Read about a study today, that some sort of DNA analysis suggests that the genetic lifespan of our species is about 37 years. Well, I’m past that now, so clearly on borrowed time. Can’t say it makes one feel much better about those I cared for who died young, but were older than 37.
Natural history
I met a friend for breakfast at a boulangerie yesterday. This actually did have very good bread and even pastries – how Pakistan has changed. Of course they were very expensive, at least by local standards, but the croissants were flaky and buttery and the scrambled eggs were proper scrambled eggs and the pomegranate juice […]
Curing cancer
Read an interesting piece today, a short interview with an oncologist who wrote a book advocating for the diversion of cancer research funding towards prevention and early detection rather than cures or late-stage scrambling for every week of life. It seemed sensible – I gather a lot of oncologists feel this way – but medical […]
Howling in the night
I slept badly last night, and have done so for a few nights past. There was first the anxiety about the land, and whether or not we should buy it, which manifested in dreams. Last night for some reason my feet felt very cold, as though we were back in London in our poorly heated […]
Jab
I returned to the flat from my class and we went off to Poblado with several missions in mind, but only one that we were reasonably confident of completing. In the event we managed all of them, hurrah. It took ages to get there as the traffic was terrible (we had hoped to save time […]
Sand fly
We woke, both of us but especially the GF, covered in large solid looking bites. We worried that they were from some infestation in the bedding (it being that sort of place) but the staff assured us that they were sandfly bites. Hopefully these are less lethal and long lasting than the ones in Sumba, […]
Sand wasp
The day was as quiet as planned. After breakfast we tried snorkelling off the beach which turned out to be very good compared to the other end of the bay, though still nowhere near the top ranks we’ve been fortunate enough to see. There was plenty of living coral here, and pipefish, and schools and […]
Sea snakes
A fascinating article about why sea snakes are to be found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans but not the Atlantic. Also, who knew that there were snakes that live exclusively in the water, and they drink freshwater by sipping ‘lenses’ that collect on the surface of the ocean after rain?
Biofilm
I read a fascinating article on microbes and their group intelligence, and useful one too, as I have an unfinished story (yes, one of many) in which biofilms play an important role. Lovely images too. Other than that it was a quiet sort of day, spent struggling with a couple of quite poorly written documents. […]
Rays I have known
This is the first day in months that I don’t have a pile of work to do or think about. Not that there’s no work this weekend, but it’s not urgent. A strange feeling, hanging in between. Physically tired whilst mentally racing and feeling that there is something I should be doing. This is not […]