Author Archives: Stephen

Touch, Feel

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Stephen

I’m not proud of myself but I have to confess to a lascivious addiction. I know. It’s disgusting. But I can’t help it. The problem started in 1999. I remember all too clearly my first glimpse of the well-proportioned curves … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | 23 Comments

Cosmos and Kapoor

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Stephen

Having delighted in Jacob Bronowski’s The Ascent of Man earlier this year, I sat down to watch Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, which several commenters had recommended to me. You can read what I thought of it in my guest post at … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Communication, TV review | 2 Comments

Libel Reform: Not There Yet

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Stephen

The British cardiologist Dr Peter Wilmshurst was reported in 2007 to have made remarks critical of a clinical trial involving a medical device made by NMT Medical. He is now being sued for libel. The case is complex and I … Continue reading →

Posted in Libel Reform | 1 Comment

Science is Vital: Perturbation Theory and Practice

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Stephen

The firework screamed upwards into the night sky and burst, with an almighty crack, into a vibrant spray of light and colour. Everyone looked up. Some people cheered. And then the murmur of conversation resumed. Is that what happened with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Politics | 44 Comments

Ask

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Stephen

Despite having a physics degree and some notion of the stretchiness of space and time in Einstein’s theory of special relativity, I’ve never felt comfortable with these ideas. In particular, I have never really had a good feel for why … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review | 5 Comments

Science is Vital: Letter to my MP

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Stephen

I am presently attending a conference on Caliciviruses in Chile and am enjoying being immersed in both the warm spring sunshine and the latest research on this important group of pathogens. Any of you who has suffered at the hands … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Politics, Scientific Life | 12 Comments

Science is Vital – Lobby of Parliament

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Stephen

After the amazing success of the Science is Vital Rally on Saturday (see here for video and Jenny’s report and here for another first-hand account by Prateek Buch), it was off to the House of Commons today. Not quite in … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Politics | 2 Comments

Rally to the Cause of Science

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Stephen

The Science is Vital Campaign has caught the grim mood of the scientific community and focused the energy of opposition to light a fire of protest. The campaign petition was gathering about 1,000 signatures a day just after the launch … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Politics | 7 Comments

Science is Vital – The Case for Support

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Stephen

A quick note here for those interested in the details of the case for support behind the Science is Vital Campaign that is fighting against cuts in the UK’s public spending on R&D. The campaign has posted key points and … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Politics | Comments Off on Science is Vital – The Case for Support

Patrick Blackett’s Science was Vital

Posted on September 25, 2010 by Stephen

Please be patient while I experiment with audio to drum up support for the “Science is Vital campaign”:http://scienceisvital.org.uk/. It will only take two minutes and forty-nine seconds. Listen! Listen! Thank you for listening. Update (Sun 26th Sept): For those of … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science, Science & Politics | 14 Comments

The Lady in the Room

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Stephen

She’s here. She’s in the room. I’ve not noticed her before — not in previous years — but every now and then her presence is unmistakable. I am sitting in a lecture theatre in St Andrews University in Scotland, attending … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Scientific Life | 18 Comments

Monsters in the details

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Stephen

I promise I won’t make a habit of just posting links to stuff on other sites but I am childishly proud of having a piece about macromolecular crystallography in the Guardian Science Blog.

Posted in Protein Crystallography | Tagged | 4 Comments