Peter ForbesAgainst SapiocentrismIn the late 1980s, I published a poem, ‘Auden’, in the Spectator, in the style of his late 1930s sonnets on various themes. My poem tried…4 min read·Jul 11, 2022----
Peter ForbesWhat is Life?“Biology expands our vision of life, letting us see beyond our experiences of being alive, look back over billions of years of living…6 min read·Aug 1, 2021--1--1
Peter ForbesMan of Moments:Louis MacNeicePhilip Larkin, in an obituary of Louis MacNeice said “he was… a town observer: his poetry was the poetry of our everyday life, of…22 min read·Mar 21, 2021----
Peter ForbesThe Extractivist Era“Extractivism” is not a word much bandied about today; “populism” is. But the latter is misnomer: the project that brought Trump to power…6 min read·Feb 6, 2021----
Peter ForbesGet Back to Catch a Falling Star on the Endless HighwayFrank Zappa once commented on the difference timbre makes to any melody, citing the notion of trying to play ‘Purple Haze’ on bagpipes…4 min read·Jun 11, 2020----
Peter ForbesPlants are Parallel ProcessorsIt’s that time of year when gardeners can’t keep up with the burgeoning growth of their plants. We can only tackle one job at a time and…5 min read·May 10, 2020----
Peter ForbesTendrils AliveI have accidentally come across a very remarkable plant. Cobaea scandens is a climbing annual from Mexico that grows to three metres from…6 min read·Apr 25, 2020----
Peter ForbesBritannia’s Unlikely Rise and all too predictable fallHow, in the 19th century, did a small, previously marginal, North West European country manage to install its Queen as Empress of India…16 min read·Jan 28, 2020--1--1
Peter ForbesHow the Warfare State FailedThat’s us — Great Britain, the UK — I’m talking about. If the term “Warfare State” is unfamiliar to you, as it will be to most I will…6 min read·Jul 20, 2019----
Peter ForbesHow Dumb Can Smart Get?AI and Big Data are the future, obviously. Humans are such feeble things and, anyway, free will has been proven to be an illusion. But…3 min read·May 3, 2019----