Hello readers! Last week I watched Annihilation (2018), a science fiction film that received widespread critical acclaim. As with my previous review of Arrival, I will respect the integrity of this film by splitting my review into two parts: the first will contain only minor spoilers, aimed towards people who haven’t seen the film but … Continue reading Film review: Annihilation
Six-minute summary: Sophie Germain
Hello readers! Today we’re taking a look at the life of Sophie Germain, a French mathematician. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d never heard of her, and by the end of this summary, I hope you’ll agree that this is a terrible shame. Childhood Sophie Germain was born in Paris in 1776, with the full … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Sophie Germain
Film review: Arrival
Hello readers! This week, I rewatched Arrival (2016). Not quite sure what prompted me to do so: maybe it was the bizarre US Congress hearing, where ex-military personnel attested to seeing UFOs? Maybe it was the fact that Netflix has been pushing me to watch this film since I added it to my list a … Continue reading Film review: Arrival
Clayton gets a pet rock
Hello readers! Last weekend I received the most astonishing gift: a huge lump of polished stone, perfectly cylindrical and shiny, with a conspicuous hole drilled into the top. This is a curling stone, used in the strange, slippery sport of curling – a sort of halfway house between ice hockey and pétanque. The history of … Continue reading Clayton gets a pet rock
Six-minute summary: Tycho Brahe
Hello readers! It’s time for another six-minute summary. This week, we’re discussing Tycho Brahe, a 16th century Danish astronomer who revolutionised the collection of astronomical data. Wikipedia describes him as “the last major astronomer before the invention of the telescope” – and yet Brahe could have lived just long enough to see this paradigm shift … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Tycho Brahe
Clayton Calculates: The Death Mountain lava lake
Hello readers! After the success of my lava calculations last month, I have been inspired to devote an entire blog post to pulling apart the physical inaccuracies of fantasy worlds. It turns out that the water hydrants in Tears of the Kingdom are the least of its lava-based problems (if you missed it, see: Is … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: The Death Mountain lava lake
Artificial Aphantasia
Hello readers! This week I discovered the “Bing Image Creator” – an AI image generator which anyone can use for free (i.e., for the measly price of handing all your search data to Microsoft). I’m aware that you’ve probably heard enough about AI art by now, so I thought I’d try and approach this thorny … Continue reading Artificial Aphantasia
Highmoor Maps: Book One
Hello readers! This week, I’m presenting the first map for the Highmoor series, covering the places visited in the first book. I’m also realising that I’ve made my life difficult by naming the book series after a location, because although this map covers the places visited in the book Highmoor, it is not just a … Continue reading Highmoor Maps: Book One
Muesli musings
Hello readers! Today’s blog post was triggered by a mundane observation that turned out to be interesting. Have you ever noticed that in a box of muesli, the largest pieces (e.g., Brazil nuts) tend to rise to the surface? I was reminded of this phenomenon yesterday, when I noticed that a bag of mixed herbs … Continue reading Muesli musings
New book out now: Sylvre
Hello readers! I have just published a new book on Amazon. This is Sylvre, the second instalment in the Highmoor series. To celebrate the launch, all my other books are free for this weekend (10th and 11th June). If you haven't picked up the first book, Highmoor, now's your chance! Amazon link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C7LVH17V Highmoor series … Continue reading New book out now: Sylvre
C. W. Clayton 