February 2022

Big News

England COVID restrictions lifted. In a bold move that has been praised by some and labelled premature by others Boris Johnson announced that all COVID-19 restrictions would be eased in England. This means you no longer need to perform tests or self-isolate when sick. Those supporting the move, predominately Conservatives, have been desperate to see the last few restrictions removed. In contrast, those who are more cautious, in particular scientists, think it could be a dangerous move, especially since we can't predict if or when a new vaccine resistant variant could arise. Regardless of the rules being lifted I’ll still be wearing a mask to the shops and, as long as they’re free, testing before I see large groups or vulnerable relatives. What about you, I’d love to hear what our opinion on the restrictions being lifted and if you’ll keep wearing a mask and testing?

International space station (ISS) set for shutdown. NASA announced that the ISS will officially be shutdown in 2031. The low Earth orbit space station, used as a research lab and home for cosmonauts, has been inhabited since 2000. Sadly, a combination of factors, including structural fatigue, means that the ISS will now be de-orbited in a little under 9 years. NASA has said that the ISS will be brought down in place known as Point Nemo, or the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility. This point is 2,688 kilometres from the nearest land and lies part way between New Zealand and South America and is where other “retired” space hardware has been sent. Who knows what the next steps in human space exploration and habitation will be, but come 2031 I hope you’ll join me in raising a glass to the ISS which helped pave the way for humanity's journey into space.

Little News
RIP Wordle. At the end of January it was announced that Wordle, the online word-play game that was taking the world by storm, was being bought by the New York Times (NYT). At the time there were articles predicting the demise of Wordle; people were concerned that the NYT would start charging for the game. Initially everything seemed to stay the same, but in recent weeks some users are displeased; they claim the game has become harder to play. Some users claim that the NYT has upped the difficulty, comparing it to the NYT crossword (which is notoriously difficult). Thus far NYT has denied changing the game, but the voice of displeased users is growing so who knows if the game will ever return to its former glory.

What I’ve been enjoying this month
Stoicism and the Art of Happiness: If you haven’t read my blog you might not know I'm a big fan of Philosophy, with a focus on ancient Stoic philosophy. The latest book I’ve been reading is by Donald Robertson and uses the Teach Yourself format to pick apart Stoicism and how it can help you work towards a happier and more tranquil life. If you want some practical advice on building a more fulfilling life and the key theory and practices of Stoicism I highly recommend giving it a read.

The Man in The High Castle: I realise I'm 7 years behind (given the first season was released in 2015) but I recently started watching, and thoroughly enjoying, this sci-fi series. For those like me who missed the hype, Man in the High Castle, based on the book of the same name by Phillip K. Dick, focuses on an alternate reality where the Nazi Reich defeated the Allied forces and conquered the majority of the world. I’m only up to season 2, and it’s been a slow burn so far, but it does a brilliant job building the world, I imagine thanks to the source material which I recently bought and will be reading once I’ve finished watching the series.

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