Mod's New Writeups

Genetic Sequence Comparisons (idea)

2006-03-20T00:25:26Z

Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand

Undoubtedly you will have heard something like 'Chimpanzee DNA is 96% similar to humans', and may be wondering about that. First, a quick crash course in DNA:

DNA

DNA is a complex molecule which will take a book to explain in good depth, but to understand sequence comparisons, the important thing to know is that DNA is a long string of four different chemicals which can be represented by the letters A,C, G or T. For more in depth discussion, see the writeups in the DNA node.

A string of three of these chemicals either codes for one of 20 amino acids, or a start or stop character. Each amino acid has different sequences that will code for it. For example, a sequence of ATT would code for Isoleucine but ATC and ATA would also code for Isoleucine. Two sequences of the…

insurance (idea)

2005-06-23T21:09:12Z

Note: This writeup focuses on general insurance, which is in contrast to life insurance, which may differ. Life insurance covers you when something happens (ie your dying or surviving to a certain age) as opposed to general insurance which covers you if something happens. The principle source of this information is my experience from working in the motor insurance industry in the UK, so the examples I use are from that side of things. Most insurances throughout the world are based on the same models and are subject to comparable laws. IANAL YMMV, etc etc.

A writeup above, and the general feeling of many is that insurance is like a kind of bet or wager that you have to take, and you will probably lose. Whilst it certainly seems that way, and it can humoursly (or cynically) looked at in that manner, there is a fundamental difference between the two.

There is, believe it or not, a set of principles of insurance. The difference between a wager and…

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (person)

2005-06-16T18:15:05Z

British Prime Minister: 1834; 1835-1838; 1838-1841

Party: Whig

Life: 1779-1849

"Nobody ever did anything very foolish except from some strong principle."

Queen Victoria's first Prime Minister, a friend (and in some cases an enemy) of Lord Byron, is generally overlooked by history. One of the greatest literary minds ever even wrote of him, yet he was largely doomed to fall into near obscurity at the hands of time. Perhaps this is because he came just after the Iron Duke and Earl Grey, and was just outshone by warlords and teamasters.

The Early years

William Lamb was born March 15, 1779. (London) There was speculation as to whether or not 1st Viscount Melbourne (Peniston Lamb) was indeed the real father, many believed it was instead Lord Egremont. He was schooled at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge and went on to study law in Glasgow under…

Earl of Aberdeen (person)

2005-02-06T08:26:35Z

British Prime Minister: 1852-1855

Party: Tory/Peelite/Coalition

"I think it is clear that all government in these times must be a government of progress; conservative progress, if you please; but we can no more be stationary than reactionary"

George Hamilton-Gordon: 4th Earl of Aberdeen, diplomat, nobleman, archaeologist and Prime Minister of Great Britain. He was a major figure in the Crimean War, the development of the Liberal Party, the Napolean situation and a fine scholar. Yet history remembers one of his predecessors so much more vividly, a much less skilled politician called Arthur Wellesley.

Early years

He was born in Edinburgh on the 28th January 1784 to George Gordon (Lord Haddo) and Charlotte Baird. His father fell off a horse and died in 1791, so the boy took his father's title to become Lord Haddo. Tragically, he was orphaned just four…

Marquess of Salisbury (person)

2005-01-04T09:13:21Z

British Prime Minister: Jul 1885–Feb 1886; Aug 1886–Aug 1892; Jun 1895-Jul 1902

"English policy is to float lazily downstream, occasionally putting out a diplomatic boathook to avoid collisions"

Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury was born on Feb 3rd 1830, in Hatfield. As with many many other PMs he was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. It was at Oxford that took an interest in debate and was a member of the Union Debating Society.

Once graduated Lord Cecil did some travelling before, in 1853, going into politics and representing Stamford in the House of Commons . He went on to marry Georgina Alderson in 1857, despite protests from his father. Fortunately his father's protestations were without value: he was very happily married, fathering five sons and two daughters. It wasn't just politics that brought the money in for Lord Cecil, he also wrote for various newspapers: the Standard,…

Archibald Philip Primrose (person)

2005-01-03T10:06:37Z

British Prime Minister: 1894-1895

"Few speeches which have produced an electrical effect on an audience can bear the colourless photography of a printed record."

Archibald Philip Primrose, Earl of Rosebery and Prime Minister of Great Britain. Not one of the famous Prime Ministers of the 19th Century. He finds himself sandwiched between William Gladstone and Arthur Balfour, with Robert Cecil thrown in there for good measure, is it any wonder this short ruling Prime Minister has never really stuck in the public's mind?

It is said that he wished only three things for himself: a wealthy wife, a Derby win and to become prime minister. Read on, and find out how successful he was.

The Early Years

Primrose was born on May 7, 1847 to Catherine Lucy Wilhelmina and Lord Dalmeny. His mother was regarded as being quite the hotty, and not only that but she was the niece of William Pitt's niece and…