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The Azolla Event: when is a fern not a fern?

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Betelgeuse, Gamow, and a Big Red Horse

There has been a lot of talk recently of Betelgeuse possibly going supernova this century or not...

Climate Change, the Walrus and the Carpenter

I have recently watched two videos on climate change by Sabine Hossenfelder.  The first one...

A Very Large Hadron Collider?

Frontpage image: Illustration of spherical explosion (kilonova) of two neutron stars (AT2017gfo/GW170817)...

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Robert H OlleyRSS Feed of this column.

Until recently, I worked in the Polymer Physics Group of the Physics Department at the University of Reading.

I would describe myself as a Polymer Morphologist. I am not an astronaut,

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Xenokeime aus Deutschland!

Xenokeime aus Deutschland!

Aug 06 2011 | comment(s)

GM bacteria from Germany?  Don’t panic, Captain Mainwaring, we’ve got it all under control!

Yes, there is indeed a lot of worry in the air, about the potential for escape of Genetically Modified organisms into the environment.  Generally, this involves crop plants which have been modified to resist certain diseases, or to be immune to certain herbicides so that one can spray the crop and zap all weeds in one fell swoop.
The Shuttle in Culture

The Shuttle in Culture

Jul 25 2011 | comment(s)

My immediate feeling as Shuttle Atlantis touched down safely was one of relief.
 
But now that all the post-facto analysis have started, with maybe some recrimination, let me entertain you all with one way in which the Shuttle has entered British Culture.


Theology of Molluscs?

Theology of Molluscs?

Jul 23 2011 | comment(s)

Molluscs are Marvellous! — as regular readers of “Squid-a-Day” will know.

The recent presentation there of Celebrate Squid Babies brought to mind the following, from Darwin’s notebooks:

How far grander than idea from cramped imagination … that since the time of the Silurian, he has made a long succession of vile Molluscous animals — How beneath the dignity of him,  …. whom it has been declared "he said let there be light&there was light."

That has prompted some theological thoughts, but first a zoological one.
Happy Birthday Neptune

Happy Birthday Neptune

Jul 11 2011 | comment(s)

 
 
Tomorrow, that is.  On July 12th, 2011, Neptune will have completed exactly one orbit around the Sun since it was discovered on September 23rd, 1846.  So,
 

Happy Birthday, Neptune

Blooming Botany (3B)

Blooming Botany (3B)

Jul 05 2011 | comment(s)


Botany: A Blooming History


The last episode of the series by Timothy Walker majored on the exploits of noble scientists whose aim was
Blooming Botany (3A)

Blooming Botany (3A)

Jul 02 2011 | comment(s)

Botany: A Blooming History


And now we come to part three of this series