Category Archives: Science & Art

On the Freedom of Misunderstanding of Speech

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Stephen

“The Ruffian” is great title for Ian Leslie’s Substack given his predilection for roughing up lazy thinking. I first came across him as the author of “Conflicted”, an excellent book about how to disagree constructively, a practice he frequently deploys … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality Diversity & Inclusion, Science & Art, Science culture, Scientific Life | 4 Comments

Photos of 2022

Posted on December 28, 2022 by Stephen

Another year, another two thousand or more photographs, some of which I thought were quite good. There’s a little taster below but if you want to see the full set of 55 pictures that were my favourites from this year, … Continue reading →

Posted in Photography, Science & Art, Travel | 4 Comments

Science, art and Art

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Stephen

Last week I attended the award ceremony of the Wellcome Image Awards. Every time I go to this event I tell myself I’ll submit an entry for the following year, but somehow I never manage to get a submission organised. I suspect my … Continue reading →

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2016 in pictures

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Stephen

Rather than attempt to sum up this tumultuous year in yet more words, let me share with you some of the photographs I took in 2016. The image below is an embedded album from my Flickr account. I’m not sure … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, Science & Art | 2 Comments

Ways of Seeing

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Stephen

It is the weekend and I have been treating myself to some time with the paper. Usually, I buy the Saturday Guardian. On occasion I will also get The Observer on a Sunday but most weekends I don’t have the … Continue reading →

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How to look at Art?

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Stephen

I was sneered at on Twitter yesterday for sneering at people taking pictures of the Impressionist paintings on display at the Musée D’Orsay in Paris. Fair enough perhaps. I had adopted an exaggerated version of the pontifical tone that comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Art | 1 Comment

Henry Gee’s top ten reads of 2015

Posted on January 2, 2016 by Stephen

At the tail end of 2015 I reviewed the 23 books that had entertained and enlightened me over the course of the year. My friend Henry Gee, formerly of this parish, managed nearly twice that number. In a guest post full of his … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Science & Art | 3 Comments

Digital culture: my so-called week

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Stephen

My week, my cultural week, started last Sunday when I found time to catch up with Radio 4’s five-part series on Dorothy Hodgkin, an extraordinary scientist who was brought vividly to life through readings of her letters. Hearing the words … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science, Science & Art, TV review | Comments Off on Digital culture: my so-called week

Impressions of Turner

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Stephen

I may not know much about art but I know what I like and I like the work of Joseph Mallord William Turner — all the more so now that I have seen the Turner and the Sea exhibition at the National Maritime … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Art | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Follower

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Stephen

This post has nothing to do with science. Seamus Heany is dead. I am only begining to process what that means to me. I claim no deep knowledge of his poetry but it has been with me for a long … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Art | 1 Comment