January - 2021

Robinhood steals from the rich and gives to the poor except when the rich are hedgefunds say traders

3 min

Robinhood steals from the rich and gives to the poor except when the rich are hedgefunds say traders

Robin Hood steals from the rich and gives to the poor, except when the rich are hedge funds, and Robinhood is the name of a trading platform — or so some investors seem to think. The problem began with US computer games retailer GameStop. Hedge funds got a whiff that the company was in serious trouble and began shorting the stock, meaning they borrowed shares from other investors and sold them on the expectation that the price will be a lot lower when they give the shares bac

It’s time to ‘fink about ESG and opportunity in climate transition says BlackRock boss

2 min

It’s time to ‘fink about ESG and opportunity in climate transition says BlackRock boss

Every year, Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest investment manager, writes to business leaders. And since BlackRock controls 8.7 trillion dollars worth of assets, when he asks the companies the fund manager invests in to jump, they say; “Yes Sir, how high?” Now BlackRock is proclaiming the importance of climate policy and ESG (environmental, social and governance) with a hint that if companies want BlackRock money in the future, they had better start honin

Should Google really pay publishers to link to their stories?

6 min

Should Google really pay publishers to link to their stories?

In Australia the government has introduced a new advertising code forcing Google and Facebook to pay publishers for the content it links to. But is this really such a good idea? I used to perform a certain ceremony every morning, like it was my religion. I went online and read accounts of news stories that interested me in both the Guardian — a left-leaning British newspaper — and the Telegraph — a right-leaning British newspaper. Before that, I pursued the same approach bu

Why bitcoin may pass a one million dollar valuation and why I don’t like it

5 min

Why bitcoin may pass a one million dollar valuation and why I don’t like it

Bitcoin could in theory finally pass a million dollars, and there is a simple equation to explain why, but I am worried about the implications of this logic. What has Sir Isacc Newton got to do with bitcoin? Read on to find out. Question: how many times does 21 million go into 20 trillion? That’s a lot of noughts, but it’s actually quite simple maths. Twenty-one million is 21, followed by six zeros. Twenty trillion is 20, followed by 12 zeros. Dividing large numbers is simple

The future of energy and why I am not worried about the intermittent nature of renewables

5 min

The future of energy and why I am not worried about the intermittent nature of renewables

What is the future of energy? I think renewable energies is where the future of energy lies and I am not overly concerned by their intermittent nature. Image credit: Mat Fascione / Lincs Offshore Wind Farm The world, it seems is divided into three. Some like me, believe in climate change, but think renewable energy is a vital weapon in combating it. Some agree about climate change's seriousness, but are not fans of renewables and instead think the future lies with nuclear. Th

Smart EV charging app could save motorists money and help balance the grid

2 min

Smart EV charging app could save motorists money and help balance the grid

A new smart app could help cut the cost of charging electric vehicles and balance the grid. Image source The big challenge with renewable energies is their intermittency. As their share of the grid advances, the energy cost will vary enormously with how sunny or windy it is. At times, energy might be almost free, on other occasions very expensive. As electric vehicles become more popular, electricity demand will increase, compounding this conundrum—Enter AI into the story. B

Social media is screaming extremism and revolution, is it time for censorship and to fight bias?

8 min

Social media is screaming extremism and revolution, is it time for censorship and to fight bias?

I feel like the internet is screaming. Never have I known such polarisation. The most innocuous statement from a leading politician, and those who love the speaker react like he or she has walked on water. Those who support the other side, react like Hitler has come amongst us. There is no compromise; no one is prepared to consider there might be an alternative and equally legitimate point of view. Everyone thinks they are right, and those who disagree are either morons or

What's fascism? What's people's fascism and what's the link with technology and revolution?

13 min

What's fascism? What's people's fascism and what's the link with technology and revolution?

The greatest industrial revolution the world has witnessed so far was followed by the rise of fascism. Between the 1860s and 1914 technology changed like never seen before, yet this period was followed by revolution, war and fascism. Might history repeat itself? And it was followed by World War I, a Great Depression and World War II. Fascism emerged between the two world wars. The question I am considering here is what effect technology had and whether technology is, or could