Author Archives: Stephen

A year of inaction: why has the Royal Society allowed itself to be hollowed out by Elon Musk?

Posted on 11 February 2026 by Stephen

Professor Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, would have you believe that concerns raised within and without the Society about the behaviour of their honoured fellow, Elon Musk FRS, are because some people think he’s a “bad person”. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Critique of comments by the President of the Royal Society on the Musk Affair

Posted on 14 January 2026 by Stephen

From interviews that were published last week by the Financial Times and The Guardian, I get the sense that the new President of the Royal Society, Professor Sir Paul Nurse, is almost as sick of the Musk affair as I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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A Quiet Light

Posted on 10 January 2026 by Stephen

I read recently – I can’t remember where – that people who say “I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like” actually do know quite a bit about art. More than average at any rate. I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Books of 2025

Posted on 31 December 2025 by Stephen

My annual round-up of the books I read in 2025 was pre-empted by a request from Research Professional News (RPN) to write 250 words on my favourite reads of the past year. The article, which includes selections by others, is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Photos of 2025

Posted on 28 December 2025 by Stephen

My annual selection of favourites from the photographs I took in the past year is now available on Flickr. Do people still use Flickr? I have broken my usual rule of not including family photos because of the very exceptional … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Let’s get negative

Posted on 24 September 2025 by Stephen

Ironically, in the week when my co-authors and I are publishing a paper proposing framework to tackle the reluctance of researchers to publish negative results, one of the most important null results of recent times – the lack of any credible link … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Conduct Unbecoming – how can the Royal Society escape its Musk box?

Posted on 19 June 2025 by Stephen

Four months after my open letter calling on the Royal Society to take action over Elon Musk FRS’s breaches of their code of conduct had attracted thousands of signatures from the scientific community, but only a very muted response from that most … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Response to the Free Speech Union’s article on my letter to the Royal Society

Posted on 18 February 2025 by Stephen

The Free Speech Union (FSU) has published an article about my open letter to the Royal Society regarding the evident contraventions of its code of conduct by one of their Fellows, Elon Musk FRS. Unfortunately, Frederick Attenborough’s piece contains errors, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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An open letter to the President of the Royal Society – time to stand up for your values

Posted on 11 February 2025 by Stephen

Earlier today, I sent the letter below to Professor Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society. The letter expresses my deep concerns at the ongoing failure of the Royal Society to recognise that Elon Musk FRS has acted in contravention … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Trump, DEI and the REF – what is the vibe shift?

Posted on 20 January 2025 by Stephen

There is an air of defeatism in progressive circles today, the day Donald Trump will be sworn in for a second term as President of the United States of America. Some of the reasons behind this sense of frustration and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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