasteurization, player piano, underground railway, barbed wire, dynamite, paper clip, rail air brake, periodic table, chewing gum, stock ticker, jeans, modern direct current electric motor, heroin and the electic street car are all invented in these 2 days. That's just 2 days. During this time lots of other stuff happened, including the publishing of The Communist Manifesto, the Great exhibition in London, The origin of Species published and the American Civil War happens.

The next day, showing no tiredness, the rate of inventions further increases. The dynamo, electrix rail, carpet sweeper, loudspeaker, telephone, stapler, induction motor, phonograph, microphone, cash register, electric tram, photophone, roll film, safety razor, seismograph, metal detector, electric fan, blowtorch, alternating current induction motor, linotype machine,electric trolley car, roller coaster, automobile, motorcycle, dishwasher, gasoline engine, amphetamine, contact lens, gramophone record, ceiling fan, Kodak hand camera, ballpoint pen, photoelectric cell, wind energy, zipper, escalator, adjustable spanner and the Tesla coil are all invented in this day. The first power plant and grid are made, the Eiffel tower is erected and basketball is invented. This brings us to one week ago.

Now they are really getting into the modern era. In the next day colour photography, automatic telephone exchange, carburetor, radio, milking machine, x-ray, diesel engine, polar icebreaker, remote control, ignition coil, magnetic tape recorder, gas turbine, self heating can, disposable razor blade, air conditioner, fire fighting foam, neon lamp, the airplane, tractor, blood pressure monitor, sonar, helicopter, electric washing machine and the Haber process are all invented or developed.

They're slowing getting closer to the modern time and the inventions are really starting to show that. In the next day, Bakelite, classical conditioning, dental braces, gyrocompass, hydroplane, parachute, aerobatics, airliner, assault rifle, bra (people could fly before they invented the bra), crossword, stainless steel, liquid fuel rocket, strategic bomber, tank, pyrex, sonar echolocation, cruise missile, air ionizer, polygraph, radar, television, wind tunnel, autogyro and automatic power loom are all invented. During this day the first world war started and finished.

With just a few days left before dieing the rate of invention doesn't stop. In the next day the aerosol spray, LED, mecanical cotton picker, sliced bread (since which apparently nothing has been quite as good), antibiotics, 3D television (apparently they had that back then), EEG, CRT, military robot, insulin, paratrooper, pressure suit, radio telescope, underwater welding, microwave radar, nylon, jet engine, the first electronic digital computer, polyphonic synthesizer, fiber glass, LSD (it's surprising they bothered to continue after that), velcro, bazooka and nuclear reactor are all invented. The great depression happens and world war 2 starts.

They've got 4 days to go and they're going to keep going, aparently without bothering to write out a will. In the next day Slinky is finally invented, as are some less important things such as the microwave oven, nuclear weapon, mobile phone, bikini, AK-47, pocket calculator, transistor, polaroid, LP record, holography, atomic clocks, credit card, contraceptive pill, nuclear power reactor, carbon nanotubes, optical fiber, fusion bomb, hovercraft, nuclear power plant, radar gun, hard drive, digital clock, videotape recorder, jet boat, satellite, spaceport, space capsule, neutron bomb, pacemaker, instant noodles and perhaps even more destructive than nuclear weapons, spandex, are all invented.

The next day sees rock n' roll all the way to disco. The laser , digital photography, optical disc, cochlear implant, space flight, computer mouse, hypertext, quartz wristwatch, FM sythesis, space toilet, video game console, supersonic transport, video cassetter, cup noodles, space station, E-mail, karaoke, LCD, microprocessor, MRI, ethernet, GM organisms, personal computer, Rubik's cube, DNA sequencing and underwater assault rifle (real useful) are all invented. This takes you through the Beatles up to the begining of synthpop, so it's got that going for it.

The next day was yesterday. Yesterday the personal stereo, credit card sized calculator, solar powered calculator, spreadsheet, walkman, CD, flash memory, handheld electronic camera, CD player (I'm not sure what CD's were being used for before this), artifical heart, camcorder, D-pad, pocket television, PDA, internet, colour LCD, portable CD player, graphic calculator, DNA fingerprinting, blue laser, World Wide Wide, memory card, webcam and plasma colour display were all invented.

Now, it's today. And today we have invented GPS, the smart phone, blue LED, USB, auto-tune, mp3 player, plasma TV, Tivo, human genome sequence, flashdrive and synthetic life.

More importantly, I was born today. And with my 17th birthday coming up I will have lived nearly one day of civilisation's life. All of this of course assumes that civilisation now dies, which would probably put a bit of a downer on my birthday.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this somewhat pointless blog, and keep in mind that civilisation, all of this, happened just so you can sit there, reading this blog. Not that you're insignificant or anything.

Social skills

I like socialising. From hanging out in a field, to getting drunk at a party, to discussing the significance of the Socratic method in modern society, I enjoy the company of others.
It's just difficult. When I don't know how people will respond, I become very aware of myself and constantly feel awkward, as though my actions could offend anyone at any time.
And it's not just me. Social phobia is the second most common phobia, after arachnophobia. The thing is, people suck with people. When they're not completely comfortable around someone new, they forget how they're supposed to behave. We start impersonating human beings. Which shouldn't be too hard, we see them all the time in films and on T.V.
The only real difference between aspies and N.T.s in socialising is that N.T.s do better impressions of being human.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, your social skills suck.

This post made much more sense in my head. The original plan was to write something light about autism, but it seems to have ended up with me insulting the social skills of all people. And if my web counter is to be believed, people make up a large section of my readership.
Anyway, if you don't feel too insulted by me pointing out your lack of social skills, leave a comment with your thoughts. And if you do feel insulted, leave a comment with your thoughts. Or click one of the sharing buttons below, so your friends get to feel insulted too. Everyone likes sharing, and everyone loves people who share. And want to have their babies. Seriously, not sharing would just be dumb. Just press a couple of buttons and an infinite supply of happiness could be yours! What are you waiting for?

(How's that for some reader involvement?)

People

I have decided show what the world would be like without autism. People with autism include Gary Numan, British singer and songwriter, Craig Nicholls, frontman of the Australian garage rock band The Vines, Vernon L. Smith, Nobel Laureate in economics, Heather Kuzmich, fashion model and reality show contestant on America's Next Top Model (pictured, because I really should have a picture of someone, so why not make it a model?) , Satoshi Tajiri, creator and designer of Pokémon Pocket Monsters,Daryl Hannah, American actress best known for her roles in Splash, Blade Runner and Kill Bill.

People who may be autistic but where it is hard to find a diagnosis include Steven Spielberg, Dan Aykroyd, Syd Barret, Michael Palin, Bill Gates (they can't all be winners) and many others.

People from history who are speculated to have been autistic include Mozart, Michelangelo, Newton, Darwin, Orwell, Einstein, and anyone else who was ever important ever. However, how many of them actually were is a matter of dispute i.e. a couple of people look at everyone important in history and say "hey, look, this guy was shy, he must have been autistic" and no one takes them seriously.

The two to be taken most seriously are probably Newton and Einstein as their personality traits closely mirror those of autism. A case against Einstein being on the spectrum states that he had a good sense of humour, which he couldn't possibly have had if he were autistic, as we all don't understand humor, and we all see in just ones and zeros. Also, we don't understand sarcasm.

(due to several NT's inability to understand sarcasm I have decided to put a mention of the fact that some of the above text is humorous and should not be taken internally or literally. (that was also intended to be humorous, as I was using word play. OK Kenny?))(so just to clarify, some aspies can understand sarcasm and humor. NT's on the other hand, i'm not to sure about anymore.)