Monthly Archives: July 2010

The Sound of Silence – A cyclist’s utopia

Posted on July 21, 2010 by

I was standing at a traffic light the other day waiting for the lights to change. I was alone and there was no traffic. I shut my eyes for a moment and apart from a bit of wind there was … Continue reading →

Posted in bicycles | 3 Comments

A little podcast – Elements 116/118

Posted on July 14, 2010 by

I’ve done a couple more podcasts for the Royal Society of Chemistry’s “Chemistry in its Element” series. The latest one to go online is about the mysterious elements 116 and 118. What the hell can one write about two elements … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic Kit, elements, stories | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

David Mitchell’s Take on Dealing with Climate Change

Posted on July 9, 2010 by

Dealing with climate change isn’t fun….. Continue reading →

Posted in carbon, climate change | Leave a comment

The Black Secrets of an Academic

Posted on July 8, 2010 by

I had to travel to Edinburgh recently to go to a meeting for a research council. We won’t say which or what it was about. It was rather a pain – Edinburgh is, after all, 400 miles north of here … Continue reading →

Posted in carbon footprint, climate change, funding | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Bicycle maintenance

Posted on July 5, 2010 by

It’s Tour de France time, and inspired by the hype, as well as the fact that my poor Marin was shifting like a garbage truck it was time to take it in for a service. Chain, cassette, a bit of … Continue reading →

Posted in bad science, bicycles | 2 Comments

Science Porn?

Posted on July 1, 2010 by

I was called up by Radio 2 today – the Simon Mayo show – to ask whether I’d be prepared to do a live “interview” to explain what “proof” means when referring to spirits, as opposed to ABV (alcohol by … Continue reading →

Posted in public science, Uncategorized | 1 Comment