We tend to put a lot of stock into numbers, even those of us who don’t like them very much. Numbers make life seem graspable, comparable, measurable and observable. Trees in the forest (‘The complexity of life’ by Flickr/tomsaint) Amongst the numbers that matter most are those preceded by currency signs, especially in this digital […]
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Favourite Places
There is a hospital in Sydney that ranks amongst my most checked-in places on Facebook. But what makes this place so special? It’s on the other side of the city from where I live, closer in distance but further in travelling time than Australia’s capital city, Canberra. It is most definitely not my closest hospital, […]
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Sporadic Publics, Sporadic Places
Light on the Louvre, by Flickr user Photophilde, is just one fragmentary and incomplete image of the place that is Paris. Every tweet, newspaper article, television program, speech, presentation, app and street sign has some sort of assumed audience. In political discourse, “The Public” reigns supreme as the target of all of these media types […]
In 2016, we moved beyond the Fermi paradox and the great filter theory. This is how the world reacted when we uncovered definitive proof of intelligent life beyond Earth. Some favourite aliens Day 1: A NASA employee, probably the PR intern, leaked the news well before the press conference and we variously frothed at the prospect […]
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The Objects of Westeros
The worlds of fantasy fiction are full of important objects, and they deserve a little more scrutiny. From the maps printed at the front of epic fantasy novels and used by characters to famous swords and the eponymous Rings of J.R.R. Tolkein’s work, the objects of fantasy worlds are as much drivers of the story […]
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Fit for Bodily Surveillance
The description of new media technologies as being screen-based is increasingly problematic as bodily tracking devices like fitness trackers become more common. And yet, it is hard to think of these devices as anything but media objects. While they are rather obviously reliant on mobile phones, they also mediate (ie, get in the middle) our […]
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Level Boss Cleared
Today, I’ve had two coinciding momentous life events. The first was the (effective) end of something that has overshadowed my life since about December 2012. The second was a relatively minor event that marks, for me, a big step toward my future.
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Splitting Blood Cells
I came across an interesting example of pedantry this week while having the latest in my battery of blood tests. That distinction seems to be based on (a) who filled out the referral form and (b) why the test has been ordered.
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“Thyroid Goblins”
A visit to the endocrinologist went well today, but the word thyroglobulin caused Meghan some troubles, thus the title of this post. Like all good goblins, my thyroglobulin levels need to be kept low. Or, rather, if they spike, it would be an indication of recurrence. To make sure the cancer stays away, they’ll be […]
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Scar Track
For your grisly viewing pleasure, here is my scar as it has progressed since surgery on May 1. You can judge the progress by either the healing of the scar, or the growth of my beard – your choice. If you’re wondering why I’m sharing scar pics, check out the first 20 seconds of this […]