Articles by John Scales Avery
We found 346 results.
The U.S. Must Stop Threatening China!
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Mar 2023
The US Aggressive Military-Industrial Complex – The great danger is that the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict will result in nuclear war. However, politicians from both U.S. political parties are so blinded by nationalism that they believe the risks to be necessary in order to “weaken Russia”, thus asserting American global hegemony.
→ read full articleNATO’s Aggressive Militarism
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Feb 2023
The Illegality of NATO: Violation of the UN Charter and the Nuremberg Principles
→ read full articleGreed Is Driving Us Towards Disaster
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
6 Feb 2023
Compassion and Greed: Two Sides of Human Nature
→ read full articleLives in Acting
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
6 Feb 2023
I would like to announce the publication of a new book entitled “Lives in Molecular Biology”. The pdf file of the book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full article
Trying to Predict the Future
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
9 Jan 2023
3 Jan 2023 – I announce the publication of a new eBook entitled “Trying to Predict the Future”. It may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleThe War in Ukraine Must Stop Now
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
9 Jan 2023
After his invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert. The threat brought back memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis. We are once again reminded of the urgent need for the world to rid itself of nuclear weapons.
→ read full articleMilitarism of the United States
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
2 Jan 2023
The U.S. Government Aims at Global Hegemony through Military Force – The military-industrial complex, against which President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned, has bipartisan support in the United States Congress and Senate. The amount of money involved is enormous.
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Iran, Past and Present
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
2 Jan 2023
20 Dec 2022 – I would like to announce the publication of a new eBook entitled “Iran, Past and Present”. It may be downloaded and circulated free of charge. Below is some discussion of its contents.
→ read full articleThe Climate Emergency
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
5 Dec 2022
Immediate and drastic action is needed to prevent irreversible climate change. However, the worst effects of climate change lie in the distant future, perhaps as much as a thousand years from today. It is part of our human nature to see what is near to us. We accept the comfort and convenience provided by fossil fuels.
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Lives of Some Great Philosophers
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
28 Nov 2022
I announce the publication of a new book, “Lives of Some Great Philosophers.” It may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleWe Are Demanding Too Much
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
7 Nov 2022
6 Nov 2022 – I would like to announce the publication of a new book, which may be downloaded and circulated free of charge. We Are Demanding More from Nature Than Nature Can Restore
→ read full articleAgainst Nationalism
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 Oct 2022
New e-book free of charge – Nationalism has become a dangerous anachronism. History is centered on the country where it is being taught. Our own country is the most important and is always in the right. Patriotic soldiers and generals are exalted.
→ read full articleLives of Some Great Film Directors
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
24 Oct 2022
24 Oct 2022 – I would like to announce the publication of a new e-book. The PDF file may be downloaded and circulated free of charge. It is part of my series of books on cultural history.
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Reforming the United Nations
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
10 Oct 2022
It is becoming clear that the concept of the absolutely sovereign nation-state is a dangerous anachronism in a world of thermonuclear weapons, instantaneous communication, and economic interdependence. Probably our best hope for the future lies in developing the United Nations into a World Federation.
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Who Sabotaged Nordstream 2?
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Oct 2022
30 Sep 2022 – Russia had no motive for sabotaging Nordstream 2. If they wanted to stop the flow of natural gas, they could have simply turned it off at the Russian end. But the USA has a motive for sabotaging Nordstream 2: to weaken Russia by reducing its income from the sale of natural gas. Washington’s aim throughout the Ukraine war has been to weaken Russia.
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(Italiano) Fare soldi con la guerra
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. | Centro Studi Sereno Regis – TRANSCEND Media Service,
5 Sep 2022
Secondo l’Istituto Internazionale di Ricerca sulla Pace di Stoccolma (SIPRI), nel 2021 il mondo ha speso 2,113 trilioni di dollari in armamenti. Di questa cifra quasi incomprensibile, gli Stati Uniti hanno speso quasi la metà del totale, 801 miliardi di dollari. Ecco come fare soldi con la guerra.
→ read full articleSteps towards Avoiding a Climate Catastrophe
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
5 Sep 2022
Climate-related threats are becoming more severe: record-breaking heat waves in Europe, Americas and China; drought and falling water tables; the poles are warming four times faster than the remainder of the world. What actions can we take to avoid a catastrophe? Below is a list of helpful actions that can and should be taken.
→ read full articleLives in Molecular Biology
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
29 Aug 2022
A New, Freely Downloadable Book: “Lives in Molecular Biology” – The PDF of the book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge from the following link:
→ read full articleMaking Money from War
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
15 Aug 2022
In the United States the arms industry has been privatized, which is not the case in China or Russia. In the US, selling weapons and death is a business. It is a business, on which capitalist investors can make enormous profits, selling weapons and selling war.
→ read full articleFamine, Disease and War
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
15 Aug 2022
I would like to announce the publication of a book which deals in detail with the issues discussed above. It may be downloaded free of charge.
→ read full articleA Better World Is Possible
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
18 Jul 2022
In the future, we will be faced with many important challenges and tasks. We need a new economic system, a new society, a new social contract, a new way of life. Here are the great tasks that history has given to our generation:
→ read full article
Selling Weapons, Selling War
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
11 Jul 2022
War was always madness, always immoral, always the cause of unspeakable suffering, economic waste and widespread destruction, and always a source of poverty, hate, barbarism and endless cycles of revenge and counter-revenge. A Freely Downloadable Book
→ read full article(Italiano) Una carestia su vasta scala
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. | Centro Studi Sereno Regis – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Jun 2022
Fra i maggiori pericoli per la civiltà umana ci sono la guerra nucleare e un mutamento climatico catastrofico, pericoli che minacciano anche la biosfera. Inoltre, siamo di fronte alla minaccia di una carestia su vasta scala, che coinvolge miliardi di persone, non solo milioni.
→ read full articleLives of Some Great Dramatists
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Jun 2022
18 Jun 2022 – I would like to announce the publication of a book which presents the lives and work of some great dramatists throughout history. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge from the following link:
→ read full articleThe Threat of a Large-Scale Famine
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Jun 2022
Among the greatest dangers to human civilization are nuclear war and catastrophic climate change, dangers which also threaten the biosphere. In addition to these two existential threats, humans also face the threat of an extremely large-scale famine, involving billions of people, rather than millions.
→ read full articleHomo Sapiens
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
16 May 2022
A Book Announcement – Humans, in their arrogance, call themselves “Homo sapiens sapiens”, the “wisest of the wise”! Admittedly, our species has enormous technical, cultural, and scientific progress to its credit. But wisdom? That is another matter entirely.
→ read full articleSocial Systems in Scandinavia
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
9 May 2022
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders describes himself as a democratic socialist. When asked to explain, he says that he believes that the United States would benefit from having a social system more like those found in the Scandinavian countries.
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Lives in Prehistory
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
2 May 2022
30 Apr 2022 – I announce the publication of a book that describes the early history of the earth and the evolution of humans. It may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleEliminating the Causes of War
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
11 Apr 2022
I would like to announce the publication of a new book, which discusses the causes of war, and how they may be eliminated. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleThe Urgent Need for Climate Action
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
4 Apr 2022
One reason that the Glasgow Climate conference failed so miserably to produce urgently needed climate action was that humans tend to react to what is close to them. Money to pay the rent is urgent, while a climate catastrophe seems to be a distant threat. A second reason is cultural inertia.
→ read full articleLives in the Middle Ages
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
21 Mar 2022
19 Mar 2022 – I would like to announce the publication of a book which presents many aspects of culture in the Middle Ages. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleWe Must Abolish Nuclear Weapons
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Mar 2022
In addition to illegally invading Ukraine, Russian leaders have put their nuclear forces on high alert, thus illegally threatening nuclear war. This recent crisis emphasizes the urgent need for the world to somehow rid itself of nuclear weapons before human civilization is destroyed by them, together with much of the biosphere.
→ read full articleCorporations versus Democracy
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
7 Mar 2022
1 Mar 2022 – I would like to announce the publication of a new book, which discusses the ways in which giant corporations control both governments and media, thus undermining democracy. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleWhat Russia Wants
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
21 Feb 2022
Both Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Secretary Sergey Laverov have repeatedly stated that Russia does not intend to invade Ukraine. Logic also tells us that if they had wished to do so, they would have done it long ago. The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is a western invention.
→ read full articleLives in the Renaissance
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
21 Feb 2022
18 Feb 2022 – I would like to announce the publication of a book that presents many aspects of science and culture in the Renaissance (meaning “Re-birth”), a period of excitement and innovation in Europe. It may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleAttacks on Democracy in the United States
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Feb 2022
11 Feb 2022 – The worst crime of the Republican Party is obstruction of action to prevent catastrophic climate change, which Donald Trump called “a hoax” pulling the US out of the Paris Agreement. Trump’s party continues to echo his denialism and his obstruction of climate action.
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(Italiano) Ostaggi del militarismo
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. | Centro Studi Sereno Regis – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 Jan 2022
28 Gennaio 2022 – I nostri “Ministeri della Difesa” ci difendono davvero? Assolutamente no! Il lor stesso nome è una bugia. C’è pericolo che il nostro mondo, con tutta la sua bellezza e la preziosità che contiene, venga distrutto da questo cinico gioco per il potere e il denaro in cui i civili sono ostaggi del militarismo. Lasceremo che succeda?
→ read full articleWarnings from the Poles
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 Jan 2022
I would like to announce the publication of a new book, which discusses worrying recent developments in the Antarctic and the Arctic, which warn us of catastrophic consequences if we neglect urgent climate action. The book may be downloaded free of charge from the following link:
→ read full article
The Illegality of NATO
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 Jan 2022
28 Jan 2022 – Russia understandably fears the eastward expansion of NATO. Recently NATO countries, led by the United States, have supplied arms to Ukraine. There is a threat that the tensions building up in the region will lead to war. Such a development would be catastrophic for the entire world. Against this backdrop, we examine the question of NATO’s illegality.
→ read full articleWe Are Militarism’s Hostages
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
24 Jan 2022
Do our “Defense Departments” really defend us? Absolutely not! Their very title is a lie. There is a danger that our world, with all the beauty and value that it contains, will be destroyed by this cynical game for power and money, in which civilians are militarism’s hostages. Will we let this happen?
→ read full articleLives in the 20th Century
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
10 Jan 2022
6 Jan 2022 – Human History as Cultural History – I would like to announce the publication of a book which presents many aspects of science and culture in the 20th century. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full article(Italiano) La minaccia di una carestia diffusa entro metà secolo
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. | Centro Studi Sereno Regis – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Jan 2022
23 Dicembre 2021 – A meno che vengano fatti sforzi per stabilizzare e infine ridurre la popolazione globale, c’è una grave minaccia che il cambiamento climatico, la crescita demografica e la fine dell’era dei combustibili fossili possano combinarsi nel produrre una carestia di casta scala per la metà del secolo in corso.
→ read full articleHumanity’s Massive Footprint on the Face of Nature
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Jan 2022
I would like to announce the publication of a new book which discusses the reasons for our human encroachment on the earth’s ecological systems, and the possible consequences if we do not take steps to correct the problem. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleLives in the 17th Century
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Dec 2021
I would like to announce the publication of a book which presents many aspects of science and culture in the 17th century. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleThe Threat of a Large-Scale Famine
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Dec 2021
The Threat of a Large-Scale Global Famine by the Middle of the 21st Century
→ read full articleLet’s Get Money out of Politics
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. - TRANSCEND Media Service,
29 Nov 2021
Why COP26 Failed Future Generations – In discussing the threat of catastrophic climate change, we need to be aware of the contrast between the short-term future and the long-term future. Unless we take immediate and drastic action, we risk passing environmental tipping points, beyond which uncontrollable feedback loops will take over, making human efforts useless.
→ read full articleTasks for the Future
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service,
22 Nov 2021
A New Freely Downloadable Book – Today the world is facing several threats, and to avoid them we need to act. The greatest threats are catastrophic climate change and thermonuclear war, but a large-scale global famine also has to be considered.
→ read full articleLives in the Ancient World
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
15 Nov 2021
13 Nov 2021 – I would like to announce the publication of a book that presents many aspects of science and culture in the ancient world. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full article(Italiano) Bugie che hanno condotto a guerre
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. | Centro Studi Sereno Regis – TRANSCEND Media Service,
8 Nov 2021
3 Nov 2021 – Avviene molto spesso che capi politici dicano bugie per ottenere sostegno pubblico prima di dare inizio a guerre. Per esempio, Adolf Hitler mentì sulla persecuzione di minoranze tedesche per giustificare le sue invasioni di Polonia e Cecoslovacchia. Ecco le bugie che hanno condotto a guerre.
→ read full articleMoney and Politics
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
8 Nov 2021
A New Freely Downloadable Book – Many countries that call themselves democracies are actually oligarchies, controlled by the richest members of society. This is because the votes of politicians can be bought. It would be highly desirable to sever the connection between money and politics, but the task of doing so is very difficult.
→ read full articleLives in the 18th Century
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
1 Nov 2021
29 Oct 2021 – Human History as Cultural History – I would like to announce the publication of a book which presents many aspects of science and culture during the 18th century. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleLies That Led to Wars
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
1 Nov 2021
Very often political leaders tell lies to gain public support to start wars. For example, Adolf Hitler lied about the persecution of German minorities to justify his invasions of Poland and Czechoslovakia, which marked the start of World War II. Approximately 75 million people were killed during the war, including about 40 million civilians, many of whom died because of deliberate genocide, massacres, mass-bombings, disease, and starvation.
→ read full article
(Italiano) L’utilizzo di combustibili fossili deve cessare
John Scales Avery | Centro Studi Sereno Regis - TRANSCEND Media Service,
18 Oct 2021
15 Ottobre 2021 – Il rapporto di 4.000 pagine del Comitato Internazionale sul Cambiamento Climatico afferma che “Abbiamo necessità di un cambiamento trasformativo che agisca sui processi e i comportamenti a tutti i livelli: individuale, comunitario, aziendale, istituzionale e governativo. Dobbiamo ridefinire il nostro modo di vivere e i consumi”.
→ read full articleUse of Fossil Fuels Must Stop
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
11 Oct 2021
The IPCC Report states that, “We need transformational change operating on processes and behavior at all levels: individual, communities, business, institutions and governments. We must redefine our way of life and consumption.”
→ read full articleProblems with Capitalism
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
4 Oct 2021
We need a new economic system. Capitalism is driving us towards disaster.
→ read full articleLives in the 19th Century
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
4 Oct 2021
30 Sep 2021 – Human History as Cultural History – I announce the publication of a book that presents many aspects of science and culture during the 19th century. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
→ read full articleWho Is My Neighbor?
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Sep 2021
I would like to announce the publication of a book which discusses religious ethics and cosmology. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleTerrorism: A False Threat
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Sep 2021
10 Sep 2021 – Twenty years after the events of 9/11 2001, and in the midst of the messy withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, it seems appropriate to question the validity of the so-called “War on Terror”.
→ read full articleLives in Biology
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Sep 2021
I would like to announce the publication of a book which presents the historical development of biological science and evolutionary thought. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
→ read full article
(Italiano) Predizioni del futuro
John Scales Avery, Ph.D. | Centro Studi Sereno Regis - TRANSCEND Media Service,
16 Aug 2021
Herbert George Wells (1866-1946), scrittore inglese estremamente prolifico che scrisse romanza, novella, libri di storia, manuali di biologia, scenari utopici e così via, è stato chiamato “lo Shake-speare della fantascienza”. Durante la sua carriera face varie predizioni del futuro, molte fra le quali sorpendentemente precise.
→ read full articleCollected Essays (volume VI)
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
16 Aug 2021
A New Freely Downloadable Book – I would like to announce the publication of a collection of the articles and book announcements which I have written during the last two years.
→ read full articlePredicting the Future
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
9 Aug 2021
LIMITS TO GROWTH: A “healthy” economic growth rate of 4% per year corresponds to an increase by a factor of 50 in a century, by a factor of 2,500 in two centuries and 125,000 in three centuries. No one can maintain that resource-using, waste-producing economic activities can continue to grow except by refusing to look more than a certain distance into the future.
→ read full articleClimate: We Are Not Doing Enough!
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
19 Jul 2021
18 Jul 2021 – Measurements of the carbon dioxide content of the earth’s atmosphere as a function of time have been made ever since 1958 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, the “Keeling Curve”. Despite promises made at the 2015 Paris Conference, despite global concern about the threat of catastrophic climate change, despite massive worldwide protests organized by Greta Thunberg, despite the reduced emissions resulting from the COVID-19 lockdown, the Keeling Curve continues to rise steadily, and the carbon dioxide content of the earth’s atmosphere continues to rise steadily.
→ read full article
Why War?
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
28 Jun 2021
I would like to announce the publication of a book that discusses the reasons why the institution of war continues to threaten human civilization and the biosphere, as well as the steps that might be taken to rid the world of war. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleSharing Scientific Knowledge
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
28 Jun 2021
The nonviolent tradition of Shelly, Thoreau, Tolstoy, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela is international. Culture is cooperative. It is not competitive. Global cultural cooperation can lead us to a sustainable and peaceful society. Our almost miraculous modern communications media, if properly used, can give us a stable, prosperous and cooperative future society.
→ read full articleA Critical Decade
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Jun 2021
14 Jun 2021 – I would like to announce the publication of a book, which discusses the urgent changes that are needed to save our planet and our collective future. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleThe Social Responsibility of Scientists
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
31 May 2021
26 May 2021 – I would like to announce the publication of a book that discusses the duty of scientists and engineers in trying to prevent the catastrophes that currently threaten human society and the biosphere. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
→ read full article67 Years in the Peace Movement
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
10 May 2021
I would like to announce the publication of a book which discusses the things that I have experienced during my 67 years of work in the peace movement. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
→ read full articleWATER
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 May 2021
28 Apr 2021 – I would like to announce the publication of a book, which discusses the relationships between water and life. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
→ read full articleBiden’s Aggressive Foreign Policy
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
12 Apr 2021
Richard Nephew, the advisor on sanctions in Biden’s State Department, is the author of a 2017 book entitled “The Art of Sanctions: A View of the Field”. He brags of the pain and suffering caused by US sanctions imposed on Iran, Venezuela and other countries. But according to international law, sanctions may not be imposed by individual countries, but only by the Security Council.
→ read full articleThe World as It Is–And the World as It Could Be
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
5 Apr 2021
It was the duty of philanthropic Europeans to bring civilization and Christianity to Africa and the Americas. The mood of Europe during this orgy of external cruelty and exploitation was self-congratulatory. Can we not see a parallel with the self-congratulatory mood of the North American people and their allies, who export violence, murder, torture and neocolonialism to the whole world by thinking themselves as “exceptional”? A New Freely Downloadable Book
→ read full articleEcology and Economics
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
5 Apr 2021
As Prof. Noam Chomsky has pointed out, greed and lack of ethics are built into the structure of corporations. By law, the CEO of a corporation must be entirely motivated by the collective greed of the stockholders. He must maximize profits. If s/he abandons this single-minded chase after corporate profits for ethical reasons, or for the sake of humanity or the biosphere or the future, s/he must, BY LAW, be fired and replaced.
→ read full articleLives in Mathematics
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
15 Feb 2021
9 Feb 2021 – I would like to announce the publication of a book which presents the lives and work of some of the great mathematicians of history. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
→ read full article(Italiano) Sfide per Joe Biden e Kamala Harris
John Scales Avery | Centro Studi Sereno Regis – TRANSCEND Media Service,
1 Feb 2021
Dopo le lodi dobbiamo anche notare le sue cattive decisioni. Molte fra le persone scelte per il suo gabinetto o per altre alte funzioni hanno ricevuto gran somme di denaro da megaziende. Molti hanno sostenuto guerra e tortura. Gran parte delle scelte di gabinetto di Biden hanno avuto posti nell’amministrazione Obama: non va abbastanza bene! Gli Stati Uniti devono rinunciare alle proprie guerre esterne aggressive e ai tentativi di raggiungere l’egemonia globale col potere militare!
→ read full articleChallenges for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
25 Jan 2021
Having praised Joe Biden for his good decisions, we must also notice his bad ones. Many of those who he chose for his cabinet, or for other high offices, have received large amounts of money from corporations. Many have supported war and torture. The United States must renounce it aggressive foreign wars and its attempts to achieve global hegemony through military power
→ read full articleOur Suicidal War against Nature
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
11 Jan 2021
Ceasefire in Our Suicidal War against Nature – Here are some quotations from a 2 Dec 2020 article by Justin Rowlatt entitled “Humans waging suicidal war on nature – UN chief Antonio Guterres”:
→ read full articleMadmen and Economists
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
28 Dec 2020
Economists (with a few notable exceptions) have long behaved as though growth were synonymous with economic health. If the gross national product of a country increases steadily by 4 percent per year, most economists express approval and say that the economy is healthy. If the economy could be made to grow still faster (they maintain), it would be still healthier.
→ read full articleAdam Smith’s Invisible Hand Is at Our Throats
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
21 Dec 2020
14 Dec 2020 – Today the world spends roughly 1,800,000,000,000 US dollars on armaments, almost 2 trillion. This vast river of money, almost too great to be imagined, flows into the pockets of arms manufacturers, and is used by them to control governments, which in turn vote for bloated military budgets and aggressive foreign policies which provoke the endless crises and conflicts that are necessary to justify the diversion of such vast sums of money from urgently-needed social goals into the bottomless pit of war.
→ read full articleEthics for the Future
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Dec 2020
In all terrestrial organisms, information is transmitted between generations by means of the genetic code; and genetic evolution takes place through natural selection acting on modifications of this code. In human cultural evolution, information is also transmitted between generations by means of language and writing. This second mode of evolution gave our species enormous adaptive advantages.
→ read full articleHuman Society and the Biosphere
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
30 Nov 2020
28 Nov 2020 – According to a recent UN report, more than a million species of plants and animals are currently threatened with extinction because of human activities. Rates of extinction today are as much as 1,000 times greater than the normal background rate. What about our own species? Are we too threatened with extinction?
→ read full articleA History of the Earth
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
16 Nov 2020
I announce the publication of a new book, in which I have tried to sketch human history, from earliest times until the present, against a cosmic backdrop. Current problems, such as the threats of catastrophic climate change, thermonuclear war, pandemics and large-scale famine are also discussed. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge.
→ read full articleThe Road Not Taken
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
2 Nov 2020
30 Oct 2020 – I would like to announce the publication of a new book. It discusses the role of what might be called decision trees in science, in linguistics, in philosophy and literature, and in our daily lives. The book may be downloaded and circulated free of charge from the following link:
→ read full articleA Critical U.S. Election
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
26 Oct 2020
Why the 2020 Election Is So Important
→ read full articleYe Are Many, They Are Few!
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
19 Oct 2020
A New Freely Downloadable Book – I would like to announce the publication of a new book, which discusses the question of how oligarchs maintain their grasp on an excessive share of wealth and power when, as Shelley pointed out, the have-nots are many, while the power-holders are few.
→ read full articleOur World Is Burning
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
5 Oct 2020
4 Oct 2020 – In order to save human civilization and the biosphere from the most catastrophic effects of climate change we need to act immediately. Fossil fuels must be left below the ground. Forests must be left above the ground and saved from destruction for beef or palm oil production.
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(Italiano) L’impatto Ecologico del Militarismo
John Scales Avery | Centro Studi Sereno Regis – TRANSCEND Media Service,
5 Oct 2020
La crisi di civiltà cui siamo oggi di fronte è stata prodotta dalla rapidità di sviluppo della scienza e della tecnologia. Le nostre istituzioni e idee si adattano troppo lentamente al cambiamento. La grande sfida che la storia ha posto per la nostra generazione è il compito di costruire nuove strutture politiche internazionali che siano in armonia con la tecnologia moderna.
→ read full articleThe Ecological Impact of Militarism
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
28 Sep 2020
Those who say that there is not enough money to finance the Green New Deal forget the unimaginable amounts of money wasted, or worse than wasted, on militarism. We must divert this vast river of money from its present evil use to the constructive task of saving our planet from the existential threat of catastrophic climate change.
→ read full articleRemembering the 1960’s
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
14 Sep 2020
Those of us who lived through that era remember it as a time when the danger of a nuclear war between the USA and the USSR was very real indeed. The world came extremely close to disaster during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In response to the threat of nuclear destruction, millions of people all over the world took to the streets.
→ read full articleVote by Mail: An Alternative to the USPS
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Aug 2020
Let us suppose that the November election approaches and the US Post office is unable to deliver mail-in votes. Is there any other way that these votes can be delivered? I believe that there are some possibilities.
→ read full articleThe ICC’s Enormous Importance
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
27 Jul 2020
The essential difference between a confederation and a federation, both of them unions of states, is that a federation has the power to make and to enforce laws that act on individuals, rather than attempting to coerce states. Our present United Nations is a confederation attempting to coerce states with sanctions that are “applied to people collectively and not individually.” The ICC acts on individuals, rather than attempt to coerce states.
→ read full articleHuman Nature
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Jul 2020
17 Jul 2020 – What is human nature? Are we humans good or evil? To what extent is the character of a person produced by heredity and to what extent by environment? Is competition more central to our existence than cooperation, or is it the other way around? How can a happy, peaceful and stable society be created? Are humans essentially the same as other animals, or are we fundamentally different? Should humans dominate and control nature, or should we be the custodians of nature?
→ read full articleMalthus Revisited
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
29 Jun 2020
I would like to announce the publication of a book, which discusses the excessive weight that our total human population and economy has imposed on the global environment. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
→ read full articleCrisis Means Danger and Opportunity
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
15 Jun 2020
The present crisis will undoubtedly lead to great change, but will it be takeovers by neo-fascist leaders such as Trump? Or will the change be social reforms, such as those initiated in Denmark by Stauning? Will the Green New Deal be part of our recovery from the present economic crisis? We stand at a critical point in history. Each of us has the duty to strive with all our strength to persuade our societies to make the right choice.
→ read full articleBenefits of Equality
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
8 Jun 2020
3 Jun 2020 – I would like to announce the publication of a book which presents evidence supporting the thesis that elimination of excessive economic inequality makes societies happier and better. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
→ read full articleLives in Education
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
1 Jun 2020
I would like to announce the publication of a book which presents the history of education, from early times until the present, and in many different civilizations. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
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Living Together in Peace
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
25 May 2020
The UN has designated 16 May as Living Together in Peace day. It therefore seems appropriate to mark this day by discussing the reasons why war must be eliminated as a human institution. On our small but beautiful Earth, made small by technology, made beautiful by nature, there is room for one group only: the family of humankind.
→ read full articlePeace Education
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
18 May 2020
The United Nations has designated the 16th of May as a day devoted to Living Together in Peace. It therefore seems appropriate to discuss the need for reforming our educational systems so that they will prepare young people for international cooperation and harmony rather than for participation in aggressive wars.
→ read full articleTrump Must Be Defeated!
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
11 May 2020
There is so much wrong with Donald Trump that one hardly knows where to start. He is a bully, braggart, narcissist, racist, misogynist, habitual liar, and tax evader, in addition to being demonstrably ignorant. He has contempt for both domestic and international law, as well as for the US Constitution. However, it is Trump’s climate change denial, withdrawal from the Paris agreement, and sponsorship of fossil fuels that pose the greatest threats to the future of human society and the biosphere.
→ read full articleRebuilding after Corona
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
20 Apr 2020
15 Apr 2020 – I announce the publication of a book that discusses the changes that we must make to create a better world after the pandemic has ended. The book may be freely downloaded and circulated.
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We Need Solidarity, Not Sanctions
John Scales Avery – TRANSCEND Media Service,
13 Apr 2020
10 Apr 2020 – According to the United Nations Charter, only the Security Council may impose sanctions. No individual nation may do so. Nevertheless, the United States currently imposes economic sanctions on Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Cuba, Venezuela, Belarus, Burundi, Central African Republic, China, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Besides violating the UN Charter, these unilaterally imposed sanctions also violate the Fourth Geneva Convention.
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