Who am I? I’m a New Zealander living in NZ on a very small boat after spending some 25 years living overseas, in Australia and the US. I’m a Christian and an engineer with an interest in issues that affect people and the communities we live in – politics, economics, religion, urban design, ethics, technology, the media…
In an earlier version of this page (from 2010!) I wrote “my political views are probably fairly described as conservative – my bias is towards a belief in the importance of personal responsibility and free enterprise. I’m generally inclined to question the effectiveness of government efforts to shape social and economic outcomes.” That is still mostly true today, except that I think my political views now are better described as “mostly libertarian.”
In the public arena there are few people I admire on any side of politics. Too many seem more interested in winning the latest skirmish in a never-ending partisan media war than in thinking deeply and talking honestly about serious, and sometimes complex, issues.
My professional background is in research and development. If my years of experience have taught me anything it is that finding robust solutions to complex problems often takes time and a process of trial and error. In the area of public debate, I believe opinions should be held lightly, others’ views should be considered honestly and ideology should be balanced with careful analysis, real data and a willingness to learn.
I have a strong interest in science – I love the intellectual challenge of understanding the world around us. Yet as a Christian, I also believe there is more to reality than just the material world and more to morality than just what either individuals or societies decide for themselves is right or wrong.
I’m particularly interested in scientific issues that attract controversy within the broader community, such as the arguments around subjects like climate change and sex and gender. Not unlike political controversies, these kinds of debates sadly tend to create more heat than light. I find it disappointing that they often seem to be driven more by agendas and entrenched dogma than by a genuine spirit of inquiry, both from those who try to challenge supposed scientific orthodoxy as well as from those who try to defend it.
For myself, I try to keep an open mind about things I don’t have deep knowledge of. However I am wholly unimpressed by those who try to dismiss others’ views simply on the basis of a supposed consensus of so-called experts, whether they be scientists, economists or anything else. My goal is to make up my own mind about issues based on my own assessment of the relevant data, not based on someone else’s rhetoric, no matter how much of an expert they claim to be.
Apart from blogging, in my spare time I like to read, sail and write software.