If I have understood this correctly, earth has been nicely climate controlled for our benefit. First, the plants evolved which would convert carbon dioxide to oxygen. This made it possible for beings which only consume oxygen without producing any to evolve. Yes I know that things are more complicated than this, i.e. plants first evolved under water, etc.
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Economist.com | Exoplanets

By examining the spectrum of an exoplanet, it should be possible to work out if it has an atmosphere and, if so, what that atmosphere consists of. This bears on the question of whether a planet is inhabited (see article). The presence of oxygen, for example, would be a dead (or, rather, live) giveaway. Oxygen is so reactive that its appearance in an atmosphere suggests it is recently made. And any natural chemical process that makes abundant oxygen would almost certainly have to be alive– at least, human chemists know of no exceptions to that rule. (Emphasis mine)

Interesting. Why would that be? I thought that what happens at the time of photosynthesis is just another chemical reaction. So why would scientists be so confident that the chemical reaction can not take place without life?
Simple explanations appreciated please 🙂

 

Since we have been having a discussion on laws once again, I thought it was time to post a rerun of what I will modestly describe as one of my classics. The Death of a Law was posted when I was blogging on Anarcaplib.

Incidentally, this also explains why I am such a hardcore libertarian.
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Yes, I know that alumni from my alma mater are borderline cases, but this is really weird.

Many people who support anti-discrimination laws do so not because they can work, but because it will make a “strong statement” that “discrimination will not be tolerated”.

Here are some of the cases which will go to court. Good luck to you trying to get a “strong statement” out of them.
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(Warning: You should have a taste for really old Hindi film songs to appreciate this)

Andrei Agassi had lost in the US open. Chandni, a big fan of his was very very disappointed. She was lying on her bed and staring sullenly at a poster of Agassi that was on the wall. Her dad walked into the room and started singing…
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Madman asks about anti-discrimination laws. Predictably, many of the commenters who support property rights “in principle” support such laws, not because there is any evidence that such laws work, but because they like the sound of it.

Many of the commenters claim that it obviously doesn’t make sense to discriminate on the basis of caste or colour while hiring, so if people are still discriminating, it must be because of irrational bigotry.

Actually, that’s not quite correct. Bigotry it is, but it is not necessarily irrational. I have two examples to explain my point.
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K R Aadisthan is showing a lot of promise.

Selective Amnesia is back in action. Vesana claims that the problem was all because of a “typo”. Of course, given CCG’s record, I am going to assume that it was his typo. Come on CCG! Give us the details! And acknowledge the debt of gratitude that you owe to us spelling Nazis, a k a cartel members. Who knows which other disasters you have been saved from because someone corrected your spelling…

85 consumer items to go off reserved list

The government has decided to remove several consumer items from the list of products reserved for the small-scale industry. The list includes sweetened cashew nut products, shoe polish, wheel chairs, sandalwood oil, hair pins, mechanical razors, gas lighters, adhesive insulating tapes and coffee percolators.

There was a McKinsey study which claimed that removing product market restrictions (i.e. removing the reservation of the 800 odd items for the small scale sector) was the most important next step the government could take, because it would give a 2 point boost to the GDP growth. So I suppose I am happy about this.

Incidentally, this gives me an idea about how to go about reforms free from the left’s interference. The government should propose “decoy reforms”, things which they are never going to do, but which will make the left come charging at you. For example, they should propose that you are going to privatise the DRDO or allow foreign political parties to contest elections in India, or something similarly outlandish. The left will do their usual stuff – organise strikes, carry out dharnas, etc. While they are thus distracted, the government can go on with the really important reforms.

Effective now, cialis has been removed from the blacklist. So all you people who want to talk about socialism can resume use of my comments section. Thanks to SS who pointed out the problem, observing accurately that “I always thought socialism couldn’t get it up on its own”