Part I: The Parable of The Workers in the Vineyard Rembrandt’s ‘The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard’, 1637, Oil on Panal A parable from the Bible keeps returning to my mind, most likely because I don’t fully understand it. It is Matthew chapter 20 verses 1-16, and it’s known as the Parable of

When Afro Celt Sound System burst onto the scene in 1995, there were many purists who criticised what they were trying to do. Like chilli and chocolate, the combination of traditional Irish and West African music doesn’t sound as if it would work. And then to compound that by chucking in a mix of electronic

One night at school, Messrs. Terry and Tim sneak downstairs to the school pantry and one of them, we know not yet which, steals a packet of biscuits. Naughty, naughty. Very pleased with themselves, they scuttle back up to their dormitory and have a midnight feast. Suddenly they hear a creak in the floorboards and

Here’s something that’s unlikely to feature on your average new year’s resolution list: this year, free yourself from the dictates of your evolutionary past. Most organisms don’t have desires and preferences. All their behaviour is determined by genetic predisposition. A bacterium does not seek out pastures with higher glucose concentrations because it likes the taste

As is the human body, so is the cosmic body As is the human mind, so is the cosmic mind As is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm As is the atom, so is the universe – The Upanishads 4.1 billion years ago the first single celled life appeared on earth. After another 2 billion