Articles written by Eleanor Scott

What is Helium

About me - Eleanor Scott

I've started writing on Helium because I'm currently at home caring for my baby son, and I'd like to develop a writing career so that I can work flexibly from home.

Until recently I worked as a researcher for a web design agency in London, and before that in

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Is the use of torture as an interrogation technique ever justified?: 1 of 21
The use of torture as an interrogation technique is both unjustified and misguided. Morally, it is a blatant example of expediency: the convenient but erroneous idea that "the end justifies the means", which could be used to justify practically any vile behaviour if it were valid.Legally, interrogation under torture violates ... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Pregnancy Ways to eliminate nausea during pregnancy: 2 of 23
A majority of women suffer from some degree of nausea during pregnancy, particularly in the first 14 weeks. You may just be mildly uncomfortable and "off your food", or at the other extreme you may be so sick you actually have to lie down all day.Firstly, an important note: If you are suffering constantly from really extreme ... More..
Style & Beauty > Style & Beauty (Other) Is real beauty on the outside or the inside?: 24 of 175
At one of the coffee shops I go to sometimes, there is a woman who serves behind the counter who is facially disfigured. I don't know this person at all, but I salute her courage in working in a customer-facing job. I have no idea what happened to her face, but one side is seriously scarred, her mouth is pulled in towards the... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Wedding Planning Tips for avoiding relationship strain while planning a wedding: 2 of 13
You're engaged - congratulations! No doubt you're elated and excited and happy, and if you're the bride-to-be, you're enjoying showing off your beautiful ring to your family and friends. But once the reality starts to sink in, you could also be forgiven for feeling a little nervous about how the two of you are going to cope w... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Pulitzer Center Is the accidental killing of civilians by US forces, in places like Somalia, an unavoidable part of the war on terrorism?: 24 of 115
"We are the folk song army,Every one of us cares;We're against poverty, war and injustice,Unlike the rest of you squares"This was Tom Lehrer's satire on the peace movement of the 1960s - and the point remains valid. Yes, the accidental killing of civilians is, in general, an unavoidable part of war wherever it takes place. Ye... More..
Arts & Humanities > Ancient History Was the philosopher Socrates of Athens a hero?: 4 of 15
Socrates of Athens was more than a hero, more than a genius. He was and is a towering intellectual and spiritual figure. He not only challenged and irrevocably altered the basic assumptions of his contemporaries and his own society, but he left an intellectual and moral legacy which has echoed down the centuries and still res... More..
Relationships & Family > Grief & Loss Death before life: Thoughts on miscarriage: 11 of 33

To suffer a miscarriage is to suffer a very common fate, and yet a mysterious one. It is mysterious partly in the purely medical sense that the particular reasons why a given pregnancy self-terminates are usually unknown. But more than this, it is mysterious because people don't generally talk about it. And as one of the othe... More..
Education > Graduate Studies Deciding whether to finish your Ph.D.: 1 of 3
So, you've spent four years of your life working towards a prestigious higher degree, and now your funding has run out, you're frantically rewriting chapter 1 for the 4th time, the red bills are piling up on your doormat and your adviser has moved to another university and isn't answering your emails.Or maybe you've been gett... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Pregnancy Pros and cons of knowing the sex of your unborn baby: 8 of 23
It always surprises me when pregnant friends tell me they don't want to know the sex of their unborn baby in advance of the birth. I guess some people feel that finding out beforehand is a bit like peeking at their presents before Christmas Day. I personally felt that having a child was such a journey into the unknown that an... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Feeding & Breastfeeding Should women be allowed to breastfeed in public areas?: 38 of 105
I'm faintly appalled that there's any question about whether women should be "allowed" to breastfeed in public. Who is supposed to have the authority to tell me that I am "allowed" or "not allowed" to feed my child in a particular place? And why, indeed, should anyone take exception to something so unremarkable as a baby taki... More..