Science Tony

By   McDonald, T.    | Date 29th of November 2020 The future as we know it is uncertain. As we become more and more dependent on computers and machine do we put our very existence at risk? Even in entertainment, sci-fi is constantly airing our subconsciousness concerns about our own demise. Now we have the problem of algorithms determining what type of propaganda gets the best results from us. As we move into an uncertain future due to the high levels of propaganda from politics and religion on the net not to mention the violence, the tension on the street and in everyday life grows. What are the problems that we face?   Influence from outside our nations: bots on the net.   By this i mean foreign countries with malicious intent.  You know how businesses collect information for advertising purposes so they can make adverts that are more appealing to someone?  Well, political parties can do the same.  Algorithms collect information on you and then determine what type of person

Right from the start of the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen many countries introducing social distancing measures and the UK, naturally, followed suit not long after. Ever since then, complaints from people saying some are not sticking to the rules have been numerous. In response, the supermarkets have limited the number of people in the shops and have asked people to respect the two-meter exclusion zone around others in the shop; however, not everyone is doing this. Consequently, the lack of cooperation from some members of the public has caused some others to feel anxious. Now there is a desire to speak out at people at the time of the indiscretion, but this is not a good idea. Speaking out at people that violate your two-meter personal space exposes them to risk of infection, it exposes you to risk of infection and may expose others to the same risk. Speaking out at people at the time of the indiscretion is not a good idea because it may put that person at risk from infe

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 1st of April 2020   We have been in lockdown in the UK for about 2 weeks. Some people have lost their jobs and many others have their jobs on hold until this is over. Since the UK Government has said this could go on for up to two years, I feel it would be a good idea to share interesting things to do to pass the time. 1.  Education sites Use the extra time you have on your hands to improve your knowledge of any subject that you like. There are many sites that offer free education. Here are a few: The Open University’s OpenLearn This is a great university and has many free short courses that can help you improve your knowledge in many different subjects.  Khan academy This is something special because it covers so much and is lots of fun to use and is great for all ages. I recommend the Maths and computing sections, but you will be able to find loads more including Physics, Chemistry and Biology. BBC Bitesize  This site is great for

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 24th of March 2020   At the start of 2020 I was really ill with possibly the coronavirus COVID-19 in the UK.  I don’t know how I got it or who I got it from, but I did hear people saying why they think it happened.  One theory is that it jumped from animal to human in a Chinese wet market, a place where wild animals are slaughtered for food and spread from person to person via close contact.  Although the wet market theory is the most popular, some people are saying the virus is from God and that it is going to draw us altogether. Whatever you believe, this is what it was like. The symptoms came in two phases. Phase One Nasty dry cough that progressed to a phlegmy cough after about 11-12 days. Headache. This lasted for about 2-3 days and was easily dealt with using throat spray to numb the throat, which stopped the coughing and paracetamol, which eased the headache. Phase Two Nasty dry cough that had been persistent for 9-11 days before

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 3 of August 2019 Charities are taking over the high street and all of them have volunteers. What kind of people volunteer and why?  While I have been volunteering, I took note of the people and the reasons why they volunteer. I found four main categories of people in the volunteer sector: academics wishing to gain hands on experience; people wish to give something back to the community; peers who wish to support one another through an experience; people looking to escape loneliness. Academics Gaining Experience I found academics volunteering for one main reason: experience. For instance, the volunteer police force gives people experience to go with their degrees in psychology and criminology. In a different type of volunteer role, students in management gain experience of how an organisation is run through volunteering in shops or charities aimed at supporting people with special needs. Charities have lots of interesting positions; subseq

  By McDonald, T . | Date 15th of December 2018 As a coder, sitting at a desk all day solving problems is fun and exciting. However, the lack of exercise can take its toll on our health. As a result, many coders exercise after work or on days off, but it is not enough to keep in good condition. For this reason, a little extra is required. This surprising tasty dish is low in fat and is a great meat free option that is best if the mushrooms are kept in big chunks. This casserole is not only a healthier option it also reduces the suffering in the world by not contributing to the slaughter of animals. So, if you are game for a veggie option give this delicious recipe a try. This dish is suitable for vegans if the butter is swapped out for a vegan alternative or it can be dropped altogether and replaced with olive oil. Preparation time: Casserole 2 ½ hours including preparation and cooking time Mash ½ hour Serves: I have given the measurements for one person, so mul

Giving up smoking is a top priority for many people and will make it to many a new year’s resolution list, but how many are really serious? It is true that a person will not give up smoking until they are ready; someone must really want it to happen. For myself, I gave up smoking because of a growing list of logical reasons and it took a lot of effort, but in the end I did it. Why I gave up smoking and how I did it.  By McDonald, T . | Updated 10th of January 2022 Why I decided to give up smoking. Everyone must agree that smoking is an expensive habit. When I gave up, cigarettes were around £4 for a packet of twenty and about the same for 50g of tobacco. My habit was costing me around £30 to £40 a week, so I moved to rolling tobacco. At the time, I also thought that moving to rolling tobacco would help reduce my intake as well as the cost. Furthermore, I knew that smoking was killing me and making it difficult to achieve real success in health goals like running, so

By McDonald, T . | Date 3rd of October 2018 Mental health is a phrase banded about by more and more people.  Mental health encompasses a wide range of disorders listed in the international classification of disorders (ICD 10) and in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM 5) Recently I was asked on social media by Wendy Dignan , ‘How do I maintain a balanced mental health ?’  This is a perplexing question since it is firstly difficult to explain what mental health is and secondly why should we assume that mental health is something that has a balance and is solely in our control ?   What is Mental Health? Firstly, how can mental health be described ; what is mental health?  Is it something to do with the way a person feels or is it more to do with how a person copes under stress?  If it is to do with how a person feels, surely it is easy to heal people and if it is to do with stress then why do some of the most successful people with no stress su