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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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Everything – And Nothing

Everything – And Nothing

Apr 02 2011 | comment(s)

“Auntie”, better known as the BBC, has just treated us to a two-parter, Everything and Nothing, by Jim Al-Khalili.  He thoroughly knows his history of science, rather than treating it as an add-on, and delivers the significance of what he says without spoiling it through philosophy and vain deceit” [1].

The blurb says:

The Gravity Potato

The Gravity Potato

Mar 31 2011 | comment(s)



Earth's gravity revealed in unprecedented detail



This latest news release from ESA, the European Space Agency, gives us the most accurate picture yet of the geoid, which
is the surface of an ideal global ocean in the absence of tides and currents, shaped only by gravity. It is a crucial reference for measuring ocean circulation, sea-level change and ice dynamics – all affected by climate change.


Advances in Astronomy

Advances in Astronomy

Mar 18 2011 | comment(s)

This is a short note to draw your attention to Jim Kaler’s recent page covering ADVANCES IN ASTRONOMY for 2009 – 2010.

It’s not very long, but the latest in everything from the Moon to the whole observed Universe is summarized neatly by a master of the subject, and is well worth a read.
Lift Tales

Lift Tales

Mar 11 2011 | comment(s)

Over many years, as a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, I have regularly received their magazine, formerly Chemistry in Britain, now Chemistry World.  This often contains an article of historical interest
Spring and the Atom Tree

Spring and the Atom Tree

Mar 07 2011 | comment(s)

Walking through the main campus of Reading University, where they have been planting a lot of saplings recently, I came across this:



With the sun getting stronger, and the leaves not yet out, one gets some very picturesque views at this time.  These, on a young Plane Tree (Platanus), are probably its first fruits.  They did, however, remind me of this:


Carbon For Archimedes (2)

Carbon For Archimedes (2)

Mar 02 2011 | comment(s)

Archimedes steps in again.  The MacTutor tells us that
 
“Archimedes considered his most significant accomplishments were those concerning a cylinder circumscribing a sphere, and he asked for a representation of this together with his result on the ratio of the two, to be inscribed on his tomb.”
 
And one year after it was told us how to produce carbon spheres in relative abundance (at least, enough to buy a decent quantity from your laboratory chemical supplier), along comes Sumio Iijima telling us how to make cylinders.