TED Community » Jim Osborne

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Politicians telling the truth... or anybody telling the truth for that matter.

An idea worth spreading

You can improve the world by telling the truth...

Talk to me about

Technology

People don't know that I'm good at

Computers and billiards

Comments

• TEDCred score: +0.50 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +1

  A reply on Talk: Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies

  Mar 7 2013: Becky - In my book Garrett Village, just posted on Kindle I included this brief dialog...
  
  “Think about it, Lisa,” Bubba responded. “War is very expensive and essentially non-productive. Only the industrialists profit, while the rest of the nation assumes the debt. It’s one of the oldest stories on Earth. It’s how the rich get richer.”
  
  So yes, I agree. War is a racket which we all pay for with our soldier's lives and our money.

• A reply on Talk: Taylor Wilson: Yup, I built a nuclear fusion reactor

  Mar 5 2013: Certainly this conversation demonstrates democracy in action... meaning we all have different opinions. As for Rob's comment on Iran I have to say no because I believe Iran is extremely dangerous and will destroy Israel at the first opportunity. As for entropy, I wish we could apply the principle toward more peaceful technologies rather than debating who gets to build doomsday weapons. My bottom line is peace at all cost... and on a planet as distrusting as ours I do not believe we will succeed. Sorry about the pessimism but the older I get the fewer solutions I see. Hopefully species on other planets have solved these idiotic problems.

• A comment on Talk: Paul Gilding: The Earth is full

  Feb 4 2013: Outstanding foresight. Thank you.

• A comment on Talk: Peter Diamandis on our next giant leap

  Dec 11 2012: Space exploration may well save our species one day, but before that happens mankind needs to survive the consequences of CO2 emissions. I Therefore suggest we put space on the back burner and focus on the real and deadly danger. For starters we need to learn how to store energy produced by green energy and thus ween ourselves from the use of fossil fuels.

• A reply on Talk: Bobby Ghosh: Why global jihad is losing

  Dec 10 2012: I am wary of bringing up the issue of classes, but it is my impression the French and German upper classes only tolerate each other for economic reasons. The scares left by WWII are still present and will probably persist a while longer. As for East and West, the issues are more fundamental, involving deep religious separation and distrust. Given time all these differences can heal, but we humans seem to be out of time... that is we are now in a race for the dwindling resources left on our planet. (see The Earth is Full on this web site).

• A comment on Talk: Paul Gilding: The Earth is full

  Dec 9 2012: Certainly courageous and impossible to ignore. Thanks.
• +1

  A comment on Talk: David Keith's unusual climate change idea

  Dec 9 2012: My own take on ice melt is, nations simply do not grasp the exponential consequences of thermal runaway on our planet. This past August the Arctic was losing 35,000 square miles of ice per day. How can anybody suggest this rate of ice decline is anything short of a disaster? I am willing to bet, even with the next decade, our planet will experience severe weather systems never before seen by mankind.

• A comment on Talk: Taylor Wilson: Yup, I built a nuclear fusion reactor

  Dec 9 2012: As much as I admire Taylor and his accomplishments, I wish he had chosen geology as a career. I say this because the future energy needs of our planet can be satisfied using our planet's strata to store green energy. Also, like many people, I am concerned about the advancement of any nuclear technology; we simply are not a species which can safely develop, and universally share, potentially destructive technologies. Iran, for example, is an extremely dangerous problem, which has yet to be resolved. I might add, I was in the military during the Cuban missile crises, and I can say for sure, we are all lucky to be here.

• A comment on Talk: Bobby Ghosh: Why global jihad is losing

  Dec 9 2012: Impressive discussion on jihad, but I do wonder, in spite of the definition of jihad, can the East and West ever develop a trusting and lasting friendship.

• A comment on Talk: Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies

  Nov 25 2012: It would seem to me, America for example, is one of the most war prone nations ever to be present on this planet. Given I may be half correct in my belief, would it not also be half correct to say, that if America were not one of the most mentally unhealthy nations on our planet, then America would be less prone towards war, and as a consequence, be more prone toward education, and not rank near last, in the industrialized world, in educational testing.