Cinquecento Anni – Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) – The Practical Philosopher

The content of today's mass-media and social-networking appears an ever increasing black-hole of juxtaposed nerve-wracking news and facile trivia.

[NB. investment-auto-motives is resolutely apolitical, thus any observations are purely from empiracal, objective experience. That stated...

...Between the two worlds abovementioned lies (quite literally) the now numerous existence of morally moribund 'social actors'; themselves typically willing yet ignorant real-world pawns, manipulated by manufactured social agendas, social-pressure and so group-think,  enabled through the now culturally expansive media, and use of the 'psycho-sociological, to create ever more 'social actors'. So much so society itself becomes a continually toxic experience.

The old adage "the first victim of (social) war is truth" has never been so obvious given the falsity of today's very warped supposed civil society.

If alive today, Leonardo da Vinci (and many other great people who fought for truth and decency of all sexes, colours and creeds) ,would be both insightfully aware and simultaneously appalled at the pernicious 'left vs right' ploys].

Most obviously, present  news fears are regards a 'no-deal' Brexit escalate, the insecurity of a Northern Irish 'backstop' with the potential to re-fracture previously placated neighbourhoods, prompted by the 'New IRA', whilst as a consequence of such turmoil, UK inward investment in the Auto sector from the Japanese, Germans, French and Indians shrinks and consequential job losses and short-time working.

A renewed ethno-centrism is on the rise – even the Shetland Isles now celebrating their Viking-Pagan roots – the zietgeist likely to stir more troublesome others unhappy with the status quo, from the old faction fringes of Basque Separatists to, if continually stirred, new troubles in the Balkans.

Europe is not quite the 'tinder-box' of 1914 or 1939 – with Brussels seeking to re-consolidate the EU ideal to avoid breakdown - but internally concerns have grown at the rise of friction and factions.

Let is hope national leaders and peoples “see sense”.

Modern Europe is intrinsically interwoven with Roman, Medieval, Renaissance and Enlightenment Europe. The very fabric of classical buildings as homes to learned institutions, testament to the rise and cultural power of European civillisation; an imbued culture that spread from as far apart as The East Indies to remotest regions of Central and South Americas.

It was built by the hands of the masses to the orchestration of the intelligentsia; who for the most part through Administration, the Applied Sciences and the Arts.

At home and abroad, that idealism sought to create cultural stability and social improvement.

The very origins of the modern Capitalist system, operating from the Medici supervised Italian “tavalo / banco' stalls, was in large part based upon the financial returns of innovation and exploration. So from the very start – prompted by loss of influence over the Silk Road trade route in 1453 - the notion of academic research as underpinning process, product, social and political betterment, to realise profit and spread wealth, was very well understood.

From the design of hulls of ocean-going 'carry-trade' ships (the term's origins) and those of the war-ships that protected them, to the need to try and cure new foreign diseases, to the requirement to create more efficient cities and highways through more analytical regional and urban planning, to thereafter the manner in which such newly dynamic economic growth regions might be protected from foreign interests.

Everything in the man-made and natural worlds was to be studied in minutia, for the sake of understanding and improvement. So as to gain both critical competitive advantage and so cultural ascendency.

Those efforts directed by the likes of the Alberti, Medici and other city-state and principality counterparts, was predicated upon the questioning personas, exploration, discoveries, and new insightfulness. Advancement predicated upon the dedication and innate brilliance of a relatively few men.

Men who themselves had saturated themselves in learning, whether formally through advantageous social structure, or informally through an autodidactic drive; or ideally via both with the Patronage System, which directed funds to look after those whose ideas would in turn look-after entire peoples.

Many of those people are forgotten, but the name Leonardo da Vinci – and its omnipresence in modern society – has since his own rediscovery, been lauded as the very model and archetype of “genius”.

British Airways may be celebrating its centenary this year, but a man died four hundred years previously who would – as just one interest of many – investigate the principles of manned-flight to emulate the natural world around.

His sketch-books and writings, scattered around the world's museums and held from The Vatican to Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, illustrate the vast spectrum of his studies stemming from Natural Philosophy.

From the flow of rivers and water-courses (Fluid Dynamics) to the character-types of people as embodied in their faces, gesticulations and habits (Anthropology); with a raft of disciplines between: spanning simple mechanics for various applications, to advanced theorems derived from observation of light, dissected animals and human cadavers to under-water habitation, the principles of effectively mated town-planning and architecture, depicted by way of expanded principles of drawn and coloured perspective.

[NB. Most of his mechanical 'inventions'  were actually basic developments of well known and utilized engineering. Hence his 'forerunner of the tank', was hardly revolutionary in concept, given previous Roman use of 'tortoise-shell' gathered shield mobility of their legionares, and as the drive-train the use of mated rotating components, long seen in irrigation and elsewhere].

And obviously beyond these exploratory efforts, the creation of sublime artistry commissioned by church and patrons. In which whilst the master-pieces are astounding, it is the initial 'cartoons' plied with soft materials that often best convey nuance and meaning.

Yet... this is mere repetition of what has been stated countless times before from brief gallery to glossy large coffee-table tome.

As anyone highly proficient in their discipline will attest – whether artist, scientist, sportsperson, et al – it is the process of exploration, learning and discovery that is perhaps as – if not more - fulfilling than the final output.

For unlike a singular item of output, the process itself provides one with a continual self-enabling to 'see' and 'represent'. The person then the very embodiment of the art-form, hence arguably even more precious than the produced item itself.

From well before the Medici, all socio-economic systems have known this, and hence so as to control and direct, creation of formal employment systems from the Medieval Guilds Apprenticeships to the constructs of the modern highly skilled professional position, from Neuro-surgeon to omnipresent CEO.

The innate problem being that unless the creator can also operate as comfortably independent, s/he inevitably becomes resentful of such a structure, as income from inevitably fluctuating company budgets fails to consistently support the highest minds.

Such inconsistency of financial support to such truly talented peoples inevitably restricts commercial, cultural and human progress.

This even more so when an individual is able to:

1. Deploy critical learning from one discipline and set of circumstances to another.

2. Span a multitude of disciplines and so able provide new connective conceptual theorems.

3. Understand both macro and micro environments in detail to form a credible 'Grande Plan'.

In a world that has become ever more subject-centric, so as to deepen, direct and control such learning, fewer and fewer such polymaths exist today.

This is an enormous shame and a detriment.

And although there may be the appearance of deep broad learning across various subject matter – such as the participants of BBC's University Challenge – the fact remains that this is all too often almost 'rote learned', with the disciplines themselves rarely absorbed in full.

Leondardo da Vinci – and no doubt similar forgotten others of his era - was the very opposite – the true polymath.

He studied his subjects on and to an almost spiritual level, so as to absorb and make conceptual connections both within and across his (non-silo'd) study disciplines.

This is not to say he was always correct, since – from our modern perspective and learning – he made some naïve errors in assumption and belief.

Yet even with his errors, he remains the innate personification of the polymath, seeking understanding in everything and questioning the basis of then current belief; from 'the 4 humours' that supposedly ruled physical and mental health, through to realisation (in an almost buddhist and zen-like way) that perfection cannot (and perhaps should not) be attained between the man-made and natural order.

This starckly learned when one hypothesis regards human proportion and 'golden rules' would not accord to that of square and circle geometries. The Vitruvian Man (and so the mathematical constructs of nature) were expected to perfectly fit simultaneously in both perfect circle and perfect square.

But, to make the figure fit – and so demonstrate to the church of understanding 'god's ways' – the figure (not obviously simply pose) of the man had to be altered to have him fit within the geometrical boundaries.

This almost a metaphor of himself, though closer than nearly all to 'the mind of god', he himself had to contort his life to fit the very much sub-optimal man-made society he existed within.

Just as he sought to create a bird-inspired, single-person, flying-contraptions, so he obviously wished to fly intellectually ever upwards into the heavens.

The innate irony being that the tallow candles and olive oil soaked wicks he used to light his sketch-work and writings of such human flight, would be superseded by crude oil, gas, electricity, and later highly refined kerosene blends and solid- fuels that could produce a man-made 'jet-stream' of its own.

Using those sources, by 1960 experimental rocket-packs had been created.

And today in exploratory form, the evolution of those first early tests with use of 3D-printed strap-on jet-propulsion-packs; single-person flying devices either launched from the ground or when dropped from the sky.

Such advancements have come from the compilation of linear, parallel and lateral thinking.

Leonardo da Vinci would be both amazed by what has been invented by the brightest minds of today, and perhaps just a little saddened.

Precisely because five hundred years on, so many remain essentially bereft of true education and enlightenment.  People still operate upon principles little removed from their ape ancestry, far closer to monkeys than gods.

Leonardo's candle of European Enlightenment still flickers, but seems weakened, as so many of modern society's own 'currents and eddies'  form an increasingly dumbed-down and dismissive near mono-culture, which runs counter to the ideal of personal and social betterment : the very heart and central nervous system of European history.

Today, more than ever, we need the singularly combined multi-aspect minds of the scientist and artist, able to imbue much needed Practical Philosophy.

The advancement of society, via well orchestrated Capitalism, depends upon it.

Micro-Level Trends – The UK's Niche Vehicle “New Future” - Investor Acuity Required

  

The old adage conveys that “a fool and his money are soon parted”.  

That exemplified by the litany of niche vehicle companies that have come and gone over the decades.

As has been noted, Britain today sits in an economic schism; the erosion of the old middle-class has left a growing gulf between the small hyper-wealthy, the 'comfortably-off' viewed as the old upper-middle, the  remainder of the lower-middle, 'working poor' on 'living-wage' incomes and the truly desperate with no or very little state-provided income.

That structural disconnect in society has obviously generated the reactionary politics we see today, between the neo-Thatcherite right, singing the praises of free enterprise and trickle-down economics, and those who simply seek stable long-term employment, thus attracted to the idiom of re-Nationalised industries and sectors.

Whilst specific areas such as London's Kings Cross becomes the epicentre of a digital UK, and Milton Keynes operates as the geographic test-bed for autonomous 'pod' vehicles; and even with 'Motorsport Valley' operating at the cutting-edge of global race-car design and engineering, the fact is that de-industrialisation has eradicated jobs that many of today's large swathes of 'unemployable' non-skilled and low-skilled people could have done.

It may be unpopular to state, but much of Britain's 'New Nationalism' stemming from the far right is a reaction to decades of unemployment and under-employment across what was supposed to be new development areas. That attracted new service sector activities ranging from expansive retail malls to call-centres, to warehouse-logistics centres, to the new crop of services and support entities providing through-life product assistance, and socio related efforts such as charities and quangos

But, all too often the newly built business parks that were created as service-industry hubs remained under-occupied, and relied upon discounted terms to temporarily attract relocated divisions from government departments or the NHS back-office.

And yet still, large tracts of Britain in old industrial, rural and coastal areas remained nigh on destitute, since populations remained and grew where suitable employment opportunities had been lacking for decades.

Light engineering industry was once a vital part of the national economy, yet much for good commercial reasons was 'sent abroad' so that income squeezed companies themselves could slim work-forces and bolster unit margins and annual profits.

In the auto-industry, from the 1980s onward, it meant inevitable component supply problems for the once thriving crop of niche and not so niche vehicle makers, many of which relied upon quite erratic 'hit or miss' business models and over-optimistic owners and managers.

Whilst the bread and butter stuff such as utility body-building went on – often quite successfully - under the radar through the 1980s, the 'sexy' end of the UK niche vehicle sector that typically built sportscars, some luxury cars and conversions, from Jensen's 'last gasp' Interceptors and GTs, to Reliant's Scimitars and SS1,  to Bristol's Blenheims to Dakar's and Overfinch's 4x4s, all inevitably saw their own fortunes falter; Bristol today left operating on a lean servicing and repair orientated basis. 

In the late 1980s and 1990s, it was perhaps only TVR (thanks much to Peter Wheeler's oil-generated corporate funding and good business sense) that gained true commercial traction from apparently no-where, thanks to its unique styling based USP, and a new band of high-disposable income customers who sought something different, British and fantastical. 

The 1990s and early 2000s was the era when the best known marques (Aston Martin Lagonda, Rolls-Royce, Bentley) were taken under the wing of major manufacturers to provide the financial and engineering foundations to effectively rebuild the companies, whilst only few old names such as Morgan and Ginetta (surviving Marcos closing in 2007) and new names such as Ariel, Noble, Caparo, then BAC and others arriving into the frey with hardcore motorsport derived cars. Whilst, the once thriving Kit-Car sub-sector experienced its own domino-like collapse, promoted by the collapse of many of their underlying supplier companies, themselves forced to raise unit prices to unsustainable levels as their own order-book shrank.

With the shrinkage of sectors such as the caravan and static-home industry, the low-cost boat sector, and areas such as domestic furniture, much of UK light engineering lost both its gravitas and capabilities as its regional and national economic importance declined.

However, given that most things automotive, especially the glamorous end, has such an emotive pull on the heartstrings, examples of a renaissance are seen time and again. This when either the owner-sponsor has enough wealth and business 'nounce' to create a strong commercial entity, or when the product hits a market sweet-spot.  

This seen with the expansion of Ginetta under Lawrence Tomlinson (using funds gained from his successful care-home business), effectively replaying the Peter Wheeler mantle for the Leeds-based marque.  

Whilst BAC appears to be re-expanding with presumable efforts to reach further into export markets and evolve and evolve beyond its core single-seater (ie 'monoposto') product.

But recently the two new and revived names to appear are Ineos Automotive and TVR Automotive.

The Ineos 4x4 is the well publicised start-up by the oil and chemicals industrialist (and apparently Britain's richest man) Jim Ratcliffe. Having crafted his commercial skills in private equity and successfully integrated a plethora of smaller operational sites within refining and petro-chemicals, he know wishes to create a robust 4x4 utility vehicle in the idiom of the Land Rover Defender – known as Project Grenadier - as 'the original' itself moves onto a new generation using (like JLR siblings and Ford's F-series) an aluminium platform and associated  sub-structures.

[This suggests that to provide the original's 'modularity', that the concept from Ineos Automotive may well be a composite clad body upon steel ladder chassis platform to provide for a 're-balance' of mass, BoM cost, build cost and on/off-road  performance (aided by lower c of g). This was infact the exploratory avenue Land Rover itself prototyped for feasibility research in the mid 1990s at Gaydon's GDEC , various replacement options considered almost every year for decades].

As would be expected, Jim Ratcliffe has been scoping out the availability of government grants for his venture – to make the business model work - and so a portion of Ford;s Bridgend plant in South Wales has been identified as an optimum location for the factory site.

Exactly how the venture pans-out will have to be seen, but it will be intersting to see given the likelihood of competition from EM countries to replicate the original Jeep/Land Rover/LandCruiser vehicle construct in their own and local regional markets.. And of course the size and role expansion of utility side-by-side quad machines and their own plethora of attachment tools, that replicate the ideal of the original Wilks Bros vehicle sketched in the sand at Anglesey.

[NB It may be likely that Ratcliffe seeks to obtain Land Rover Defender name licensing rights if and when the vehicle is built; whether as direct copy of Defender or as to meet any exacting new Land Rover build standards derived from that 1990s 'plastic prototype'].

Whatever the exact details of the business model, the parent companies £4.2bn underlying profit will help reduce its remaining debt pile and help substantially fund Project Grenadier.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the rebirth of TVR. This led since 2013 by Les Edgar, who himself gained his wealth in the video entertainment industry through various enterprises and most notably Bullfrog Productions.

As a keen motorsport participant – racing Aston Martins as a privateer – he purchased the remains (not ongoing concern) of TVR from the Russian Nikolai Smolenski. The fact that the transition 'back to the UK' was so “straightforward” indicates that Smolenski had done little besides sit in the name for years hoping for a higher price when sold than when purchased, awaiting the economic up-turn.

The deal done, Edgar likewise sought out a Welsh factory site for the ideal of a regional development grant from the Welsh Assembly. His idea being inland in Ebbw Vale on the edge of the Breacon Beacons national park, which itself requires new employment opportunities. (Obviously the TVR old-guard would prefer Blackpool, which itself has an enormous 'army' of unemployed).

That deal was done a year ago with the  Welsh government providing a £0.5m payment for for 3% of the company - so a value then of £16.666m -  and a further 2m loan. However, the funding is drawn from EU sources which required a pan-EH tender process for the new factory site, so complicating matters; and delaying the completion of the plant and so schedule for SoP. The earliest possibility being likely for 2020.

Edgar contracted Gordon Murray Design to design the new (Ford Cosworth engined) 3^rd generation Griffith coupe (second bodystyle), no doubt to add credibility through association, and ensure a matured aesthetic; though with obvious cosmetic influences.

(Though the verbage about “ground effect” appears somewhat over-blown technical-marketing given its 'real-world' ride height, and so highly questionable, especially given the absence of ground-scraping front aero-dam and side-skirts to ensure cleanly channeled air with functional venturi vacuum. There is all-round aero treatment, but not architypical 'ground-effect' for carB this the very opposite of the term 'ground-effect' of very  low-level air-ride ekranoplans.)

The offering is as a “useable” sportscar with less exterior and interior novelty and ostentatiousness than the well loved Wheeler era cars, but with an aggressive audible character. Thus it seeks to deliberately espouse a schizophrenic aura, somewhat restrained bodyform with a big bang engine note; so positioned closer to that of a more aggressive enlarged Jaguar F-type. with respective AMG/McLaren and Corvette/Toyota front and rear overtones. Though obviously readily adaptable to aero add-on track modification.

But the construction method remains the same, as it has done for nigh on 60 years , even if labelled as (Murray's) iStream process with few carbon-fibre income between the braces.. A steel semi-space-frame clad with composite panels; it still remains the most cost-effective solution for the production of niche volume vehicles and so reduces repair and insurance costs to the owner-driver, compared to more exotic exterior materials.

Exactly how Edgar and 'new TVR' fares remains to be seen, but his route with a substantive PR push so early on in the business's existence, appears the obverse of Wheeler's approach previously, who set the old Blackpool factory straight first (personnel to procurement to powertrain) growing the brand slowly and organically from largely internal competence rather than bought-in consulting. But we arguably live in a different era, where 'loud is proud' from the get-go via social media, and God-like designer personas are immediate prospective clients attraction. And so Edgar's approach is only to be expected.

However, whilst as 'sexy' as it externally appears to many from prospective clients to prospective investors, the UK niche vehicle industry remains a harsh landscape to harvest profitably.

Old names like Lister have been revived for historical racing, whilst new names like (the retro-esque) Climax and David Brown sit in incubation stagnancy, and 'electric dreams' like the Lightening GT remain likewise.

[NB it appears that some entrepreneurs (such as possibly Lightening) have sought to simply occupy a specific market space for Sports EVs, to probably simply gain public recognition to boost the goodwill value quotient of their balance sheet, and seek an exit sale to a larger EV-related entity].

Furthermore, as re-iterated by Gillian Tett per the renaissance in American manufacturing; mucrh more focus is required per the after-market potential of increasingly expanded  Service and the concept creation potential of innovative Intellectual Property.

[NB herein we see the likes of Ricardo plc teaming with Roke regards automotive digital security with what seems an unstated but expected ambition beyond initial testing for robustness,. This to replicate Roll-Royce Aero's client support model of through-life service for its jet engines, herein regards cyber-functionality and 'digital resistence' to hacking].

The UK niche vehicle industry should offer a new horizon and opportunity to the poorer regions of the country, and regional development grants/loans look likely to continue to be given.

But (as ever) the possibility of some start-ups simply following the dot.com schema of 'incubation to quick exit sale' is always a hidden business possibility; typically seen where the substance of a small but truly robust operational business appears lacking.

Hence any investor, whether individual, consortium, institutional or even peer-to-peer crowd funding group must do its homework. Closely analysing the dynamics and history of niche vehicles, and take a good long hard look and the macro and micro-level issues, from the regional and global business climate, to the innards of the business, the financial structure,  the market space, competitors and offered product, and much more.

In short, very, very robust due dilligence.

Never be carried away by the dream, glamour or hype.

Henry, Peter and Charles Morgan knew all too well that although their ash-wood body-frames 'grew on trees', money did not; and it was that acuity that allowed Morgan Cars to survive the bad times and prosper in the good.

Automotive sector Investors should heed likewise.  

New Year Message - 2019 – A Tower of Strength and Deep Well of Fortitude : The Example of Ms Hannah Hauxwell

As ever, across the world the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019 was marked with a cornucopia of visual splendor as fireworks provided a multi-coloured backdrop for celebration.

Here in London the midnight chime of Big Ben was for the first time struck electronically, the hammer of the bell uncoupled from its clockwork and mated to an electrical motor.

Under monumental renovation and encased in a steel super-structure, the Elizabeth Tower presently appears a hi-tech, post-modern de-construct more akin to the Pompidou Centre than the edifice of Gothik Revivalism. Yet that metallic sheath, as abject counter-point, has an innate exo-skeleton beauty of its own, born from true functionality. All whilst the Tower's own components are refurbished and replaced.

At an estimated cost of £61m it does not come cheap, but provided a substantive idea regards the philosophical re-building of Britain at such a crucial juncture in time. Moreover, the project acts in the archetypical Keynesian manner of deploying tax-payers funds upon significant public works; and whilst it may not have the economic impact of say the Hoover Dam of desperate 1930s America, it has a major effect for hundreds in civil engineering and the now highly specialised artisan fields

At a time when the construction trade is still under pressure from variously delayed major commercial projects - as the old business models of brownfield site re-use is being fundamentally questioned with decline of retail-space values and rise of 'deskless' freelancers – such 'Establishment' projects are welcomed by the trade.

Likewise, this and similar projects provides an enormous boost to the craft  specialists who operate in what is otherwise near invisible spheres often located far from city-hussle in the quieter provinces, Halifax and far beyond so as to recast clock-face hands, manufacture and cut traditional glass, repair ornate iron-work, re-gild stonework and repaint to the hi-lustre of original specification.

Ultimately, the starkness of the scaffolding and light-tubes provides an inevitable contrast for what will eventually appear from within, so making the final result even more engaging. For adults it may represent a clean start for politics after so many years of muddle. Young children may view it as a Disney-esque magical castle. And future tourists will inevitably eventually consider it as a physical manifestation of both the Victorian and Second Elizabethan Ages.

Beside the hopes and economic revitalisation of HS2 and the rail connections for a desired new 'Northern Powerhouse', amidst the present malaise in construction, one of the brighter sectors within UK civil engineering is the rarified discipline of Oil-Well De-Commissioning.

As Britain looks ever more to reliance on gas and continued rise of renewable energy (ostensibly wind-power), the major oil companies that since the 1970s have excavated and evacuated deep-sea Brent crude oil, now face the challenge of both effectively capping the end-of-life oil-fields and looking to fracking-type methods to extract the hard-to-reach pockets of oil and gas.

Such challenges in Research, Development and Application make for good new potential earning streams for a specialist crop of operators. Small and growing firms that will either see organic growth from proven performance as likewise is required around the world from competant companies, or through acquisition by the oil majors as they seek to gain capabilities in 'closing the loop' of a necessarily more responsible global oil economy.

That then is good news for a sub-sector

Yet whilst Britain abounds in architectural splendor as representation of past, present and future national strength, and illustrates itself as at the forefront of fossil fuel ecological responsibility, it is the British people that reflect the country's true internal being.

So it is here that investment-auto-motives must make mention of one event of early 2018.

It was the passing of Ms Hannah Hauxwell.

This lady became momentarily and periodically famous from 1970 onward, when press coverage illustrated her circumstances as a lone cattle farmer in the Yorkshire Pennines. By the age of 31 she had become effectively isolated from people and the outside world, and faced tremendous hardship year in and year out on very little income available from her cows.

The public initially rallied around, sent good wishes and fund, but inevitably as her human interest story fell by the wayside and she was soon forgotten.

That interest was rekindled in 1989 when a second documentary was made about her, effectively thereafter planting her as a curio in unfamiliar surroundings; out of context (in London and abroad) and so relayed as the oddity in a highly sociological, fast-paced, mechanised world.

But the fact remains that she from 1961 to the mid 1990s (when as an aged lady sought phsyical relief), she for34 years did everything by herself for herself through the bitterest winters with only realistically her dogs and cattle to keep her company, as she broke ice over the stream to fetch water when the old well had ceased to operate.

But her wholesome spirit and innocent wide-eyedness of a very confined life never failed, and her innate being was clearly that of absolute goodness; very likely because her suffering made her modest, recognising the fine line between living, mere existence and the real possibility of death in mid-winter.

Yet her wonderment of nature kept her heart and mind pure.

Passing at the age of 91, Hannah Hauxwell embodied and demonstrated to Britain what a Tower of Strength and Deep Well of Fortitude actually looks like in human, and possibly angelic, form.

Happy New Year to a lady who presumably now sits far higher than the highest reaches of those New Year's Eve fireworks.

Prescient Message for the 'Holy-Days'

Christmas is upon us, and all faiths in the Western world welcome an all too short reprieve from the utter madness of modern life

For the vast majority, everyday society has become the antithesis of the Xmas message, many too busy or absorbed to dissect the social machinations of the so called civilised world; both people and media generated, and often intermingled that keeps many within a state of worry and concern.

“Kick a dog, and it bites another dog” is the old, nasty but true adage. One that re-directs blame away from the source of true responsibility, to ferment blame, distrust and hatred within society for the social disinfrachisement experienced by differing groups.

[NB unfortunately, and all too ironically the only thing that aligns cross-group ethnic interests is money, whether legally or illegally obtained; the two sometimes merged and blurred].

That broad social anguish has transmuted into the rise of Popularism and Nationalism, that seeks to blame 'The Other' (ie the immigrant), when infact the woes of a nation should be laid squarely at the feet of past and present governments; not at those who sought better lives, often go without and fulfil jobs in which they work twice as hard.

It has always been incompetent economic planning – resulting in 'boom and bust' and 'great recessions' – together with a lack of old 'pull-together' values and consequential raised consciosness, that is at the root of fermented hatred toward 'The Other'.

[NB The only righteous exception that justifies dislike, when one ethnic group undertakes an unprompted social-war against a single individual or small group; typically for economic reasons so as to displace for their own ends. Such antagonists tend to think themselves clever via their methods, when in fact transparent and cumbersome; the ways of  what we today label as 'problem children'...little alters for the perceptions of such low IQ people, even decades after leaving school; which is sad for society at large].

Instead of working together, for the greater good, different interests are set against eachother; right versus left, indigenous versus immigrants, the two sexes, different generations; each side rationalises reasons to blame.

The result; fragmented fearful peoples awaiting new hope.

Internal discomfort, leads not toward enlightenment education, objective reasoning, honest debate and fairness, but instead eventually a 'zero-sum' game across society, where the naïve “suckers” who play by the rules of decency are 'led down garden paths' by a host of opportunitsts; from false prophets spouting 'Isms' to confidence tricksters saying they can turn a pot of pennies into a pot of gold.

[NB The collective Christmas Club fund the archetypal con-trick at this time of year, and seen virtually each decade. The typically poorer members of society put money aside throughout the year, only to see their collected and so sizeable Christmas present monies disappear along with those they thought they could depend upon. The disgusting aspect being that their 'friend' who convinced them to do so, remains with them after the scam so as to appear innocent, but all too often in league with the perpetrators].

We now live in a society where it is openly stated that inter-personal relations more than ever consist of “game”. (A deplorable euphemism for socially sanctioned manipulation to obtain an end). Whether that be 'playing' the shop-assistant for a refund on a once-worn party dress, or the abject untruths imparted upon prospective romantic partner, picked not because of who they are, but what they have or socially represent. Or far darker group aligned actions even within a family to marginalise and financially disinfranchise a person under a veneer of supposed 'Love' (Actually).

Christmas should be a time to escape the social lunacy, not become ever more embroiled in it; or even worse actually perpetuate it.

Whether religious, a partial believer or wholly agnostic, it should be a time for personal reflection, of what to do to become a better person - whether Christian / Muslim / Hindu etc. Not simply a time to act out the consumerist fantasy realm of the perfectly dressed, decorated and theatrical 'bauble-laiden' Christmas.

It all costs, often far more than many people can in realistically afford. And often people will 'rationalise' that if governments and companies can operate of vast piles of credit, why shouldn't their teenager get the latest e-gadget or a designer item thanks to the 'maxing-out' their credit card? And hey, the online discount e-code voucher means they are saving money doesn't it?!

Why bother to help secure a child's future-life with a savings plan and lesser presents, when 'the in thing' can be bought now for immediate gratification, and the grand-parents are good for a large sum when they depart. That's the modern mentality of even many middle-aged; who have never held themselves to true self-responsibility.

Capitalism is still part-broken in the West – concerning so in Europe, tracts of the UK and even in the USA with the large 'sub-prime' loan book on Autos.

And the real concern is what next to actually generate value and wealth for the many?

The Populism and Nationalism we see is merely a reaction, not a solution. Real solutions are needed far beyond the emotional rhetoric of 'string-up the globalist bankers' and 'close the borders', and a belief in one political camp or the other.

Proper, sound and meaningful socio-economic plans are needed to be seen and activated to rebalance an innately discredited modern model of Western Capitalism; that has failed its peoples. Liberal Capitalism moved Eastward 3 decades ago and was seen to be profoundly transformative for EM peoples, simply because it re-ran the 20^th century Western model anew elsewhere.

But for many, it appears to have “run-out of steam” in the West, and the profits and dividends are not being fairly, let alone evenly, spread.

Capitalism (and its personal gains amongst the then true 'liberal elite') once funded the Applied sciences, conceptualised, engineered and built machinary, erected factories for such machinary, constructed hundreds of miles of canals and railways, provided new much improved housing and hospitals. Elements that transformed Western society; for the good of all.

Today the worst of capitalism see billions plowed into a myriad start-up ventures, in the hope that one in one-hundred make it big (and so billions lost). Or channelled to cult-like leaders with 'disruptive dreams' who promote themselves as nigh on the next Massiah. Or directed toward the transformation of sectors and conglomerates through divestment and spin-offs, some worthy and value-adding, some simply 'blue-book' fee-taking schemes for savvy bankers who know how to cajole naïve board members seeking the ideal of 'unlocking value'.

Never as now, has capitalism needed better direction, and truly strong socio-economic PESTEL pivot-points upon which to leverage itself.

The 'Internet of Things' may appear to be a transformative pillar – making the everyday e-enabled – but far more must be done in re-designing the fundamental structures of our everyday.

[NB readers may remember my previously described and illustrated example per society's 'mobile infrastructure', with a radical yet rationally evolved transformation of Emergency Service Vans (Police, Ambulance, Fire, Specialist). Wherein designed-in high-value functionality is carried over in the Modular 'Pod' format (that becomes the central idiom) not the chassis architecture and propulsion units. It was a call for 'future-proofed' functional flexibility that generates new industry sub-sectors.].

At the social level, whether or not 'Brexit' (and maybe even 'Frexit') succeeds, Western countries will need to look beyond the unfortunate emergence of self-centric Tribalism.

(NB In this regard the French, with the unity of the peaceful (ie not Parisienne) Rural 'Gilets Jaunes' appear to see the bigger picture of social cohesion; something that many in Britain appear to reject).

Brexit means looking beyond Europe and toward the Rest of the World; from Africa to Indonesia. And whilst large pockets of that new opportunity are obviously Christian – USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Russia and variously in Africa; but much of it wholly unChristian and non-white: 'Yellow, Brown and Black' (in order of regional potential').

This the true irony of an inward looking Britain and its concern for regained independenace via New Nationalism.

Thus Britain must simultaneously operate as Britons: English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish and also as true Internationalists.

The outcome possibly an even greater schism in the country, where the locals as small private business concerns operate grown and larger local economies within their counties and so obviously trade within the Realm.

But there must also be the Internationalists; and they will inevitably be drawn from cultures that reflect those of the Other countries with which to trade: the BRICs, MINTs and CIVETS.

Given the economic decimation of much of the country, from rural to even inner cities, “Britain for the British” is an understandable reaction.

But this Christmas, remember that the Cross of St George, within the Union Flag and Union Jack, derives from a character whose own roots stretch deep into the 'Middle-Orient'; a Saint for both Christians and Muslim. Infact, likely adopted by Christians from Muslims during The Crusades, so as to convert those within the sphere of influence of Christian coastal fortresses.

As the human origin and manifestation of the George Cross, Saint George has become an icon amongst those of the far right; who for many emerged as the voice of the over-looked and unheard – for very good reason - and inevitably reside within the 'dog bites dog' atmosphere that stems from long drawn-out hard times, blame upon the Other, and the hope for better times.

Those better times will only come from far better directed Capitalism, and will only come from maximisation of meaninful industry, services and trade both across County borders inside the UK and across Country borders far beyond.

Economic growth and social improvement depends upon not just leaders but the common-folk too. All powerful leaders throughout history, no matter how latterly depicted, knew this to be true.

It is infact incumbant upon the common man and woman to be as equally responsible for their own conduct and contributions, as that of their leaders....to invest in themselves for their own futures: spiritually, educationally and financially.

The game of 'noughts and crosses' may well result in a 'zero-sum' outcome; but the national and global game of Crosses, Crescents and many other Signifiers besides depends upon fairness, honesty and decency; and not under-handed, self-serving tribalism, hypocracy and deceit.

The West is in a prime position to once again conceptually change the face of human existence through new imagined and created futures.

But it will take far better and visionary Business Management at the sector and corporate level, and far better Portfolio Management and business interaction at the Institutional level to do so.

“Merry Christmas” to one and all..... from the Battersby's of North Yorkshire to the Watanabe's of Northern Yamanashi.

And remember, whether atheist or faithful-follower or anything between.... never make money your religion....since you will not own it.... but it will own you.

The fixation about money is the true lunacy of the modern age.

Macro-Level Trends – Reducing Automotive 'Socialised Costs' – Breaking-Down the Interdisciplinary (Crash) Barriers at MIRA, AAAM and Beyond

The last heavily moralistic web-log message of war remembrance deliberately utilised the initials of AAAM (An Alternative Armistice Message). Since mentioned here, done so not by chance, given the initials of an organisation called AAAM : the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine.

The fatally injured and life-long injured of war 'stand' (yet often sit) as both social reminders of events, yet also as modern-day social heroes; precisely because of the socialised 'fight the good fight' origins of their carried injuries.

Yet those killed or seriously injured as the result of a road accident are not similarly regarded by society; they all too often appear in the public consciousness as merely 'statistics' or as 'unfortunates'.

Perhaps the only exemption being a psuedo-hero status of the motorcycle rider, whether or not reflective of their own circumstances and reality, regarded as daring rebels of the road and so with some caché given the overtones of the Isle of Man TT.

(This year the name Dan Kneen added to the list of 260 lost road warriors since 1907)

Whether from war or road accident, those devastatingly injured require re-rehabilitation, itself different degrees of both physical and mental. The most robust individuals appear to 'come through'; though always mentally altered to some extent; even if a constant brave face endures.

Physical injuries sustained both then and now, range across a wide spectrum: from loss of limbs to facial reconstruction, organ transplants, bone reconstruction with mechanical fixings, to tissue and skin grafting.

Whilst the mental ranges from truly life altering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and subsequent mental collapse, to in mid-stages the desire for revenge upon the enemy or the world at large for what has been endured. This stemming from the desire to emotionally transfer the depth of personal suffering to others, to gain an almost impossible shared experience and understanding that results from such deep suffering.

Within the military, even with complex training regimes, once separated from the military environment, the typical soldier cannot easily come to terms with the impacted reality of heavy warfare and its effect upon (typically) himself. For all the support and mutual bonding of fellow soldiers life is irrevocably different; especially when returned to 'Civvy Street'.

Whilst in civilian society at itself, there may be an equal (or infact even greater) argument to state that victims of severe road traffic accidents – who themselves are physically and mentally changed as a result – have a greater nightmare to live through. As a notionally normal, typically comfortable life – expanded by the freedom provided by vehicles - alters into what at worst feels to be utter physical dependency on others.

For all its profound improvements to life throughout the 20^th century, the car in the 21^st century has become increasingly demonised in society; primarily because of emissions pollution and grid-lock and obviously as carriers of death and destruction when portrayed in the worst light.

Thanks to across the board improvements in road-planning, driver training, vehicle design and road-traffic accident medical response and hospital capabilities, the experience of Developed Nations has been the ability to off-set the explosion of 20^th century vehicle use with a general trending decrease in the numbers of killed and seriously injured.

The accompanying graph is extracted straight from Wikipedia and illustrates the UK trend-line of those killed between 1926 and 2016.

By 1926 Britain had become a much mechanised society, the internal combustion engine changing the face of not just urban and rural roads but the broader countryside. Though by then dominant, ICE powered vehicles, from motorcycle to the small 3-wheeler Runabout to the AEC truck or bus, were simply another layer of road transport complexity; ontop of well established steam-driven giants, electric trams, the remnants of the horse-drawn and of course the plethora of bicycles. By the 1920s shared roadways were essentially semi-controlled chaos and thus unsurprisingly the statistics of 4,886 deaths conveys such.

That figure rose dramatically over the next 15 years, largely as the result of the rise of vehicle ownership. All too ironically, though many private cars had to be de-commissioned through the War, the death toll peaked in in 1941 at 9,169, because of pedestrians', cyclists' and drivers' inability to see each other consequential from the 'black-out' requirements specified upon motor vehicles; so as not to be seen by enemy bombers in the skies.

[NB In Europe, the use of the wartime 'letter-box' lamp-covers led to the vehicle manufacturers' adoption of low intensity “side-lights” after the war, which became standard use for many right up until the late 1970s; and avoiding the irritating glare (and light pollution) that has become so common today]

Death figures plunged between 1941 and 1950 to 5,000. People had became both used to heavier traffic conditions and had become more road aware. Whilst the re-popularisation of the private car on still antiquated road networks, led to road-network over-load, and the effective slowing-down of average speeds.

That trend would unfortunately reverse between 1950 and 1966 as car ownership expanded seemingly almost exponentially in the boom years and the young took to the road on 2, 3 and 4 motorised wheels. A mix of new roads (from dual carriage ways to By-Passes), increased vehicle speed capabilities, the glamorisation of speed (via personalities from Donald Campbell's 'Bluebird' to Marlon Brando's Triumph Thunderbird to Stirling Moss's Mercedes SLR to Audrey Hepburn's 'Pagoda' SL in 'Two for the Road' ) relayed an almost socialised need for a generation of young men, and some women, to prove themselves aswell as the inevitable rise of less obviously blame-worthy accidents. So for all the careful safety orientated new road-planning, a mix of testosterone on public road 'race-tracks', the inevitability of the much increased national 'car parc', and cars designed for production volumes and performance at a price – and not safety - meant a steep climb in death over those 2 decades.

However, that trend-line declined again – consistently so - between 1966 and 1998. It was obvious that even with still expanding car ownership and usage, the enormous focus upon safety - from many quarters - was having a very positive effect upon statistical improvement. From the professionalisation of driver-training, to the adoption of 'cats eyes' and 'deformable barriers', the increased demands of MOTs, advancement of vehicle body crumple-zones, the legal necessity of seat belt use , introduction of the breathalyser and that of speed-cameras, and ever more passive and reactive vehicle technologies: from anti-roll bars (in suspension geometry) to the gradual adoption of anti-skid ABS (in brake callipers) to interior fitment 'air-bags'.

It all meant the devils of injury and death were being better contained by society. By 1998, about 3,400 people had been killed that year.

The trend flat-lined between 1998 – 2004, as the result of a balance of increased miles driven in an economic boom period of high vehicle sales, with the potential greater number crashes off-set by the broadened application of better technologies in newer vehicles.

2004 – 2010 saw another marked decrease in deaths, from 3,400 to 2,000. This partially the result of continued new road-planning regimes enabled by bloated local government debt (such as policy-slowed urban rat-runs for children). And the more rapid update (ie newness) of the UK 'car parc' given the widespread application of all-inclusive 3 year lease-contracts on new cars; which itself provided for an increase in the pace of installed safety technologies as standard expectations in even small cars. This process itself sped-up thanks to the recognition and popularity of the Euro NCAP vehicle rating system; which became central to manufacturers' marketing.

And 2010 – 2016 saw another flat-line, this flattered by the result of both fewer miles driven (over the long recession period) and the real-world affect of high-content, standard-fit, safety tech across virtually the whole of the UK's modern vehicles.

That then is broadly the UK's story, which - with specific locational exceptions – is also largely applicable to Europe and the USA. In effect the Developed Countries' story.

But what of the EM regions?

Thankfully because of greater global economic and so consumer alignment – 'the global convergence' – today both AM and EM regions new cars come far better equipped (though to varying degrees with primary (ie accident avoidance) and secondary (accident reactive) safety systems.

But inevitably even new cars have different specifications dependant upon specific in-market characteristics that encompasses much : from price/cost to culture to regulatory demands; so as to provide for affordability, the manufacturer's profit margin and thus toward an expanding vehicle market to aid travel, communication, infrastructure investment and so private and public generated national economic expansion.

Yet many lower order EM countries in Asia, the CIS states, Africa and South America, because of less stable economies will often have a large 'grey-market' import basis in their good years. Which inevitably deploys a span of more aged vehicles of varying condition that range from the near new and well-maintained, to generally run-down to virtual death traps.

The best governments instil the lessons learned from the West regards rationalised and safety enhanced road planning, though usually in a very fundamental, basic manner per traffic management and flow. Yet still natives will philosophically and physically by-pass what they see as their contained new freedom on 2, 3, 4 or more wheels.

To any rational and globally aware person the road transport sights of much of the 2^nd and 3^rd world is both highly theatrical, absorbing and yet also deeply concerning.

Hence whilst the BRICs and CIVETS countries have been seen to slowly improve road infrastructure planning and creation to cope with the increase in vehicle numbers, as seen from the Youtube uploads of in-car cameras, there is still a massive disparity in road-use habits and culture across drivers, riders and pedestrians between EM and DM countries.

As the vehicles themselves become ever more 'safe', the very mentality of road users must likewise be improved dramatically – done so via public information films and the law - to avoid the high number of deaths caused by testosterone-fuelled and ego-fuelled drivers of all ages given the EM's greater proclivity of social stratification (ie 'status'), itself closely related to competitive ego (in men and women).

Developed countries and their governments – even today with stagnant and declining 'car parcs' of their own - will continue to seek to ensure a decline in the social and personal impact of road traffic accidents; especially so with the social push toward cycling and walking, so exposing more people to possibilities of road traffic accidents.

[NB given a strong focus on the need to better categorise road accident statistics, and the emergence of a large fraudulent road accident claim culture amongst petty criminals, the old term RTA has been expanded to include RTI: road traffic incident].

And what of the future?

For the past decade the concept of totally automated vehicle mobility has been a central theme of technology and broad media; deliberately broadcast so as to push the advancement of such technologies and their social acceptance.

As many have come to know, the accepted SAE definitions of automated driving spans across 5 levels : from basic assistance (such as predictive braking) at Level One, through to Level Five of complete automation (ie collection and delivery of the passenger without any driver interaction of vehicle propulsion and steering systems). Levels 3 and 4 are rightly contentious (requiring the irrational paradox of driver awareness whilst relaxing or otherwise engaged, without vehicle control, so as to intercede per a possible accident – a ridiculous 'no-man's land' and 'danger-space' in the real world).

At a truly achievable Level 5, the concept eventually leads to the notional concept of the physically and mentally all encompassing 'Cocoon'. Wherein a totally safety orientated vehicle and safety shell and interior provides for n insular environment in which to relax, sleep, entertain or work. It means the automated travelling adult becomes euphemistically 'cotton-wool wrapped' to become absorbed in their own mental-space, as s/he is transported

But any such possible outcome, beyond testing 'pilot' sites, is still many years away given the technology, infrastructure, policy and social acceptance complications of such a dreamt utopian 'sci-fi' vision

In the meantime, governments around the world must seek to protect their citizens from their own and others' road-going stupidity and carelessness.

And vitally, seek to improve the lives of those physically and mentally affected by the life-changing consequences of road traffic accidents.

One major platform within the socio-economic promotion of the recent past has been renewed fascination and resurgence of the 'Life Sciences'; now recognised as a high potential growth arena, devolved from Sports Sciences and increasingly directed toward e-tech consumer culture.

The rapid rise from the analogue ratchet-counted 'step-o-metre' to the iPhone enabled bio-diagnostic App has been astounding. The market for shaping consumer consciousness and providing solutions to that new awareness has grown enormously; as seen by the myriad of Start-Up, Venture Capital and Large Cap Company investments in this field.

There are profits to be made that satiates the health concerns of an increasingly phsyio-educated and so health conscious public – even if the real level of true medical education as opposed to 'medicised marketing' be relatively scant.

This emergent 'medi-tech' backdrop has its positive ripples spanning beyond the health anxieties of the average person.

It puts renewed focus upon the broader societal concerns regards public health.

That concern though has wavered over the decades and centuries. 

Migrating from the auditorium dissection tables of the 18^th century, and the dis-proving of 'miasma theory' regards spread infection, to in the late 19^th century the likes of Florence Nightingale, John Snow and Charles Booth and their vital use of statistics as geographically wide apart as both the theatre of war in The Crimea and London's Theatre-land and surrounding districts so as to track and locate the origins of disease, its causes, and the environmental specifics.

In the 19^th century, it moved into the formalised laboratory using the advancement of biology and chemistry with researchers such as Pasteur, Fleming, and the Curies. Research fields expanded to span a myriad of disciplines from Biochemistry to Zoology after recognition of Darwin's truisms about shared origins of species (as well known by those in distant antiquity given the similarity of skeletal and organ structures of mammals). But now taken further to encompass the biological breakdowns of divergent applications. Such as that of Keratin, spanning from the fragility of human finger-nails to toughness of rhino horns, to the massive spectrum of various animals' electrically governed bio-chemical nervous system, from human heart beats to the high voltage electric eel.

In the 20^th century the names of famous transplant surgeons such as Barnard, or the ground-breaking research of Crick, Watson and Wilkins per the unravelling of DNA, became public debate.

And in the 21^st century, the renewed focus on external and internal applications of bio-mechanics, ranging from improved vascular blood-flow valves to limb replacement prosthetics; together with a broadened approach to materials sciences and unrejected metals, plastics and composites.

That has opened up a new world of 'grown bio-materials' which can be sourced from Stem cells and formed around specific and cell-recognisable 'scaffolds' into known and yet discovered body replacement parts, ranging from ball-and -socket joints to possibly wholly grown organs.

Bio-engineering reflecting the advancements made in molecular engineering by the likes of Rolls-Royce Aero and its singular crystalline fan blade. If aeronautical parts can be grown in a lab, on this basis, why might not 'scaffold theory' work for at least some physiological replacement items? Though perhaps not all.

However, beyond the 'amazing science' stories, less publicised are the efforts of researchers in the specific research field of vehicle accident analysis.

Whilst after WW2, Britain and America had been testing the human limits regards aeronautical and space travel (specifically the effect of high 'G' applications) with test pioneers such as Beeding and Stapp, and the US Auto industry had long undertaken roll-over and cliff-drop tests to check body strength, in the USA, the realm of disciplined automotive crash research did not start until the mid 1950s using cadavers, animals and some live volunteers. Those methods soon replaced by anthropometrically devised 'crash-test dummies'.

These spanning a wide evolution from the initial 'Sierra Sam' to the latest Hybrid III and THOR model variations for different age ranges.

In Britain, such human-centric research work did not commence until 1968.

That year the research work of MIRA (the Motor Industry Research Association) was expanded under government edict to include vehicle crash outcomes on not only the vehicle structure, but also for the “human component” (ie the effect on adults, later children and eventually including babies).

The initial efforts regards 'head-on' crash tests were later followed by 'rear impact', 'partial off-set' test and later side-impact tests; akin to the USA.

Gradually, the learning from such testing started to become ever better structured, designed and complex. Feedback to the packaging engineers, structural engineers, interior engineers, trim and hardware engineers and electrical engineers providing a positive feedback loop to vehicle manufacturers for each successive new generation platform and model type.

But what of humans themselves?

Quite obviously, the 'live guinea-pig' efforts of Beeding and Stapp could not be morally replicated even by a willing participant. Thus, as seen, the technical sophistication of Crash-Test Dummies gradually increased to better reflect the 50th (and other) percentiles groups of Euro-centric humans at different age ranges (per height, body-type and mass). Leading to the Hybrid III 'model family'.

[NB since 2015 the auto-centric Hybrid III has itself influenced the evolution of 'WIAMan' (the Warrior Injury Assessment Mannequin), as created by the US Army, to replicate direct blast effects upon various vehicle 'hull' designs (flat-bottomed and sacrificial to V-hull)

Within the automotive realm, these ATD's (anthropometric test devices) now sit under global regulations for specification, but their evolutional path was arguably slow, given the schism between complexity and costs of testing for participant manufacturers, and the fact that for years they sought the issue of vehicle crash was best avoided so as not to spoil the automotive fantasy dream-scape that had been moulded into the minds of buyers through TV and showrooms.

Hence it was not until the mid 1990s – and the fear-effect of SUV roll-over stories and that of the original Smart Car and Mercedes A-Class – did the public become directly concerned and influenced by the issue of safety testing and performance ratings.

But, as seen with THOR's development progress, much depends upon the health of the auto-industry itself to pay for and progress new advances in crash testing itself. With economic recessions comes the typical hiatus in testing development, and also inevitably the closure of the specialist firm manufacturing the 'dummies'. And so today, as the result of this niche sector's previous bankruptcies and acquisitions, Humanetics and DentonATD are the providers of THOR

Given that real-world crash-testing is so expensive (inevitably priced within a new platform programme) and research laboratories wish to expand their own services, both manufacturers and crash-research labs have long explored the usefulness and limitations of Computer Aided Testing.

To this end, Britain's MIRA bought Creative Automotive Design Consultancy in 2003, two years after having been formally structured as a limited company; though actually seeking a non-profit basis so as to recycle fees back into the business over the next decade.

Yet this only one side of the Accident Research story; the precursive element that seeks to avoid and reduce road crash consequences.

There is obviously the counterpoint...

The world of anatomical / phsysiological, that deals with the very humanistic side, and so the medical research realm.

And within this are both a limited number of Medical Research bodies, and dedicated specialist equipment and instruments required within that field.

With this appreciation and vision of how to advance beyond the research and service limitations of 3-D CAD testing, it was the strategic imperative of Japanese firm HORIBA to purchase MIRA three years ago; to coalesce the Test and Modelling regimes with greater directly human-centric medical research, analysis and discipline advancement.

HORIBA designs and manufactures a wide range of research items related to Automotive Research and Development, Process Monitoring, Environmental Monitoring, In-Vitro Medical Diagnostics, Metrology, Semi-Conductor Manufacturing and and various Quality Control instruments.

Obviously it saw MIRA as a high value, very niche, 'bolt-on' asset to expand its spectrum of core business streams. And believes that a highly synergistic in-house economic eco-system can be both strengthened and expanded.

Beyond this, we enter the realm of true Anatomical and Biological Research.

This is the realm of AAAM : the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine.

It was established to act as the research hub for true medical professionals (not the pseudo-kinds abound today in broad society) to gain better insights into the medical perspective of the wide spectrum of vehicle related issues; from cognitive abilities of drivers in various stress inducing situations, to the need for global standards regards recognition and identification of transport related injuries.

That latter topic has been the central focus for a decade, through to the now increasingly recognised AIS (Abbreviated Injury Scale) and ISS (Injury Severity Score).

As its website states...”the AIS provides standardized terminology to describe the injuries and ranks injuries by severity. Current AIS users include: health organisations for clinical trauma management, outcome evaluation....motor vehicle crash investigators, and researchers for epidemiological studies and systems development”.

Epidemiology is the research base that seeks to gain insights into fundamental patterns of public health. It's prime concerns being sound methodology, sound basis of data collection and sound formulation of resulting hypothesis. As such, analysis and conclusions are typically statistically communicated and so the discipline itself represents the latest evolutionary path first trodden by the likes of Florence Nightingale, John Snow and Charles Booth.

Just as a motor vehicle is a multi-systems based machine, so through the eyes of a physician is the human body. From the electro-chemical impulses that govern the nervous system, to the reaction processes within each sphere of the brain, to lung and heart capacities, to bone density, to muscle strength, and so much more.

So although hardly appreciated, human beings in their most basic interpretation are sentient organic machines. And it has been this very perspective of 'bio-system-engineering' that has allowed for the research and advances made by humankind; from Leonardo da Vinci's secretive anatomical dissections frowned upon by the church for its Enlightenment learning, to the latest efforts to match non-rejection materials with bone, tissue and organs.

But this is about as far as the broad systems comparison may go; the philosophical perspective.

Since for all the manufacturers' efforts to imbue more humanistic qualities (such as digital-PA voices, soft-touch buttons and cushioned interiors, the inorganic and computer-enabled vehicle is still the polar opposite of the organic and highly sentient human being.

The old phrase “oil / petrol in the blood” is only metaphoric, even if boy and girl street and track racers believe themselves to be extensions of their machines; or vice versa.

And given this reality, as much research and development work should and must continue in the enormously broad discipline of Transport Crash Research.

From the optimal seat designs and hi-concept escape methods of aeroplanes, to real-world wearable technology solutions for bicycle-riders.

Thus, the very notion of 'Vehicle Medicine' should be accepted and expanded.

So that the Research Institutions, Vehicle Manufacturers and Tier1 systems designers, can alike devise better Primary and Secondary Safety systems. And so likewise, the Medical Fraternity, from Ambulance Squad to Rehabilitation Specialist, can better treat the instances and results of physical and mental trauma...inevitably abound from higher and high-speed accidents; that the human body was hardly evolved to withstand.

All inevitably increasingly monitored by, and reliant upon, the rapidly emergent discipline of meaningful (not techno-marketing) bio-metrics.

Those who have been unfortunate enough to have been involved in heavy transport accidents, whether typically on land (or from the air) are rarely ever the same person again, even if it appears so.

And whilst the personality types of true heroes such as 'air-ace' Douglas Barder or racing driver Billy Monger, might jokingly see the 'upsides' of lost limbs, such as reduced driver weight and reduced potential for injury in any possible future crash; all is just dark-humour to cope from within.

Thankfully for years through disability driver schemes, the standard car has long been lightly to heavily modified to enable disabled drivers to take to the road, and done so without the stigma of the light-blue 3 wheeled 'Disability Carriages', last seen in the early 1980s here in the UK.

And thankfully the very stigma of disability and disabled driving has long-eroded from the public consciousness; the largely broader and more sensitive minds of the public recognising that 'people are just people' in whatever shape or form. Ironically increasingly seeing the application of bio-engineering solutions (eg titanium prosthetics and carbon fibre 'blades') upon the human form as imbuieing that person with super-human 'hybrid' status.

And TV programmes like Channel 4's 'The Last Leg' have done much to create general acceptance and so normalisation of physical disability; from multiple amputees to thalidomide affected adults to palsy sufferers and so much more.

And that is good news.

But road accidents are no laughing matter, for either the individual or society at large.

Servicing the effects of the aftermath (and other general disabilities) has created an economic eco-system of its own; from private rehabilitation centres, to mobility aids, to car and van modification 'coachbuilders'.

It is an ever expanding economic sphere that can and should be spread around the world; especially so to EM countries via governmental inter-trade initiatives.

[NB Let us remember, that it was in-part, Franklin D Roosevelt's humble offer of his wheelchair to King Ibn Saud that allowed the US access to the middle-eastern oil-fields].

But it is highly unlikely that such disability entrepreneurs are 'laughing all the way to the bank'; since many have experienced the heartache personally and so been drawn into the commercialised service of the lesser able.

But as the EM regions and world continues to take to 2, 3, 4 and more wheels in their own search of freedom and status aspiration; so the breadth of Healthcare and the Bio-Sciences connected to the automotive world will multiply.

Hopefully so in a direct proportion of a reduction in worldwide vehicle accident rates and consequentially shattered lives.

Let the dire lived realities of those who are remembered in the previous 'An Alternative Armistice Message' inform and improve the lives of those today who find themselves physically and mentally altered by (on a travel-distance logged basis) the increasingly rare major transport accident.

Since human physiology will hardly evolve at a pace, the 'unnaturally' fast machines that rapidly traverse road, rail, sky and sea, must, as standard practice include in their development, greater crash research analysis, at vehicle and human levels, and critically their intersect. And of course the aftermath effects of crash trauma, treatment and after-care services.

The vital realms sit between (wo)man and machine.....vehicle crash-testing and physiological / psychological human-repair.

An Alternative Armistice Message

If you partake in the latter you deserve the former.

Never forget those who fell, and what they fought for.

Nor the lives of those dramatically changed by harrowing events and experiences; and the loss of their loved ones.

This seen on even the home-front.

From the loss of food-convoy merchant seamen born and bred in the likes of Milford Haven, with a last imaginary kiss from their own 'bomb-shell' blonde taped to their bunkbeds; to the perennially exhausted locomotive stokers, steaming through a thousand little towns like the latterly imagined 'Milford Junction', dreaming of their own 'brief encounter' with wives, girlfriends or new loves, yet to come.

And the 'never to return' heroines of the ATA who ferried their craft not across safe waterways, but the lonely and exposed skies, looking down upon church bells and up into the heavens; with only a good luck charm to see them safely through.

So, at time when much of the UK still needs social healing; let the best aspects of  those who endured those dark days be not merely remembered, but serve as true inspiration.

They would be dumb-founded at modern society and the deluded arrogance of self-styled "heroes" whose lives are merely a comfortable patchwork of 'Isms' and misdirected anger, so far removed from the true inner-strength of the real 'Rosie the Riveter' or 'Trenchline Tommy".

May the true heroes and heroines all rest in peace.

And let modern Britons understand precisely why it was fractured societies and civil unrest across Europe that led to the atrocities that happened.

Don't be led by 'Ism's'....just be led by decency and fairness for one and all.