Category Archives: statistics

George Osborne, The Age of Austerity and Children

Posted on January 24, 2022 by odeboyz

Osborne, the chancellor, caused alarm and anger when he talked about the unfairness of a “shift-worker” leaving for work early in the morning who looks up and sees “the closed blinds of their next door neighbour sleeping off a life … Continue reading →

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Globalisation and Pandemics

Posted on December 9, 2021 by odeboyz

Globalization, population growth, and urbanization have facilitated the transmission of infectious diseases. The complexity of global travel and global integration mean that any “patient zero” is now but a few degrees of separation from formerly isolated communities. According to medical … Continue reading →

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The Institutional Failure of Disadvantaged Students

Posted on November 18, 2021 by odeboyz

School leaders are best placed to assess their pupils’ needs and use the funding to improve attainment, drawing on evidence of effective practice. It is up to school leaders to decide how to spend the pupil premium.1 ‘Closing the attainment … Continue reading →

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The long transition from Victorian technology

Posted on October 28, 2021 by odeboyz

The transition from Victorian technology is accelerating. Their technologies are embedded into 21st century Britain, which has been shaped by them. The transition will be revolutionary, disconcerting and will be resisted by broad swathes of society. Background Victorian technologiesare pervasive: … Continue reading →

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Painless Warfare: for the rich

Posted on October 26, 2021 by odeboyz
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Gambling as an Investment Option

Posted on October 14, 2021 by odeboyz

Combining ‘Gambling’ and ‘Investment’ appears to be bizarre. After all, gambling involves unpredictable risk and the loss of all of your capital in one fell swoop. Investment, on the other hand, breathes the heady air of prudence and safety. This … Continue reading →

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London and the Great Plague, 1665: Plague Pits

Posted on June 10, 2021 by odeboyz

Records state that plague deaths in London and the suburbs crept up over the summer from 2,000 people per week to over 7,000 per week in September. These figures are likely to be a considerable underestimate. Many of the sextons … Continue reading →

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The UK Mayoral Elections, 2021

Posted on May 20, 2021 by odeboyz

Turnout in none of the eleven 2021 Mayoral elections came close to 50%+1.The electorate shunned the opportunity to participate. (see Addendum) Does this affect the legitimacy of the result? Let’s imagine an election in fictional Loncaster which has an electorate … Continue reading →

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Covid-19’s Death Rate: A Consequence of Austerity?

Posted on September 10, 2020 by odeboyz

The political consequence of the 2008 banking crisis was a Conservative led coalition, whose principal economic policy was austerity. This meant a dramatic reduction in the size of the state, especially local government and Britain’s welfare system. Unexpectedly there was … Continue reading →

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The Politics of Obesity in Britain, 2010-20

Posted on August 13, 2020 by odeboyz

“purpose of government is not to do good,” but to “secure the rights of human beings to go about their lives peaceably, knowing that they will not be aggressed against by others.” “eat, drink and be merry” [for tomorrow we … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Health, Politics, statistics, Technology | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments