inspiration

  • It’s about time …

    It’s about time …

    Did you know …  In Great Britain in 1752, Wednesday 2nd September was followed by Thursday 14th September.  In Scotland, 1599 had only nine months.  There have been 25 million minutes since 1972; 27 of them have had 61 seconds rather than the normal 60.  Time feels weird at the moment, during lockdown. Routines are…

  • The Cell … and The Atom

    The Cell … and The Atom

    I was delighted to learn a few weeks ago that my book The Cell, published by the lovely people at Ivy Press, in association with Chicago University Press, is a finalist in the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s ‘Excellence in Science Books Prize’. The other finalists are amazing, so just being picked is a great honour.…

  • Science Made Stupid (in a good way)

    Science Made Stupid (in a good way)

    Today is World Book Day … in the UK at least. Here, it’s held on the first Thursday of March, while the rest of the world celebrates it  on 23 April. Anyway, I have been thinking about some of the books that have inspired me. One of them, which is pertinent to this website and…

  • I am the Edison Phonograph

    I have been fascinated by this 1906 phonograph advertising recording since I first heard it. Just came across it again, and thought I would share it. Click on the play button below to have a listen. Phonograph image courtesy of Norman Bruderhofer, www.cylinder.de.

  • Happy birthday, Dr Snow

    Happy birthday, Dr Snow

    Today (14th March) was Einstein’s birthday (he was born in 1879). It was also pi day – happy pi day (should really be tau day – to understand why, see this great video by the wonderful Vi Hart). But I was most excited because it was the day of publication of my narrative biography of John…

  • Arvind Gupta’s science toys

    Arvind Gupta’s science toys

    Check out this page full of amazing videos of quick, simple, cheap science demonstrations – on the site of Arvind Gupta. They’ll make you want to have a go. You should also check out this page filled with ‘science toys’. According to his profile on TED.com, Arvind Gupta is “an Indian toy inventor and populariser…

  • Tim Minchin, ‘Storm’

    I don’t like to divert people away from my website, but you should really watch this in HD, so click on the ‘YouTube’ button at the bottom of the video frame. I think this piece by the talented, intelligent, rational Tim Minchin is, well, poetry:

  • Incredible inner life of cells …

    Incredible inner life of cells …

    Check out this realistic animation of the action at cellular level – amazing to think this is happening inside you right now. It was produced by scientists at Harvard in 2007, as part of a project called ‘Biovisions‘.   Here’s an embedded YouTube version, but do visit the actual site for a better resolution and…

  • How Flowers Changed the World

    How Flowers Changed the World

    Check out the rather flowery but inspired writing in this account of the evolution of flowers – well worth a read, I think. It was written by Loren Eiseley, who died in 1977. Here’s an extract: “If one could run the story of that first human group like a speeded-up motion picture through a million…