Tag Archives: Biographical

Cosmology – Confusion on a Higher Level?

I’ve already posted the picture below, which was taken at a conference in Leiden (Netherlands) in 1995. Various shady characters masquerading as “experts” were asked by the audience of graduate students at a summer school to give their favoured values for the cosmological parameters (from top to bottom: the Hubble constant, density parameter, cosmological constant,…Read More…

Mathematics, Astronomy and the National Secular Society

I imagine that a  great many people have been thinking hard recently about democracy, free speech and religious belief in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo murders in Paris. There’s also been a great deal of stuff in the print media covering these issues. I just want to mention one thing that I have decided…Read More…

  • Posted in Uncategorized
  • Also tagged astronomy, Cardiff, Henry William Lloyd Tanner, History, National Secular Society, politics, University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire

Lognormality Revisited

I was looking up the reference for an old paper of mine on ADS yesterday and was surprised to find that it is continuing to attract citations. Thinking about the paper reminds me off the fun time I had in Copenhagen while the paper was written.  I was invited there in 1990 by Bernard Jones,…Read More…

  • Posted in Uncategorized
  • Also tagged Ads, citations, Copenhagen, Lognormal, NASA/ADS, Research Excellence Framework, Science Politics,

Conchita Wurst wins 2014 Beard of the Year poll

Originally posted on Kmflett’s Blog:Beard Liberation Front Press release 28th December Conchita Wurst tops Eurovision win with Beard of the Year victory The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that in the best supported contest since 1995, the winner of this year’s Eurovision in May Conchita Wurst has also…Read More…

  • Posted in Uncategorized
  • Also tagged Bartosz Bialkowski, Beard of the Year, Beards, Conchita Wurst

The Submarines of Burlington House

I’m in London for the Monthly Open Meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society, followed by dinner with the Club. I just popped into the courtyard of Burlington House in front of the Royal Academy of Arts to see what was going on, and I found this giant fish tank full of tiny rusty submarines. Not…Read More…

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  • Also tagged

The Submarines of Burlington House

I’m in London for the Monthly Open Meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society, followed by dinner with the Club. I just popped into the courtyard of Burlington House in front of the Royal Academy of Arts to see what was going on, and I found this giant fish tank full of tiny rusty submarines. Not…Read More…

  • Posted in Uncategorized
  • Also tagged

In Praise Of The Oldie

Feeling the advancing years in advance of another weekend out of circulation, I purchased a copy of the December edition of The Oldie last week to help pass the time. I heartily recommend this magazine to readers of a certain age for its eclectic mixture of articles, cartoons and, best of all from my point…Read More…

  • Posted in Uncategorized
  • Also tagged Crosswords, The Oldie

Starlink Memories

This lunchtime I put on a black tie and went to the funeral of Stuart Keir, who died suddenly a few weeks ago at the aged of 55. Stuart had only just retired, on grounds of ill health, having worked in IT services for over twenty years here at the University of Sussex. When I…Read More…

  • Posted in Uncategorized
  • Also tagged DCL, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Starlink, Stuart Keir, University of Sussex, VAX, VAX 11/780, VMS

Una Furtiva Lagrima

Too busy for a proper post today so here’s a bit of music. On Saturday I had the pleasure of listening on BBC Radio 3 to a live broadcast of the opera L’elisir d’amore from Covent Gardens, one of my all-time favourite works. I definitely have a thing for the kind of Italian Bel Canto…Read More…

  • Posted in Uncategorized
  • Also tagged Gaetano Donizetti, Le'lisir d'amore, Luciano Pavarotti, opera, Una Furtiva Lagrima

Graphic Display

Two days ago, on Thursday, I had the pleasure of spending all day at an “Awayday” trying to work out how to implement the University of Sussex Strategic Plan, Making the Future. My main contribution was this beautifully clear diagram summarising a lengthy discussion on research strategy: Obviously the diagram needs no further explanation, but…Read More…

  • Posted in Uncategorized
  • Also tagged , Awayday, Education, Research, Strategic Plan, University of Sussex
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