The Atlantic Monthly magazine usually has a cover story that opens new lines of thought.
Recently, it was about coal as a fuel and how the activities we like and are used to not only require energy but require sufficient power, too. We can't accomplish current goals without a rich source of energy that can deliver large quantities quickly. Coal can. This month's just arrived in my Kindle and the cover story is about the super-rich worldwide today. They are
- richer than people have ever been
- more engaged in current work and projects and not just rich because of inheritance
- moving to wanting to have recognized and respected think tanks of their own, charitable foundations of their own and an annual conference of thinkers and presenters that matter
- I read a while back that today's "philantrocapitalist" is quite savvy about evaluating projects, proposals and ideas for effectiveness and working for improvements and innovations in ongoing projects
New topic: possible health benefits from the inspiration of Paleolithic diets. Most of the titles I have seen include the word Paleolithic or Paleo in the title. I haven't looked at any of them but I have read Gary Taubes' books "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and "Why We Get Fat and What We Can Do About It". In both, the main bad guy is sugar. Personally, I like sugar and sweets. I guess nearly all of us do. However, Taubes, a science writer at big pains to track down the science, chemistry and history of overweight, convinced me that sugar and related carbohydrates reach the brain's pleasure center in a way most foods don't. I guess the Paleo-diet guys also have it in for dairy since the early humans had none.
