A theological debate: do dogs go to heaven?

drjon has posted some photographs illustrating a theological debate between two churches about whether dogs go to heaven or not.

This is very funny, and I thank matgb for directing me there.

Still, it is a pointless debate. Anyone knows dogs don't have souls.

Cats, however, clearly have souls, so they can go to heaven. Indeed, most house cats are so pampered that they think they are already there.

A theological debate: do dogs go to heaven?

drjon has posted some photographs illustrating a theological debate between two churches about whether dogs go to heaven or not.

This is very funny, and I thank matgb for directing me there.

Still, it is a pointless debate. Anyone knows dogs don't have souls.

Cats, however, clearly have souls, so they can go to heaven. Indeed, most house cats are so pampered that they think they are already there.

"Placebo" on Radio 4

Ben Goldacre, who writes the Bad Science website and the column of the same name in the Grauniad, has a series on BBC Radio 4 about the effect of placebos. The first was on Monday night - you can listen to it here until next Monday.

Goldacre has also written about how expensive placebos work better than cheaper ones; the radio programme has a similar example whereby a placebo marked "apririn" works, but not as well as an identical placebo marked with a highly advertised brand name.

So maybe advertising works!

"Placebo" on Radio 4

Ben Goldacre, who writes the Bad Science website and the column of the same name in the Grauniad, has a series on BBC Radio 4 about the effect of placebos. The first was on Monday night - you can listen to it here until next Monday.

Goldacre has also written about how expensive placebos work better than cheaper ones; the radio programme has a similar example whereby a placebo marked "apririn" works, but not as well as an identical placebo marked with a highly advertised brand name.

So maybe advertising works!

Stop and Search

I spoke too soon. Less than a week after I said that I’d never been stopped for taking photographs in a public space, I was stopped by the police for taking photographs in a public space.

It was rather strange. I am not used to being stopped by the police. I am not used to dealing with the police at all – I think the last time I even spoke to a policeman was ten years ago.

I was visiting London on Monday morning. A bright day, showery, I decided to walk from my hotel in Old Street to the British Museum, through Clerkenwell, stopping to look at and photograph buildings as I went. (I take a lot of pictures of buildings – here are some of my pictures of London, for instance.)

I had stopped at St John’s Square looking north; I noticed a building with a bright red Z on its facade, which was pleasantly offset against the dark blue sky and contrasted with a buddleia growing out of the roof. I took a picture of it – this one, actually:

( A policeman came up and asked me what I was doing... )

Stop and Search

I spoke too soon. Less than a week after I said that I’d never been stopped for taking photographs in a public space, I was stopped by the police for taking photographs in a public space.

It was rather strange. I am not used to being stopped by the police. I am not used to dealing with the police at all – I think the last time I even spoke to a policeman was ten years ago.

I was visiting London on Monday morning. A bright day, showery, I decided to walk from my hotel in Old Street to the British Museum, through Clerkenwell, stopping to look at and photograph buildings as I went. (I take a lot of pictures of buildings – here are some of my pictures of London, for instance.)

I had stopped at St John’s Square looking north; I noticed a building with a bright red Z on its facade, which was pleasantly offset against the dark blue sky and contrasted with a buddleia growing out of the roof. I took a picture of it – this one, actually:

( A policeman came up and asked me what I was doing... )