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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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Natural World: A Farm For The Future?

Natural World: A Farm For The Future?

Feb 21 2009 | comment(s)

Last night, I watched on BBC Television Natural World, 2008-2009 - 14. A Farm for the Future in which

Wildlife film maker Rebecca Hosking investigates how to transform her family’s farm in Devon into a low energy farm for the future, and discovers that nature holds the key.
Ghana's rocket man

Ghana's rocket man

Feb 12 2009 | comment(s)

“As a young boy I was always very curious.

My parents didn't like to leave me at home alone, because they knew I would dismantle the radio. . .”

So begins an interview with

Ghana's rocket man


who is now working at NASA.   It’s short, but very informative: read it here.
Get A Slice Of The Least Action!

Get A Slice Of The Least Action!

Feb 09 2009 | comment(s)

I have been working in research for 36 years now.  As the millennium turned, and our department found itself being starved of staff like the Hodja’s Donkey, I found myself being called upon to assume some small teaching roles.  I found two incompatible things: one, that I really enjoy teaching, even more than research; two, that there is so much physics that I never had learned properly.
Metamorphosis In Science (but Not à La Kafka)

Metamorphosis In Science (but Not à La Kafka)

Feb 03 2009 | comment(s)

Recently I read on this site Massimo Pigliucci’s articles on Hard and Soft Science.  As usual, though, I at first sailed over the main theme, and picking up one or two phrases went off on one of my tangents.  The first of these phrases was:
    the long interval on the question of the nature of gravity between Newton and Einstein.
which led me to think that:
Forget Darwin?

Forget Darwin?

Feb 02 2009 | comment(s)

This morning I woke up to read this in the Daily Telegraph:

Can we please forget about Charles Darwin?

As we celebrate Charles Darwin's anniversary, a leading geneticist argues that our understanding of evolution would be much improved if we removed Darwin's life - and pointless references to religion - from the equation.

What do you all think?  I'm in the middle of a working day, so I can't put my own thoughts down right now.
Vive la Différence!

Vive la Différence!

Jan 28 2009 | comment(s)

I like stirring, so here is this recent University Press Release (27 January 2009):

'Censoring' language is key to female survival in the boardroom

New research from the University of Reading argues that women leaders have to be language experts to survive the rigours of the boardroom.

Women learn to censor their language to be accepted by their male colleagues but the effort for some could be too much, and is part of the reason why women remain seriously under-represented in UK boardrooms.