What is science fiction? Part one: a history

Hello readers! I thought I would kick off the year with a somewhat philosophical post. What is science fiction? You’d think I’d know, given how much of it I create and consume, and yet it is a fascinatingly broad genre. If you go searching for science fiction books on Amazon, you will be offered a … Continue reading What is science fiction? Part one: a history →

Six-minute summary: Inge Lehmann

Hello readers! Today’s six-minute summary is about Inge Lehmann, the Danish scientist who discovered that our planet has a solid inner core. I thought this summary would be somewhat topical following the recent media coverage of ‘giant blobs’ in the lower mantle, now proposed to be the remnants of an ancient collision with another planet … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Inge Lehmann →

Clayton goes to Culzean Castle

Hello readers! A few weeks ago I took a quick trip to Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland. It’s a lovely part of the world, and the drive through the Galloway Hills to get there was an adventure in itself. The rolling fells of the Southern Uplands might not be as imposing as the … Continue reading Clayton goes to Culzean Castle →

Six-minute summary: Pythagoras

Hello readers! This week we’re exploring the life of Pythagoras, an Ancient Greek philosopher best known for a theory regarding right-angled triangles. His impact on modern science is undeniable. Centuries after his death, he inspired eminent scientists such as Kepler and Newton to discover fundamental laws of physics, and even now, he has the power … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Pythagoras →

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 →

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 →

Six-minute summary: Florence Nightingale

Hello readers! It’s time for the second instalment in this series of six-minute summaries. Last time, we covered Alfred Wegener, who brought about a paradigm shift in the Earth sciences with his idea of continental drift. This time, we’ll look at another revolutionary thinker: Florence Nightingale. International nurses day was on Friday 12th May, which … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Florence Nightingale →

Six-minute summary: Alfred Wegener

Hello readers! Thought I'd try something different again today (nothing like a bit of consistency to keep the audience engaged). You might have noticed that the title utilises an arbitrary amount of time in order to attain alliterative flow, from which it is embarrassingly obvious that I needed a snappy name for a new type … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Alfred Wegener →