23 February 2014
by wpAdmin
0 comments
We had a work party after church and I took the opportunity to do some follow up on the ladybirds project. I’ve swept the first floor room in the bell tower and removed the accumulated collection of dead insects, which … Continue reading
21 February 2014
by wpAdmin
0 comments
I was interested in this TED video – my colleagues work in similar fields: For me, one of the most fascinating discoveries (not in this talk but from some of the open seminars at work) is that, even without adding … Continue reading
4 February 2014
by wpAdmin
1 Comment
Apparently all the ladybirds in my sample from the St Clement’s bell tower were examples of the harlequin type. These are a species that has recently “invaded” and is displacing and destroying native species. It was only a sample of … Continue reading
28 January 2014
by wpAdmin
0 comments
This week, I’ve been helping the cause of science by taking pictures of dead ladybirds: The bell tower at St Clement’s is liberally carpeted with tiny corpses. They must fly in and expire; since the tower is rarely used (and … Continue reading
27 June 2013
by wpAdmin
0 comments
Earlier this year, we visited Botnant Garden in North Wales. It was fascinating; it is a shame it isn’t local enough for regular return trips. The Laburnum arch must have been stunning: we have been much more aware of laburnums … Continue reading
11 June 2013
by wpAdmin
0 comments
I saw an interesting story on the New Scientist RSS feed yesterday: Artworks highlight legal debate over ‘abandoned’ DNA. An artist in New York is collecting cigarette butts and other trash from which DNA can be extracted. This is then … Continue reading
10 October 2012
by wpAdmin
0 comments
I had one of those delightful things last night: a free evening. I took the opportunity to carry out a couple of kitchen experiments. The first one was using my bread machine only as an oven rather than a mixer. … Continue reading
2 March 2012
by wpAdmin
1 Comment
It is easy to take basic kitchen skills for granted but can rewarding to revisit them. I recently came across Heston Blumenthal’s method for soft boiled eggs and gave it a try this morning. My standard approach has been to … Continue reading
10 January 2012
by wpAdmin
0 comments
Several things from my childhood get clustered round the idea that I was about eight-ish. One of them was a fantastic trip to visit relatives in Canada. Another was acute appendicitis and a subsequent emergency appendectomy. I swapped my inflamed … Continue reading
5 July 2011
by wpAdmin
0 comments
Okay, not my actual shoulders but ultrasound images of them, including one scan that can generate a 3D model. Working in a medical research department, there are often opportunities to assist in various studies and this one, rolling my sleeves … Continue reading