Celsius 450!

From my Substack diary of Friday, 26th. June 2026

I have more-or-less adapted to temperatures ranging from a middle of the night low of 21 degrees to a middle of the afternoon high of 30+ degrees. I know this because today I feel cool and relatively refreshed, with indoor temperatures down to 24-26 degrees – a temperature I would normally find verging on the uncomfortable. The end of the heatwave is in sight, with a high of only 26 degrees this afternoon and a low during tonight of 17, a considerable improvement over recent days.

Today’s change in temperature – but sadly not humidity – brings to an end my week of inactivity. I will be able to catch up on housework and hopefully on writing. My eyes will be able to focus on the book I am currently reading, perhaps ironically given events, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I had forgotten, or perhaps not previously noticed, how prescient so much of this book was. Despite being published in 1953 much of the writing, such as the lengthy monologue by fire chief Beatty, describes a dysfunctional society where people are essentially sedated by television – which cover entire walls – and a complete absence of books; they are prevented from learning, understanding, knowledge or insight by engaging entirely with banality. The fire brigade no longer put out fires but start them, with the objective of burning every book in existence in order to obliterate knowledge. Replace one or two of the technologies and it could be today’s world of ignorance, alternative realities and stupefying entertainment. 

The primary difference between the book and our experience now is that everyone in 451 believes themselves to be happy as they have been stripped of individuality and government operates in the background with no interference by the people, whereas now the same forces are creating unhappiness and division so the masses fight each other rather than the true cause of their plight. The likes of Trump and Farage are masters of manipulation in this regard and could ultimately achieve the victory of ignorance over knowledge, enabling their Establishment and Billionaire chums to enjoy endless wealth and weird bliss with no impediment from the rest of us – and at our expense to boot. Astonishing. Why so many people fall for it is beyond my understanding.

Incidentally, paper ignites at 842 degrees Fahrenheit and not the 451 Fahrenheit of the book title. Strangely, 842ºF is 450 degrees celsius in the international language of science – weirdly close to Ray Bradbury’s number…