Author Archives: Stephen

Our Beirut Brexit

Posted on 13 September 2020 by Stephen

At 6:18 on the afternoon of Tuesday 4th August a huge store of ammonium nitrate exploded at the port of Beirut. The blast, one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history, killed nearly 200 people, injured thousands more, and … Continue reading →

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In our elements

Posted on 25 August 2020 by Stephen

I have been coming to the Lake District on and off for much of my life. It is my favourite corner of England. I first came in 1981 when I was seventeen, as one of half a dozen venture scouts … Continue reading →

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Comet NEOWISE – catch it if you can

Posted on 21 July 2020 by Stephen

Comet NEOWISE has come but not yet gone. If there is no cloud cover for the next night or two, you might be able to catch its wispy presence low in the north-west before it fades from view. Don\’t feel bad … Continue reading →

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Augmented reality: me and my hearing aids

Posted on 11 July 2020 by Stephen

My new best buds… When I started out on this blog back in ’08 I made a passing observation about my age, having noticed I was increasingly lifting my glasses to read the date on my watch. Not long afterwards … Continue reading →

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UK R&D Roadmap 2020: big picture poses big questions

Posted on 6 July 2020 by Stephen

The latest in a long line of R&D strategy documents from the UK government reveals some promising evolution in its strategic thinking. But while it touches on a wide range of complex and interacting challenges, but the precise direction of … Continue reading →

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The Flattened Curve

Posted on 25 May 2020 by Stephen

The lockdown might have flattened the curve of infection and death, but it has also flattened the curve and swell of life. Existence has shrunk to fit within four walls; life ‘outside’ has largely been compressed within the flat rectangles of … Continue reading →

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The still unsustainable goal of university ranking

Posted on 26 April 2020 by Stephen

The new and improved Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2020 were published this week with as much online fanfare as THE could muster. Unfortunately, they are not improved enough. Sydney University’s Duncan Ivison makes case for impact rankings. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Research Assessment, Scientific Life | Comments Off on The still unsustainable goal of university ranking

Three weeks

Posted on 5 April 2020 by Stephen

Just three weeks ago, on eve of the weekend, my wife and I met an old friend for dinner at a restaurant in Southwark. Even then, the most normal things in the world were beginning to feel risky. Our friend … Continue reading →

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This is not my Brexit day

Posted on 31 January 2020 by Stephen

It is 31st January 2020 and as of 11 pm tonight the UK will no longer be a member of the European Union. We have arrived at Brexit day. But this is not my Brexit. I did not want it.

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2019 in 31 photographs

Posted on 31 December 2019 by Stephen

My computer tells me I took over 3,700 photographs in 2019. Yikes! However, I have winnowed them down to just 31, should you care to take a look. I have been fortunate this year to travel far and wide – or … Continue reading →

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