The only thing which saves us from the Revenue Office is its inefficiency.
--Eugene McCarthy
Life We live in a reign of error.
Wittgenstein said that if people never did silly things, nothing intelligent could happen. If progress depends on stupidity, we’re in good shape.
In his promising, but Murphily exasperating, new book, Matthijs van Boxsel has a brilliant list of how technology makes us stupid. It includes these gems:
energy-saving lightbulbs are mostly employed for decorative use in gardens
zebra crossings increase pedestrian accidents
many tanning lotions contain carcinogens
air-conditioning promotes the greenhouse effect
computers vastly increase the consumption of paper
better hygiene creates susceptibility to bacteria.
· Helicopters [INDEPENDENT]